 
Lee GWB
Yaco
Premium
join:2001-10-13
Allendale, NJ | Figures Hi,
I started to do that a month ago. I had most packages, then slowly dropped all the Movies.
Simply not worth it.
Lee | |
| bamabrad
join:2006-01-27
Port Orange, FL | Time to act They better start worrying NOW before it becomes a problem to them-be proactive and stay ahead of the curve instead of re-acting to a threat. | |
| 
needforspeed59
Cruise Ship Just Passing Through
join:2001-05-02
Glendale, AZ
| Too Clugdy Video over the Net is still too much of a hassle for the everyday Joe. I don't beleive it will be ready for primetime (pun intended) until it is extremely easy to move the content around the home and elsewhere. Also, Joe Sixpack is going to expect the instant channel changing and quality he is used to. Again, maybe someday; but not now.
--
Great success! High five! | |
| 
fuziwuzi
Not born yesterday
Premium
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA
| works for me After less-than-ideal service with the Comcast DVR and digital packages, I decided I would be better served dropping down to the barebones analog package, digging out my old TiVO Series2, and downloading the TV shows that I normally watched from the cable channels. Sure, it is a little work in the mornings to select the shows to download, but it is far more reliable and of better quality than what I was getting with Comcast and their horrible DVR. And even with paying $10/month for high-speed Usenet access, it comes out SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than what I would pay even for the "digital starter" package on Comcast. Also, with services like Miro on the PC, Netflix and Jaman on my TiVO, who needs these overpriced and feature-lacking things from cable?
--
***************
I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image.
- Stephen Hawking | |
|  | NewsAdmin
join:2009-02-13
| Re: works for me said by fuziwuzi  :And even with paying $10/month for high-speed Usenet access, it comes out SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than what I would pay even for the "digital starter" package on Comcast. Are you getting unlimited downloads through your current Usenet provider, or do you have some type of monthly download cap? We do comparisons & reviews of all the Usenet providers, and you may find a better option than your current $10/month arrangement...
»newsadmin.com/newsservers_providers.asp
Bob / NewsAdmin.Com | |
| 
keysgate
join:2003-03-15
Trenton, MI
 ·T-Mobile VoIP
 ·T-Mobile US
| cutting believe me-most folks think you have to have a cable to watch TV.When talking about free OTA I just get a blank stare. I am glad folks are keeping the cable. I watch OTA and broadband TV. When everyone starts doing this and the CC
sees a big increase in broadband usage, they will just implement caps and fees on the broadband side. They will get their money one way or another.
--
"Oh my antenna gone...oh no its right down here, maybe if i wiggle it around i'll get more service" »www.dennysantennaservice.com/sav···_tv.html
| |
| | 
otty
join:2008-10-24
Toronto, ON | Re: cutting I dropped the tv years ago. Used to torrent instead. Now I used an unnamed provider of online high quality divx streaming. The internet is my phone, tv and of course internet. I love it! | |
| | | 
maartena
Stacked.
Premium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA | Re: cutting "unnamed provider" sounds like it isn't completely legal. | |
| | | | 
bender
Bite my shiny metal ass
Premium
join:2005-03-19
Evanston, IL
clubs: | Re: cutting :-D | |
| | | | | | 
BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| said by otty :I dropped the tv years ago. Used to torrent instead. plenty of places like Hulu where you can LEGALLY obtain content. | |
| | | ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16
Stratford, CT
1 edit | New day, same subject quote:
but cable operators have quite some time before they need to really worry about broadband video.
Cable operators (the ones supplying the internet connections for broadband video) Will NEVER have to worry. Why? because theres this thing called CAPS... and yes, they will be applying caps when broadband video takes away enough of their revenue. IF they dont apply caps, you will see internet connections costing twice as much for people who dont subscribe to pay TV.
Most of you people live in la-la land thinking the incumbents are on their way to extinction. One way or another , they will be getting their needed revenue to pay employees and to maintain and improve networks. | |
| | 
GOLFnSUN
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
| Re: New day, same subject said by ITALIAN926 :Most of you people live in la-la land thinking the incumbents are on their way to extinction. One way or another , they will be getting their needed revenue to pay employees and to maintain and improve networks. And 2 examples from San Francisco(the weird capital of the US) is hardly a trend.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
| | | 
badtrip
East Bay
Premium
join:2004-03-20
Albany, CA
·Unwired Ltd
·Comcast
| Re: New day, same subject said by GOLFnSUN :]And 2 examples from San Francisco(the weird capital of the US) is hardly a trend. Us left-coasters are the innovators. Don't be scared of change. | |
| | | | | 
jadebangle
Premium
join:2007-05-22
Olathe, KS
 ·SureWest Internet
·AT&T Yahoo
·Comcast
| Re: New day, same subject said by bender :said by ITALIAN926 :Most of you people live in la-la land thinking the incumbents are on their way to extinction. One way or another , they will be getting their needed revenue to pay employees and to maintain and improve networks. you think they do everything they can to improve their networks? are you kidding me? they could easily have over 100Mbit cable internet by now if they would just try. all they are doing is just enough to beat the competition. and they dont always do that. They want us to spend more time on tv and less on the internet. That is why their is not much improvement on internet connection over the years
We see increase every few year but its very minimal or little by little. a small incremental just to keep us all paying for slow internet connection used for patches and demo games | |
| | | | ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16
Stratford, CT | Re: New day, same subject Obviously, the connections are fast enough to stream video's; dummies. | |
|
maartena
Stacked.
Premium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
| More online video..... and more data caps. I think it is great that more and more video is available online. The biggest advantage is that you can watch when you want it, without having to set your DVR.
I use HULU for TV sometimes, and the quality is good enough, especially when viewing HD.
But not everyone is equal, there are more and more ISP's that are implementing data caps. HULU's HD streams are 2 Mbit/s, and watching one or two shows a day that way, as a TV replacement, will add to your data cap very quickly.
--
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" | |
| | me1212
join:2008-11-20
Pleasant Hill, MO
·VOIPo
1 edit | Re: More online video..... and more data caps. If we had 1tb caps like Japan we would not have to worry much about that. But some American cablecos are sacred to loose even $0.0001 of their income. Some DSLs don't have caps, and if the keep it that way they could over take cable, and I heard FiOS has co cap ether, and if I could get them I would have both internet and TV from them, but sadly I cannot get them.
But as long as there is a market for no, or very high(500gb-1tb), caps we will have them, even if the cost x% more than one with a small-ish cap. | |
| PastTense5
join:2007-05-15 | it will explode when Settop Boxes Become Generally Available I think you will see an explosion of interest when set-top boxes become generally available. And this seems to be the year when you will see a lot of new products announced in this area.
I just switched this year and it is working out fine. | |
| | me1212
join:2008-11-20
Pleasant Hill, MO
·VOIPo
| Re: it will explode when Settop Boxes Become Generally Available And when that happens the calbecos will cap like there is no tomorrow. But there WILL be some ISP that cash in on it and make ether very high(750gb-1tb) caps OR no cap at all, it WILL cost a bit more than the cableco's internet, but you do NOT have to pay for their(calbeco's) tv.
Say a cableco's internet is $50 and tv is $75 50+75= $125. And say the other ISP's price is $70 for 84% of the speed and if they have a bundle with netflix or something similar the netflix is then $25 and with hulu and the other free IPTV sites that will pop up for the ad cash(or something like that) it comes to $95 a month, a savings of $30 a month and $360 a year.
IF there IS a market for it they will have an ISP with a very high or no cap and the IPTV stuff, as they will see a way to make money while saving consumers money.
And I cannot wait till I can go all IPTV I just need them to get 5+m internet out here. | |
| 
jsz0
join:2008-01-23
Jewett City, CT
·Comcast
| Slow transition It's definitely not going to happen overnight.
Lots of people still have big living room TVs and the quality of online "HD" content just doesn't compete with cable/satellite HD. (even that could be a lot better)
Live sports are a huge factor also. None of the online streaming sources for NBA/NFL/NHL/NASCAR are good enough yet.
There are also tons of people using analog cable on older TVs. I don't think they'll be rushing out to buy set tops for all of them. If a cable provider was to force someone into leasing a DTA though it would probably be more appealing to get an IP video set top instead.
The biggest factor is IP video is just still too "do it yourself" for most people. Too many different sites, too many different set tops. Until there's some convergence of services/hardware I don't see it really catching on as a replacement for traditional linear cable/satellite TV for most people. It will exist as a supplement though. | |
| | me1212
join:2008-11-20
Pleasant Hill, MO | Re: Slow transition Give it time that will change, and the independent ISP with a 1tb or no cap will arise ad take the world by storm. | |
| | RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
·AT&T Midwest
| That convergence has started. A half dozen different IPTV streaming services are now available via TiVo including Netflix, Amazon on Demand, YouTube, Disney on Demand, and a few others I can't remember at the moment are right there a few remote clicks away from your recorded shows. My wife has a very low tolerance for quirky technology and she absolutely loves this. That tells me more than any pundit or "expert".
Then there are units like the Roku STB. You plug it into your TV, set the wireless network parameters if you use that for Internet connectivity (Ethernet is zero-config) give it your Netflix account name and password info and off you go. Less than a minute set up time, and it works with any TV with composite through HDMI inputs.
As mentioned above, if you are in a major market with a decent ATSC OTA selection, cable is becoming irrelevant. | |
| | | 
Steve Mehs
Go Sabres
join:2005-07-16
| Re: Slow transition quote:
As mentioned above, if you are in a major market with a decent ATSC OTA selection, cable is becoming irrelevant.
Content I can't get over the air, no matter what market I live in: Sabres hockey, Yankees baseball, Californication, Dexter, True Blood, Damages, SportsCenter, Glenn Beck, Hannity, New South Park and more.
While CBS is my most watched network, at 10 1/2 hours a week viewing time, soon to be 11 1/2 hours as I'd like to start watching Flashpoint, not having some type of digital pay TV service with all the trimmings is insane and watching streaming video on a computer screen is just retarded.
OTA is irrelevent. I say scrap the affilate system, just have national feeds of ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and CW and let OTA die.
--
Don't Blame Me, I Voted For McCain
Welcome to The SSA, The Socialist States of Amerika, Lead By Your Dictator, Hussein Obama
Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, B. Hussein Obama
Obama = Terrorist | |
| | | | Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO
| Re: Slow transition With the majority of computers now coming with HDMI(or at least DVI) and most HDTVs having matching inputs, watching TV online is a no brainer. I do not know about all the ones you listed but Californication, Dexter, True Blood, and Damages are all currently available online in 720p format.
OTA is definitely not irrelevant, it is probably more relevant today than it has been for the last twenty years. The HD signal sent via OTA is far superior to most cable/sat channels. | |
| | | | |
Steve Mehs
Go Sabres
join:2005-07-16
| Re: Slow transition quote:
OTA is definitely not irrelevant, it is probably more relevant today than it has been for the last twenty years.
Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. Out of the 111 Million TV households in the country, there are upwards if not over 90 million cable/satellite subscribers nation. No matter how you slice it, if you are 18.9% of something, you're irrelevent. Case closed.
CBS and Time Warner owned channels are in 1080i, not sure how or why I'd want to watch them in 720p, and why the hell would I want to stream them online and make an effort to find new episodes online, in decent quality, run HDMI cables all over when I can just set my DVR to record and have a pay TV service, like the vast majority of Americans do.
And please tell me how I'm supposed to watch live sports and Fox News online?
--
Don't Blame Me, I Voted For McCain
Welcome to The SSA, The Socialist States of Amerika, Lead By Your Dictator, Hussein Obama
Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, B. Hussein Obama
Obama = Terrorist | |
| | | | | | Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO
2 edits | Re: Slow transition You run the HDMI cable just like you do from a DVR or a DVD player. Really, it does not require that much intelligence.
Live sports and Fox news are broadcast OTA usually in HD.
While 18.9% is far from a majority it is still not irrelevant. I also think with the way the economy is going(a year more of this?) a greater percentage is going to "discover" how cost effective OTA is.
edit: Last I heard there was no CW any more.
editII: The guy you supported in the election did not win, does that make you irrelevant? | |
| | | | | | RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
·AT&T Midwest
| Hey, if it's worth $100+ a month to you to sit on your ass watching commercial-laden cable-only programming, go for it. Must be nice to have that much time and money to waste. Personally, all of the things you listed above are a waste of both electricity and spectrum space on the satellites delivering them to the headend, and certainly aren't worth paying to receive.
But you sound like someone who is afraid to look at the alternatives or even consider that there might be a better option than the one you picked, or that what you picked is picking your pocket. | |
| | | | | | |
Steve Mehs
Go Sabres
join:2005-07-16
| Re: Slow transition quote:
You run the HDMI cable just like you do from a DVR or a DVD player. Really, it does not require that much intelligence.
I really don't want to get a long ass HDMI cable, fish it through floors and ceilings just to watch TV.
quote:
Live sports and Fox news are broadcast OTA usually in HD.
In what world is Fox News an OTA network? And MSG and YES are not OTA either. Get your facts straight.
quote:
While 18.9% is far from a majority it is still not irrelevant. I also think with the way the economy is going(a year more of this?) a greater percentage is going to "discover" how cost effective OTA is.
TV is a relatively cheap form of entertainment.
quote:
edit: Last I heard there was no CW any more.
cwtv.com
quote:
editII: The guy you supported in the election did not win, does that make you irrelevant?
A 52/48 split is a tad bit different then 81/19
quote:
Hey, if it's worth $100+ a month to you to sit on your ass watching commercial-laden cable-only programming, go for it. Must be nice to have that much time and money to waste. Personally, all of the things you listed above are a waste of both electricity and spectrum space on the satellites delivering them to the headend, and certainly aren't worth paying to receive.
Oh almighty RadioDoc, what do you find worth watching? Your opinion is the only one that matters, if you don't approve it must be a waste  Your posts are a waste of bandwidth on the server but you don't see me complaining. As for comemrcials, shows like Dexter and True Blood or on premium channels which have no commercials, and I've been using DVRs since 2001 to skip past commercials. The 10 seconds it takes me to fast forward through a commercial break does not make or break me. Finding places to download the content I want in HD quality wastes more time then the commercials I skip through.
quote:
But you sound like someone who is afraid to look at the alternatives or even consider that there might be a better option than the one you picked, or that what you picked is picking your pocket.
Or maybe I see no point in the alternatives because they're not practical. Downloading TV shows from iTunes to put on my iPod for mobile TV watching fine, but for serious TV watching, hell no. For what I pay Time Warner every month I feel it is well worth it and I get my moneys worth, I have no complaints. And by the way it's more like $185/month. Digital Cable with two HD DVRs, HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Starz, Encore, Sports Tier, HD Tier and Road Runner Turbo. I'll go back to NHL Centre Ice and MLB Extra Innings when more HD games are added.
I know people who piss more money away at bars in a weekend then I spend on cable in a month. I don't drink, smoke, gamble, go out to eat often, I work for my money, and I will spend it how I see fit. I enjoy watching TV, surfing the net and taking long drives and that's my business.
--
Don't Blame Me, I Voted For McCain
Welcome to The SSA, The Socialist States of Amerika, Lead By Your Dictator, Hussein Obama
Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, B. Hussein Obama
Obama = Terrorist | |
| | | | | | | |
See 6 replies to this post | |
Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ | Premium channels Years ago I used to subscribe to everything - HBO, Cinemax, Starz, SHowtime. Over $100/month for TV alone.
Now I just subscribe to "expanded basic" and HD. | |
| 
Titus Pullo
I came, I saw, I slept
join:2004-06-26
·Embarq
| No joke In 2002, I paid Adelphia (now Comcast, same difference) $83 for HSI and what was then called the 'Silver Package' - expanded basic + digital basic + HBO.
In 2008 my Comcast bill hit $62 for basic cable only - 62 channels of analog TV - no set-top box.
A buck a channel.
You tell me.
-- | |
| jazzlady
join:2005-08-04
Bartonsville, PA
·ProLog
| I'm on the verge of cancelling cable... I'm on analog cable, and I'm noticing that one after another- stations are being "center cut"- effectively cropping 30% off the picture.
For the same reason that I will not buy a pan and scan dvd- I will not watched a cropped tv show.
The NBC affiliates from NYC and Philly are still broadcasting in widescreen, but ALL the other major networks are center cut now. I am now forced to watch the shows I like online to see them in their proper aspect ratio.
I don't know whether to blame the networks, or my cable company. Perhaps the conversion from digital>analog?
I can watch what I want online, when I want to, with far less commercials, for free.
Remind me again why I am paying for cable?
And if all the cable industry pundits are not seeing the handwriting on the wall about this, they have their heads stuck in a very dark and smelly place... | |
| | ultatryon
join:2002-04-10
Waterford, CT
| Re: I'm on the verge of cancelling cable... The Cable Company does the "center cut" for the most part, there are a few broadcasters out there that simulcast a 4:3 and a 16:9 version of their content, but they are few and far between.
The reason why they do that is to stem the influx of callers complaining about black bars at the top and bottom of the screens. Sure, there will be people who are upset about the sides being chopped off, but overall, there will be far fewer of those calls generated by chopping off the sides.
There is a reason why there is still a Full Screen DVD market, because the vast majority of people out there do not want to "waste tv space with black bars". | |
| | | jazzlady
join:2005-08-04
Bartonsville, PA
·ProLog
| Re: I'm on the verge of cancelling cable... said by ultatryon :The Cable Company does the "center cut" for the most part, there are a few broadcasters out there that simulcast a 4:3 and a 16:9 version of their content, but they are few and far between. I just complained to my cable company about this, and their response is that they do NOT center cut anything. They are swearing up and down that it's the networks themselves doing this, and they just pass on what the networks give them without altering the aspect ratio. So who is full of it? Who DO I complain to?
Networks have been using the widescreen format for years- why is it that now they are going back to 4:3? I don't get it. Is it to force us all to digital HD cable?
The reason why they do that is to stem the influx of callers complaining about black bars at the top and bottom of the screens. Sure, there will be people who are upset about the sides being chopped off, but overall, there will be far fewer of those calls generated by chopping off the sides.
There is a reason why there is still a Full Screen DVD market, because the vast majority of people out there do not want to "waste tv space with black bars".
I can't believe people want to see half an image. I can't stand the center cutting. For me it makes the show unwatchable. The close up shots are waaaaaay too close, peoples faces are cut off, and at times characters are off the screen altogether.
I watched an episode of- NCIS I think it was, and there was an interrogation scene with 2 people at a table.
There was a nose on one side of the screen- and a nose on the other side of the screen.
Say freaking what? How can anybody watch it like this?
If this is the future of cable/network tv- I'll get my content online thank you. In the PROPER aspect ratio.
I'd rather do it legally at the network sites and Hulu, but if I can't... then there are other options. | |
| 
TCub
Premium
join:2008-09-03
Olmsted Falls, OH
clubs:
·Cox HSI
| I've given up... I've given up on television altogether. If theres a show I really want to watch I'll purchase the series on iTunes. For around $20 you can pick up an entire season of a show. That might be costly if you watch a lot of TV but since I hardly do it works for me. Plus I can watch them commercial free and anytime and in any order and anywhere via my iPhone or iPod. If theres a show I'm just curious about I'll watch it on Hulu or try and find it on the networks website.
Why pay all that money per month to get channels you won't even watch? If cable and satelite companies want to stay strong in the next few years they should have cable service that gives you customized channels.
Say for instance you get to pick which 10,20,30 channels you want and pay a smaller monthly fee for it. Or even say $1 per channel per month.
I don't see cable companies being effected by the trend of online tv stream sites like Hulu in the near future but the idea sounds more and more attractive everytime I hear about it.
--
And if you go, furious angels will bring you back to me. | |
| RayW
Premium
join:2001-09-01
Layton, UT
clubs:
·XMission
| Some neighbors have dropped cable for...OTA With the new digital signals and the transmitters only being 40-50 miles away, it saves a lot of money. And there are very few shows worth watching among all the garbage 'bundled' in the cable packages anyway, so not much is lost.
--
I am not lost, I find myself every time. | |
| cyberone
join:2009-01-30
Cascade, MD
 ·Dish Network
·Verizon Online DSL
| Cutting The Cable Cord I'm dropped my Comcast cable TV but kept their Internet due to my Cable TV bill exceeding $150.00 per month. I also got tired of paying for 3 HD cable boxes each month.
Now using Netflix Internet streaming for $8.95 per month. With 12,000 movies to chose from, it's like a super 'On-Demand'. Also bought a Roku box that streams Netflix to my TV.
A great value. | |
| | 
rjdriver
@cox.net
| Re: Cutting The Cable Cord Like you, I dropped cable TV a few months ago. Once I found out that the picture quality of HD over the air was actually better than on cable, and that with digital broadcasts I didn't have to worry about snow, interference, ghosting and all the old pre cable reception problems we used to have, it was a no brainer.
From the responses to this post, it would appear that the assumption that people aren't canceling cable for Internet video is correct. Instead, they are cutting the cord for free over the air broadcasts. Irrelevent? - not quite. | |
| 
Richard B
Fur It Up
join:2007-06-22
Portland, OR | Downgraded Cable Cable cost to much. I just have basic cable and Internet. I prefer streaming video (hulu.com or Itunes)or DVDs because cable cost to much, 648.00 to over a 1000.00 a year, I can watch them on my time, and better selection. | |
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Cutting The Cable Cord
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