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Comments on news posted 2009-02-23 09:01:35: Despite the tough economy, the idea that consumers are cutting the TV cord remains somewhat of a myth, at least according to Comcast and telecom stock jock Craig Moffett. ..
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 | | Charter can eat me Me and my antenna
don't like a lot to spenda
way to much on cable
'cause Charter is not able
to offer service fairly
for signal that is barely
what I get for free
and will not pay for thee | |
| | | I can't get anyone to ditch cable tv I've been OTA only since October 2007, about a year before the economy tanked. You can thank the Verizon updated program guide for my switch. It was (maybe still is) a total POS, and no way I was paying for it, so I went to free OTA TV.
Anyways, my point is, that I am totally unable to convince anyone to switch over to just antenna TV. Heck, I'm right in between Baltimore and DC, so I get a TON of channels. Everyone that visits even comments that they can't believe there are so many channels OTA.
Still, I get bone-headed comments like "put on HBO, they have boxing on tonight". And "MASN has the O's game on right now". Oh, and when I'm flipping thru the EPG I'll get comments like "wow, thats a lot of channels" and "I'm suprised there are that many shows in high def!". And of course, on Saturdays (or Sundays), "what, nothing but basketball (or football) on?
So far, I haven't convinced anyone to give up their $60/mo for an antenna. I guess they just have to be able to watch their O's or their boxing, or whatever floats their boat.
Funny thing is, when we visit their house, we flip thru the channels, and they just have analog service, so no high def, and usually not much on. Definitely nothing worth $60/mo in grainy SD analog.
Oh well, I think I should stop my rant now, not like anyone's listening. Nobody ever does.  | |
| | | | Re: I can't get anyone to ditch cable tv I left Comcast 2 weeks ago and have been 100 percent TV-free since. My LCD TV is my computer monitor and before I ditched the cable I was watching it less than one hour a day anyway.
I have plenty of DVDs for entertainment and get all my news from the internet.
I will see how this little experiment goes, but so far no withdrawal symptoms have surfaced. | |
| | | | no- I get it. I tell people all the time about OTA and I just get a blank stare back. They do not even understand what I am talking about. As far as sports I am a hockey nut. Just lucky to be able to get CBC OTA so there is plenty of hockey, all tho only SD. I record the HD on NBC in HD when on. If you are a real sports nut and its worth 60-100.00 a month for it then go for it. If you really want to save some cash this is a great way to do it and a DVR is almost a requirement.
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"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
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| | I "cut the cord"... quite some time ago, not because of the economy, but because they simply don't have a product worth paying for. There's nothing I can't find elsewhere cheaper with only marginally less convenience and, usually, higher quality. You might say that I've gone "a la carte" without their help.  | |
| | | My neighbor My neighbor goes out and buys a 50" panasonic plasma. We spend hours putting on outlets so the wires are hidden, no ugly power packs, etc. Nice, professional install.
Anyway, he won't pay for HD. So then, he switches to dish. But still won't pay for HD. Calls up the techs several times right after install and says picture "isn't that great". Techs tell him he needs to turn on HD. He won't.
Spends a $1,000 on a TV he has no clue about, but won't give it a signal. People are bizzare in their consideration of what is expensive. | |
| | | | Re: My neighbor many out there doing that.My sister is the same way. Laid out all this cash for a wide screen HDTV and then feeds it a an analog signal. Drives me nuts when ever I am over there.
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"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
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Reviews:
 ·Optimum Online
 ·Verizon FiOS
| Before they expire... Even though my brother bought me a digital tv (cute 19") after my 27" died suddenly.. I'm still gonna buy a couple of those digital tv converters with my government coupons for the heck of it.. after all, the vcr doesn't have an atsc tuner and it's nice to be able to record once in a blue moon.
Cable is becoming bloated, watered down (infomercials on the weekend & late pm/early am hours much????) and has little to no value for the $45+ you pay in a basic subscription. Yes, you can get a lower priced even more "basic" subscription.. but at that rate.. why bother? Rent a converter for $5+ (more for HD, or dvr) BAH! Humbug!
Our former President's legacy on tanking the economy will put formerly recession proof cable on the defensive about subscriber loss/retention. [this is not your great grandparents' recession people.. historians will look back & say this one is worse]. A bigger share of money will have to come from the big advertisers and not the subscribers.
In an ironic way, now that the analog broadcasting goes digital (atsc), each station will have a basic channel, weather channel, and possibly 1-2 more programming avenues to reach viewers... with all the added public broadcasting rights available now... that almost takes the place of what a cable company could do in a basic subscriber package. That, and broadband downloading are the cable / entertainment industry's worst nightmares coming true, and they will have to evolve their business model--dare I say, start offering free basic cable subscriptions. | |
|  fiber_manThings Happen For A ReasonPremium
join:2001-01-27
Port Saint Lucie, FL
·AT&T U-Verse
| Forced sub as said by bicker
"No one is forced, in any way, shape or form, to pay for cable service (beyond the strictly regulated, and therefore eminently affordable, local basic service). People don't want to pay for cable service because they would rather have more money to spend on other things -- it is as simple as that."
My question is what about a homeowner that lives in a HOA development and the HOA has a contract for cable services. That homeowner is forced to pay their share for the service even if they want it or not. I agree that they do not have to use the service. A lot of HOA's will not allow a dish to be placed on the home/condo. I was in a development that has a contract for basic cable plus. You could get additional channels if you wanted to pay more.
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GO NOLES!! | |
| |  wilbilt Pronto ResurrectedPremium
join:2004-01-11
Oroville, CA | Re: Forced sub said by fiber_man: A lot of HOA's will not allow a dish to be placed on the home/condo. I was in a development that has a contract for basic cable plus. You could get additional channels if you wanted to pay more. No HOA can prohibit the installation of a small satellite dish or an OTA antenna. It's the law.
»www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html
I live in a rural area with no cable service. I had Dish Network for a while, but canceled it years ago because I did not feel the quality and quantity of the programming was worth the $50/mo cost.
I have a 25-year old OTA antenna and I receive a few digital channels, including some in HD. Since I am 50+ miles from the transmitters in any direction, reception is spotty. It works OK for me and the minimal TV I watch. My youngest daughter is still at home and rarely watches TV, either.
People at work are always talking about all of these shows available on cable, and think I am some kind of recluse because I have never seen them or even heard of them.
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We were taking a vote when the ground came up and hit us. | |
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| | I am part of that statistic I still pay for satellite TV. I do not have any sports channel or HBO but other channels keep me satisfied.
Despite I have a fast Internet connection now, I still prefer traditional TV over any Internet TV or online rentals. | |
| | | Can't live without I install dish network and direct tv and for the most part am staying busy. I have talked to cx's and they are always telling me stories of what other budgets they have cut so they can have their tv. I switch ppl over all the time from high priced cable to low cost sat systems, usually saving ppl around $80 a month and getting more channels for their money! | |
| wizzlePremium
join:2004-06-15
Durham, NC Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
|  Cable Programming 'Worth' It?
There is a level of ignorance to many folks that they have a 'basic' package alternative though. Many people are shocked when I tell them that my cable bill is less than $20/month.
Funny thing is when I mention that it does now include ESPN, Sci-Fi, USA, the History Channel, the Food Network, etc...they immediately say that they couldn't do without those extra channels.
My stance is to not pay an extra $40/month for those channels. I do miss having ESPN mostly, but it's just not gonna happen unless there's a more reasonable a la carte pricing model that comes along for me.
So the consumers love of TV keeps the pricing model as is. It's cool though when I hear of others who make the sacrifice and live on basic cable or even OTA. | |
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