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Comments on news posted 2012-11-05 12:11:18: Time Warner Cable today released their third quarter earnings, which showed the company lost more video subscribers and added fewer broadband customers than Wall Street had expected. ..

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Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA

1 recommendation

Sammer

Member

Overcharging for Cable TV

The cable companies need to learn that they will lose more customers if they continue the outrageous rate hikes.

ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

ITALIAN926

Member

And people like you need to learn that its not solely the Incumbants fault when they have like $40-$50 a month / per customer in carriage fee's to cover.

Eagles1221
join:2009-04-29
Vincentown, NJ

Eagles1221

Member

Where I am is 33 dollars a month for 20 channels (they advertise it as more but its music channels)

ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

1 recommendation

ITALIAN926

Member

Yes, they have overhead, and they are in the business to make money. Carriage fee's go up, prices go up for customers. Over the last decade, what prices have come down?

If people feel its too expensive, dont buy it. Quite simple.

FLATLINE
join:2007-02-27
Buffalo, NY

FLATLINE to ITALIAN926

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to ITALIAN926
Kind of a wasted point don't you think? We as subscribers can't punish those we don't pay directly. Besides do we or should we really care who's at fault over what? They can all stand to tighten their belts and get their acts together. Let them continue to fight over the dwindling piece of pie till they decide to change the game for the better.

bigunk
Gort, Klattu Birada Nikto
join:2001-02-10
USA

bigunk

Member

One thing they'll be doing for sure is going after those who lost their homes and everything they own in the hurricane for the cable box or a stupid amount of money. Just watch.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

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to ITALIAN926
Yes it is. They are the one who sign the contracts. In fact their "spinoff" Time Warner is one of the bad actors--look at HBO. If they don't like the terms, don't sign, except that Joe and Bob work for the same company.

I get your point, don't like it, don't buy it. That is what the blog is about, people are not buying it. Consider almost all growth in cellular in 2012 was from the prepaid market. People just aren't going to plunk down $150 like robots anymore.

I also get the point that while TV is the anchor today, internet will be soon enough, and the margins there are superior.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

said by elefante72:

Yes it is. They are the one who sign the contracts.

Ok so maybe cable can act like DishNetwork and not sign any deals like they did with AMC. How many subs did Dish lose over that? Yeah real incentive to stop paying higher and higher carriage fees when customers flee in droves when they do that.

If a cable company, say mine, ( Charter ) told ESPN they would be putting all the ESPN channels on the sports tier so only those that wanted it would pay for it Charter would lose a ton of customers. they would lose even more when Disney pulls their channels off of Charter because of that.

So customer's can talk all they want about how they want these pay TV companies to stop giving in to the content holders, but if they do these same customers bail on them and go with a payTV company that gave in and paid the higher fees. So most customers all full of shit since they REFUSE to stick by a company that is trying to stop higher and higher price increases. So as I said where is the incentive?

AdamB0
join:2001-01-07
Columbus, OH

AdamB0

Member

Quality TV

I guess people are just getting tired of paying so much money for a 1000 channels of bullshit like the Jersey Shore and Honey Boo Boo. I guess Americans aren't so dumb after all. The dumb ones are the old men running these companies and slow to adapt. Just let us stream everything over the internet and just the stuff we want.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

said by AdamB0:

I guess people are just getting tired of paying so much money for a 1000 channels of bullshit like the Jersey Shore and Honey Boo Boo. I guess Americans aren't so dumb after all. The dumb ones are the old men running these companies and slow to adapt. Just let us stream everything over the internet and just the stuff we want.

You do realize they actually have to have permission by the content providers to do that and they won't allow that. I'm not sure where you think cable can just do whatever it wants to. Also how does DirecTv and Dishnetwork do the whole "steaming over the internet" stuff?

AdamB0
join:2001-01-07
Columbus, OH

AdamB0

Member

said by 88615298:

said by AdamB0:

I guess people are just getting tired of paying so much money for a 1000 channels of bullshit like the Jersey Shore and Honey Boo Boo. I guess Americans aren't so dumb after all. The dumb ones are the old men running these companies and slow to adapt. Just let us stream everything over the internet and just the stuff we want.

You do realize they actually have to have permission by the content providers to do that and they won't allow that. I'm not sure where you think cable can just do whatever it wants to. Also how does DirecTv and Dishnetwork do the whole "steaming over the internet" stuff?

Who said anything about the cable company? Cut those greedy middlemen out. HBO let me stream your content directly and not require me to get a cable package and then your premium package. These old business models are going to bite them in the ass eventually.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

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Re: Overcharging for Cable TV

It's not time yet. Right now Comcast/TWC are loosing cables subs, gliding on phone, and adding internet. In the case of TWC the gap between TV and internet is 2 million folks, so the saturation rate is getting close. At some point they will have negative "growth" across the board. Once that happens they will need to get more creative (either through higher fees, or offering new products). Seeing that cable is the same as 1985, they will probably continue to jack rates until they are forced to offer new products. They have already started the assault on internet with cable modem fees and higher equipment fees (which doesn't cost them more)

I just got an offer for 20/2 and basic cable (broadcast) for $50. That is not a bad deal. This is half the price of my FIOS, and if I look at viewership last month 5% was on non-broadcast. So I'm paying $50 for 5%, NOT a good deal. My renew for FIOS is next month, if they try to raise prices, hello TWC.

In the release they said that they were making more $$$ by charging more for equipment...You can only get away with that for so long.

Maybe I'm wrong, people may keep paying out the nose, in that case all is good.
elefante72

elefante72

Member

I forgot to add, that viewership for Netflix is now 70% of the consumption in the house--that is why unlimited internet is essential. That will be another dial they will turn to slow the trend.

bigunk
Gort, Klattu Birada Nikto
join:2001-02-10
USA

bigunk to FLATLINE

Member

to FLATLINE
One thing they'll be doing for sure is going after those who lost their homes and everything they own in the hurricane for the cable box or a stupid amount of money. Just watch.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

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MVM

to 88615298
said by 88615298:

So customer's can talk all they want about how they want these pay TV companies to stop giving in to the content holders, but if they do these same customers bail on them and go with a payTV company that gave in and paid the higher fees. So most customers all full of shit since they REFUSE to stick by a company that is trying to stop higher and higher price increases. So as I said where is the incentive?

I'd love to "stick it to ..." Comcast, or DirecTV, or Dish by taking a hike and telling them, "I'll be back when prices are lower", but I can't. I haven't had a pay TV service in my entire life; don't need it, don't want it, wouldn't miss it if none of my friends didn't have it.
Crookshanks
join:2008-02-04
Binghamton, NY

Crookshanks to ITALIAN926

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to ITALIAN926
said by ITALIAN926:

If people feel its too expensive, dont buy it. Quite simple.

<sarcasm>But I have a god given constitutionally protected right to cheap cable tv! It's as important as running water to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.</sarcasm>

You're right on the carriage fees. Our small'ish cable company has rates that are remarkably similar to Time Warner and Comcast. Of course, they are a LOT easier to deal with, their customer service blows TWC/Comcast out of the water, but that's a different discussion...
CXM_Splicer
Looking at the bigger picture
Premium Member
join:2011-08-11
NYC

CXM_Splicer to AdamB0

Premium Member

to AdamB0

Re: Quality TV

Agreed. They served a purpose back in the day but they are no longer needed; technology is replacing them. Streaming is the future. ANY past video/program/movie on demand & live streams from the programmers. If Capitalism would stop strangling the free market, we could have this tomorrow (well, maybe by next week).
me1212
join:2008-11-20
Lees Summit, MO

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Re: Overcharging for Cable TV

Dish and directv(at least last time I checked) cost less per month than TW does. At least here in the kc area. They make lots of money, and dont have internet or phone money coming in.

StevenB
Premium Member
join:2000-10-27
New York, NY
·Charter

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to 88615298
Good post BF69. I totally agree! Customers no matter what, will bail if they the cable companies, will move channels to pay for it additional.

BTW - Cable TV is a luxury, it's not a necessity! If these prices are too damn high, then just either switch if you can to satellite, or just watch OTA.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray to Sammer

Member

to Sammer
said by Sammer:

The cable companies need to learn that they will lose more customers if they continue the outrageous rate hikes.

The rate hikes aren't outrageous. They reflect content.

While we cut-the-video-cord years ago over the "digital tier upgrade" issue, I routinely negotiate pay-tv for a couple dozen kinfolk.
Cable TV wins the bidding war every time, with the notable exception when AT&T bought the business two years ago with $400 rebates - against my advice.

Time Warner, Cox and Charter are always ready to offer up reasonable packages. Comcast is tougher, but they've always been so. Most in LA were blessed to be swapped out with Time Warner some years back.

I'm not pleased with the recent modem-rental fiasco, but so long as they allow us to buy the gear, its just a minor blip in the customer-satisfaction index - I'm hoping they don't go down the road of mimicking bad phone-company practices.

muisti
@tresourcegroup.com

muisti

Anon

no way to pay

I had TWC cable in la for 29 promotional rate. It was supposed to go to 45 after 12 months. In the meantime the price got raised so for 54 bucks I would get 10/1MB. No thanks. Oh yeah, and the cable modem fiasco. I had my own. Another thing. Some how I had access to some channels free and most of them were the damn crappy day time tv crap. Plugged in my OTA antena and I enjoy now QUALITY tv like antena tv, create, thisis and metv, DW, HKK, RT, tres and various PBS channels. Honestly this free channels are like the old discovery, history and various others. I am actually watching more tv now.

Eddy120876
join:2009-02-16
Bronx, NY

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Member

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Re: Quality TV

Well the cutting the middle man is not going to work if cable operators start to bride providers like HBO. I had heard some folks want HBO to charge extra if you don't have a cable account .
WhatNow
Premium Member
join:2009-05-06
Charlotte, NC

WhatNow

Premium Member

Just dropped 1/3 of service

TWC just went up $12 for TV, internet, and voip phone. I did not use the phone enough to justify the monthly charge. When they came out with the $4 for internet modem rental I bought my own which was a $100 hit and dropped the phone. Then they insulted me by offering to let me have the service for free for a year. That tells me they realize most of their customers are chumps and will pay the higher price every 6 months. I wish they would let me pick 15 or 20 channels and then charge me what they pay for content, the equipment, plus a fair profit.

I am not into sports so I am paying a lot for channels and programming I don't watch. The SyFy channel is about the only channel I watch except network TV. If I lived closer to a big city and could use an antenna the TV would be dropped. SyFy only has one night a week of new programming and that only lasts for 13 weeks. I can stream those few programs. Not into Ghost Hunters all the time.
15444104 (banned)
join:2012-06-11

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Re: Overcharging for Cable TV

said by bigunk:

One thing they'll be doing for sure is going after those who lost their homes and everything they own in the hurricane for the cable box or a stupid amount of money. Just watch.



I'm not so sure because it would definitely be on such a large scale that it would definitely serve up poor PR for them, but the greed of these big companies is outrageous, we'll see what happens.

If they did try that you can be sure that the consumer interest media on the local news would step into high gear to lambaste the companies.
15444104

15444104 (banned) to bigunk

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to bigunk

Never Ending Greed!

said by bigunk:

One thing they'll be doing for sure is going after those who lost their homes and everything they own in the hurricane for the cable box or a stupid amount of money. Just watch.


I'm not so sure because it would definitely be on such a large scale that it would definitely serve up poor PR for them, but the greed of these big companies is outrageous, we'll see what happens.

If they did try that you can be sure that the consumer interest media on the local news would step into high gear to lambaste the companies.

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT
·StarLink

SimbaSeven to elray

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to elray

Re: Overcharging for Cable TV

said by elray:

The rate hikes aren't outrageous. They reflect content.

Too bad most of the content is unwanted but they don't give us a choice. They give us a package, and usually one or two channels are decent. The rest is just filler.

Truthfully, I'm getting sick of the "Reality TV" bullsh*t.

That's why we just have internet access. We have our phones through ST, including home.
SimbaSeven

SimbaSeven to AdamB0

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to AdamB0

Re: Quality TV

..or redesign the cable company to fit the 21st century.

Basically, become a dumb pipe (I know, everyone is against it.. but it is inevitable) and someone offers CATV streaming over IP to a registered device or account with a maximum of X devices per account. You could also pick which channels you'd like and switch them out when needed. You only get charged with what you actually watch instead of all the crappy shows I don't watch.

Sounds doable. It actually happening? Doubtful.

bigunk
Gort, Klattu Birada Nikto
join:2001-02-10
USA

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Re: Never Ending Greed!

My apologies for posting twice.

mech1164
I'll Be Back
join:2001-11-19
Lodi, NJ

mech1164

Member

Someday soon?

I hope the cord cutting keeps going. I recently had a life change and had to reevaluate my cost of living. Dropped the cell bill down to 30 from 90. About to drop Vonage to. I got rid of my cable boxes and i'm using an HTPC with a Ceton cable card tuner and an xbox360 extender. After being a captive of Cablevision cause of terrain issues,I now have a flat antenna and i'm getting most if not all the locals.

I'm at the point where if I have the chance. I'll be dropping Cablevison also and just use OOL. Thing is i'm a news junkie, if the networks like CNN, Fox and MSNBC had a decent way to stream their programming. The choice would be simple. At one time FOX did just that. Wish they would return to it.
sandman_1
join:2011-04-23
11111

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Re: Never Ending Greed!

Too late they already are charging for cable boxes.

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