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Comments on news posted 2014-01-10 09:32:30: Time Warner Cable states the company lost another 215,000 cable TV customers in the fourth quarter, bringing the cable operator's customer losses for the year to about 825,000, up from 530,000 one year earlier. ..


dcurrey
Premium Member
join:2004-06-29
Mason, OH

1 recommendation

dcurrey

Premium Member

See now we don't need to upgrade network

Guess thats one way of handle high demand. Instead of investing in infrastructure to handle load. Lets just bleed off excess customers until network can handle it.

Lost me last quarter when I got fioptics. Seriously considered going back to TW for tv and using Cincibell for internet. Of course maybe TW node isn't overloaded anymore since half my neighborhood switched.
BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Wakefield, MA

BosstonesOwn

Member

Re: See now we don't need to upgrade network

cincibell has fiber ? sweet !

I think they are using the carriage feud as a cop out.

Their service sucks, I have family who TW bought their local cable co and the service has steadily gone downhill after they swapped out their gear.

At this point though they have no options, but I will tell them to check out cincibell if they have fiber.

dcurrey
Premium Member
join:2004-06-29
Mason, OH

dcurrey

Premium Member

Re: See now we don't need to upgrade network

You have to be careful with CincBell some areas they are doing FTTH some are FTTN with some form of DSL as last mile.

TV kind of has issues with skipping of sound and picture. Internet runs perfectly nearly always get 19.1 megs down on 20 meg connection.

OSUGoose
join:2007-12-27
Columbus, OH

OSUGoose to BosstonesOwn

Member

to BosstonesOwn
Wait TWC bought a cable co and actually swapped gear? Dont let the ones running the Insight to TWC ordeal hear that, they might get an idea! Only thing changed here is the name on the truck/bill, same old shitty Insight service.
BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Wakefield, MA

BosstonesOwn

Member

Re: See now we don't need to upgrade network

Yeap they did it was a small city run cable unit , served a small county. Their service is worse then insight, my family would kill to have insight back !

CableGuy
@72.183.76.x

CableGuy to OSUGoose

Anon

to OSUGoose
Actually a lot of the old Insight gear was decomissioned and replaced with much higher powered systems.
smcallah
join:2004-08-05
Home

smcallah to dcurrey

Member

to dcurrey
They lost TV viewers, not Internet users. They don't have to upgrade infrastructure to support more TV viewers, they're already sending nearly all of the channels to every house.
ssavoy
Premium Member
join:2007-08-16
Dallas, PA

1 recommendation

ssavoy

Premium Member

Comcast TV gains

The only reason they gain video customers is because it's almost always cheaper to get internet + tv than internet alone. I'm convinced it's like that so they can pad their numbers.

gar187er
I DID this for a living
join:2006-06-24
Seattle, WA

gar187er

Member

Re: Comcast TV gains

x1 boxes got released, so that added subs.

newview
Ex .. Ex .. Exactly
Premium Member
join:2001-10-01
Parsonsburg, MD

newview to ssavoy

Premium Member

to ssavoy
said by ssavoy:

The only reason they gain video customers is because it's almost always cheaper to get internet + tv than internet alone. I'm convinced it's like that so they can pad their numbers.

That's exactly the reason.

This increase in cableTV subscribers is a blip on the radar due to huge increases in internet subscribers, many of which take the cableTV subscription in order to receive the $15 discount, which more than offsets the $10 or so basic cable cost.

Comcast perpetuates this shell game to artificially increase the number of eyeballs they can report to advertisers, so as to increase the price they charge them for airing their inane commercials.

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Comcast TV gains

said by newview:

said by ssavoy:

The only reason they gain video customers is because it's almost always cheaper to get internet + tv than internet alone. I'm convinced it's like that so they can pad their numbers.

That's exactly the reason.

This increase in cableTV subscribers is a blip on the radar due to huge increases in internet subscribers, many of which take the cableTV subscription in order to receive the $15 discount, which more than offsets the $10 or so basic cable cost.

Comcast perpetuates this shell game to artificially increase the number of eyeballs they can report to advertisers, so as to increase the price they charge them for airing their inane commercials.

Have any data to backup that claim? The reason I ask is that I bet that would be some great data to go over. It sounds like you are just pulling that out of your ass.

dsz
@artic.edu

dsz

Anon

Re: Comcast TV gains

I was told there are no "Internet Only" option for 5mbps to 100mbps, it would have to be bundled with basic 'cable.'

newview
Ex .. Ex .. Exactly
Premium Member
join:2001-10-01
Parsonsburg, MD

newview

Premium Member

Re: Comcast TV gains

Comcast lies.

I imagine Comcast would be in a world of shit with the FCC if they REQUIRED basic cable in order to get internet access.

I have the Performance tier ONLY ... no Comcast cableTV and haven't had it since 2005.

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Comcast TV gains

said by newview:

Comcast lies.

I imagine Comcast would be in a world of shit with the FCC if they REQUIRED basic cable in order to get internet access.

I have the Performance tier ONLY ... no Comcast cableTV and haven't had it since 2005.

Ah, so pulling it out of the anal cavity it is. Thanks for verifying that for me.

newview
Ex .. Ex .. Exactly
Premium Member
join:2001-10-01
Parsonsburg, MD

newview

Premium Member

Re: Comcast TV gains

There is only one asshole in this thread.
Expand your moderator at work

Killmefirst
@comcast.net

Killmefirst to newview

Anon

to newview
If you plug your cable into the back of your TV you will find you have basic comcast cable

IHateCable
@comcast.net

IHateCable

Anon

Re: Comcast TV gains

Nope. Comcast and TW encrypt all there channels now. You need at minimum a converter box for each t.v..
Millenium
join:2013-10-30

1 edit

Millenium

Member

Re: Comcast TV gains

Time Warner still offers analog cable that doesn't require a box. In fact, if you have a digital TV you'll get the digital broadcast channels without a cable box too. You just won't be able to get all the channels that you can get with the box.

Former Cog
@208.67.106.x

Former Cog to Nightfall

Anon

to Nightfall
I have to agree. I worked for comcast for 6 months and the only thing they were concerned about at the end of the day was subscribers (not customer satisfaction, network status, their own employees etc.)

That thought doesn't have to pulled out of anyone's ass. That is how advertising works. Of course comcast is going to pad their numbers to eek out very penny the can on tv advertisement. It's common sense. This is especially true as they make the lowest profit margin on their tv business since they have to pay content providers. Internet and phone though that's a great profit margin for them. They pay the bare minimum to maintain infrastructure and a few overworked installers shitty in house designed equipment and the rest is profit (generally speaking).

Bottom line is they have to answer to a board of directors who is only interested in numbers and promo deals that include a tv "package" that no one wants so they offer it for nearly nothing is just what they do to get it. Companies make ALOT more from TV advertising than anything else.

You can't honestly think otherwise and I'm sure you delight in being contrary but the cable media business model isn't secret. They do whatever they can to present good numbers.

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Comcast TV gains

said by Former Cog :

That thought doesn't have to pulled out of anyone's ass. That is how advertising works. Of course comcast is going to pad their numbers to eek out very penny the can on tv advertisement. It's common sense.

The discussion is not on the padding of numbers. I merely asked if he had some data that showed what percent of video subs they had were just counting the basic package so people didn't have to pay the $15 penalty. To which he didn't have. The point is we don't know the percentage. I would be willing to bet the amount of actual video subs that purchase the basic tier service is very small, like around 5% if that much.
said by newview:

There is only one asshole in this thread.

Glad we are in agreement on who that is.

Let me know when you are done pulling numbers out of your ass and considering them to be true with no hard data to back them up.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

1 edit

xenophon

Member

Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

TWC is largest player in KC market and many have gone to Google Fiber. My condo building was just hooked up and Ill be switching soon. TWC didn't bother upgrading our building for 100M until after we signed a deal with GFiber. TWC wants $65 for 100/5 vs $70 for Gf 1000/1000. Everyone in building (140 units) gets the free Gfiber 5M service even if sticking with TWC. TWC is screwed in KC as many multi unit buildings are getting the free Gf 5M for every unit.

stvnbrs
Premium Member
join:2009-03-17
Cary, NC

stvnbrs

Premium Member

Re: Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

TWC charges me $45 for 15/1 here in NC. Then again, I have no other option for internet. If there were another option, I would jump ship asap. Then again; if there were another option TWC would probably care about customer service and fair prices.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

Competition is good. What Google is also doing is giving our building 5 free 5M hotspots for common areas - exercise room, rooftop deck, pool area, doorman, etc.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray to stvnbrs

Member

to stvnbrs
While $45 is a fair price - the national average paid for household broadband, since you have TWC, you should be able to seamlessly "switch" to Earthlink, at $29/month for 10/1 service for six months, which, to date, they will extend for another six months on request.
elray

1 recommendation

elray to xenophon

Member

to xenophon
said by xenophon:

TWC is screwed in KC as many multi unit buildings are getting the free Gf 5M for every unit.

Not exactly.

For those of us who find 5M perfectly adequate, TWC wins hands-down, since Google wants $120+/month for basic pay-tv.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

1 edit

xenophon

Member

Re: Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

However Google is in the unit already with the 5M so easy to upgrade if wanting to. When someone moves, Gfiber connection is still there. With TWC, you have to disconnect as you'll be billed. When next person moving in already has Gfiber, the may be more likely to just upgrade than go with TWC.

And $120 TV includes 1000/1000. Most I know who can get Gfiber did get it, at all income levels. Many though did not go for TV and frankly are torrenting TV content. I'll give Google TV a try for a year or two but have been thinking of getting rid of TV with TWC anyway.

Edit:
This shows on the KS side, Google Fiber unique IPs have passed up with TWC IPs for speedtests. It could be because more people are testing after getting Gfiber but still pretty telling. On the MO side, which I'm on, the rollout is just now kicking into gear so TWC unique IPs still well ahead of Gfiber but Gfiber growing rapidly.

KS side. Hover over the 'i' icon...
»www.netindex.com/downloa ··· y/?tab=3

MO side..
»www.netindex.com/downloa ··· y/?tab=3
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

1 recommendation

elray

Member

Re: Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

said by xenophon:

However Google is in the unit already with the 5M so easy to upgrade if wanting to. When someone moves, Gfiber connection is still there. With TWC, you have to disconnect as you'll be billed. When next person moving in already has Gfiber, the may be more likely to just upgrade than go with TWC.

I'm not sure why closing your account and paying your final bill with TWC is considered a burden - that's the norm with any vendor relationship.
said by xenophon:

And $120 includes 1000/1000.

I guess you didn't read my post.

There is a huge chunk of the public that is perfectly well-served with 5M, at least 30% of us. Paying $120 to get pay-tv, when TWC is charging $60-70, makes no sense.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

2 edits

xenophon

Member

Re: Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

The point was that Gfiber equipment stays with household for 7 years if you go with the 'free' 5M. It's already there. Gfiber has a solid foot in door with next person who moves in.

TWC wants $110 in KC for 100/1 and standard HD tier with one DVR. Some may keep Gfiber 5M and just get TWC basic TV but the reality is that many are going with $70Gbit with no TV and are torrenting TV content or just using streaming services.

Either way, many are going to GFiber anyway in KC and the 5M free connection helps them keep foot in door.
devolved
join:2012-07-11
Rapid City, SD

devolved

Member

Re: Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

Or get basic TV with TWC and HSI through TWC and you're money ahead and your internet is faster than 5M.

No serious internet user is going to want 5M internet, even if it's free.

cnmnsadfdsre to elray

Anon

to elray
I got TWC 2/1 deal for 14.99 and I am fine considering I can watch netflix and still surf the web.
Millenium
join:2013-10-30

Millenium

Member

Re: Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

Same here. Couldn't be happier. $23 for commercial free video. I even use a free VoIP service over wifi on my iPod
millerja01a
join:2005-10-03
Durham, NC

millerja01a to elray

Member

to elray
GFiber TV for $120 has over 200 channels including premium cable channels like Cooking and TCM. Along with the 1Gbps symetric link, 2TB DVR/NAS, Nexus 7, 1TB GDrive space. You keep the DVR/NAS and Nexus 7 if you maintain service for 2 years.

TWC won't offer anything near that...
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

1 edit

1 recommendation

elray

Member

Re: Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

And TWC won't charge anywhere near $120 for pay-tv service.

On DSLR, forced-bundling is apparently only "evil" when Verizon does it.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

1 recommendation

silbaco to xenophon

Premium Member

to xenophon
The problem (for Google) is going to be when people people can't get by with 5 mbps and don't want to shell out $70 per month. Huge price difference there. TWC simply can't offer 1Gbps without building a new network, but they can offer 50Mbps for $40-50 is they desired. That plan would appeal to a large crowd. Google could in theory match it or even exceed it for the price. But at a lower price point it will take forever to pay off their network. Sonic.net has already proven that if you offer 1Gbps for $70 and 100Mbps for $40, the vast majority will opt for the $40 plan.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: Leaving TWC this month for Google Fiber

Yeah, will be interesting to see if they ever off a lower tier. Damned if they do (few would go Gbit), possibly damned if they don't (if subscriptions don't meet expectations).

I imagine they'll see how this structure works out and adapt only if they need to. Where Google has an edge is with multi-unit buildings and many buildings owners in KC now can say they offer 5M for 'free' to every unit so Google already has foot in door. Will be interesting to see how many in my building stick with TWC (out of 140 units).

Some friends (a couple) has the 5M connection and are satisfied as it is a solid consistent 5M. No kids, only 2 in home but they can sustain Netflix 720p HD just fine with enough room for both to browse at same time. They also use PlayOn. No TV service. Will ask them to try 2 concurrent Netflix streams and see how quality is.

AMDUSER
Premium Member
join:2003-05-28
Earth,
ARRIS CM8200
ARRIS SB6183

AMDUSER to xenophon

Premium Member

to xenophon
The only thing I have from TWC is the internet 15/1 Meg for $34.99. As far as their tv service.... I canceled it out in 2012 and haven't been back.

If I had another option, like Google fiber that would be great. Much better than At&t U-verse which is slow in my neighborhood. [Read: 6 Megs Max..]

Jon Geb
Long time member
join:2001-01-09
Howell, MI

Jon Geb to xenophon

Member

to xenophon
I really would love to see Fiber in Michigan.

Anyone able to get Google Fiber and doesn't, should be locked up in an insane asylum.

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH

buzz_4_20

Member

Less TV Viewers

Less need for TV Channels
More room for Internet on the COAX.

No speed upgrades either way
smcallah
join:2004-08-05
Home

smcallah

Member

Re: Less TV Viewers

How does less TV viewers = less need for TV channels?

Unless they lost viewers that were the ONLY PEOPLE that watched a channel, they won't be dropping a channel.

rit56
join:2000-12-01
New York, NY

rit56

Member

Cost

It's to expensive. To many restrictions and it's to expensive, yes, even in New York. This is self induced. There was a piece here last month on TWC's obsession with the dividend for share holders and spending Zero to upgrade their equipment. There you go.

Also add in their "new" menu which in keeping with tradition is one step forward (it looks lovely) and 2 steps backward. No longer can you search easily for shows. The search function is terrible. When you do figure it out and the show does come up it impossible to fine the new episode. It's full of lag. If you're in the Guide looking at a show and hit the B key to search for that show the show no longer pops up. Now instead of the show you want to research, the old way to find a show, you hit the key and "What's Hot" pops up with a bunch of crap. You have to go to the "keyboard" and do a manual search and THEN go through a very confusing list of all the episodes. It worked fine.
Millenium
join:2013-10-30

1 edit

Millenium

Member

Re: Cost

said by rit56:

It's to expensive.

Amen!
said by rit56:

Also add in their "new" menu

I haven't used this new menu, but back when I had cable the channels were all over the place. There were PPV and On Demand channels interspersed everywhere. And if you hit one of those while you were surfing you couldn't change the channel until the preview downloaded.

"I pay for this?" I thought to myself.

All the commercials, the schedules, the cost. I don't see myself ever having cable again. Even if it were free and all hooked up in my home I'd use Netflix instead because the experience with cable is just horrible.

sbrook
Mod
join:2001-12-14
Ottawa

sbrook

Mod

Re: Cost

Classic beancounter ...

Top: Put the price up

Alienated customers with price so they quit

Cut services to make more money to make up for lost customers

Alienate more customers with poor service so they quit

If too many customers lost and not making enough go to top and repeat.

If not too many customers lost we're OK so we can go to make more money ... go to Top
mingkee27
join:2013-06-21
Brooklyn, NY

mingkee27

Member

roadrunner -> roadloser

TW cable internet used to be roadrunner back to 2000 in Fort Hood.
There's always a reason why TW dropped roadrunner as internet service. Go figure.

Anon
@rr.com

Anon

Anon

Re: roadrunner -> roadloser

The use of the Roadrunner icon is owned by Warner Bros, a company TWC used to be a part of. Since the separation of the companies, TWC no longer has the rights to use the roadrunner icon hence the change in name. Regardless of how you feel about the service, roadrunner is for all intents and purposes the same as the newly worded "high speed hsd".

Steveo123
@twtelecom.net

Steveo123

Anon

I'd Leave if there was another option

I only get internet in San Antonio - its costed me about $90 for a few months which is the premium price for the second to best tier.

Called and complained - now only paying $60/month. As for TWC being 'capped out' and having bandwidth issues: its a load of manure. The infrastructure, even in a riverbed like San Antonio, is far from inadequate to deal with the load. We all could be getting 50Mb+ if they had it but they want the Benjamins (i.e., CASH). Its a scheme we Americans are only just starting to wake up and demand changes to.

JoseAce
@verizon.net

JoseAce

Anon

One other thing

TWC can also blame the new & more reliable Google Fiber service for taking their customers away in Kansas City.

SpaceKebab
@rr.com

1 recommendation

SpaceKebab

Anon

sums it up

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· 5GgaJmsA

perfect

Bwabby
@insightbb.com

Bwabby

Anon

Legal action?

I'm a TWC customer in Louisville, KY, and I'm very displeased with the cost and performance of my service. If there was an alternative I would switch in a heartbeat, but there are no great options here (e.g. Google fiber). Those of you that have Google fiber don't realize how lucky you are to have that service.

Since TWC isn't upgrading to keep up with demand, I wonder if legal action is possible? They essentially have a monopoly considering there are no other cable alternatives in the area.

PIRATE4LYFE
@optonline.net

PIRATE4LYFE

Anon

Pay? For cable?

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha. People still pay for cable?? BWAHAHAHAHA.

DudeRedditWT
@comcast.net

DudeRedditWT

Anon

learn from MS

Big corporations will never learn. They don't have to. They cash out first.

Whenever you enslave your customers, and prevent them from having options using the court system, they have ZERO loyalty to you and will actively find ways to escape...even if it means less features.

Probitas
@teksavvy.com

Probitas

Anon

If you bleed them...

They will leave. I wonder why companies can't figure out the obviousness of that simple statement. It's even making sense in economics. Charge what the economy supports. Charge too much, and drive customers to cheaper alternatives, or simply make them decide to drop the service altogether.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

No cord cutter here

As I'm watching Fox News on my shiny new DirecTV H25 receiver. You can't get live news/weather programming on Netflix/Hulu.

When mom puts dinner out I'm going to pull up the 22 News at 6 (WWLP) off the Genie and get my local news fix. That's another broadcast you can't get on Netflix/Hulu. I got a wall mounted TV in the kitchen hooked up to DirecTV.

She cooks for grandma at the same time. I do cook my own meals, but prefer to eat out.

•••

Mk69bee
@rr.com

Mk69bee

Anon

By by cable

Winning! No more cable! Thank you RCA for a $30 digital antenna!

FatherStorm

Anon

Just give it another 2 quarters

As soon as Google Fiber starts rolling out to the extended masses in the Kansas City market, I expect Time Warner to either adapt and improve, or their bottom line is going to drop it like it's hot.

twc scksas
@mycingular.net

twc scksas

Anon

good ridance

TWC IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE WORST CABLE COMPANY ON OUR PLANET. THE MANY CUSTOMERS JUMPING SHIP ONLY VARIFIES GOW TERRIBLE THEY ARE.
smcallah
join:2004-08-05
Home

smcallah

Member

Re: good ridance

Did you happen to learn how to type and spell from TWC?

PunchDadSoup
@frontiernet.net

PunchDadSoup

Anon

over priced poor service.

Switched to TWC last July and got suckered into full bundle and promised a $500 gift card. Phone drops calls to hospital and health care group central exchanges. Have spent hours on hold trying to fix this and get gift card. Finally gave up and cancelled it all. Saving half what TWC and not an intro offer. Sad how much BS this company has given me.

Unbundled
But When ? ?
Premium Member
join:2010-09-13
Irving, TX
Technicolor E31T2V1

Unbundled

Premium Member

RE: Time Warner Cable Loses Another 215,000 TV Viewers

I finally cut out cable TV for good this month! It's now impossible for cable to offer Basic Basic for $10-$12/mo, so Goodbye.

I am left with TWC 15/1 Internet for $35/mo plus tax.

I also have Roku, and OTA antenna in the attic for all of the major stations in the area. I'll soon be linking a Notebook PC to the big screen to stream whatever I can for free from Internet web sites.

What I get from all of that, will be enough for me. I won't pretend to be satisfied.
I will be satisfied..

DeadSurvivor
Actor (The Asylum / Mill Creek Ent.)
Premium Member
join:2013-09-03
Tampa, FL

DeadSurvivor

Premium Member

Re: Time Warner Cable Loses Another 215,000 TV Viewers

Until prices go down rather than up (which will never happen), this will keep happening. When my Cable Triple Play Pricing has run it's course, I'll be dropping the Television portion of my services.
gene32
join:2004-05-03
Reynoldsburg, OH

gene32 to Unbundled

Member

to Unbundled
If you have a Roku, look into running PlayOn on your Notebook (or better yet, a slightly beefy PC). PlayOn lets you stream URLs to the Roku.