JE
Can I Taste It? Mmmm
Premium
join:2000-12-15
Brooklyn, NY |  Anything NEW?
On this sunday? |
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Sr Tech
Premium
join:2003-01-19
New Fairfield, CT
 ·Charter Pipeline
| Here is an idea, everyone cancel your cable subscripstion's today. Never mind the rates going up, watch how fast they would drop. Really, why should I pay royalties to a channel that I would never watch, I think the cable companies have to redo thier contracts with the thier providors. I should only have to pay for what I want to watch not what the cable company wants me to watch,But really cancel your cable today. Get the whole country to cancell then watch.. |
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juilinsandar
Texas Gooner
Premium
join:2000-07-17
San Benito, TX
 ·AT&T DSL Service
|  Bring on A La Carte
I pay $94 and change per month for the DigiPic 4000 package including 2 digital cable boxes with one of them being a DVR(SA Explorer 8000). I think it's a reasonable price, but I wouldn't mind seeing A La Carte programming available to see if I could create a better deal for myself. I'd be surprised if it ever happens.
By the way, does DirecTV, or DISH network, already offer A La Carte programming or is the consumers union only going after cable companies?
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"I'm about 10 minutes from, if I lived here, I'd blow my brains out..." - Luke (Gilmore Girls) |
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chesney09
Premium
join:2004-07-26
Redford, MI
clubs:
| No, The Sat Providers are not doing a la carte. It'd be a while if there is any chance.
You are paying $94 a MONTH? HOLY SHEOT! I pay half that for my DirectTV with the 3 receivers, 2 of which are Tivo Receivers. ALL digital, digital sound. Granted, I don't subscribe to HBO or any other premiums.. But, honestly, 5-6-7 HBO's all showing the same movies all month long just on different schedules...? What is the point? Yes, I know, there are a few programs that people really watch.. IE: Sopranos...
But, honestly... Subscribe to Netflix or Blockbuster Home delivery and get all the movies you could ever want?!?!?! |
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Drex
Beer..It's What's For Dinner
Premium
join:2000-02-24
La Place, LA | Yeppers
Sure 'nough...my cable bill went up last month.
Hell, so did my house note.
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Star Wars Galaxies -- The best form of birth control on the market. |
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Slidetbone
Mazin Go
Premium
join:2002-11-10
Land O Lakes, FL
| reply to juilinsandar
Re: Bring on A La Carte
said by juilinsandar  :By the way, does DirecTV, or DISH network, already offer A La Carte programming or is the consumers union only going after cable companies? Nope. But there is NO WAY cable will ever compete with satellite pricing.
Adding tiers to DirecTV is much cheaper than the $90+ people shuck out to cable.
When cable goes over $100+ a month for simple tiers without a movie tier, then they will cry uncle and get off their high horses. |
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EL_TB
join:2003-05-03
Fairfax, VA | reply to chesney09
I oay 82 but thats with internet too. I really want digital cable so I can get HD service but I dont think its worth the price. Everything is so expensive! |
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kinneyr2
join:2002-01-24
Carlsbad, CA | reply to Sr Tech
Re: Anything NEW?
One can only hope that DSL will come with broadband TV to compete with cable and satellite. Prices will fall when more competing players enter into the same market. Choice of provider and choice of channels will be the future. |
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juilinsandar
Texas Gooner
Premium
join:2000-07-17
San Benito, TX
·AT&T DSL Service
| reply to chesney09
Re: Bring on A La Carte
said by chesney09 :No, The Sat Providers are not doing a la carte. It'd be a while if there is any chance. You are paying $94 a MONTH? HOLY SHEOT! I pay half that for my DirectTV with the 3 receivers, 2 of which are Tivo Receivers. ALL digital, digital sound. Granted, I don't subscribe to HBO or any other premiums.. But, honestly, 5-6-7 HBO's all showing the same movies all month long just on different schedules...? What is the point? Yes, I know, there are a few programs that people really watch.. IE: Sopranos... But, honestly... Subscribe to Netflix or Blockbuster Home delivery and get all the movies you could ever want?!?!?! I like the package I have which includes 14 HBO's, 12 Cinemax, 13 Showtime's, 10 Starz, 4 TMC and 13 Encore channels. Plus iControl VOD channels for all premiums(except Starz) and The Anime Network VOD, among many others. I watch what I want when I want. And, it's not all about movies. There are some quality TV shows exclusive to the Premium channels: Entourage, Dead Like Me, Huff, Deadwood, Carnivale, The Wire...
I tried Netflix (5 at a time), and although the price was good, I didn't like the service. Too long of a queue for what I wanted.
Regarding your DirecTV receivers and Tivos, if they broke wouldn't you have to pay for new ones? At least if something happens to my DVR or cable box I can just exchange it for a new one at my local Time Warner Cable office. I don't mind paying for that peace of mind.
To each his own. 
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"I'm about 10 minutes from, if I lived here, I'd blow my brains out..." - Luke (Gilmore Girls) |
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·Comcast
·WOW Internet and C..
| reply to Slidetbone
said by Slidetbone :But there is NO WAY cable will ever compete with satellite pricing. Adding tiers to DirecTV is much cheaper than the $90+ people shuck out to cable. When cable goes over $100+ a month for simple tiers without a movie tier, then they will cry uncle and get off their high horses. There already are a few cable companies competing with the sat providers. Look into the over-builders. |
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SanJoseNerd
Premium
join:2002-07-24
San Jose, CA
| Nothing Will Change
Here is what Consumers Union proposes:
quote:
CU and CFA propose merely to prohibit these unfair contracts between cable companies and broadcasting giants that contain tying arrangements (requiring transmission of several of a broadcasting companies networks in order to transmit a particularly popular one) or that require networks to be transmitted in a specific tier (such as expanded basic), which prevents cable companies from offering those channels a la carte or in themed tiers. This would free cable companies to voluntarily offer their customers themed tier programming (such as a sports or family packages) and individual channels a la carte, in addition to the expanded basic and digital tiers already available.
That's fine as far as it goes. But why do they think it will make any difference to consumers? All they're proposing is to change the contracts between cable operators and broadcasters, so that cable operators can choose to offer a la carte if they want to. But the cable operators have already made it plain that they don't want to.
If the Consumers Union proposal went into effect today, no major cable operator would offer a la carte. Consumers Union itself almost admits that this is so, by arguing that the major cable operators are largely responsible for the current bundling system. In fact, as Consumers Union points out, in many cases the cable operators and the broadcasters are divisions of the same company, so they already could offer at least some a la carte, but choose not to.
The whole proposal is a waste of time. Give it up. Just do what I do: don't subscribe to cable. |
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Herbert Kornfeld
@ca.d | TV is bad, very very bad! Down boy.
I don't get cable (or satellite or anything else besides broadcast TV) and never will.
"Sight for sore eyes,
I need an intermission.
If looks could kill,
I'd kill your television" |
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Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-01
IA | I don't care
Stop bitching and pay your cable bill.
If you think it's too expensive just cancel and get a life...
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anon43@gmail.com |
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Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
 ·Site5.com
·AT&T Midwest
·Comcast
| My take...
I have DirecTV and SBC DSL. I just reupped my DSL for another year and I am happy. Comcast was great in my area too, but I wanted a Directivo. That is beside the point though...
Everyone has a choice. I chose to go with Directv. Why can't others here just choose to go with Satellite instead of cable? I suppose for some people, they don't have a broadband choice, which is shameful. However, Cable does have its advantages, such as 3000/384 in my area and I am stuck on DSL with 1500/384. I would love more speed, but you get what you pay for I suppose.
As for all the discussion about a la carte programming, I haven't seen one shred of evidence that it is the solution everyone thinks it is going to be. Where are the studies showing it will save everyone money? It seems that some consumers want it, while others think it is a bad idea. I have mixed feelings on the situation. Will smaller cable channels be able to compete in a market like that? Will it really provide more of a cost savings in the long run?
Don't get me wrong, I have questions about it as well and if it is the best thing for consumers, lets get it done. However, where are the independent studies talking about this issue? Is there a cost breakdown I can look at? Any projections? Or are we just flying by the seat of our pants here?
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My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal |
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Ark
join:2002-06-08
Hudsonville, MI
·AT&T Midwest
1 edit | reply to Sr Tech
Re: Anything NEW?
Thundersnow |
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milwaukee_guy
@sfldmi.ameritech
| reply to Nightfall
Re: My take...
What about all the mexican channels we now get and have to pay for?
I have nothing against mexicans, but I dont even speak/understand spanish and yet I am forced to pay for these channels with my 'bundle'.
As soon as cable hits the $50/mo mark here in Milwaukee, its off to the dish I go.
I am at $46 already. |
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Ark
join:2002-06-08
Hudsonville, MI
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to SanJoseNerd
Re: Nothing Will Change
The whole themed package deal makes a lot of sense. I would really like to add on a few channels like The Science Channel and National Geographic, but they are only available in the highest tier right now, which is rather expensive. I don't want to have to buy 50+ sports channels just to get at that. Maybe individual ala cart won't work, but allowing choices of packages of groups of related channels instead of huge tiers would make a lot of sense to a lot of consumers.
Compare »www.dishnetwork.com/content/prog···sortby=1
to
»www.dishnetwork.com/content/prog···sortby=1
If I could just get that "Education/Learning" box (17 channel bundle) from the top tier, without all the other crud that comes with the extra tiers, it would be a lot better for me. |
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batmanst
join:2003-12-23
Beverly Hills, CA | reply to milwaukee_guy
Re: My take...
Upon reflection, I do not wish to post. Take me back!
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ilike2play
@comcast.net | Sat price increase
I heard that the sat providers are also raising rates in Jan. I am waiting to see by how much, before I switch... anyone know??? |
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