steelhead78
Premium,MVM
join:2005-08-23
Carrolltown, PA
| Need a cable box
That would definitely make this easier to offer if everything was available with a digital box. Without it you would either need a huge string of filters(traps) to block out or unscarmble unwanted channels, or do a rebuild of all cable systems to make them interdiction (taps at the pole with each port being addressable from the office, allowing them to block/authorize channels by computer. A nice system when in place, but a pain to get up and running and keep running, especually in thunderstorms).
The problem now would be people complaining about having to pay for a box for each tv. |
|
WangFubar
join:2003-10-02
Paradise, CA
| Defeats the purpopse
I don't want to be migrated to digital, I can't even tell if there is a quality difference. I had it for 3 months and honestly I prefer the old style analog. I have never been a premium channel sub due to the rediculous cost vs how little I actually watch the channels I have. TV has no "killer app" its all just potato chips for your mind...
I am unmotivated to upgrade to any of the speculated a la carte "packages" (doesnt really give the a la carte feel does it?). |
|
dylking
join:2001-07-31
Saint Paul, MN
| A la Carte
the local paper had a column about a la carte cable choices in today's paper: »www.twincities.com/mld/twincitie···4681.htm
I personally would take a la carte over bundles or tiers, but then I'm on DirecTV, and I have one of thier bigger bundles - but not the sports package. If they could/would go a la carte on the satellite, I'd probably jump in and remove some channels (ESP-x, Shopping, SOAP, and so on) that I never ever look at, and have taken out of my 'channels I receive' list.
I'm glad the FCC is looking at it, but it's not like they can MAKE the cablecos actually do anything...if I understand it right, it's the laws that need to be changed, in addition to the policy... |
|
Straphanger
Express is Back
Premium,Mod
join:2001-12-08
Jackson Heights, NY
clubs:
 ·RoadRunner Cable
Host:
TV over IP
New York
Audio/Video Chat
| Addresses decency but price?
This address the obvious issue with decency for families who don't want channels with a good deal of violence and sex coming into their homes. It's a good step for them but it still does not address the issue of price.
The family package will most likely cost somewhere between the cost of basic and standard cable, which will probably be good enough for households with families to support. It brings down the cost slightly for them but everyone will still end up paying more when cable companies roll out price hikes each year.
I'm not saying a la carte pricing will help decrease the cost of cable, which it most certainly will not. Hell nothing short of industry regulation will stop cable rates from increasing at twice the rate of inflation.
In the end, all we need to know is that most families will be happy with the new offerings but everyone will still get pinched in the wallet when the bills come around.
--
Please use all available doors...you have 33 to choose from. |
|
WangFubar
join:2003-10-02
Paradise, CA | reply to dylking
Re: A la Carte
That is a great article, I love the analogy. |
|
needforspeed59
Cruise Ship Just Passing Through
join:2001-05-02
Glendale, AZ
| reply to Straphanger
Re: Addresses decency but price?
Maybe the FCC should regulate the prices at the source: The channels that charge the cablecos. How about a step further? Regulate the producers of programs. How about the actors? Directors? Cameramen? Where does it stop?
--
Of all the people I know... you're one of them. |
|
plattypus1
join:2005-04-08
Riverside, CA
·Charter Pipeline
| Families have... parents!
Let me first start by saying I'm not a parent, so maybe this isn't true, but it seems to me that after my wife and I have a kid I'm not going to stop watching programs that I might find inappropriate for children (Bond movies, anyone?). I can't see a lot of families actually cutting out every channel with violence on it so that their kids can't watch it... that's what the V-Chip and cable box pins and all that bullshit is for. |
|
dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| No different
And how is this different from what we have now? it isnt, its just some family friendly package that no doubt forces you to have some 'must carry' crap in with it. thats just business as usual. let me pick and choose each channel i want without forcing me to subsidize those who like sports.
--
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth |
|
dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to Straphanger
Re: Addresses decency but price?
said by Straphanger  :This address the obvious issue with decency for families who don't want channels with a good deal of violence and sex coming into their homes. Ever heard of the V chip? unless your tv set is like 20 years old you have the means to block out objectionable content.
--
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth |
|
TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
|  This is NOT a la carte; Just a no-sex digital tier
This news isn't the possibility of a la carte at all. It is a Basic pkg plus a Family tier(no sex or violence). For parents it may be a nice choice and maybe a cheaper one, but it isn't picking ONLY the channels you want.
Also note that this isn't a done deal. Expect Fox and Viacom to try and kill this. Only the heat of public scrutiny will allow this to occur at all - maybe.
--
--
Join Red Room Forum
My Web Page |
|
steelhead78
Premium,MVM
join:2005-08-23
Carrolltown, PA | Re: This is NOT a la carte; Just a no-sex digital
As I stated above, probably the easiest and most cost effective way to go ala carte would be to go totally digital. Though many people would not be happy needing a box at every TV (especially in their kids rooms). |
|
Straphanger
Express is Back
Premium,Mod
join:2001-12-08
Jackson Heights, NY
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
Host:
TV over IP
New York
Audio/Video Chat
| reply to dvd536
Re: Addresses decency but price?
The problem with the V-Chip is that quite a few parents don't know how to use it properly and tweens will probably be smart enough to break through the password-protection, if parents even bother changing it. We have all this great protection technology but kids will either find a way around it or parents will just be completely confused by it.
The best way to keep it out is not to have it coming in the first place. Even with the internet, I've heard about people just pulling the plug out of their modems to keep their kids from going on past set hours because it's impossible to regulate something that is already coming into your house properly.
--
Please use all available doors...you have 33 to choose from. |
|
b10010011
Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
Bellingham, WA
·Comcast Formerly ..
1 edit | reply to WangFubar
Re: Defeats the purpopse
said by WangFubar :I don't want to be migrated to digital, In reality it would take a digital migration to do true a la carte.
Imagen if you only wanted 10 channels out of 99 on analog cable.
They would have to put 89 filters on your tap. |
|
b10010011
Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
Bellingham, WA
·Comcast Formerly ..
| reply to WangFubar
Re: A la Carte
It's really a bad analogy because thats not whats happening really.
The reason cable channels are bundled is because the only way to block analog channels is with a filter in the line for each channel. So in the early days the basic tier was the lower channels, one filter blocked the higher ones, and a separate filter or two for the premium channels.
As I said before if you only wanted 10 miscellaneous out of 99 analog channels they would have to put 89 filters on your cable.
The satellite companies has ALWAYS had the technology to do a la carte programming, (conditional access cards at the receiver) fact is back in the C-band days you could get anything you wanted a la carte, but a package was ALWAYS cheaper if you wanted more than three or four channels. I expect the same thing will happen with cable. |
|
GlenQuagmire
Giggidy Giggidy Giggidy Goo
Premium
join:2004-02-16
Grand Rapids, MI
| reply to dvd536
Re: Addresses decency but price?
WTF.... Using a digital cable box it does not cost Comcast anything to block channels. All they have to do is reprogram the cable box, just that simple. The customers are demanding this so if you what to make money then you sell the products they want. If you piss off these family groups they will at some point cancel their service entirely. |
|
rit56
join:2000-12-01
New York, NY | ala carte
how about a package with no kid channels or shopping channels? I'd consider migrating to digital then. |
|
vannyx
Premium
join:2003-07-07
Bronx, NY
| CSPAN too much for me.
have you guys watched CSPAN OMG i was so disgusted with those christians talking about how they watch Incest and all kind of wierd kind of sex ive never heard about before. it was disgusting , never watching CSPAN again. I want a package that doesnt have it. |
|
SpyderCKE
We call that the Dennis Miller Ratio
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Milwaukee, WI
| reply to rit56
Re: ala carte
 That's not a bad idea, but then I do watch some of the old school game shows back in Nickelodeon's heyday. Nothing like watching Marc Summers in his bleached out jeans and a sport coat cheering on a bunch of kids going for the $200 Grand Prize and a Nintendo..
Anyways, the problem I see here is that as we move to Digital, no longer can you hook up 5 TV's in your house for the price of one. I'm sure everyone will be cheering for the move once they start getting charged an additional $5/month or something for every box they rent. So much for saving $20 by cutting out channels you don't watch.
--
See you on:
AA:SF - [69th SAG] SpyderCKE
XBL - H2 - eTard |
|
pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to Straphanger
Re: Addresses decency but price?
said by Straphanger :Hell nothing short of industry regulation will stop cable rates from increasing at twice the rate of inflation. People still continue to subscribe to cable no matter what the price is. Until people cancel their cable subscriptions because of high prices the costs will never go down.
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008! |
|
Cthen
join:2004-08-01
Ypsilanti, MI
·Comcast
| reply to rit56
Re: ala carte
said by rit56 :how about a package with no kid channels or shopping channels? I'd consider migrating to digital then. That's how I feel, what about those of us who could careless about a "Family Package"? What kind of discount can we get? Oh yes that's right, we can get McCheap basic that has family sh*t in it that we don't ever watch. |
|
