UncleDirtNap
join:2006-08-26
Pittsburgh, PA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to ftthz
Re: thought that competition would lower prices
Competition will lower prices, it always does. The problem is we haven't seen anything akin to real competition yet. As long as the operators are able to do things like force bundling on their customers and are required in many instance to enter into local franchise agreements that dictate many of there services, true competition is a long way off.
As long as Viacom, TimeWarner and other content providers are able to require that the "cable" operators carry all their stations and some pin head politician can dictate their deployment models, we're still consuming within a highly regulated and non-competetive environment. |
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antdude
A Ninja Ant
Premium,VIP
join:2001-03-25
| reply to bobb cobb
said by bobb cobb :
Same here. I would rather watch hdtv over the air with rabbit ears than compressed cable.
Same here, but I had to buy a bowtie antenna (3o miles) since rabbit ear type was too weak. |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ | reply to Maxo
So did I but not because my provider[cox] jacked up hsi $5 but because i wasnt getting what i was paying for.
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You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth |
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phattieg
join:2001-04-29
Winter Park, FL
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to kyramilan
Re: The Usual BBR B.S.!
said by kyramilan  :Comcast raised their rates 4% (WashingtonPost.com)! FIOS raised theirs 7.6%, which is almost TWICE as much as Comcast! RCN raised it by 15%! How about some TRUTH in repoting BBR? In fact, which "reporter" at BBR wrote this one-sided article? Apparently, misinformation is clearly their mission and, of course, bashing Comcast NOT FIOS! Well, regardless of the percentage, they are pointing out that the rates did not turn to the expected, which is lower. I know there is a sports tier I have seen mentioned, which gives you the choice to opt out for the majority of the sports channels, but I think ESPN is part of a contract for the provider (Disney). Oh well, it's the media companies job to allow cable to separate the channels they are allowed to sell (a la carte them). They are the ones who say "we will allow you to transmit us if you transmit these other channels too, and make sure this channel comes before this one, etc...". I've said this before, but the contracts for channels are rediculous. For example, CNN requires the provider to put CNN before HNN in the channel lineup. They don't care where you put it, just so long as CNN appears first in the expanded cable lineup. I imagine not ALL providers are bound to this requirement, but I do know Comcast is. I just use that as an example of some of the "retarded" requirements in the contracts.
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SIPPhone/Gizmo # 17476200648 / PIMPNET Chatline / Ran by Asterisk & Slackware 10.1. |
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kyramilan
join:2006-11-26
Pensacola, FL
| reply to ftthz
Comcast raised their rates 4% (WashingtonPost.com)! FIOS raised theirs 7.6%, which is almost TWICE as much as Comcast! RCN raised it by 15%!
How about some TRUTH in repoting BBR?
In fact, which "reporter" at BBR wrote this one-sided article? Apparently, misinformation is clearly their mission and, of course, bashing Comcast NOT FIOS! |
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bobb cobb
@swbell.net
 from:
antdude
| reply to jansberg
Re: thought that competition would lower prices
Same here. I would rather watch hdtv over the air with rabbit ears than compressed cable. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | reply to nasadude
It's time to go back to rabbit ears.
All companies will charge as much as people are willing to pay (market will support), or as much as they can competitively get away with. |
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Eric Martin
join:2005-06-19
66308 | reply to ftthz
As long as customers 'need' certain channels then they have us over the barrel.
Espn is most expensive of the basic tier.
We need alternatives. The IDIOT cable companies need to band together and form another low cost sports channel. |
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jansberg
join:2004-06-25
Portland, OR
| reply to Maxo
said by Maxo :I lowered my internet connection speed and had my cable TV disconnected within the last couple months. Comcast also raised rates in Oregon so I cancelled my service, then went to Circuit City and bought a tv tuner card and antenna. Even though I miss Comedy Central and the Sci Fi channel I'm already happy with my decision because I never realized that almost all of the shows I watch are network anyway. |
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dr3yec
join:2002-12-19
00000 | reply to Maxo
I havnt paid for tv in 10 years. This the exact reason why. Well and of course terrible analog signal. I will stay with my free to air satellite. There prices are much better. Comcast can jump off a bridge before I will ever pay them for tv. |
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phattieg
join:2001-04-29
Winter Park, FL
·Verizon Wireless B..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to ftthz
said by ftthz :... guess I was wrong Heh, no comment there... 
I said that competition doesn't mean squat. If it did, satellite TV would have already taken over cable. But they haven't, and can't, and cable still has majority. You know the cableco's have their stock invested where it needs to be, including in the competitions pocket too. Do you really think the cable providers are worried? You think in the short term losses and gains, but in reality, big companies play their stock interests in other companies as a way to "get by" when revenue or competition is a threat. It's like chess too, one company waits, see's how far the other one goes till they think it's safe, then they rebound with something to compete against the newbie. If you look at how long it took for Comcast to get as big as it is, you will see that the number of people FiOS is taking in is very minimal compared to the daily take cable has.
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SIPPhone/Gizmo # 17476200648 / PIMPNET Chatline / Ran by Asterisk & Slackware 10.1. |
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mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to ftthz
Verizon for me is saving me about $10 vs what I was paying for DTV. Depends on their franchise fees etc which I was told were around $3. - I have not gotten a first bill yet.
It seems I snuck in before the price jump to $42.95 as my online account still says $39.95. Hopefully it stays that price for the yr contract.
Anyway... VZ should be lower than DTV and Cable for at least the first few years. |
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Maxo
Your tax dollars at work.
Premium,VIP
join:2002-11-04
Tallahassee, FL
clubs:
1 edit | reply to Chiyo
said by Chiyo :did any of us quit using high speed internet or cable TV? I lowered my internet connection speed and had my cable TV disconnected within the last couple months. |
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Chiyo
Save Me Konata-Chan
Premium
join:2003-02-20
Minneapolis, MN
clubs:
 ·Comcast
| reply to ftthz
"not much you can do when there is no choice"
we don't need cable TV or HSI it's a luxary that we choose to pay for but if I had my way I'd still pay because A. I use it for work and B. I like it so I keep it but I mean if it came down to it I would get rid of it or force my work to pay for my monthly cost 
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"Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them serious."- Alan Minter, Boxer"I get to go to lots of overseas places, like Canada."- Britney Spears, Pop Singer |
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nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
·Comcast
| reply to Chiyo
said by Chiyo :Everyone (cable and telco) knows that people will pay so they continue to raise rates, every year we bitch and moan about prices but did any of us quit using high speed internet or cable TV? not much you can do when there is no choice; I can only get cable for broadband - no dsl, no fiber, no BPL, no wireless.
and it's pretty clear from the rate increases that two wireline cable TV competitors isn't going to discipline prices.
all in all, broadband and TV pretty fvked up in the U.S. |
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frankenfeet
Premium
join:2001-10-14
Smiths Grove, KY | reply to ftthz
Competition only works when the competing companies aren't in cahoots to raise prices.
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ƒ ℜ λ η κ ε ℵ ƒ € ∃ † |
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Chiyo
Save Me Konata-Chan
Premium
join:2003-02-20
Minneapolis, MN
clubs:
·Comcast
| reply to ftthz
Everyone (cable and telco) knows that people will pay so they continue to raise rates, every year we bitch and moan about prices but did any of us quit using high speed internet or cable TV?
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"Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them serious."- Alan Minter, Boxer"I get to go to lots of overseas places, like Canada."- Britney Spears, Pop Singer |
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ftthz
If love can kill hate can also save
join:2005-10-17 | ... guess I was wrong |
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