 CableToolPoorly Representing MYSELF.Premium
join:2004-11-12 | Crap costs baby. quote:
Verizon has since raised its rates for new customers by 7.6 percent. And RCN, the third company that offers cable television service in Montgomery, raised its base price last month by 15 percent.
So much for the idea that "competition will bring down rates," said Montgomery County Council President Marilyn Praisner (D-Eastern County), who has long clashed with the industry over regulation. "That clearly hasn't happened."
Oddly enough.. programming and content prices DO increase. Even for the prodigal son, FIOS! Im not sure how people do not realize that content costs a boatload of money.
Now here comes the Ala Cart clammering, but if you just paid for what you wanted the price would be insane.
They can control the costs somewhat of Broadband.. but programming rates will go up every year without exception, because the programmers raise their price every year.. without exception.
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CableFAQ.org/Technicians Unplugged
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 morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | reasonably priced a la carte is already possible, just look at big dish offerings. how are they able to do it but somehow it is impossible for cable to even attempt this? cable just doesn't want to. period. |
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| reply to CableTool
Montgomery Cnty.MD reaps what they sow Montgomery Cnty.MD reaps what they sow. This jurisdiction continues to add on layers of regulation and costs thru guaranteed service times and fines and other demands. And then they are surprised the costs go up?? And since it isn't one provider, but all three, it is obvious the pols there have no idea about economics.
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 JTRockvilleData HoPremium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD | Are these increases only in Montgomery County MD, or are they everywhere? |
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1 edit | said by JTRockville:Are these increases only in Montgomery County MD, or are they everywhere? Rates go up everywhere as someone else posted here because of increasing programming costs. But Montgomery Cnty, MD is seeing larger increases because of their pols decisions concerning minimum service requirements, PEG channels, fines, etc. They can be seen as defending service quality and looking out for their constituents, but their decisions do result in increasing costs. And as we all know, increasing costs will result in increasing fees.
I am sure the pols think that the increased costs should be eaten by the ISPs and spread to other jurisdictions not so enlightened as their own. But that isn't how it works. Especially, at least for RCN & Comcast, because they are MSO(multi system operators) where each area has its own management and budgets and profit goals to meet.
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Reviews:
 ·Windstream
| reply to CableTool
Re: Crap costs baby. said by CableTool:Oddly enough.. programming and content prices DO increase. Even for the prodigal son, FIOS! Im not sure how people do not realize that content costs a boatload of money. What does the increase in the DVR fee have to do with content and programming costs? They are separate animals. |
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fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | reply to morbo
Sorry to say, but if you call that Big Dish pricing reasonable.. I'd be willing to start my own satellite company.. would you bring your like minded friends? 
The prices, in some cases, may be slightly cheaper, but if you dig into it more, they really are much more expensive.
You also, with big dish, bear ALL the costs of hardware which does play some in their pricing. Add that to your total cost of ownership and big dish is not a good deal at all.
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." |
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fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | reply to LostInWoods
said by LostInWoods:said by CableTool:Oddly enough.. programming and content prices DO increase. Even for the prodigal son, FIOS! Im not sure how people do not realize that content costs a boatload of money. What does the increase in the DVR fee have to do with content and programming costs? They are separate animals. Not really. The DVR, while a slow money making retention tool, eventually is to help offset the cost of rising programming. Just like caller ID for the phone company(at $7 per month per line which cost them pennies to offer) is a way to grab extra profits to subsidize the real cost of telephone service. The DVR is the same. It takes a few years for each DVR to start actually making money. Everything is profit and if you knew the profit margin of basic cable, you'd see why the extra services are priced the way they are.
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." |
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morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | reply to fiberguy
huh? »www.bigdish.com/satala.htm
most people only watch a handful of channels. why not just pay for the ones you WANT to watch? i don't get this. is it the illusion that you are getting more by paying your cable company for those 60 channels that you don't watch? seems like a better value? doesn't make sense unless you watch a lot of channels and/or work for the cable company. |
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KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to fiberguy
CID costs extra on land lines because people will pay it, yet it comes with cell phones. kinda odd.
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JTRockvilleData HoPremium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD | reply to fAcEtIOUs
Re: Montgomery Cnty.MD reaps what they sow From the article, it looks like the increase in Comcast's prices for DVRs are the same regardless of where you live. Do you have pricing that shows otherwise? |
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| reply to fiberguy
Re: Crap costs baby.
IF you only have one television, and IF you are only interested in a select group of channels and IF you don't go great gonzo on the purchase of the antenna and receiver, a C band installation is cheaper. Marginally. But that is rapidly vanishing because you now need not only a receiver that does Videocipher, but more and more you need to have an mpeg capable receiver as well.
I think the great attraction is still being able to wander around and pick up different things. But now I have access to hundreds more stuff and there's still nothing on. |
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| reply to morbo
What do you think will happen to those "reasonable" prices when the content companies lose tons of money when the vast majority of watchers switches to ala carte. People who support ala carte really have no clue the ramifications of a switch. |
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 AnnaS8
join:2005-05-26
Annapolis, MD | reply to CableTool
I understand that rates will go up...What I have a problem with is the "rental fee" on the hardware rises and rises and they don't give us the option of getting our own hardware. Like with my HSI I have the service but I got my own modem. It is been just fine. Comcast is dragging their heels with getting TIVO compatible with their TV service. |
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DoubleKDoublek
join:2003-03-04
Beloit, WI Reviews:
 ·Charter
| reply to fiberguy
Fiberguy do you have an inkling of what you are talking about?
Blank comments like this amaze me, "The prices, in some cases, may be slightly cheaper, but if you dig into it more, they really are much more expensive." Hell you sound like you work for or represent a cable pigopoly. They told me for years that I would not get dish reception in storms although their rlocal feeds are sat based, lol. They told me I would have to have 2 phone lines for dsl, lol.
Anyways back to the point, proof is in the pudding. Great Lakes area cable minus dvr was 76.95 per month digital and expanded basic through Charter's headache of a service they called cable tv. Dishnetwork charges me 54.99 a month for Americas top 120. NO HARDWARE costs! I have also made about $450.00 bucks by referring friends. That is nine people I have referred and THEY ALL LOVE IT! Cable is so passe'
That's more than a little savings there Fiberguy.
All I can say is that I would be willing to pay 75.00 a month for the superior service I get from DishNet. Sheesh now I sound like a Dish rep, lol. The dvr is AWESOME! My wife and grandparents can figure it out.
Satellite satisfaction all depends on the installer. |
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| For my use DirecTV would have cost just has much or more then Comcast then I would have to Pay about $700.00 to lease a dvr plus Dvr fee. Dish was out of the queston as the cost was to much.
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 dvd536as Mr. Pink as they comePremium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:4 | reply to LostInWoods
said by LostInWoods:said by CableTool:Oddly enough.. programming and content prices DO increase. Even for the prodigal son, FIOS! Im not sure how people do not realize that content costs a boatload of money. What does the increase in the DVR fee have to do with content and programming costs? They are separate animals. Not when you're paying really for the programming and your provider is saying its free and just the box ala cox.
the boxes were bought at a certain price and dont go up in price once they're bought. the programming however does and thats why box fees go up.
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fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3
1 edit | reply to DoubleK
Upon reflection, I do not wish to post.
You're not worth it.. |
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morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | reply to Matisaro
the people will be able to make the clear decision of whether to continue and pay for the higher price of the channel or not. as it is now, you have have few options besides turning off your cable or downgrading to the next lower package (if it's even offered as part of it).
i refuse to believe that the current system is in the best interests of the american people--it's in the best interests of cable/satellite providers and the "crappy" channels. |
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Reviews:
·Comcast
| reply to morbo
C-band is able to do it because of two reasons:
1. It's a niche market (not only compared to cable, but *especially* compared to small-dish).
2. The equipment is mostly already paid for (C-band satellites are *old* and getting older, and the costs have long been recovered).
3. C-band programmers price the offerings as basically loss-leaders (those that do nothing else, which is basically NPS, are rare, and NPS is privately held; the others also sell programming for small-dish and/or nonresidential consumption).
Also, even big-dish offers tiers (in fact, tier consumption even for C-band is greater than ala carte; how many big-dish programmers still offer realistic ala carte today?). |
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