Cable Tries To Stuff The Internet Video Genie Back In The Bottle > why watch tv online if I already have cable?

said by Titus Pullo:

That's an angle you don't hear as often as you should: cable (content) channels supposedly pushing up the rates for cable providers, who pass it along to you, advertising the hell out of you anyway. The ratio of commercials to content on a prime-time network show is ridiculous; I don't, and won't, watch it. Five minutes of show, four minutes of commercials. It's stupefying why anyone would sit through that. Cable started out that way (nearly no commercials), and now they're almost as bad as the networks.

The dumb pipers will meter bandwidth for sagging revenue. I don't believe a word regarding their increasing numbers -- everyone I talk with is either considering dropping cable or already has. If they have kids, they'll hang onto it as long as they can. Single people increasingly get what they need on the net and these guys have no recourse but to gouge your eyes out for access.
Why they bother with their own flavor of online content is beyond me ... it smells like bad PR -- the stink before the flush, so to speak.
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said by me1212:

"But the more they meter, the more they're going to lose with people switching to uncapped alternatives like FIOS and DSL."

Yup, there will always be a ISP with a huge cap(1tb like in Japan) or no cap, there will always be a market for that, even if we have to par a but more(like $15-$20) for a business connection.

said by me1212:

Hmm. Well I just know that the ones around here are no cap for business lines. What cableco? are there any others/any DSLs(with no cap) where u live? I know one way to have no cap legaly, but not that much speed(1m-ish).

said by me1212:

Well, do you mind increased lag? if not, what is the price for 2 DSLs? you could have them bonded, but it ups the lag. Or you could have one run to more than one com, for no extra lag. If it makes you feel better about less speed I have 512dl 128ul no cap for $55.

said by me1212:

Well, unless you WANT a new com, you may be able to get away with a IPTV STB, you will need a wireless router and a wireless bridge for it to work best(non-wired) sears sells a 32" 720p tv for under $400, so that would be a decent priced one at least. And I think an HDMI.

The people at »TV over IP may be able to help you find a box that can get hulu, netfilx, youtube, and veoh. I think they go for about $200, but don't be mad at me if the price is not spot on.

IF you do go IPTV most would suggest getting a netflix account.

said by me1212:

Do you know what a wireless gaming adapter is? Basically they both plug into a ethernet port and make it wireless compatible, so you do not have to run cables. »visioncomputers.com/items.asp?Cc···TOPS&Bc= they have PCs starting at $500 with 3yrs free tech support on par with VOIPo, they have everything from a nothing but surfing/vid pc to just about the strongest gamming pc you can get for under 12k.

And 720p should be enough for surfing the web.

said by me1212:

If it helps, I buy ALL of my pcs from them, got one for the last 2 yrs and will get a laptop for college, so that will make it 3(pcs) for 3(yrs). The tech support if great they helped us with every problem we had they even worked over time for us. They sell HD tvs too, but sears has them for less.

They will put a wifi receiver card in the PC if you want, for using internet, or you can use the 10/100/1000 ethernet port the com has built in.

said by me1212:

I recommend them to any1 looking for a good com. and BTW all labor/wor kthat has to be done on the PC, and tech support for the 3yrs after you buy the PC are FREE!

Oh and HD directv and dish may not cost too much for you, they are less than most if not all HD cablecos.

said by me1212:

Could the put the dish on a TALL tree? Or you could pay some1 to build a tower.

said by me1212:

How many tvs(HD/SD/ED?) will be hooked up? Dish may have less ture HDs but theres a certain point where dish costs, IMHO, enought less to justify getting less HDs. IF you don't want it on ur roof, you could get a bigger on and put it on the ground.

said by me1212:

jazzlady, how many would you like to have and what res is what I need to know in order to know which sat tv provider is best for you, as they each have different types of boxes. SO just tell me how many you want hooked up for the DTV thing, and if you plan to go HD within the year and how many HD sets. if its two(SD or HD, or both SD[I have to look to make sure on the both SD one]) Dish would be better 3-4 SD I think dish, but again I have to look to be 100% sure 2-3SD and one HD directv, as that what we have now, and we will be getting HD in the fall, and it will be the same price for both, but DT have like 2x HD. So let me know and I should be able to tell you, also what package, 100/200/250 ect.

said by me1212:

Dish has 100ch+ 50 HD for 45 thats for 2 tv and $50 for 4 tvs 1 hd 3 sd. $62 for 200 ch and 60HD and $82 for 250 sd and 65 hd, those r all for 3sd and 1 HD. take 5 bucks off for 2 tvs taken away.

Directv's HD is $83 for 150 channels and IDK how many HD with 1 HD set and 3 SD $87 for 200+ 130Hd for 1 HD set and 3 SD. take 70ish bucks off for each tv you take away.

For 1,2,&4 Dish for 3 direct, as dish's DRVs r dual tuner(2 TVs for each box) and the price for 4 tvs from dish(1HD 3 SD) is the same as 3(1HD 2SD) and its about the same as directv' 1HD 2SD for the 200+ and 130HDs VS 65HDs. I have 1HD and 2SD, so directv is for me.

For you, depends on how many tv 3 direct 1/2/4 dish. unless you NEED 2x HD channels.

said by me1212:

Its not so much the res, but the type of signal. analog VS digital, if get get a converter box you will see similar pictures. I know I've tried. Also how do u have ur tv hooked up? is the just the plane antenna cable, yellow cable S-video?

if its the antenna cable that IS part of the problem its not as strong as the other cables, is you have a last gen game system you should be able to recreate this. I had my game cube hooked up with the yellow cable and the moved it when we got our 2nd HD(hooked the wii up to it with component cables and ED is WAY better than SD) tv and used the antenna cable it I can tell a difference, it may be similar with ur tv, and DVD player, if the DVD player is hooked up with the antenna cable too.

What you are doing is pushing 480i to its limit so it WILL look better. Also do any of ur tvs have an S-video jack if so do what you did with the antenna cable and yellow cable, but after the yellow use the s-video an it will be even better.

And I use veoh and youtube for anime(only for shows that I cannot get in the US yet.), so I wont hold what you do against you. However, if you got and HD set and hooked ur computer up to it(most HD sets have a com jack) and did and HD vid on it, you would see a world of difference.

As for directv's $30 a month, do you mean the family pack? if so that its always price Dish's is $20...

Also I just checked directv and it seem they have uped their prices by $3, so dish is less once again, looks like I will be sticking with them. Dish costs less, if you don't mind less HD Dish is a bit better IMHO.

said by me1212:

Does your DVD player have an S-video port? most do.

If you are in the market for an Hd set, I know where you can get the bets deals around. a 32" 1080p lcd for under $700 or a 50" plasma 720p with built in 5.1 channel sound for like 1,200.

You said you could get verizon, it may be slower, but depending on what you pay for ur cable bundle it may save you enough money that you could live with the slower speed. and I don't mean just the internet, but like a pick and choose set of sat tv verizon and VoIP, but IDK what verizon DSL is.

For your set up as it is now it would be I think about $72 for tv and $11.25 or $20-ish for VoIP, depending on when the end the sale. BTW the phone has 2 lines.

said by me1212:

Well I think I know the Tv ur talking about, and you can get if for less at sears.

I don't know if verizon offers this speed where u live, but up to 7.1m

EDIT: BTW verizon offers a $5 a month dial tone, like for 911 use mostly, and you can gte a UPS(back up power for ur internet ect.).

said by me1212:

I do not work for sears, I am just a happy costumer.

And I know what you mean as far as the bod mboard. I had my 7yr old pc go out for the same reason last year windows ME, it was a good pc but we got a better one. Sucks that stuff goes out ya know. Make sure you print out the page with the tv on it so you can show them they do have it, not all sears have everything.

I was looking in to HDs for over a year, so I know where the best place to buy what size it, depending on the res.

said by me1212:

Oh and sears also has a $500 720p »www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260···1318000P its about $30 less than the vizio, and WM has a 5.1 channel sound system for $40, it works great, the catch is it only has the red and white audio inputs, so its not true 5.1 sound(dolby[sp?] digital) its proligic2 (simulated 5.1.) but true 5.1 systems are like $100 for for $60 less I will take the PL2, and the ONLY difference between the 2 in DD is more booming and PL2 is less booming so for $60 I will take a bit less boom.