Topic 'I don't think they even care' in forum '' - dslreports.com http://www.dslreports.com/forum/I-dont-think-they-even-care-22638569 en Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:12:45 EDT Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:12:45 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22654538 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22654538 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:04:28 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22651654 said by fifty nine:

said by fiberguy:

Me thinks you need to re-read the post, stop flying off the handle, and get your facts straight before you make a fool out of yourself.

hint: "The equipment for satellite was NOT $500, at least not within the last 10 years or so."
My facts are straight, buddy. You're just full of it and hate to admit when you're wrong.

Okay.. let me embarrass you now..

I'm wrong huh?

I said: "As for Cox in Omaha that you speak of, the reason they probably stopped selling them was because there was no market in consumers wishing to purchase a $500 cable box - a bad investment."

You said: "The equipment for satellite was NOT $500, at least not within the last 10 years or so."

I then said: Me thinks you need to re-read the post, stop flying off the handle, and get your facts straight before you make a fool out of yourself.

hint: "The equipment for satellite was NOT $500, at least not within the last 10 years or so.""

and then you tell me to get my facts straight..

Ummm.. I don't know what planet you're on, but I was talking about CABLE TV EQUIPMENT and then you come in on wings and a prayer with your Satellite equipment argument referring to SATELLITE EQUIPMENT and said "The equipment for satellite was NOT $500, at least not within the last 10 years or so."

And then I tell you not to fly off the handle and get your facts straight and then you tell me that I'm full of it..

Seriously.. are you kidding me with this?

You're off in left field on some tangent and you're trying to make me look a fool?

Grow up.. you're clearly off base here and if you say otherwise, you can be a fool all you want..

You were TOTALLY off topic and now you're trying to be an ass about it.. bravo!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22651654 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:32:06 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22645632
Now, the receivers you buy are not $100, they are a lot more, but are subsidized by the contract with DirecTV. For example, you can go to solidsignal.com and buy a receiver for $99 BUT it requires a contract addition. Normally they would cost a lot more.

DirecTV, cable companies, everyone that has proprietary hardware out there has made a deal so the boxes could be bought at a cheaper price NOW and get more customers.

Currently, if you buy your own box or have them come and do a full install, if you cancel, you return the "purchased" box back to DirecTV or pay $350 for each box not returned. Sounds like it is STILL about $500 (the dish is $25 if you want to be anal about it, so it is more like $468 unless you get an HD DVR, then you are over the $500 range).

Backed up by both research and my own personal experiences :-)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22645632 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:58:43 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22643723 said by fiberguy:

Me thinks you need to re-read the post, stop flying off the handle, and get your facts straight before you make a fool out of yourself.

hint: "The equipment for satellite was NOT $500, at least not within the last 10 years or so."
My facts are straight, buddy. You're just full of it and hate to admit when you're wrong.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22643723 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:45:59 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22643369 said by fiberguy:

said by fifty nine:

Let's face it. The cable companies want to put a box in your house so they can keep charging that lovely rental fee.
let the consumer buy their own stuff and still charge the $5 per set to authorize them.Thats what direct tv is currently doing.
--
When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22643369 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:30:26 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22642100
As I raise my hand, the Tivo we got our parents a few years ago had a "lifetime" subscription on it - 18 months later, it died... as did the "lifetime" subscription... "of the unit"...

Guess the outcome isn't the same for everyone, huh?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22642100 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:00:56 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22642093
hint: "The equipment for satellite was NOT $500, at least not within the last 10 years or so."]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22642093 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:58:52 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640862 THE FCC IS INVESTIGATING!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640862 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:54:06 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640542 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640542 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:50:44 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640415 said by fiberguy:

When satellite started leasing equipment, they saw an increase of new subscribers again. Many consumers didn't like the hundreds of dollar upfront investment in new converters...

That's a load of bull.

The equipment for satellite was NOT $500, at least not within the last 10 years or so.

When I had DirecTV it was $50 or less per box, with some places offering free equipment. Even DVRs were only $99.

As for leasing the equipment, the upfront fee is about the same as what you'd be paying if you owned the box outright.

The reason that satellite companies have been seeing increased sales is because of rising cable rates and cable's piss poor selection of HD channels at 3 per QAM poor quality like Comcrap. That's all it is. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640415 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:24:54 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640393 said by fiberguy:

So.. in the end, it's really a wash.. OCAP isn't a way for you to discard the box fee.. it's a way to have a choice in equipment you choose to use in your home is all.
What choice? With OCAP the only thing that will be different is the button layout and color of your remote, and the size and color of your cable box. The entire interface, behavior, and features are defined by the cable company's Java applet. If that applet is as fucking slow as Vista on a Pentium 2, or is as intuitive to use as a nuclear reactor control room, there nothing you can do about it.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640393 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:20:57 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640314 said by ajwees41:

As for lease versus purchase - that was the point. Lots of companies used to sell them but then they realized that it was killing the rental revenue stream so they started supplying them as lease only.

cox omaha and a local retailer used to sell the Motorola HD boxes, but there wasn't a market for them. I have heard of a us cable company selling a cable box or card.
Not quite sure where you're getting this information from, but It's not very accurate, at all.

Not speaking about Cox in Omaha, rather in general, "lots" of companies did not sell them.. U.S. Cable companies never, as a rule, sold cable boxes.

As for Cox in Omaha that you speak of, the reason they probably stopped selling them was because there was no market in consumers wishing to purchase a $500 cable box - a bad investment. It's also pretty much the same reason satellite started leasing the boxes as well. When satellite started leasing equipment, they saw an increase of new subscribers again. Many consumers didn't like the hundreds of dollar upfront investment in new converters...

No matter what the minority of people here believe, more people do not like upfront costs. This is pretty apparent every day when you log into BBR and see the overwhelming number of people complaining about equipment fees, etc. But hey, maybe I'm wrong.. maybe it's more just that people hate spending money and want it all for free and think a monthly service fee should cover everything including set up, the service itself, repairs, and everything else they want/need.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640314 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:08:50 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640274 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640274 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:59:54 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640261
And, not all repairs to the Tivo is as simple as replacing a hard drive.. not sure where you got that from.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22640261 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:57:06 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639762
cox omaha and a local retailer used to sell the Motorola HD boxes, but there wasn't a market for them. I have heard of a us cable company selling a cable box or card.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639762 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:24:47 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639721 said by DaveDude:

The cable cos , should just charge you for the card, and warranty it for a year, since you cant get it anywhere else. The monthly device fee is the ultimate rip. They are using separable security as a service, just to use their service. A customer should be able to buy a card, from a retailer. The cable company is using it, as an excuse for a not charging for a box. There should be a one-time setup fee, and warranteed for the duration of service. I have no love left for cable.
That's what they did with me - sold me the card for $125 and warranty for a year (mfg warranty from motorola). ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639721 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:17:12 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639709 said by fiberguy:

said by fifty nine:

Let's face it. The cable companies want to put a box in your house so they can keep charging that lovely rental fee.
Actually, they could care less.. think about it. Your statement is a little factually incorrect. If there is equipment in the house, or not, that they rent you, they're still going to charge you per-television anyway. If *I* were running the company, I'd gladly welcome this, remove the need to purchase, deploy, and maintain converters,... let the consumer buy their own stuff and still charge the $5 per set to authorize them..
Right now I have cablecards, and the only fee per TV I pay is 50 cents per additional outlet. First outlet is free. They don't charge for the first standard def boxes but HD boxes are definitely chargeable.

Only other charges are programming.

My total cable bill with 10 meg HSI was $108.55 including franchise fee and taxes for two TVs and HD package. Included in that was the 50 cent outlet fee.

Regardless of the cost reason, I just hate cable boxes. They are ugly and not an elegant solution for wall mounted TVs in rooms where you just want the TV on a wall without an ugly box on a shelf somewhere.

I've heard of comcast ripping people off with $6 AO fees, which is just plain ridiculous IMO.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639709 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:15:05 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639485 --
They Live... We Sleep...

“Spreading the wealth around” never results in a better outcome for people. It always results in destruction.



]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639485 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:32:00 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639478 said by fiberguy:

:uhh:

You buy a Tivo, (let's not even get into that 'whopping charge in total) you still pay a fee to Tivo, and often a fee to the cable company to lease/rent a card.

You buy an HD cable box, and pay a "whopping" $500 for it.. you are still going to wind up paying an authorization fee per month AND get to be burdened with all the headaches of ownership, repairs, etc.

You were lucky you got to buy your card.. its VERY rare to find a company, big or small, that sold them.. Comcast, in many systems, gave the first one or two to the customer at no charge...
Tivo is not the only option. Moxi sells cablecard DVRs as well.

You can also buy a TV or media center PC with cablecard capability.

As for lease versus purchase - that was the point. Lots of companies used to sell them but then they realized that it was killing the rental revenue stream so they started supplying them as lease only.

quote:
you are still going to wind up paying an authorization fee per month AND get to be burdened with all the headaches of ownership, repairs, etc.


Tivo is on a lifetime subscription.

Repairs to the TiVo are as simple as replacing a drive. The cablecard repair is a gamble I take but so far in 2+ years not a single problem.

The only "authorization fee" I get charged is 50 cents per additional outlet, starting with your second outlet. Since I only have two TV outlets active, (living room, bedroom), total for that is 50 cents. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639478 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:30:28 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639464 said by ajwees41:

how did you figure cable card at $125? you could buy a tivo, but no 2way communication sdv adaptor needed.
That's what Service Electric cable charged me for a cablecard.

They do not have SDV nor do they have plans to deploy it as far as I've been told. besides, the sdv tuning resolver is free with most providers.

TiVos are not the only devices to use cablecards. Moxi dvrs and even some TVs have them. I have a cablecard TV. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639464 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:28:10 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639433
You buy a Tivo, (let's not even get into that 'whopping charge in total) you still pay a fee to Tivo, and often a fee to the cable company to lease/rent a card.

You buy an HD cable box, and pay a "whopping" $500 for it.. you are still going to wind up paying an authorization fee per month AND get to be burdened with all the headaches of ownership, repairs, etc.

You were lucky you got to buy your card.. its VERY rare to find a company, big or small, that sold them.. Comcast, in many systems, gave the first one or two to the customer at no charge... ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639433 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:22:26 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639410 said by fifty nine:

Let's face it. The cable companies want to put a box in your house so they can keep charging that lovely rental fee. Actually, they could care less.. think about it. Your statement is a little factually incorrect. If there is equipment in the house, or not, that they rent you, they're still going to charge you per-television anyway. If *I* were running the company, I'd gladly welcome this, remove the need to purchase, deploy, and maintain converters,... let the consumer buy their own stuff and still charge the $5 per set to authorize them..

The per TV fee will not go away until or unless congress finds a way to make a compelling argument as to why. Don't forget, the providers have rights too.. they have to protect their signals somehow. And, until XM/Sirius, DirecTV, Dish, and everyone else charging a per-item fee is forced to stop, they will continue the per-set fee. Otherwise, you'll have Jr. tossing on his parents sets to his account, or his friends.. etc.

So.. in the end, it's really a wash.. OCAP isn't a way for you to discard the box fee.. it's a way to have a choice in equipment you choose to use in your home is all. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639410 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:19:23 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639190 said by fifty nine:

said by ajwees41:

said by fifty nine:

Let's face it. The cable companies want to put a box in your house so they can keep charging that lovely rental fee.

SE Cable originally sold me cablecards but when I called to ask about getting more for another TV they told me that I had to rent them now. Seems to me like that monthly revenue stream is too good to pass up.
if you have money to spend every few years when new technology comes out you should be able to by the cable card/box, but there are still people who prefer to rent and they are probably the majority.
That would be true if they weren't charging a whopping $10 for the HD cable box, $15 for a DVR.

With 1 cablecard at $125 I pay zero monthly fees so I break even in a year and 15 days.
how did you figure cable card at $125? you could buy a tivo, but no 2way communication sdv adaptor needed. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639190 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:35:48 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639155 said by ajwees41:

said by fifty nine:

Let's face it. The cable companies want to put a box in your house so they can keep charging that lovely rental fee.

SE Cable originally sold me cablecards but when I called to ask about getting more for another TV they told me that I had to rent them now. Seems to me like that monthly revenue stream is too good to pass up.
if you have money to spend every few years when new technology comes out you should be able to by the cable card/box, but there are still people who prefwer to rent and they are probably the majority.
That would be true if they weren't charging a whopping $10 for the HD cable box, $15 for a DVR.

With 1 cablecard at $125 I pay zero monthly fees so I break even in a year and 15 days. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22639155 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:27:43 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22638999 said by ajwees41:

if you have money to spend every few years when new technology comes out you should be able to by the cable card/box, but there are still people who prefwer to rent and they are probably the majority.
That is probably the same argument AT&T used for decades when people had to rent their phones instead of being able to buy them. Funny thing was, when AT&T was broken up in 1984, millions of people scrapped their AT&T phone, and the monthly rental charges, and bought their own phones (I was one of them - the lines at the AT&T Phone Center Stores were huge and there were piles of old returned phones everywhere).

A $50-$100 "open platform" box that can replace a proprietary cable company box would be worth it. That price is probably within the realm of possibility if the proprietary nature of the current boxes is eliminated and manufacturers can make an open one that works on any CATV system. Just look at the price of DTV converter boxes and how they have come down in price as more of them hit the market. Cablevision charges $10/month plus something like $2/month for the remote for one box. In less that 12 months, you could pay off a cheap box. If it breaks after two years, so what? Get a new one. Most people right now assume that you have to have a box because it is magical. Tell them they can stop paying monthly rental fees and I suspect a lot of people would jump at the chance. A cable box should be no different than a cable modem.
--
I support the right to keep and arm bears.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22638999 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:50:21 EDT Re: I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22638833 said by fifty nine:

Let's face it. The cable companies want to put a box in your house so they can keep charging that lovely rental fee.

SE Cable originally sold me cablecards but when I called to ask about getting more for another TV they told me that I had to rent them now. Seems to me like that monthly revenue stream is too good to pass up.
if you have money to spend every few years when new technology comes out you should be able to by the cable card/box, but there are still people who prefwer to rent and they are probably the majority.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-I-dont-think-they-even-care-22638833 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:14:30 EDT I don't think they even care http://www.dslreports.com/forum/I-dont-think-they-even-care-22638569
SE Cable originally sold me cablecards but when I called to ask about getting more for another TV they told me that I had to rent them now. Seems to me like that monthly revenue stream is too good to pass up.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/I-dont-think-they-even-care-22638569 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:57:23 EDT