Reviews:
 ·Optimum Online
 ·Verizon FiOS
| if your paying... more than $100 for triple play entry level is highway robbery... doesn't matter which company!
Yes, eventually consumers not locked into buying cable-tv because they can't get OTA for free plus a HPTC server for video aren't really getting the best value for the dollar. You overpay for set-tops, franchise fees, taxes (yes, they're in there somewhere), etc. More and more hardware are doing the streaming video feature... LCD-TVs, Blue Ray Players, Consoles, HTPCs, DVRs, probably even some HD Tuner boxes with the feature by now (for the analog tv hold-outs). Compare that with a dumb set-top which is a almost compeltely walled garden and makes you jump through hoops for vod, value added and other features.
All this is pointing to the cable companies & the entertainment industry being screwed in the coming years. They better get on the video distribution bandwagon sooner rather than later because about 25% of the residential footprint of the country (think population, not geography numbers), have 6+ megbits available to them.. and they will download for free if a competitive legal alternative isn't forthcoming. By competitive that doesn't necessarily mean FREE, but AT LEAST must fit the criteria as more user friendly than torrent hunting, lacking restrictive DRM, e t c . |
