Future of Cable TV

Quote: Dalex64

A new live action Star Trek series is coming in 2017...

exclusively (except for the premier) to the $6/mo (presently) CBS internet TV streaming service.

So, for all the people who wanted a'la carte cable tv channels, this is what it is going to look like.

Exclusivly on Netflix, HBO streaming, ESPN streaming, CBS streaming, Amazon streaming, priced at least $5/mo each, many of them more.

It may, but I can still get just what I want at half the cable price. I can binge watch and cancel easy.

I cut the cord.
Have a double account coming into the house so little pain.
Been thinking about doing this since I started working from home several months ago.
I had Brighthouse average Internet speed and HD TV
117.00 a month
I got frustrated today with the service and called up and cancelled.
Now I pay 0.00 a month for now.
Because I work at home, I had 2 brighthouse accounts at home, mine and work.
I paid for average Internet and HD tv
Works pays for a separate high speed internet service and phone.
When I called to cancel, it was immediate.
My internet did not work and HD TV did not work.
I disconnected my Wi-Fi router to my personal account modem and hooked it up to the work modem.
Works perfectly and a higher speed and free because work pays for it.
I hooked up a regular TV to the cable line. It works.
I have cable regular tv with about 70 channels instead of HD TV thousands of channels.

Bottom line was paying 117.00 a month for average speed internet and HD TV with thousands of channels
Now paying 0.00 for high speed internet but regular TV with about 50 channels.

Quote: terapined

I hooked up a regular TV to the cable line. It works.
I have cable regular tv with about 70 channels instead of HD TV thousands of channels.

I think what you mean is you plugged your coaxial cable directly into the back of your TV. You may not be aware of it but since the 1970's the FCC has required that local retransmission of over the air stations must be unscrambled. Also a bunch of channels like CSPAN, NASA, government, education, etc. In addition all local TV stations multiplex channels like Me-TV, Retro-TV, Movies!, Heroes and Icons, Laff TV, Bounce, etc. that primarily consist of reruns in standard definition. That is usually how they get up to 70 channels.

About three years ago, the FCC changed the law so that cable operators are allowed to encrypt every single channel they carry (even PBS and CSPAN). But cable companies usually had to upgrade their equipment so that they could put it into effect.

Bottom line is your situation won't last forever. Brighthouse will upgrade to all digital and you won't be able to tune in channels. It's just a matter of time. You will get notice before (I think 90 days is required).

A suggested investment to make in the next year is a Roku television (start as low as $200 for 32" or $500 for 55")
http://www.insigniaproducts.com/products/televisions/NS-32DR420NA16.html
http://www.insigniaproducts.com/products/televisions/NS-55DR420NA16.html
There are competing brands from other manufacturers, or you can buy stand alone Roku boxes, or Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or other products.

When Brighthouse cuts you off, you will have the equipment to buy one of the new services that should be widely available by then. Right now you can by HBO, Showtime or Starz streaming, but Time Warner Cable is experimenting with making all channels available via streaming in NYC (started last week). TWC is giving initial customers free Roku 3 box, but they probably won't do that after the beta test is done. Their streaming TV products start at $10 and go up to $50.

As someone posted earlier, CBS is trying to beef up their pay TV app ($6 a month) by including a new Star Trek series.

Quote: Pacomartin

A suggested investment to make in the next year is a Roku television (start as low as $200 for 32" or $500 for 55")
http://www.insigniaproducts.com/products/televisions/NS-32DR420NA16.html
http://www.insigniaproducts.com/products/televisions/NS-55DR420NA16.html
There are competing brands from other manufacturers, or you can buy stand alone Roku boxes, or Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or other products.

I'll second this except to say skip the TV unless you are buying one anyways, the box does just fine. I have the cheapest box and it does well. Other than headphone jacks I saw little in the fancier ones. I have had one I think just under three years. Watching YT on it right now, live watching Netflix. A few other channels I check out from time to time. Watched news on RT for a few weeks but their feed stinks and keeps reloading. I get Hulu every now and then when it is free and catch up on what Netflix does not carry.

$80 a month for TV? Up yours, Comcast!

Quote: Pacomartin

I think what you mean is you plugged your coaxial cable directly into the back of your TV. You may not be aware of it but since the 1970's the FCC has required that local retransmission of over the air stations must be unscrambled. Also a bunch of channels like CSPAN, NASA, government, education, etc. In addition all local TV stations multiplex channels like Me-TV, Retro-TV, Movies!, Heroes and Icons, Laff TV, Bounce, etc. that primarily consist of reruns in standard definition. That is usually how they get up to 70 channels.

About three years ago, the FCC changed the law so that cable operators are allowed to encrypt every single channel they carry (even PBS and CSPAN). But cable companies usually had to upgrade their equipment so that they could put it into effect.

Bottom line is your situation won't last forever. Brighthouse will upgrade to all digital and you won't be able to tune in channels. It's just a matter of time. You will get notice before (I think 90 days is required).

.

Yes I plugged a coaxial directly into a regular TV
Still get lots of cable only channels
Just don't get the obscure ones
I get History channel, not history 2 channel. Not Smithsonian
Still getting CNN MSNBC FOXNEWS TLC USA TNT TBS Discovery ESPN ESPN2 SPIKE CMT A&E TruTV Weather FX Comedy ect.
I still get all the biggies, just not in Hi-Def.
Maybe Brighthouse will change and cut me off. Hopefully not.
I was thinking my TV was not cut off because I still have a brighthouse business account at home paid for by my employer.

Quote: terapined

Maybe Brighthouse will change and cut me off. Hopefully not.
I was thinking my TV was not cut off because I still have a brighthouse business account at home paid for by my employer.

Actually, I may have spoken too soon. Brighthouse does appear to have a slimmed down option for cable channels. Perhaps your employer is buying you the standard TV package without realizing it. What speed do you have, and what is the bill?

It's kind of a shame as you could probably upgrade to HD TV for very little money. But you risk upsetting the apple cart with an employer footing the bill.

Brighthouse has an app, which may allow you to watch in High Definition. Possibly the easiest way is to usie Chromecast ($35) to cast the signal from your smartphone phone to your TV.

Quote: AZDuffman

I'll second this except to say skip the TV unless you are buying one anyways, the box does just fine. I have the cheapest box and it does well.

Well AZ is correct, you can purchase just the box. But with the 32" TV with Roku built in at $200 (11 lbs), and some of the boxes with equivalent Roku service selling for as much as $100, you might as well purchase the TV . It reduces the number of power cords and remotes . I always figure that the fewer wires you have the easier it is to move it around the house to wherever you need it. What could be easier than an 11 lb TV with only a power cord and nothing else?

Quote: Pacomartin

Actually, I may have spoken too soon. Brighthouse does appear to have a slimmed down option for cable channels. Perhaps your employer is buying you the standard TV package without realizing it. What speed do you have, and what is the bill?

It's kind of a shame as you could probably upgrade to HD TV for very little money. But you risk upsetting the apple cart with an employer footing the bill.

The Internet speed is fast.
Don't know how fast but its fast enough.
Don't know what the bill is.
I'm sure my company consolidates all the home workers into 1 bill in the Brighthouse area and negotiates.
Its a big company, we are a Dow company. A lot work from home these days.

I actually am having Verizon Fios installed in a couple of weeks.
I like HD TV with a ton a channels. I like to surf. They are initially throwing in some extra channel packages for signing up.
Cheaper then Brighthouse. No contract. No penalty if I stop after a month or 2.

I hear the smart move to save money is to switch providers every year to get the great new sign up promotions.
Most are too lazy to do that

Quote: terapined

I hear the smart move to save money is to switch providers every year to get the great new sign up promotions.
Most are too lazy to do that

The industry calls it "churn rate", and it's a natural consequence of offering teaser rates to new customers that you deny to loyal customers.

There is an item called a Preloaded Sim for cell phones. They come with a month's service often at 70% lower than retail. Some people are using Google Voice to give out to their friends, and they simply purchase a new preloaded SIM every month with a new phone number. They simply forward their Google voice service to the new number each month.
http://preloadedsim.com/blogs/news

Quote: terapined

The Internet speed is fast.

I'm sure your company has a cap
on the amount of bandwidth
you can use every month. I have
300 with Xfinity and use about
half of it. But I never use HD, they
told me it uses 4 times what
watching a regular movie does.

Quote: Evenbob

I'm sure your company has a cap on the amount of bandwidth you can use every month.

I don't think the small companies bother with that. It's not enough of a revenue source. My company can't even tell me how much I use.

DirecTV and AT&T U-verse 26 million
Comcast Xfinity 22.4 million
Dish Network 14 million
Time Warner Cable 12.25 million
Verizon FiOS 5.6 million
...
Bright House Networks 2 million

...
RCN Corporation 1/3 million