Future of Cable TV

May 9th, 2014 at 3:10:00 PM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
Quote: Pacomartin
I still think that if Comcast . . . they will sell a less expensive product . . . .
I have had trouble finding anyone else who thinks they will do such a thing

I have trouble believing Comcast would charge one-cent less than they could for anything.
May 9th, 2014 at 4:21:12 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Fleastiff
Since 2008, the number of cable TV channels offered as a bundle rose from 129 to 189 in 2013, but in that time-frame viewers have consistently only watched an average of 17 channels.


In 1980 the average home had 10.2 channels to choose from. An estimated 90% of prime time TV viewed was on ABC, CBS, NBC. Most cable companies did not consider dropping broadcast stations as it carried their principal product. A handful of cable networks had been founded.
12/17/76 TBS
04/29/77 Christian Broadcast Network Satellite Service
01/03/79 USA Network
04/01/79 Nickelodeon
09/07/79 ESPN
06/01/80 CNN
11/01/80 TLC

Capital cities bought ABC in 1985

By 1986 the situation had changed radically. ABC, CBS, NBC were down to 77%, and Fox launched on October 9, 1986. Cable companies wanted to drop local broadcast channels in favor of corporate owned networks. The Fcc ordered a 5 year rule (extended by 2 years) that said that cable companies were required to carry broadcast without money changing hands.

The law was changed starting in the 1993-94 season. Cable companies were required to secure permission from network broadcaster to retransmit their signal. In theory networks could ask to be paid, but they didn't have the clout. ABC, CBS, NBC still controlled 60% of viewership in prime time. The corporations would settle for something other than cash, for instance on October 1, 1993 ESPN2 began transmitting, and cable companies had to agree to carry ESPN2 and pay their fee in exchange for permission to retransmit ABC. I don't know what the fee was back then, but I'm betting it was less than a quarter per household month.

But the situation started a proliferation of channels, as it was easier to negotiate another channel than to demand money.
09/24/92 SyFy
06/01/94 FX
01/01/95 History
10/07/96 FoxNews

Walt Disney Company purchased CapCities in 1996. At the time, it was believed that ABC was the crown jewel in the corporation, but it clearly was ESPN.

The 700 Club began broadcasting in 1977, Inside the NFL also in 1977, and Moneyline in 1980. I believe the first scripted cable show was South Park on Comedy Central (August 13, 1997). I think Monk (2002) was the first scripted drama to become successful on basic cable.

These are the 17 most popular cable channels, viewership in millions in 2013, and age of the channel
2.40 USA 35.3 years
2.20 ESPN 34.7 years
1.90 History 19.4 years
1.90 TBS 37.4 years
1.90 TNT 25.6 years
1.80 Fox News Channel 17.6 years
1.60 A&E 30.3 years
1.30 FX 19.9 years
1.20 AMC Networks 29.6 years
1.20 HGTV 19.4 years
1.20 Discovery 28.9 years
1.20 Adult Swim 12.7 years
1.10 ABC Family 12.5 years
1.10 Lifetime 30.3 years
1.10 Nick at Nite 28.9 years
1.00 SyFy 21.6 years
1.00 Food Network 20.5 years
25.10
May 11th, 2014 at 4:47:35 AM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
Netflix has several times offered some sort of Artifical Intelligence contest to predict viewer behavior.

With all these channels available I wonder if there will be an intermediary program that selects a persons favorite shows and automatically records them?
May 11th, 2014 at 4:59:13 AM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Fleastiff


With all these channels available I wonder if there will be an intermediary program that selects a persons favorite shows and automatically records them?


I believe TiVO has offered that for years.
The President is a fink.
May 11th, 2014 at 2:42:38 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Fleastiff
With all these channels available I wonder if there will be an intermediary program that selects a persons favorite shows and automatically records them?


TiVo Suggestions are personalized shows selected to match your preferences. How is this magic possible? Any time you watch live TV or recorded programs, or browse programs with the Guide, you can rate each show by pressing the THUMBS UP and THUMBS DOWN button while the show is selected. You can give a program up to three thumbs up or down.

At first, TiVo may suggest a seemingly random set of shows. Over time, the more shows you rate with your THUMBS buttons, the better TiVo Suggestions will be at finding programs you like.

When the DVR has empty space, it will automatically record some TiVo Suggestions. This is an excellent way for you to discover new shows that may be of interest to you. You can find recorded TiVo Suggestions at the bottom of the TiVo Recordings list below the recordings you requested. Suggestions will have a TiVo icon next to them and will be stored in a TiVo Suggestions folder if Groups are enabled.

TiVo Suggestions never replace shows you request or prevent them from being recorded. TiVo Suggestions are always the first programs deleted to make room for recordings you request.
May 14th, 2014 at 5:33:08 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
According to a new report from broadband service provider Sandvine, cord cutters use much more broadband data than Internet subscribers who also pay for a TV package. This makes sense, of course, since cord cutters with no TV package stream video over the Internet much more often than other subscribers.

Sandvine says that the typical home broadband subscriber goes through an average of 29GB of data each month, Re/code reports. But households that have cut the cord use an average of 212GB per month, or about seven times more data than the bulk of ISPs’ customers.

Cable companies won't tolerate that kind of discrepancy for long.
May 25th, 2014 at 8:11:53 AM permalink
1nickelmiracle
Member since: Mar 5, 2013
Threads: 24
Posts: 623
Our local monopoly in cable, Armstrong, has made mandatory digital adapters to watch cable. I think your first two are free, then $3.50 per month for extra TVs. I don't like them and they don't benefit me. Stolen cable perhaps gone too far? I don't know.

Not to mention, all cable boxes were gotten rid of at least a decade ago, so it puzzles me seeing them back if you don't order digital packages. I don't know what difference the two boxes make besides DVR.
May 25th, 2014 at 9:40:38 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: 1nickelmiracle
Our local monopoly in cable, Armstrong, has made mandatory digital adapters to watch cable. I think your first two are free, then $3.50 per month for extra TVs. I don't like them and they don't benefit me. Stolen cable perhaps gone too far? I don't know.

Not to mention, all cable boxes were gotten rid of at least a decade ago, so it puzzles me seeing them back if you don't order digital packages. I don't know what difference the two boxes make besides DVR.


In 1992 the Fcc required that cable companies not encrypt "over the air channels" that were being retransmitted. Roughly 2003 all TV manufacturers had to install a QAM tuner in new TV's, so that they could read unencrypted digital channels. Since set top boxes are more difficult to install in hanging on a wall configuration, and the cable company usually charges for them, some people would just connect coaxial to auxiliary TV's in the kitchen, guest bedroom or garage.
In 2012 the FCC changed this rule permitting cable companies to encrypt every single channel they carry.

In the case of the local company they were charging $3.50, but now $5.50 for Motorola box that is good for standard definition only. They want $9.95-$11.95 for a high definition set top box.

standard definition TV only set top box including interactive program guide (IPG), video on demand (VOD) (W 5.5" x L 6.7" x H 1.8").
November 14th, 2014 at 3:30:20 PM permalink
reno
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 58
Posts: 1384
A report released Friday by the Leichtman Research Group says the 13 largest pay-TV providers lost about 150,000 video subscribers in the most recent quarter, compared to just 25,000 in the same period last year. The Leichtman Research Group said this was a greater net loss of subscribers than in any third quarter going back to at least 2002, when the company was founded. To date, the greatest single-quarter loss the company has seen was a net drop of 350,000 subscribers in the second quarter of 2013.

Quartz recently cited 2013 data suggesting that pay-TV subscriptions may have peaked in 2012.

Certain companies fared better than others this quarter, according to Leichtman's new data. Time Warner Cable, the second-largest cable company in the United States, reportedly lost 182,000 customers in the third quarter of 2014, but that compares favorably to the 304,000 it lost during the same period last year -- a bleed-out that Leichtman attributed to Time Warner's protracted dispute with CBS in 2013.

********

The real surprise is that these numbers aren't even bigger. The average U.S. cable (or satellite) bill is about $90/month. It just boggles my mind that people are willing to blow $1100 per year on cable.

A combination of Netflix, Hulu Plus, & Amazon Prime is a comparative bargain of just $320 per year and could provide more entertainment than anyone has the time to watch.

They say the real reason to get cable is for the sports, but if so, wouldn't a $250 annual subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket combined with a $120 annual subscription to MLB.tv offer more sports than cable? (I might be wrong on that, so maybe an ESPN junkie can correct me.) Just combine those 2 subscriptions with a decent pair of rabbit ears to capture free local tv broadcasts for NCAA football and NCAA basketball.
November 14th, 2014 at 4:31:02 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: reno


The real surprise is that these numbers aren't even bigger. The average U.S. cable (or satellite) bill is about $90/month. It just boggles my mind that people are willing to blow $1100 per year on cable.

A combination of Netflix, Hulu Plus, & Amazon Prime is a comparative bargain of just $320 per year and could provide more entertainment than anyone has the time to watch.

They say the real reason to get cable is for the sports, but if so, wouldn't a $250 annual subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket combined with a $120 annual subscription to MLB.tv offer more sports than cable? (I might be wrong on that, so maybe an ESPN junkie can correct me.) Just combine those 2 subscriptions with a decent pair of rabbit ears to capture free local tv broadcasts for NCAA football and NCAA basketball.


People IMHO do not look at the annual cost. They just see it as a bill like the water bill that must be paid. Guys I know give 2 reasons to keep cable. 1. Sports. 2. Wives. They do not realize they are dropping 3 car payments a year on it, or over a week of take-home.

I cut the cord 2 years ago, haven't looked back. Have a buddy living upstairs, getting him to understand how to go without. It is wonderful.
The President is a fink.