Cutting The Cord -- How to leave cable companies?

[August1991]

Connecting to the Internet does not necessarily involve paying for access yourself. My nephew and his entire cohort of friends 'attach' themselves to residential and commercial supposedly secure wifi nets without the owners knowledge.Clueless indeed.

And they suffer bandwidth problems. It's like several people taking a hot shower with only one hot water pipe - or more likely, operating a grow-op on a residential street. The supplier notices your consumption.

ISPs charge users for quantity and speed of data flows, just as hydro charges its high-end users.

Sure, your nephew can free-ride for awhile - but to adopt modern terminology, your nephew's cohort does not have "sustainable behaviour".

Edited August 22, 2014 by August1991

[Mighty AC]

I would pay $11 per month for streaming HBO access during Thrones season.

HBO could clear $600 million per year with online streaming

[Boges]

I would pay $11 per month for streaming HBO access during Thrones season.

HBO could clear $600 million per year with online streaming

Well you spoof your IP so that might work. Here in Canada HBO is a combo deal with TMN. Costs about $21. For HBO only even $11 is rather steep.

[Mighty AC]

Well you spoof your IP so that might work. Here in Canada HBO is a combo deal with TMN. Costs about $21. For HBO only even $11 is rather steep.

Plus you pay for a cable package. For me to legally obtain HBO content I would have to first pay for a cable package plus an additional $21. So the cheapest possible option would be approximately $65 (estimate of basic pckg + TMN/HBO add on) plus tax. An $11/month option for 3 months to watch Thrones through existing HBO Go apps would be reasonable and I would do it. Provided they also upgraded their streaming infrastructure to handle the traffic. The article estimated that HBO would generate an additional $600M in revenue by going that route, so it's in their best interest as well.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Mighty AC

[Boges]

Plus you pay for a cable package. For me to legally obtain HBO content I would have to first pay for a cable package plus an additional $21. So the cheapest possible option would be approximately $65 (estimate of basic pckg + TMN/HBO add on) plus tax. An $11/month option for 3 months to watch Thrones through existing HBO Go apps would be reasonable and I would do it. Provided they also upgraded their streaming infrastructure to handle the traffic. The article estimated that HBO would generate an additional $600M in revenue by going that route, so it's in their best interest as well.

In Canada TMN/HBO is now owned by Bell so I doubt they'll want to ween people off of their service anytime soon.

In the USA HBO is owned by Time Warner.

[Mighty AC]

In Canada TMN/HBO is now owned by Bell so I doubt they'll want to ween people off of their service anytime soon.

In the USA HBO is owned by Time Warner.

I doubt the streaming only option will cause many cable subscribers to cancel their service. Instead it will generate hundreds of millions in new revenue from pirates and those who wait for the shows on DVD.

I suspect HBO will go with the streaming option. The HBO Go platform right now isn't a feature that attracts new subscribers and thus it just costs them money. Their plans must be to turn it into a new revenue source.

[Mighty AC]

Rogers and Shaw will try to compete with Netflix in Canada. Their service, called Shomi, will go for $8.99 per month and apparently offer a better selection of TV back seasons than Netflix. http://technology.canoe.ca/News/Features/2014/08/26/21899631.html

[Boges]

Rogers and Shaw will try to compete with Netflix in Canada. Their service, called Shomi, will go for $8.99 per month and apparently offer a better selection of TV back seasons than Netflix. http://technology.canoe.ca/News/Features/2014/08/26/21899631.html

If you can subscribe to it independent of Rogers and Shaw, then cool. But I doubt that'd be the case.

[Mighty AC]

It would have to be a much better service than Netflix for me to switch. I really like Orange Is The New Black and House Of Cards, which are exclusive. But...if Shomi started offering back seasons as well as current shows one or two days after the air date (like Hulu) I'd try it out.

[Boges]

It would have to be a much better service than Netflix for me to switch. I really like Orange Is The New Black and House Of Cards, which are exclusive. But...if Shomi started offering back seasons as well as current shows one or two days after the air date (like Hulu) I'd try it out.

Why would you switch if you already have access to Hulu?

[cybercoma]

I would pay $11 per month for streaming HBO access during Thrones season.

HBO could clear $600 million per year with online streaming

I just want to be able to pay HBO for Game of Thrones through iTunes, just like I could with Breaking Bad and other series. They're being ridiculous and short-sighted in their business approach to future delivery methods. They're tying their horse to business model that is a dead man walking.

Seriously, the blu-ray editions of Game of Thrones is about $50. Just charge me $50 through iTunes and allow me an unlimited license to the content as though I'm buying the blu-ray. Send me the new episode every week the night that it airs on television. You can't tell me they wouldn't make money doing this.

You know, the CRTC is talking all of this stupid nonsense about people picking and choosing channels, when that's old thinking. People don't want to pick and choose channels these days; they want to pick and choose programs. Screw channels. People don't consume media that way anymore. The future is purchasing individual shows.

Edited August 27, 2014 by cybercoma

[Boges]

You know, the CRTC is talking all of this stupid nonsense about people picking and choosing channels, when that's old thinking. People don't want to pick and choose channels these days; they want to pick and choose programs. Screw channels. People don't consume media that way anymore. The future is purchasing individual shows.

Says you. That model is actually more expensive unless you're only buying a handful of shows.

[Mighty AC]

Why would you switch if you already have access to Hulu?

Currently, I use a combination of Netflix and Hulu to meet my 'needs', but if one service could replace two then I'd make the switch.

[Boges]

Currently, I use a combination of Netflix and Hulu to meet my 'needs', but if one service could replace two then I'd make the switch.

So far I haven't read anything that this service would have a selection of movies. I primarily use Netflix for movies. Most cable companies allow for onDemand viewing of the TV shows they provide. So it would appear it's a service to cater to Cord Cutters. Yet the Beta would only be available to current subscribers.

Rogers does something sneaky. You can't access any of their online content until you're using internet provided by them. Can't you Wifi from a third party.

[Mighty AC]

Seriously, the blu-ray editions of Game of Thrones is about $50. Just charge me $50 through iTunes and allow me an unlimited license to the content as though I'm buying the blu-ray. Send me the new episode every week the night that it airs on television. You can't tell me they wouldn't make money doing this.

I prefer streaming access but would settle for this approach. Without the packaging and physical disc I think the price should be lower though.

[Boges]

I prefer streaming access but would settle for this approach. Without the packaging and physical disc I think the price should be lower though.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/the-walking-dead-season-4/id696973675

$3 an episode times 16 is $48, if you do on Demand $43 inclusive for a Basic Cable show. GoT is seen as premium cable (Boobies!)

So not really.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Boges

[GostHacked]

Says you. That model is actually more expensive unless you're only buying a handful of shows.

Damn, twice today, I had to put my 2 cents in and toss them behind cybercoma. We do not consume media the way we used to. If any of you use netflix, it is not because it is a channel, it is because it allows you to view what program you want and when. Not all channels carry a show.

I'd have to rethink my approach to this. At one time I thought picking and choosing your channels would be the way to go. The technology allows that to happen, and has existed for over a decade now.

I am more interested in the program than the channel. Do you watch Channel A because it is Channel A? Or do you watch Channel A, because they carry a show you want to watch?

[Mighty AC]

https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/the-walking-dead-season-4/id696973675

$3 an episode times 16 is $48, if you do on Demand $43 inclusive for a Basic Cable show. GoT is seen as premium cable (Boobies!)

So not really.

I'm not arguing what the price is, just that the price of digital DLs should be less than the physical media price. Though I would still pay $30 ($3 x 10) for a season of GOT if the files were made available simultaneous to the cable air date and time.

Streaming access bring in some extra cheddar though. Let's say I pay $33 for three months access to HBO Go to watch Thrones. During that time I would most likely watch some addition HBO content. HBO is likely wise enough to stagger current seasons of popular shows causing streaming customers to buy additional months of access. In the end, my Thrones addiction could turn into a full time HBO Go subscription.

[Mighty AC]

I am more interested in the program than the channel. Do you watch Channel A because it is Channel A? Or do you watch Channel A, because they carry a show you want to watch?

It really is shows we want not channels. When I was a cable customer I cared about certain channels for specific shows as well as the quality of crap TV they carry. With live TV, I spent time watching crap content because that was all that was on when I wanted to watch. Thus, I spent some time watching rednecks catching catfish or rednecks making moonshine or scripted rednecks with beards. Now that I have access to infinitely more content, that is always on demand, I don't waste (as much) time on crap. I can pick and choose anything I want to see.

Who cares if we have access to 500 channels when there is only a handful of shows worth watching?

[eyeball]

Who cares if we have access to 500 channels when there is only a handful of shows worth watching?

People seeking advertising space?

[Mighty AC]

People seeking advertising space?

There is always the web, product placement and most streaming options include ads.

[eyeball]

There's Ad-blocker too. Cutting the cord seems to open you up to the opportunities to cut content you don't need while you're at it.

[cybercoma]

Says you. That model is actually more expensive unless you're only buying a handful of shows.

Says me from my observations. The model might be more expensive, but it's more along the lines of what people want. That's where the industry is going.

[cybercoma]

I prefer streaming access but would settle for this approach. Without the packaging and physical disc I think the price should be lower though.

I agree. The price should be lower, but it's not and I'm not really sure if it ever will be. The thing is you own the show as though you have the blu-ray, so you can watch it whenever you want. Ten years from now you want to go back and watch old episodes of Game of Thrones, just load it up on your box and stream it from the web. You've paid for the license to that show indefinitely.

[cybercoma]

Damn, twice today, I had to put my 2 cents in and toss them behind cybercoma. We do not consume media the way we used to. If any of you use netflix, it is not because it is a channel, it is because it allows you to view what program you want and when. Not all channels carry a show.

I'd have to rethink my approach to this. At one time I thought picking and choosing your channels would be the way to go. The technology allows that to happen, and has existed for over a decade now.

I am more interested in the program than the channel. Do you watch Channel A because it is Channel A? Or do you watch Channel A, because they carry a show you want to watch?

This is just it. And they'll find a way to monetize that and make more money than they do now. Believe me.