Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[Z3Dreamer]

BTW, I don’t suppose you are the same Z3Dreamer from the BMW Z3 forum on Roadfly are you?

I happen to have this love affair with BMW Z3's. Have owned 3. All purchased used. Currently own a 2002 3.0L Black Beauty. I purchased her a year ago and constantly wonder: "What have I done for my Z3, today?" I am not a mechanic, nor even mechanically inclined, but I cannot see paying BMW mechanics at the rate of $200 per hour to fix a 16 year old vehicle. So you may see me on certain websites trying to find out how replace the camshaft position sensor or seat track bushings.

So, the answer to your question is: "Yes".

 

[aja8888]

I happen to have this love affair with BMW Z3's. Have owned 3. All purchased used. Currently own a 2002 3.0L Black Beauty. I purchased her a year ago and constantly wonder: "What have I done for my Z3, today?" I am not a mechanic, nor even mechanically inclined, but I cannot see paying BMW mechanics at the rate of $200 per hour to fix a 16 year old vehicle. So you may see me on certain websites trying to find out how replace the camshaft position sensor or seat track bushings.

So, the answer to your question is: "Yes".

I've two friends that have older Z3's. I've looked at some Z3's, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Seems like they can have a lot of hidden issues (bad welds in the rear pan, etc). Why not a Z4? Any comments?

 

[Z3Dreamer]

I've two friends that have older Z3's. I've looked at some Z3's, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Seems like they can have a lot of hidden issues (bad welds in the rear pan, etc). Why not a Z4? Any comments?

Love is not a rational thing. I like the looks of the Z3. With the Z4 being the replacement vehicle, it is newer, faster, has less issues, but I do not like the sharp lines.

 

[Sojourner]

IIRC none of your examples of good TV are on network or cable TV, they are all content from on-demand only services.

For the most part this is true, although Mad Men, Lost, and Fargo are notable exceptions from my list. AMC and FX are two cable networks that have been producing some excellent shows in recent years.

Maybe we need to drop network/cable and just watch PBS, Netflix, HBO and/or Prime or some similar lineup. If it wasn't for sports, DIY and documentaries mostly, and maybe some select news, there is so little on network and cable that we care about -perhaps the time has come.

I think this is quite likely where I'm headed, eventually. I'll always want access to certain sports and to a select handful of the best cable networks, but other than that I think I'll be perfectly happy with some combination of Netflix, Prime, and HBO (or Showtime, etc).

 

[bUU]

In most places, cable was (and in many, still is) a monopoly

There is effective competition for subscription video entertainment in every jurisdiction in the United States. That isn't an opinion; it's the law and has been for a few years.

 

[bUU]

And though content is a wash, infrastructure certainly isn't. Sales reps, central tech support and content delivery infrastructure between cable/satellite and streaming may be comparable, but cable/satellite have receivers, repeaters, dishes PLUS the armies of field installation and service peeps that streamers don't..

You missed the point. Streaming infrastructure includes what needed to transmit the video, i.e., receivers, repeaters, switches, PLUS the armies of field installation and service peeps of the ISP.

 

[bUU]

My own bias is the belief that people are willing to spend too much on what I consider low-value entertainment. People are unlikely to change to suit my preferences, and smart businesses will take advantage of that. They'd be foolish not to.

Good point and I think you've put your finger on the real source of a lot of misconceptions, i.e., thinking that their (lower) valuation is the prevailing valuation of the service offered.

 

[Perryinva]

As long as the external drive is USB 3.0, and between 256 MB and 2 TB, and you can dedicate the drive to the Stream+, then the device formats it for its own use and becomes an HD OTA DVR. It works great but could use a feature to start a minute before and a minute after the start/end times, and allow watch from beginning while recording. Other than that, its perfect so far. With the DVR enabled you get pause Live TV as well as on the fly record.

 

[Midpack]

You missed the point. Streaming infrastructure includes what needed to transmit the video, i.e., receivers, repeaters, switches, PLUS the armies of field installation and service peeps of the ISP.

Actually you've missed my point, but I won't bother going in circles with you.

 

[bUU]

Actually you've missed my point, but I won't bother going in circles with you.

No I didn't miss your point. I disagree with it being the final word and explained what it was missing.

 

[pb4uski]

There is effective competition for subscription video entertainment in every jurisdiction in the United States. That isn't an opinion; it's the law and has been for a few years.

Do you have a cite for that? Also, what are you including in "subscription video entertainment"?

In my rural area the only choices for TV are a single cable company or satellite (Dish or Direct). We can't even do OTA.

 

[bUU]

Do you have a cite for that?

FCC 15-62.

In my rural area the only choices for TV are a single cable company or satellite (Dish or Direct).

So, then, effective competition. If you disagree, do you have a cite for that?

 

[redduck]

There is effective competition for subscription video entertainment in every jurisdiction in the United States. That isn't an opinion; it's the law and has been for a few years.

Do you have a cite for that? Also, what are you including in "subscription video entertainment"?

In my rural area the only choices for TV are a single cable company or satellite (Dish or Direct). We can't even do OTA.

FCC 15-62.

So, then, effective competition. If you disagree, do you have a cite for that?

Wouldn't the site be where pb4uski lives?

 

[bUU]

Wouldn't the site be where pb4uski lives?

Are you asking whether a post on a forum is a cite to countermand FCC 15-62? No.

 

[redduck]

Are you asking whether a post on a forum is a cite to countermand FCC 15-62? No.

Well, what would it hurt to make an exception? I mean who would tell if we made just some teeny, tiny exceptions to FCC 15-62? Who would even look?

 

[bUU]

Well, what would it hurt to make an exception? I mean who would tell if we made just some teeny, tiny exceptions to FCC 15-62? Who would even look?

The folks who have ownership interest in the business that would be regulated in the absence of effective competition.

 

[redduck]

Why would the folks who have ownership interest in the business that would be regulated in the absence of effective competition care? (Hard sentence to read out loud).

 

[audreyh1]

The way things are shaping up with the subscription viewing and streaming services, sooner or later, cable will be less expensive.

Since we use 4K and HD, cable content is irrelevant to us. Oh right - and we don’t watch the traditional cable “channels“ anyway.

 

[audreyh1]

I noticed that at some Marriott properties they now let you log into your streaming services on the hotel room TV.

You can watch your own Netflix account (and certain other streaming services, I forget which ones). When you check out, they wipe clean all account info from the device.

I’ve seen this option but been too nervous to use it. Of course video looks great on my iPad so I always have that option.

 

[tulak]

I’ve seen this option but been too nervous to use it. Of course video looks great on my iPad so I always have that option.

I bought the Apple Digital AV Adapter, which lets you plug in your iPad to a TV using HDMI.

We use this when traveling and it works great. I have yet to find a TV that doesn’t have an HDMI port. The only downside is the adapter was pricey. I did look for cheaper solutions, but read about problems with cheaper adapters not working with Netflix/Amazon. Apple’s adapter works without any issues.

 

[audreyh1]

Maybe we need to drop network/cable and just watch PBS, Netflix, HBO and/or Prime or some similar lineup.

You may have something there!

Our experience was a significantly improved TV experience with PBS, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the infrequent Starz temporary subscription. We watch a lot of original content - that has been very strong, and continuing to improve!

Recently we’ve experienced another big enhancement due to the Netflix broad international content now available. Yes, you have to read captions but it’s well worth it as it’s a refreshing step away from the somewhat predictability of mainstream American/England content and the production values and acting are top notch. Although a lot of the English language original content does escape the clichés. Mozart in the Jungle was unlike anything! Still we literally feel like a whole new world has opened to us.

We don’t watch as much TV as we did say 10 years ago. But I think before the switch to streaming content we had almost stopped watching cable/broadcast TV entirely. The “nothing on” problem, couldn’t bother with channel guides, stopped watching TV news, the nature, travel, do it yourself, food, weather channels etc. had all gone to hell - except for PBS thank god. But with the 2010 iPad release iOS devices took more of our time as well.

 

[bUU]

Why would the folks who have ownership interest in the business that would be regulated in the absence of effective competition care? (Hard sentence to read out loud).

And a hard sentence to respond to without saying something that could be interpreted as rude, since the answer is so ridiculously obvious, so perhaps your wording makes it too difficult to decrypt what you really are asking. Please reword your question more simply and ask again.

 

[folivier]

I just wish the various streaming services would list the shows that are foreign language and allow the user to filter for/not that. There is so much content available that they all need to allow more filtering. And no their "smart" recommendations don't work since I watch many different genre's.

 

[aja8888]

Since we use 4K and HD, cable content is irrelevant to us. Oh right - and we don’t watch the traditional cable “channels“ anyway.

I guess you are not sports fans of local teams then. We follow the Astros and Rockets and can't get the broadcast anyway else here north of Houston.

Since DW was bedridden about 1/2 of last year healing from spinal compression fracture repairs and a heart valve replacement, she got hooked on the house rehab shows, which I detest. We have basic cable and very high speed bandwidth. We also stream Nexflix and Prime content.

I watch minimal TV and haven't seen a televised, or other, news broadcast since the presidential elections. I'm becoming an Old Fart!

 

[audreyh1]

I guess you are not sports fans of local teams then. We follow the Astros and Rockets and can't get the broadcast anyway else here north of Houston.

Since DW was bedridden about 1/2 of last year healing from spinal compression fracture repairs and a heart valve replacement, she got hooked on the house rehab shows, which I detest. We have basic cable and very high speed bandwidth. We also stream Nexflix and Prime content.

I watch minimal TV and haven't seen a televised, or other, news broadcast since the presidential elections. I'm becoming an Old Fart!

No, no sports watching here.