Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[timo2]

Maybe this was already mentioned here, but we can get local news broadcasts via the NewsOn site. Here is an article https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/news...united-states/

from the article: "Want to watch your local news on the go? NewsON is a free streaming service that gives users live and on-demand access to local news. You can access your local news when and how you want via iOS, Android, and Roku. When the news is live you will get a live feed, and if you miss it live NewsON will reair the last news broadcast any time you want.

NewsON is comprised of 173 stations in 116 markets covering 84% of the U.S. population. So it is very likely that NewsON has at least one of your local news stations streaming online."

[Midpack]

^^^ For Chicago it’s only ABC, but can’t complain for free. A good option for some.

[timo2]

What I found interesting about NewsON was the categories. The weather news has snippets of weather related stories from around the country.

[bobandsherry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COcheesehead Been following this thread and looking for ways to cut the cord, but nothing seems without issues or a downgrade in service. We just called Comcast today and renegotiated our old fashioned cable and we were able to save almost $80/month and we lose only two channels: Indieplex and Retroplex, that we watch.

Sums up my experience.

[Dawg52]

As mentioned previously, I rejoined the cable world about 2 months ago. What does Comcast do right out of the gate? Move a channel from my package to a higher tier one. When I called to complain they offered the package for $10 more which I declined. Chaps me as they are big on contracts but it's a one way street with them. They keep the price in check for the term of the contract but they can move channels as they desire. Similar to products like a cereal company reducing the size of the box. Just a sneaky price increase.

[Perryinva]

Got my Channel Master Stream+ (OTA +AndroidTV DVR device) on Friday. Loving it so far. Tuners are excellent and even with just rabbit ears I get the main 5 stations and the usual sub channels. The online guide is fast and feature filled. Google Play uploaded a few apps like Hulu, Pluto, ABC, FOXNOW, etc and they all work great. Love the bluetooth remote so device can stay hidden. Haven’t DVRed or Cast yet, but will soon. There are some bugs with usb harddrive compatibility that some are having. They still have to get Netflix and Direct TVNOW and a few other main players to recognize the device but so far so good on the ones they have.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 As mentioned previously, I rejoined the cable world about 2 months ago. What does Comcast do right out of the gate? Move a channel from my package to a higher tier one. When I called to complain they offered the package for $10 more which I declined. Chaps me as they are big on contracts but it's a one way street with them. They keep the price in check for the term of the contract but they can move channels as they desire. Similar to products like a cereal company reducing the size of the box. Just a sneaky price increase.

I didn't like it either, but cable and satellite providers really have no choice. They have to amortize the cost of multiple receivers and "joey" type devices, DVRs, dishes, cabling and field installation, not to mention ongoing field service. If they went "no contract," the cancellation fee would have to be horrendous. With streaming there is no additional hardware except a streaming device like Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple, Chromecast, etc. - and those are much cheaper in the long run. It took us less than 4 months to breakeven on streaming devices, satellite vs streaming, and we'll save $500-600/yr from now on. YMMV

[Z3Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perryinva Got my Channel Master Stream+ (OTA +AndroidTV DVR device) on Friday. Loving it so far. Tuners are excellent and even with just rabbit ears I get the main 5 stations and the usual sub channels. The online guide is fast and feature filled. Google Play uploaded a few apps like Hulu, Pluto, ABC, FOXNOW, etc and they all work great. Love the bluetooth remote so device can stay hidden. Haven’t DVRed or Cast yet, but will soon. There are some bugs with usb harddrive compatibility that some are having. They still have to get Netflix and Direct TVNOW and a few other main players to recognize the device but so far so good on the ones they have.

Tell me more about the guide. Who supplies it? Cost? How easy is it to let the Channel Master Stream+ which channels you get so as to get the right guide channels?

[aja8888]

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

[NoMoreJob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 The way things are shaping up with the subscription viewing and streaming services, sooner or later, cable will be less expensive.

I think it's more likely that cable will suffer the fate of landline phone service. If the cable companies don't position themselves as streaming companies (like DirecTV Now) they will eventually disappear.

[bobandsherry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoMoreJob I think it's more likely that cable will suffer the fate of landline phone service. If the cable companies don't position themselves as streaming companies (like DirecTV Now) they will eventually disappear.

Cable or streaming all end up using the same line.... so not much change for cable companies who have already started to make their move.... Comcast has XFinity TV, Charter has Spectrum TV, Frontier has Frontier TV, etc.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoMoreJob I think it's more likely that cable will suffer the fate of landline phone service. If the cable companies don't position themselves as streaming companies (like DirecTV Now) they will eventually disappear.

We need the cable companies for internet bandwith. I have experience with Hugh's Net satellite internet service and it wasn't reliable or consistent. Comcast, AT&T and others are not going away anytime soon.

[mpeirce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 We need the cable companies for internet bandwith. I have experience with Hugh's Net satellite internet service and it wasn't reliable or consistent. Comcast, AT&T and others are not going away anytime soon.

The cable companies definitely will be in for the long haul as internet providers.

Still, there is some possible competition on the horizon:

1. 5G from the cell companies may work for many people - though the only companies that people dispose almost as much as the cable companies are the mobile companies like ATT and Verizon.

2. There is is also SpaceX's StarLink. It's satellite based, but since it's a huge constellation of low earth sats rather the sats way up in geosynchronous orbit the delays are much diminished. Of course, it's more of a technological stretch than 5G. But it's got a decent chance of getting rolled out (they already have FCC approval).

[bUU]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 The way things are shaping up with the subscription viewing and streaming services, sooner or later, cable will be less expensive.

Precisely. The market seeks its balance point, and the claims that cable customers are paying too much for what they are getting has always been nonsense. Once early adopter benefits dissipate, these new distribution channels will settle into comparable pricing, because pricing is, always has been, and shall always be, a reflection of what customers are willing to pay for this discretionary purchase.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoMoreJob I think it's more likely that cable will suffer the fate of landline phone service. If the cable companies don't position themselves as streaming companies (like DirecTV Now) they will eventually disappear.

Which would break most subscribers' streaming service, since it rides on the cable company's Internet service. Besides the fact that most cable systems are run by companies that have their nascent own streaming services already, as bobandsherry pointed out, folks like Comcast have got themselves more than adequately covered, both by benefiting from increasing use of Internet bandwidth and from licensing fees for the content they own.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpeirce The cable companies definitely will be in for the long haul as internet providers. Still, there is some possible competition on the horizon: 1. 5G from the cell companies may work for many people - though the only companies that people dispose almost as much as the cable companies are the mobile companies like ATT and Verizon.

Both of whom are already effectively cable companies (U-Verse and FiOS), and both of which face competition from whatever Comcast and Charter eventually cook-up to compete with the big guys' 5G services.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpeirce 2. There is is also SpaceX's StarLink. It's satellite based, but since it's a huge constellation of low earth sats rather the sats way up in geosynchronous orbit the delays are much diminished. Of course, it's more of a technological stretch than 5G. But it's got a decent chance of getting rolled out (they already have FCC approval).

And remarkably, after the early adopter effect dissipates, it'll end up costing the same as cable costs today. Imagine that!

[bobandsherry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bUU And remarkably, after the early adopter effect dissipates, it'll end up costing the same as cable costs today. Imagine that!

I could probably take a position that it will end up costing MORE. Today, content suppliers such as Comcast, Charter, Dish, Direct, etc, all have leverage to get the "best" pricing from each provider group. Individuals won't have that leverage and could see costs going up in total.

I'm sure then one would argue that the advantage is people have a choice in channels and can manage their costs better. But once the providers consolidate you'll be back to picking packages with many channels you don't "want" for a small list of channels you "need". A "need" of 12 channels may extend across 5 providers of a hundred or more channels.

[marc515]

Cable companies have one great advantage; we need them to deliver the content. They will eventually start charging us for data usage like the phone companies do.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bUU Precisely. The market seeks its balance point, and the claims that cable customers are paying too much for what they are getting has always been nonsense. Once early adopter benefits dissipate, these new distribution channels will settle into comparable pricing, because pricing is, always has been, and shall always be, a reflection of what customers are willing to pay for this discretionary purchase. And remarkably, after the early adopter effect dissipates, it'll end up costing the same as cable costs today. Imagine that!

I wholeheartedly agree the market will equalize, but I don’t understand your last assertion, the price should be lower at least inflation adjusted. I’d expect prices will be higher than today’s streaming drop in services but lower than today’s cable/satellite prices. They’ll be driven down because streaming services have significantly lower fixed costs - no equipment and no field tech/installation.

[bobandsherry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc515 Cable companies have one great advantage; we need them to deliver the content. They will eventually start charging us for data usage like the phone companies do.

Need today, but technology advancement with service like 5G could make cable companies irrelevant. Doubtful that step to 5G will be the dagger, but what will the next iteration bring?

[bUU]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack I wholeheartedly agree the market will equalize, but I don’t understand your last assertion, the price should be lower at least inflation adjusted. I’d expect prices will be higher than today’s streaming drop in services but lower than today’s cable/satellite prices. They’ll be driven down because streaming services have significantly lower fixed costs - no equipment and no field tech/installation.

First, only suckers base prices on cost. The companies we're taking about aren't suckers, whether we're taking about Cable companies, isps, or streaming services. Prices are properly based on value. Despite claims to the contrary, Cable television has always delivered value commensurate to the prices it charged even though customers whined about paying.

And value delivered via Cable = value delivered via streaming.

Second, even looking at cost: Think of it this way: Cable television = content + infrastructure. Clearly content = content, so that's a wash. So the comparison is between Cable infrastructure and the infrastructure necessary to deliver streaming services. Infrastructure = infrastructure. Also a wash.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobandsherry Need today, but technology advancement with service like 5G could make cable companies irrelevant. Doubtful that step to 5G will be the dagger, but what will the next iteration bring?

And after the early adopter bonus dissipates, 5G will impose a convenience premium.

[tomc5179]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z3Dreamer Tell me more about the guide. Who supplies it? Cost? How easy is it to let the Channel Master Stream+ which channels you get so as to get the right guide channels?

I just got mine the other day. No cost for the guide. It is supplied through Android TV / Google. Plug in your Google credentials and do the channel scan and that's all there is to it. Still learning about it, but it's great so far!