[Southsider2k12]

Who in MC has what, and what do you think of it? We have Comcast, but with the prices going up AGAIN, we are looking at one of the dishes. I'd love to hear what people think!

[JHeath]

When I priced all of them about a year ago, they were all pretty similar in price for what you would get.
However, we have too many trees near our home, and would not be able to receive a signal unless we mounted our dish on the ground, or away from the house (neither of which seemed like a good idea...especially since we have a LOT of kids in the neighborhood, and it would only take one mischevious one...).

We've stayed with Comcast so far, but another price increase? Ugh...

[Roger Kaputnik]

On principle I cannot bring myself to pay to watch tv.

[Southsider2k12]

When I priced all of them about a year ago, they were all pretty similar in price for what you would get.
However, we have too many trees near our home, and would not be able to receive a signal unless we mounted our dish on the ground, or away from the house (neither of which seemed like a good idea...especially since we have a LOT of kids in the neighborhood, and it would only take one mischevious one...).

We've stayed with Comcast so far, but another price increase? Ugh...

Yeah the extended basic package we have is going up another $4. IIRC this will make almost $20 in increases since I got cable in 1999.

[Ang]

I have cable. Our cable company is called Bresnan. They are so much better than Comcast. I'm opposed to dishes because you have to pay extra to have local networks.

Roger, I heard that all broadcasts are going to go digital vs. analog so if you want t.v. at all you'll end up having to get cable. Don't know all the truth to that, but I've heard it more and more often lately.

[Southsider2k12]

It is true. By sometime in 2009 all broadcast signals will become HD. If you have an analog TV set, you will either need to get a new HD one, or a cable system that supports HD.

[Ang]

Bresnan has already started to prepare for that. They changed their channel line-up and upgraded everything to digital. Pretty soon you won't be able to have "regular" cable. You'll need to get a box with it.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Broadcasts will be in digital, not necessarily HD. Analogue tv sets will require a converter. Or we can use them to keep playing our betamax tapes.

[mcstumper]

You can get Chicago and South Bend HD signals off the air with the appropriate antennae. The move to digital won't force you to get cable or the dish....

[Roger Kaputnik]

HD does not equal digital.

[mcstumper]

HD does not equal digital.

No, but all HD is digital. Whether via over-the-air, cable or fibre optic transmission.

[Roger Kaputnik]

I knew there would be one...

[mcstumper]

I knew there would be one...

There's one in every crowd, right?

[Roger Kaputnik]

I will say that broadcast tv is pretty bad.

[JHeath]

Well, Ssider, my husband is now looking at Dish Network. I'm not sure why or if it's any better/worse than Direct TV. But I'll let you know what he finds. There must be some special promo out there with their service.

[Southsider2k12]

Each of them has their intro offers that they have. The price points seem to be better with satillite, but there is also much more potential for things to go wrong.

[JHeath]

http://www.heraldargus.com/archives/ha/display.php?id=389652

It’s up to us to show cable firms who’s boss
11/28/2007, 10:19 am
Comment on this story

It would be nice if an industry such as cable television would operate fairly for the sake of its customers without government intervention. Since that isn’tthe case, some members of the Federal Communications Commission are seeking more authority over the cable industry.
Unfortunately, this week members of the FCC could not agree among themselves whether they have that added authority.

Under something called the 70/70 rule, the FCC can add new regulations on the cable industry if “70 percent of U.S. households have access to cable systems with 36 or more channels, and 70 percent of those households subscribe,” according to a wire story on the subject.

The FCC apparently can’t decide whether the 70/70 rule has been achieved or not because of questionable research.

Great. So while those folks try to figure that out, cable consumers remain stuck with rising bills and little control.

That’s too bad, because one of the things the FCC would be able to do with that added authority is, according to the report, require cable firms to offer “a la carte service,” whereby cable customers could pick and choose their own channels as opposed to bundled packages.

The cable industry, of course, doesn’t want us to be able to do that, saying it’ll lose money.

While cable companies cry and the FCC decides what it can and can’t do, it’s up to us to show we won’t stand for cable providers’ bullying ways of foisting channel packages, new technology and higher rates on us. Cancel. Get a dish. Spend a few hours on hold waiting to complain to a real person at the cable company.

In other words, remind the cable firms of where their profits come from -- you.

[Southsider2k12]

That’s too bad, because one of the things the FCC would be able to do with that added authority is, according to the report, require cable firms to offer “a la carte service,” whereby cable customers could pick and choose their own channels as opposed to bundled packages.

I really get the feel that with the fights over things like the NFL network, the BigTen Network and their ilk, this will happen sooner than later. Eventually you are going to get a pissed off Senator who can't get his favorite team/show at his home, and he is going to throw a fit. Ala Carte TV would solve this problem, and it would put you into a situation like most other utilities where you get what you pay for.

[JHeath]

...Ala Carte TV would solve this problem, and it would put you into a situation like most other utilities where you get what you pay for.

BUt can you really consider cable to be an utility? It's not a necessity, like water or power.

[Southsider2k12]

BUt can you really consider cable to be an utility? It's not a necessity, like water or power.

With the nationwide saturation rate of near 70%, plus the capital investment into infrastructure, I would call it a utility, but it is a potato, po-tat-o type arguement. I am usually very hands off and anti-regulation, but I can't think of any other industry that has gotten into a bundling type situation, and it been legal, especially with a lack of competition. That is the type of crap that got Microsoft into trouble.