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NewlyNested: When it Comes to Cable, It’s a Thin Line Between Love and Hate.
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a blogumn by Debra Goykhman
Cable is frustrating. The prices are outrageous. There’s barely customer service. There are very few deals (I can get HBO for free — if I spend $165 a month). I would switch to satellite, but apparently I bought the wrong TiVo and I just can’t part with my new friend, not yet. The truth is I was blessed with good cable luck all my life. In my first apartment my roommate’s boyfriend tapped into the building’s cable via TiVo and we received all the channels plus the security cam. Then when I lived on my own, for the first time, I decided to listen to a telemarketer. That man gave me 200 channels plus HBO with Comcast for $30 a month. Now that I’m married and moved it seems my luck with cable is over and I’m now dealing with the love/hate relationship that everyone else has with their cable provider.
My new outrage comes from Time Warner’s new business plan that might force my hand to part with my new TiVo and move to satellite. Recently, Time Warner have tested metered billing for Internet users in a few select cities. The pitch was that customers who don’t use the Internet as much could pay less and those that use more could pay more. In theory this might seem like a good idea, but it’s not. The cap for this plan was $150 and for me, like many others, that is a large amount more than the $39.99 I am currently paying.
The good news is that recently Time Warner has announced they are suspending the plan for now (thank-you bloggers for venting how upset we all are over this whole crazy idea). Still, for the future they see metered billing as the way to go. Now my future might include breaking up with my TiVo, bringing some Verizon FiOS in my life, and installing a dish on my roof. I have principals.
How is this not a monopoly? When one company can charge whatever they want for a service and there is nothing you can do about it it's time for the goverment to get involved and break it up.
How is this not a monopoly? When one company can charge whatever they want for a service and there is nothing you can do about it it's time for the goverment to get involved and break it up.
Seriously, if I weren't living with CH, I wouldn't even bother with cable. It's such a grift and the monopoly thing really upsets me. I look forward to the day when all of my TV watching needs can be handled with Netflix and Hulu.
Seriously, if I weren't living with CH, I wouldn't even bother with cable. It's such a grift and the monopoly thing really upsets me. I look forward to the day when all of my TV watching needs can be handled with Netflix and Hulu.
I'm not sure this qualifies as a monopoly in that you have many choices out there besides Time Warner (DirecTV, Dish Network, Comcast, Charter).
And believe it out, the day is here when all my TV needs are handled by Netflix and Hulu. I haven't had cable in 8 years (apart from the most basic tier which I only have so I can get the free television networks like CBS, NBC and ABC.) Believe me, I don't miss it. I see four or five movies a week via Netflix, I watch my own DVD's, I find content on the internet (for free, mind you) and I have MOOOOOORE than enough to watch. Who needs 150 channels of bad programming that no one watches yet pays so much for.
Seriously, cancel your cable. You won't miss it.
I'm not sure this qualifies as a monopoly in that you have many choices out there besides Time Warner (DirecTV, Dish Network, Comcast, Charter).
And believe it out, the day is here when all my TV needs are handled by Netflix and Hulu. I haven't had cable in 8 years (apart from the most basic tier which I only have so I can get the free television networks like CBS, NBC and ABC.) Believe me, I don't miss it. I see four or five movies a week via Netflix, I watch my own DVD's, I find content on the internet (for free, mind you) and I have MOOOOOORE than enough to watch. Who needs 150 channels of bad programming that no one watches yet pays so much for.
Seriously, cancel your cable. You won't miss it.