Filed under: Audio, Internet, Video, News, Web services, Apple
No more cable for you
Love cable, do you, huh? Why? Seriously, would iTunes (for TV shows) plus Netflix (movies, delivered and streaming) mean the end of your cable-consumed lifestyle? Honestly, what do you think, I want to know. I don't think I would use iTunes, since I don't like iTunes much and refuse to buy anything with DRM whenever possible, but other than that, I can see doing this. I am not a mindless drone who only likes the current hit shows, so the exception for me is that not all of my favorite shows are even on iTunes. A mere few years ago (let's say 5-7 years), there was no commercially available way to ditch your cable, but now, in the new age of information overload, we can. Just the sheer idea that it is possible will alert you to the fact that much has changed. You have no-doubt made some sort of jump to digital music media, CD sales continue to slip, but what about TV and movies? Let's just say that iTunes had everything cable does, as far as programming. Would you switch? What if you saved $300/year, as the story suggests?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
goat said 8:46AM on 1-26-2007
haven't had cable or satellite, or even an antenna on my tv in over 3 years now. for the little time that i am home netflix more than fills the gap.
as far as music, i much prefer the sound quality of a cd to an mp3 anyday
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anonymous said 9:23AM on 1-26-2007
Uh...this story does a bad job of communicating. I was almost done reading it, by the time I realized the author was talking about cable...cable TV! If the phrase "cable TV" was put in, that would do it. Also a picture of an RCA cable? When you are talking about cableTV? Uh...try and coxial cable photo.
Maybe it all my fault.
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Doug said 9:48AM on 1-26-2007
We don't Have Cable Either. We used netflix for awhile. For the meantime we have been using Vongo. And we watch our Favorite shows on major network websites.
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Rid said 10:34AM on 1-26-2007
I thought about it, but I really don't see it as a great alternative. We all kinda look down on TV, but I know that my family does spend time together, watching it. iTunes is simple not a good alternative to TV. Resolution is too low for full screen use, if you want to watch as a family. That means that I can be on one screen, someone else on another, with all of us separate and watching our own things. Besides, 2 shows a day at iTunes price means that cable is a bargain.
Netflix was alright, but lacked any way to cure spontaneous desires to watch stuff. Plus, I felt I was being throttled at the end (3 discs sent in the same envelope 'arrived' into the system on different dates). I have a Hollywood Video very nearby, so their unlimited plan was GREAT for me, but I still wouldn't pull cable just yet.
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Jamesey said 7:59PM on 1-26-2007
If someone can figure out how to stream HD sports over the internet so that the picture is as clear as cable, then I'll make the switch.
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Rob said 10:45AM on 1-26-2007
I really hope more people would go the cable-free and internet-only way. What can't you watch? You can even see Heroes, sure, a day later, but think of the other cool things you could do while NOT rushing home to see the latest episode. I don't have cable but I use Netflix and a G4 Mac hooked up via S-Video to the TV that gives me everything I have ever wanted. Even the State of the Union was broadcast online
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icerabbit said 10:53AM on 1-26-2007
iTunes to replace TV is a no go. The programs are not there, the quality is inferior to what HD starts to offer, it has DRM, requires a computer ... and the costs per show do add up rather quickly.
The average cable bill costs $2/day with a slew of programs, recording options and the ability to show the analog stuff on different tvs independently & simultaneously.
How much is one show on iTunes? Right. $1.99
That said, we seriously have considered dropping cable, but have no over the air signal. If we could a handful of stations via antenna we would drop cable. Since Adelphia just became part of Time Warner, we get a price drop or HD & DVR instead for the same price. So now we have HD.
We had NetFlix for a long time, but their customer service is below par. Mailing is a big problem.
As the other commenter said. I would mail three discs back on the same day and two would arrive. The third one missing somewhere and you cannot report it for a week? Some discs were too scratched and then you're looking at another mail-in re-queue turnaround.
Turnaround was always 5 business days between dropping the DVD at the post office (before mailing deadline) and the new disc arriving in your mailbox. They may have improved their model & distribute faster, but a few years ago it was unsatisfactory.
We (too) have Hollywood video a couple blocks from our house and have their MVP pass. We just pop into the store. Scratched disc? Go swap it out or they refinish it for you on the spot. We may upgrade to to their premium pass so we can check out the newest releases when they're out, instead of waiting 4-6 weeks.
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Shibathedog said 2:20PM on 1-27-2007
well cable companies are keeping cable TV Alive by basically forcing you to subscribe to cable TV if you want cable based broadband. Without the TV services the price can as much as double in some areas.
Then if you go the route of DSL i would have to sacrifice my beloved VoIP and it would probably end up costing more.
But yeah i would say it could become possible in the near future if it isnt already for some people.
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Bob Jones said 11:21AM on 1-26-2007
No ... I'd like VOD with my sattelite, but with the amount of TV I watch, it wouldn't save money ... and I find myself more bored with the freedom to choose my schedule.
So many times I will find that with DVD, for example, I find an episode of a show that I don't really want to watch, so I won't and don't hav anything to watch - boring. If a TV company puts that episode on, I'm more inclined to just watch it - I don't have a choice in what they air.
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tpp said 11:47AM on 1-26-2007
Replacing cable is a no go until I can watch and record live sporting events from another source at HD quality and with the same convenience of cable TV.
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Jeff Smith said 9:00PM on 1-26-2007
I posted about this very topic last week.
http://www.mynameistaken.com/2007/01/the_day_i_cance.html
The reality is that moving to a world without cable or satellite TV subscriptions is viable for many people.
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Derek said 8:07PM on 1-26-2007
Since my parents (and many other people I know)live out in the sticks and have no internet available, I don't really see this as realistic in the near future. Besides, my grandparents wouldn't even know how to go about using iTunes to get shows.
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Kevin M. said 10:08PM on 1-26-2007
Hell. No.
How do I discover new shows??? Live content?
I need streams, not downloads.
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grapeshot said 1:22PM on 1-28-2007
Gosh, there's no way that any show bought on iTunes would ever look good on my HD TV. Not too sure how the sound would work, either. I, too, dislike iTunes, and prefer not to have to use it.
I like my cable. Yep, it's true that there's a lot of crap on, but my DVR helps me sort through it all to find some real gems. Most of the shows that I watch aren't currently available on iTunes, which only seems to offer some of the more popular shows.
I think all things considered, cable is a bargain, providing me with DIY shows, cooking shows, scientific or news documentaries, quirky British shows, old Pat O'Brien movies, independant films, and other offbeat programming. Best of all, other people do the selecting, (meaning that the networks act as a sort of editor) so that almost everything, even things I don't watch, meets some minimal standards of production.
If I stumble across something I can see right away whether it's intriguing or not. I don't have to stare at a title and a description and wonder if I might like it or not. With the DVR, it doesn't cost me anything to try a new title -- well, beyond the monthly cable fee -- and I immediately know if I'm going to like it. It would positively drive me nuts to have to purchase every single thing I ever want or might want to watch.
I also think that most of what I see on TV, even if I enjoy it, is disposable. Very few things that I see are worth watching again, and when they are, that's when I decide to buy myself a copy (if it's offered) or record and burn it to DVD. I'd hate to have to buy, and then save, every single thing I ever wanted to watch. Having paid for it, I'd sure not want to delete it, but it would all eat me out of storage space.
I know some people out there are saying you want to watch quirky? Then YouTube's for you. No, it's not. The vast amount of content, most of it bad, amateurish, and too short to engage any serious interest, is too overwhelming and unsatisfying for me. It's like reading fan-fic; most of its terrible, and you have to look awfully long and hard to find the few good pieces out there. I like quirky and offbeat, but I still want it polished and with high production values, not to mention having a story arc that takes me through a journey.
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randy stewart said 7:21PM on 1-27-2007
I launched a blog about my experiences with this very concept called ditchingcable.com. I've been buying from iTunes as well as recording OTA tv signals.
People have complained that iTunes charges too much, but if you don't watch more than a couple of hours of television every night, it really is much cheaper than cable television.
http://www.ditchingcable.com/itunes/ditching-cable-for-itunes/
One comment, though. If you are into sports, you're pretty much going to have to pay for cable. The OTA sports scene looks pretty bleak.
Cheers,
Randy Stewart
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Ron said 12:01AM on 1-31-2007
@grapeshot:
> Gosh, there's no way that any show bought on iTunes would ever look good on my HD TV.
Do you have HD-DVD or Blu-Ray? If you have a regular progressive-scan DVD player, the shows off iTunes will look just like that. 480p.
> It would positively drive me nuts to have to purchase every single thing I ever want or might want to watch.
You do purchase every single thing. With your monthly fee. Only, even if you remember to record it, it's stuck on your DVR. That's the ultimate form of DRM.
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