My Beef With Cable TV

[sealybobo]

Ok, so I could understand back when we only had 7 channels that sometimes late at night, nothing may be on. But not today people come on! We pay top dollar to have a bazillion channels and I can not stand waking up Sunday morning and all I can find is infomercials and religous shows. They don't think anyone may be up interested in some Mash reruns more than any one of the millions of stupid infomercials. And fine, if you want to put that crap on, if anyone is actually watching it, put it on 50 of the 100 channels I have. Not all 100.

At any given point of the day, I should be able to find sitcom reruns and sportscenter 24/7. AMC should never have infomercials on it. And get that Madmen shit off the air already? Does anyone really like that show? I find that very hard to believe. Or the Killing. Its been on 2 years and they still haven't found the girl or who did it? That's called a cold case. Move on.

And how come I don't have a good 24/7 video channel like MTV anymore? They don't think people like music video's anymore? Bullshit.

And re run SNL because I'm never home in time to see it at 11:30. What else do you have to put on at 1am in the morning? Oh yea, and more Family Guy please.

Oh yea, and no one like Mike and Molly. Two morbidly obese people. Great.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Like the Bruce Springsteen song goes:"57 Channels and Nothing On!"

I got rid on my Cable TV in February. If there's anything good out there I'll hear about it and download it later to watch with my wife.

Plus, news is easier to dissect and absorb when you READ it! Gone back to listening to the radio more as well. You can actually do something else while you listen instead of being stuck in front of the tube.

 

[Oddball]

His beef with cable teevee is that he can't steal it from his neighbor...

 

[Douger]

Read my signature. It's YOUR fault.

 

[hortysir]

Ok, so I could understand back when we only had 7 channels that sometimes late at night, nothing may be on. But not today people come on! We pay top dollar to have a bazillion channels and I can not stand waking up Sunday morning and all I can find is infomercials and religous shows. They don't think anyone may be up interested in some Mash reruns more than any one of the millions of stupid infomercials. And fine, if you want to put that crap on, if anyone is actually watching it, put it on 50 of the 100 channels I have. Not all 100.

At any given point of the day, I should be able to find sitcom reruns and sportscenter 24/7. AMC should never have infomercials on it. And get that Madmen shit off the air already? Does anyone really like that show? I find that very hard to believe. Or the Killing. Its been on 2 years and they still haven't found the girl or who did it? That's called a cold case. Move on.

And how come I don't have a good 24/7 video channel like MTV anymore? They don't think people like music video's anymore? Bullshit.

And re run SNL because I'm never home in time to see it at 11:30. What else do you have to put on at 1am in the morning? Oh yea, and more Family Guy please.

Oh yea, and no one like Mike and Molly. Two morbidly obese people. Great.

I realize that right now is a difficult time for you to tune in to MSNBC, but do try to be strong a while longer.

 

[Big Black Dog]

It is amazing that with all the channels I have on Dish, I sometimes can't find anything worth watching.

 

[brudder]

I just get over the air channels, netflix, and just bought a roku box, which is pretty cool.

I just don't watch network television for the most part.

 

[percysunshine]

" I can not stand waking up Sunday morning and all I can find is infomercials and religous shows."

So go to a Jeremiah Wright sermon tomorrow.

 

[waltky]

Big cable reneges on it's promise...

Big Cable broke its promise and you're paying for it
June 23, 2017 - Last June, Big Cable made an appealing offer for viewers and regulators. Companies would provide consumers with free apps to watch TV rather than making them pay monthly fees for cable boxes. But the cable companies didn’t do this out of the kindness of their hearts — they wanted to stop the Federal Communication Commission from passing regulations making them ship apps.

A year after that “Ditch the Box” pledge, two things have changed. There’s now zero threat of federal regulators requiring cable operators to give subscribers free apps to replace rented boxes, and the industry’s “Ditch the Box” plan seems to have disappeared.

What was on the table

Twelve months ago, cable operators had reason to fear that the FCC would crack open the box market. Those rectangular devices that sit under your TV set compound your cable bill — typically $10 a month for a tuner or $20 a month for a digital video recorder. But that extra fee often buys you a clunky, low-resolution onscreen interface that can’t show more than few channels worth of program listings. As President Obama told Yahoo Finance in an interview last April: “There hasn’t been much innovation.” The FCC’s original “Unlock the Box” proposal would have compelled cable and satellite operators to provide some standard framework upon which outside manufacturers and developers could ship their own hardware and software to receive and record a pay-TV feed.

Cable companies originally promiseed to give us free apps to watch TV without having to pay for cable boxes. We’re still waiting.​

Ditch The Box, as advocated by a cable-led group called the Future of Television Coalition, would have liberated cable and satellite subscribers from many of those those hardware fees by letting them use free, web-based viewing apps on connected TVs and streaming-media players. The deal did not cover digital video recorders, and satellite viewers would still need one rented box to get the signal from space and then distribute it through the home. But it would have happened fast, as an outline of the plan touted: “Providers will have two years to fully implement the new requirements – and many are already racing to do so sooner.”

Where we are now

FCC chair Tom Wheeler adopted some parts of Ditch the Box in a revised proposal that would only have compelled pay-TV providers to ship their own, recording-capable apps, with no need for them to accept third-party boxes. The FCC continued deliberating the matter without a vote — and then Donald Trump won the presidential election. As part of his administration’s effort to hit the “Undo” button on the Obama administration’s accomplishments, new FCC chair Ajit Pai promptly dropped the Unlock the Box proposal from further consideration. But what about the companies that had lined up behind Ditch the Box concept? One, Comcast (CMCSA), did ship a free app for Roku media players and Roku-enabled TVs. Thanks to Comcast’s Kafka-esque pricing, it will save you all of $2.50 a month per TV. But at least you won’t have an extra remote on your coffee table!

Comcast didn’t say how many subscribers had signed up for this, or when it might ship an equivalent app for other platforms. But at least it’s trying. AT&T (T), the other TV giant to endorse Ditch the Box before the FCC, has done much less. Its U-verse and DirecTV apps don’t let you stream to your TV via Google’s (GOOG, GOOGL) Chromecast or Apple’s (AAPL) Airplay, so you still need a traditional cable box. That’s the case with most other pay-TV providers, including Yahoo Finance’s parent company Verizon (VZ). The Future of TV Coalition has gone silent — it last tweeted Nov. 28 — the cable industry’s trade group NCTA hasn’t had much to say about it either. NCTA spokesman Brian Dietz wrote in an e-mail that Ditch the Box was pitched as “an “alternative” to the Wheeler’s original proposal. Without the FCC’s acceptance of Ditch the Box, that plan got ditched.

Big Cable broke its promise and you're paying for it

 

[yiostheoy]

I gave up on cable tv and went with an RCA amplified antenna and that gives me about 50 broadcast channels including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, Crime, Justice, old movies, old comedy, etc.

It is amazing the broadcast channels available these days.

You don't need cable anymore if you live close to a big city.

Here in the Intermountain region that means Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Salt Lake.

 

[yiostheoy]

" I can not stand waking up Sunday morning and all I can find is infomercials and religous shows."

So go to a Jeremiah Wright sermon tomorrow.

I love Sunday mornings because at 7 a.m. ABC starts with "This Week".

Then NBC follows at 8 a.m. with "Meet The Press".

Then CBS at 9:30 a.m. with "Face The Nation".

These are all good news shows.

Lately Martha Raddiz has been doing the best job of cutting into evasive guests in interviews. Chuck Todd is also good at this. As is John Dickerson.

 

[Desperado]

The customer should be able to pick and choose the channels they want.
Pay only for the channels you watch. Maybe choose a 25, 50 or 75 channel package only you pick your channels.

 

[sealybobo]

Ok, so I could understand back when we only had 7 channels that sometimes late at night, nothing may be on. But not today people come on! We pay top dollar to have a bazillion channels and I can not stand waking up Sunday morning and all I can find is infomercials and religous shows. They don't think anyone may be up interested in some Mash reruns more than any one of the millions of stupid infomercials. And fine, if you want to put that crap on, if anyone is actually watching it, put it on 50 of the 100 channels I have. Not all 100.

At any given point of the day, I should be able to find sitcom reruns and sportscenter 24/7. AMC should never have infomercials on it. And get that Madmen shit off the air already? Does anyone really like that show? I find that very hard to believe. Or the Killing. Its been on 2 years and they still haven't found the girl or who did it? That's called a cold case. Move on.

And how come I don't have a good 24/7 video channel like MTV anymore? They don't think people like music video's anymore? Bullshit.

And re run SNL because I'm never home in time to see it at 11:30. What else do you have to put on at 1am in the morning? Oh yea, and more Family Guy please.

Oh yea, and no one like Mike and Molly. Two morbidly obese people. Great.

I realize that right now is a difficult time for you to tune in to MSNBC, but do try to be strong a while longer.

I haven't paid for cable and internet since 2004. That's $1200 x 13 years. What is that $16000?

 

[HenryBHough]

I just get over the air channels, netflix, and just bought a roku box, which is pretty cool.

I just don't watch network television for the most part.

I went to a small antenna and ROKU 15 months ago and still lov it. ROKU has a new box for under forty bucks, said to be much faster than original. I have one on order.

People who are not streaming are getting screwed.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Ok, so I could understand back when we only had 7 channels that sometimes late at night, nothing may be on. But not today people come on! We pay top dollar to have a bazillion channels and I can not stand waking up Sunday morning and all I can find is infomercials and religous shows. They don't think anyone may be up interested in some Mash reruns more than any one of the millions of stupid infomercials. And fine, if you want to put that crap on, if anyone is actually watching it, put it on 50 of the 100 channels I have. Not all 100.

At any given point of the day, I should be able to find sitcom reruns and sportscenter 24/7. AMC should never have infomercials on it. And get that Madmen shit off the air already? Does anyone really like that show? I find that very hard to believe. Or the Killing. Its been on 2 years and they still haven't found the girl or who did it? That's called a cold case. Move on.

And how come I don't have a good 24/7 video channel like MTV anymore? They don't think people like music video's anymore? Bullshit.

And re run SNL because I'm never home in time to see it at 11:30. What else do you have to put on at 1am in the morning? Oh yea, and more Family Guy please.

Oh yea, and no one like Mike and Molly. Two morbidly obese people. Great.

I realize that right now is a difficult time for you to tune in to MSNBC, but do try to be strong a while longer.

I haven't paid for cable and internet since 2004. That's $1200 x 13 years. What is that $16000?

yea but your mom had to pay ....i cant believe you live with your mom and make her pay for your tv....

 

[sealybobo]

Ok, so I could understand back when we only had 7 channels that sometimes late at night, nothing may be on. But not today people come on! We pay top dollar to have a bazillion channels and I can not stand waking up Sunday morning and all I can find is infomercials and religous shows. They don't think anyone may be up interested in some Mash reruns more than any one of the millions of stupid infomercials. And fine, if you want to put that crap on, if anyone is actually watching it, put it on 50 of the 100 channels I have. Not all 100.

At any given point of the day, I should be able to find sitcom reruns and sportscenter 24/7. AMC should never have infomercials on it. And get that Madmen shit off the air already? Does anyone really like that show? I find that very hard to believe. Or the Killing. Its been on 2 years and they still haven't found the girl or who did it? That's called a cold case. Move on.

And how come I don't have a good 24/7 video channel like MTV anymore? They don't think people like music video's anymore? Bullshit.

And re run SNL because I'm never home in time to see it at 11:30. What else do you have to put on at 1am in the morning? Oh yea, and more Family Guy please.

Oh yea, and no one like Mike and Molly. Two morbidly obese people. Great.

I realize that right now is a difficult time for you to tune in to MSNBC, but do try to be strong a while longer.

I haven't paid for cable and internet since 2004. That's $1200 x 13 years. What is that $16000?

yea but your mom had to pay ....i cant believe you live with your mom and make her pay for your tv....

I don't. Last time I lived with my parents was my first year out of college. I paid off my student loans and put 20% down on my condo in one year.

Imagine how much not doing that would have cost me. Instead of paying student loan off asap I would have made small payments and interest. And I would have paid rent so it would have taken a lot longer to save the down payment. Or I wouldn't have put 20% down and my payments would have been bigger. It would have cost me I'd say $50k over 30 years.

It's these things that make it possible to retire.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Ok, so I could understand back when we only had 7 channels that sometimes late at night, nothing may be on. But not today people come on! We pay top dollar to have a bazillion channels and I can not stand waking up Sunday morning and all I can find is infomercials and religous shows. They don't think anyone may be up interested in some Mash reruns more than any one of the millions of stupid infomercials. And fine, if you want to put that crap on, if anyone is actually watching it, put it on 50 of the 100 channels I have. Not all 100.

At any given point of the day, I should be able to find sitcom reruns and sportscenter 24/7. AMC should never have infomercials on it. And get that Madmen shit off the air already? Does anyone really like that show? I find that very hard to believe. Or the Killing. Its been on 2 years and they still haven't found the girl or who did it? That's called a cold case. Move on.

And how come I don't have a good 24/7 video channel like MTV anymore? They don't think people like music video's anymore? Bullshit.

And re run SNL because I'm never home in time to see it at 11:30. What else do you have to put on at 1am in the morning? Oh yea, and more Family Guy please.

Oh yea, and no one like Mike and Molly. Two morbidly obese people. Great.

I realize that right now is a difficult time for you to tune in to MSNBC, but do try to be strong a while longer.

I haven't paid for cable and internet since 2004. That's $1200 x 13 years. What is that $16000?

yea but your mom had to pay ....i cant believe you live with your mom and make her pay for your tv....

I don't. Last time I lived with my parents was my first year out of college. I paid off my student loans and put 20% down on my condo in one year.

Imagine how much not doing that would have cost me. Instead of paying student loan off asap I would have made small payments and interest. And I would have paid rent so it would have taken a lot longer to save the down payment. Or I wouldn't have put 20% down and my payments would have been bigger. It would have cost me I'd say $50k over 30 years.

It's these things that make it possible to retire.

sign of the good life bobo.....

 

[IsaacNewton]

Free broadcast tv generally relies on tv shows from 40-50 years ago, probably because they are dirt cheap to put on air. There are a couple free channels that put on tv shows from 10-20 years ago but those are rare.

Cable is good but it also has those lulls every now and then when all channels are running some old crappy movie that nobody watched 30 years ago when it came out. The un-reality shows are almost all crap. Pawn shops and moonshiners? Why are there still moonshiners? Alcohol is legal!

Then you are left with the 'scare the paranoid shows'. The Ghost Finders, entire 1 hour shows based on "did you hear that?". A show on the air for years whose entire program is based on "did you hear that"?

The only shows that are reliably good are the documentaries like new investigations of the pyramids, or the Roman Empire, or WW2.