The latest increase by Cox has me looking at cutting the cable and going some other route. I bring the question here because this board understands how much I need sports and getting live sports seems to be an issue with streaming options like Roku or Apple TV. Anyone had success dumping the expensive cable and taking it online and if so how did you do it?
OT: Cutting the Cable
- Thread starter bsquared24
- Start date
If you are a sports fan and you like to watch sports at home, I really don't think it's possible to cut the cable. I can pretty much guarantee you won't be able to watch a lot of SEC Network games if you don't have a valid TV subscription.
This, in no way, is going to answer your question... but I'll just say that as soon as the day comes when the ESPN and FoxSports families provide a digital pass similar to what the WWE network has done, it will be adios to DirectTV for me. You can get all the major networks in HD over the air for free, and aside from sports, there really isn't much that my wife and I don't watch on DVR ~ 2 months after the fact anyway. Therefore, it really wouldn't change much if we were to start watching a lot of tv series via netflix or Hulu Plus which are both much cheaper options than cable.
I may be crazy in saying this, but I seriously think that the WWE Network may have just blown things open regarding the way that tv will be offered in the future. Imagine a scenario where customers can subscribe to only the channels that they want, it's cheaper, and they can watch it anywhere in which they have an internet connection... all this while the networks actually make more money by getting 100% of the revenue rather than sharing it with providers like Comcast and DTV. If the WWE network ends up being successful, look out...
I may be crazy in saying this, but I seriously think that the WWE Network may have just blown things open regarding the way that tv will be offered in the future. Imagine a scenario where customers can subscribe to only the channels that they want, it's cheaper, and they can watch it anywhere in which they have an internet connection... all this while the networks actually make more money by getting 100% of the revenue rather than sharing it with providers like Comcast and DTV. If the WWE network ends up being successful, look out...
Yeah, you're FUBAR'd for sports. No TNT, no ESPN, and no WatchESPN, unless you steal it. No SECNetwork, etc. And Hulu Plus sucks ***. No, I won't pay to watch TV shows that have ads you're forced to watch.
That said, this is a very common topic at work. I'll see if I can find the last email chain. I know people are digging the Aereo DVR. I don't like watching games on WatchESPN because of the no pause/rewind thing.
That said, this is a very common topic at work. I'll see if I can find the last email chain. I know people are digging the Aereo DVR. I don't like watching games on WatchESPN because of the no pause/rewind thing.
I've considered it, too.
The key would be to have a relative or really close friend with a good TV package that doesn't mind giving you their login to watch WatchESPN, HBOGO, etc. on AppleTV. Otherwise, you're not watching sports.
The key would be to have a relative or really close friend with a good TV package that doesn't mind giving you their login to watch WatchESPN, HBOGO, etc. on AppleTV. Otherwise, you're not watching sports.
ESPN won't do that any time soon. That would lose the leverage they have over cable companies now.
I cut the cable almost a year ago and I can say, unless you're willing to "borrow" someone else's login or watch games on juntin.tv or some such pirate site then you aren't watching sports live.
I get to watch all the state games but I either a)spend time at a friend's house or b) watch the replay on watchespn once the game ends (I have UVerse internet so I get to watch espn3 stuff just not live).
ESPN is probably the one thing keeping TV subscription rates from dropping by double digits annually.
I get to watch all the state games but I either a)spend time at a friend's house or b) watch the replay on watchespn once the game ends (I have UVerse internet so I get to watch espn3 stuff just not live).
ESPN is probably the one thing keeping TV subscription rates from dropping by double digits annually.
Not to sound snarky, but leverage to do what? The only value that cable companies provide for ESPN today is their distribution network that gets ESPN's product into people's homes. At the rate that the world's ability to access the internet is exponentially increasing these days, the so called value of that distribution network is on a steep decline. On top of this, ESPN and all other major networks are currently having to split revenue with their distributors. For WWE, I believe that it was ~ 50% for their PPVs. If ESPN were to break away from the cable companies and start distributing their channels themselves, imagine the money they could make by controlling 100% of the subscription fees and ad revenue.
If you were simply implying that something like this would be an all or nothing deal for ESPN and that they couldn't offer a digital package on top of being tied to cable providers, that I agree with. But I think that there's a distinct possibility that we may start seeing major networks pursue this path.
If you were simply implying that something like this would be an all or nothing deal for ESPN and that they couldn't offer a digital package on top of being tied to cable providers, that I agree with. But I think that there's a distinct possibility that we may start seeing major networks pursue this path.
Right now, ESPN can demand high prices from cable providers, and consumers will pay, as they know there is no alternative. So I guess your second point, they can't demand this much from cable companies while also selling it directly. Same goes for HBO, Showtime, etc. This is why the NFL network can't sell digital packages. They charge a premium to Dish or whatever because they're the only option.
Having said that, a la carte pricing is eventually coming, but I bet it's 4-5 years away. And cable will be delivered over the internet. There is a downside though. If people only pay for what they want, no one will pay for small new channels, that eventually turn into great channels. Now, we pay for them whether we want or not. If this model was in place 30 years ago, ESPN would have possibly never made it.
Having said that, a la carte pricing is eventually coming, but I bet it's 4-5 years away. And cable will be delivered over the internet. There is a downside though. If people only pay for what they want, no one will pay for small new channels, that eventually turn into great channels. Now, we pay for them whether we want or not. If this model was in place 30 years ago, ESPN would have possibly never made it.
I hope so. Right now it's my understanding that Distributors pay about 6 per subscriber for the ESPN network (this is probably outdated). I'd be more than happy to pay 10 directly to espn and watch it on my roku. I'm just not sure it will ever happen, the distributors are very powerful.
Yep, that I agree with. But I think that's also why we'll eventually see ESPN break away entirely. If another poster was accurate in that distributors are paying ESPN $6 per subscriber, just think how that would compare to ESPN charging people $9.99 per month to subscribe to their channels digitally and on top of that, they would control 100% of all ad revenue for their stations? Granted, you'd have to expect some of those gains to be offset by a somewhat diminished subscriber base, but I think that they'd easily come out ahead when they feel that the public is ready for it. Whatever the case, there are a lot of eyes on the WWE network right now... that's for sure.
Cut my cable tv few months ago but i've got comcast internet so i'll be able to watch espn. Guess i'll just have to go somewhere like BWW or a friends house for SEC Network. Me and a friend split a sub to mlbtv to get our baseball fix. I'll probably buy an apple tv box pretty soon for the living room. Rabbit ears in bedroom for games on local channels.
I still have it but about to dumb it down to 1 set. I have a tv in my shop that I made a homemade antenna out of scrap 2x4 and coathangers for (go to YouTube and search for coathanger antenna) and I get 17 channels on it in the Jackson area. I get all of the networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX,) 2 of those retro channels that show Adam 12, Gunsmoke, etc, MS ETV (PBS), a weather radar channel, Create Channel, a couple cooking channels, and a couple others I don't remember. These w/ Netflix are a pretty good lineup but still no ESPN. You can watch the Sunday NFL games still and whatever else the other networks are doing i.e. NASCAR, Masters, Olympics, etc. The funny part is these antenna channels are all in HD and not dumbed down HD like the networks do. I have a small set in my shop thats probably 10 years old and the picture is awesome on it.
The day some cable
company comes up with an option to pick and choose which channels you get, exactly (no BS sports package, movie package, etc) is the day a very succesful company will be born.
Last year I cut Comcast and just went with AppleTV and this got me through baseball season, as I had the MLB package and HailStateTV. However, when football came around, I was pretty much screwed.
You have to have some type of calbe package to get WatchESPN or NBC Sports Live, unless you pirate it from a friend/family member.
company comes up with an option to pick and choose which channels you get, exactly (no BS sports package, movie package, etc) is the day a very succesful company will be born.
Last year I cut Comcast and just went with AppleTV and this got me through baseball season, as I had the MLB package and HailStateTV. However, when football came around, I was pretty much screwed.
You have to have some type of calbe package to get WatchESPN or NBC Sports Live, unless you pirate it from a friend/family member.
I'm not sure this is accrate. have you tried watching espn LIVE? My understanding was that internet providers get you the ability to watch espn but only for replays (and some shows that just suck). If you can confirm that you get to watch all the espn content live I'll be calling comcast tomorrow for internet service. With UVerse I can't watch live football games.
You can't watch, for example, the ESPN Saturday night 7 PM college football game on ESPN3 unless you have a valid cable or satellite TV subscription. So if State is playing Bama and it's the 7 PM game - you wouldn't be able to watch it online unless you have ESPN through your TV.
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But according to the media research and analysts firm SNL Kagan, basic cable customers paid an average of $5.06 a month for ESPN in 2012, making ESPN, which has nearly 100 million subscribers, by far the most expensive product on basic cable.
http://www.roopstigo.com/reader/2013-the-espn-tax-sports-fans-pay-for-sports-they-dont-want/
http://www.roopstigo.com/reader/2013-the-espn-tax-sports-fans-pay-for-sports-they-dont-want/
Right. Technically they call the site WatchESPN now, and list content as ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPN3. If you're not with the TV partners, you can only watch stuff labeled ESPN3. Still a lot of stuff on there, but you won't find many big football games.
I paid $20 for an hd tv antenna from Walmart and it works great in my bedroom. I live in Meridian and get 12 channels this way. My bedroom wasn't wired for cable and didn't care to have everything in there anyway. Perfect solution and great quality. I have a Roku box and also subscribe to Netflix. Tons of stuff to watch.
I might eventually do this in my den and just go w/o cable.
Even though I might miss out on SEC stuff, I can get by with games on the major networks. State usually breaks my heart anyway. And if there is a big game to watch, there is a local pub I can go to and do watch some that way with friends. I would miss the Golf Channel though. Yes......it just depends on how much sports you are into.
I might eventually do this in my den and just go w/o cable.
Even though I might miss out on SEC stuff, I can get by with games on the major networks. State usually breaks my heart anyway. And if there is a big game to watch, there is a local pub I can go to and do watch some that way with friends. I would miss the Golf Channel though. Yes......it just depends on how much sports you are into.
Well piss, Guess Ellis and Wyatt just got a new listener.
Just checked ESPN3 and I could watch the BB game on ESPN2. Hopefully it won't change for football season.
Just checked ESPN3 and I could watch the BB game on ESPN2. Hopefully it won't change for football season.
hope this keeps growing ..............
Aereo launched in 2012 after raising more than $20 million from media mogul Barry Diller’s Internet conglomerate IAC and other <nobr>investors</nobr>. Shortly thereafter, the major broadcasters – Comcast-owned NBC, News Corp.-owned Fox, Disney-owned ABC, and CBS — initiated a joint legal challenge to shut down the upstart company. Aereo says that because each user receives programming over the Internet via his or her own leased antenna, the system is legal. Thus far the broadcasters have failed to win an injunction halting the service.
As of now, Aereo’s service is legal, according to the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals. In April, that court found that Aereo’s Internet streams do not constitute “public performances” in violation of U.S. copyright law. The court also found that the broadcasters’ lawsuits against Aereo “are not likely to prevail on the merits.” The full court has now declined to review the case in a so-called ‘en banc’ hearing. If the broadcasters want to fight the injunction defeat, they’ll have to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Aereo launched in 2012 after raising more than $20 million from media mogul Barry Diller’s Internet conglomerate IAC and other <nobr>investors</nobr>. Shortly thereafter, the major broadcasters – Comcast-owned NBC, News Corp.-owned Fox, Disney-owned ABC, and CBS — initiated a joint legal challenge to shut down the upstart company. Aereo says that because each user receives programming over the Internet via his or her own leased antenna, the system is legal. Thus far the broadcasters have failed to win an injunction halting the service.
As of now, Aereo’s service is legal, according to the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals. In April, that court found that Aereo’s Internet streams do not constitute “public performances” in violation of U.S. copyright law. The court also found that the broadcasters’ lawsuits against Aereo “are not likely to prevail on the merits.” The full court has now declined to review the case in a so-called ‘en banc’ hearing. If the broadcasters want to fight the injunction defeat, they’ll have to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Aereo membership begins at $8 per month, for access to Aereo’s cloud-based antenna/DVR technology and 20 hours of DVR storage. For an additional $4, consumers can upgrade their membership and receive 60 hours of DVR storage for a total of $12 per month. Consumers who join Aereo will get their first of month of access for free.
Aereo membership will be available to consumers residing in the following 22 counties in Texas: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, De Witt, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, La Salle, Lavaca, McMullen, Medina, Real, Uvalde, Wilson and Zavala.
Aereo’s technology works on ‘smart’ devices from tablets to phones to laptop computers. Aereo is currently supported on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch. The Aereo app for Android™(currently in beta) is available for download for devices running Android operating system version 4.1 or higher. Aereo is also supported on Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer 9, Firefox, Opera, AppleTV (via airplay) and Roku platforms.
To learn more about Aereo’s technology and how to pre-register, visit Aereo.com.
Aereo membership will be available to consumers residing in the following 22 counties in Texas: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, De Witt, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, La Salle, Lavaca, McMullen, Medina, Real, Uvalde, Wilson and Zavala.
Aereo’s technology works on ‘smart’ devices from tablets to phones to laptop computers. Aereo is currently supported on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch. The Aereo app for Android™(currently in beta) is available for download for devices running Android operating system version 4.1 or higher. Aereo is also supported on Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer 9, Firefox, Opera, AppleTV (via airplay) and Roku platforms.
To learn more about Aereo’s technology and how to pre-register, visit Aereo.com.