DIRECTV Price Increase 3/1/06???
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Yes, unless the government steps in and bans the practice of bundling - or the prices reach critical mass where the subscribers just start dropping like flies.
People blame D*, E* and the cablecos when in reality it's the programmers who are pulling the strings and controlling the entire market - almost to the extent of dictating channels, pricing and the tier structures that may be offered.
People blame D*, E* and the cablecos when in reality it's the programmers who are pulling the strings and controlling the entire market - almost to the extent of dictating channels, pricing and the tier structures that may be offered.
At least DirectTv gives you all the channels not charging for 4 channels with the same programming. They took of OLN, Lifetime, and LMN and for those who have the 180 pkg get to see 4 channels with the same programming. That sucks! So Direct Tv is the better deal even with the price increase they have all the channels I am paying for and don't get.
I work in a motor shop and prices on our motors for heating, air, and pumps have jumped 20% in 3 months. Every month they are raising prices. Seems to be the American Way now. Get less pay more!!! Service included!!!!
I work in a motor shop and prices on our motors for heating, air, and pumps have jumped 20% in 3 months. Every month they are raising prices. Seems to be the American Way now. Get less pay more!!! Service included!!!!
I'd like to see more of these channels begin supporting themselves with the advertising dollars they take in, the same as OTA stations. Instead, they have it both ways...take in money from scads of advertising and late night infommercials, and soak cable companies/satellite providers with "per subscriber" fees.CPanther95 said:
Friday night, DirecTV offered me the option of downgrading to standard Total Choice at their website. I should have bitten then, as the option was gone as of this morning.
wh5916 said:
Unfortunately, that ship has sailed. Carriage fees have become much more significant for many channels than their advertising revenue.
I believe when IPTV / webcasting becomes more popular we will see more people go that route to get their television. The prices of package bundling will be so expensive that people just won't be able to afford it.
What they need to do is create packages of special interest. Put the sports networks together, kids programing, news, movies, women's programing, etc. Then let people select from the types to put together the package that fits their needs.
I know now, my family doesn't even watch 70% of the channels we are now paying for. If I could select the types of programing we want to see and not have to pay for the others it would be a lot more cost effective. I know it is more work for any provider to program packages and break down who has what programing, but in the long run I think it would be more cost effective to the consumer.
My opinion is they could drop about 50% of the programing they now have. But I know there are others out there that watch that 50% of the channels that I have blocked off my channel guide. Each of us have our own tastes in programing, but the providers want us to pay for programing we never watch.
I know now, my family doesn't even watch 70% of the channels we are now paying for. If I could select the types of programing we want to see and not have to pay for the others it would be a lot more cost effective. I know it is more work for any provider to program packages and break down who has what programing, but in the long run I think it would be more cost effective to the consumer.
My opinion is they could drop about 50% of the programing they now have. But I know there are others out there that watch that 50% of the channels that I have blocked off my channel guide. Each of us have our own tastes in programing, but the providers want us to pay for programing we never watch.
Packaging by genre is just as bad. If you want one news channel, you have to pay for all. One cartoon channel, same thing.....
They'll continue to pack in more and more channels into each genre and the pricing will continue to rise.
They'll continue to pack in more and more channels into each genre and the pricing will continue to rise.
CPanther95 said:
You are also going to have to pay for it when they add it the way it is set up now, when ever they add programing.
If you can eliminate the types of programing you don't want you should be able to save. But I know the providers will still find a way to charge you for something else.
P.S. My Florida Panther, is cheering for your Carolina Panther.
Yeah - I'm not necessarily saying worse than now - just open to the same abuse. It may cause a short-term savings (depending how priced) but ultimately it will rise just the same as now.
A la carte, OTOH, will always be constrained by demand. They can add as many channels they want and if the demand isn't there, it will have no impact on our bills.
A la carte, OTOH, will always be constrained by demand. They can add as many channels they want and if the demand isn't there, it will have no impact on our bills.
CPanther95 said:
I think bundling as we do now is not a good thing but I do approve in bundling in catagory. If I want just sports and news, then thats what I get.
Good point on the programmers, the first besides me that really gets it. It want just take Echostar to make a point but all of the industry on both sides of the isle to do so. Average cable and satellite is now $48 a month basics. I remember not to long ago it was $17 for basics. That's not just one industry but both satellite and cable. I wonder though if satellite could be to blame though for having all this room for channels and programmers getting involved to fill them all. You can only have and watch so many channels. When we had Discovery only, we had more content to watch. Now we have different ones with more re runs and paid advertisements on. So where does it stop? It has to stop with us.
The big cablecos and D* are now heavily vested in programming so they aren't that interested in change. E* and the smaller cablecos could probably make just as much money under a la carte, but it would take more marketing/advertising to achieve the same profit levels they are at now - so why screw with the system.
E* and Cablevision came out in support of a la carte, but the tremendous egos involved probably had more to do with them supporting the "right thing for the industry" than the immediate profit potential to their companies.
E* and Cablevision came out in support of a la carte, but the tremendous egos involved probably had more to do with them supporting the "right thing for the industry" than the immediate profit potential to their companies.
wh5916 said:
This is what I have been going on about, I don't feel providers should pay a station that is free OTA. This has done nothing but jack up the rates, fights between cable &/or satellite and leaving people out in the cold on watching there favorite station. There will come a time when people will demand changes for must carries, DMA's and cash for carriage. I say drop it all and let us have the freedom to chose and time shift even. I'm waiting on the stations to start knocking on my door and demanding payment for watching them off of an antenna.
CPanther95 said:The big cablecos and D* are now heavily vested in programming so they aren't that interested in change. E* and the smaller cablecos could probably make just as much money under a la carte, but it would take more marketing/advertising to achieve the same profit levels they are at now - so why screw with the system.
E* and Cablevision came out in support of a la carte, but the tremendous egos involved probably had more to do with them supporting the "right thing for the industry" than the immediate profit potential to their companies.
That's true !
cablewithaview said:I'm waiting on the stations to start knocking on my door and demanding payment for watching them off of an antenna.
They used to do that when I lived in Germany. You'd see the vans with the radar dish on top sweeping the neighborhood to make sure anyone receiving OTA signals had paid the "TV Tax".
There is a limit to EVERYTHING. Something else is and will emerge (IPTV) that will offer people cheaper bundling of channels or offer them individually for a small fee per month/year. Someone will create a program that will allow you to smoothly change the channels like you do a television even though the channels come from different websites (just like you change your radio stations that come from different websites today).
Stargazer said:
Only if they are providing their own programming. If they want to provide ESPN, they'll bundle whatever Disney tells them to bundle.
CPanther95 said:
seem like I have heard about that before. TV tax to basically to pay them for having a job to find out if your watching OTA signals free. damn!!!
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