STATIONS NOT WANTED - MAKE THEM TOTALLY OPTIONAL ADD ON

[Mr Tony]

one note with the Canadian model
Not all channels can be bought alacarte. Canada has 3 categories of channels

Category A-you gotta carry it if you have bandwidth....these are the older analog type channels (cant buy alacarte)
Category B-you can carry it but dont have to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_B_services

Category C-national news channels and all sports channels (usually can buy alacarte...these are specialty channels)

 

[Mr Tony]

But correct me if I'm wrong,Dish requires a base package.

correct...Welcome pack qualifies

Shaw lets you create your own bundle without base package?

nope. You need at least Essentials which is about $45 or so...includes all the canadian nets, us nets, and some cable channels

Shaw has a basic package for $30 that is the us nets, canadian stations, a few cable channels (TSN, CMT, MuchMusic), religious and shopping and the audio channels. Drawback is other than the us nets, CBC, CTV, Global and City nothing else is in HD. You can only add TSN HD and no other options can be added

 

[dan188]

I think most of us would like this, unfortunately the networks would never allow this.

Its the programmer who specifies where channels go.. and if you want ESPN then the package that its in must also contain the other DISNEY owned channels that you don't watch as well.

If things went Ala Carte most if not all he nice channels would not exisit anymore.

Do networks also get to say what channel number they are on?

 

[TheKrell]

If that type of programming works in Canada I don't see why it wouldn't work here. It would be nice to have some of those options here.

No kidding. :up But in Canada, aren't these themed packages regulated into existence? The FCC would have to develop cohones.

 

[Mr Tony]

themes are regulated but the providers can put channels in whatever themes they want

Bell was notorious for taking the various radio stations they carry and splitting them into 2 or 3 different themes so to get all of them you had to sub to 3 themes (and get channels you dont want)

 

[wkomorow]

Ultimately an ala carte system would lead to innovation. If cable networks were to end bundling, then they would have to provide programing that people want to watch. Think HBO or showtime back in the day. There will always be people more than willing to pay any price for their sports programming. It be interesting to know whether more money is spent on sports or movies in the US.

 

[Teehar]

Ultimately an ala carte system would lead to innovation. If cable networks were to end bundling, then they would have to provide programing that people want to watch. Think HBO or showtime back in the day. There will always be people more than willing to pay any price for their sports programming. It be interesting to know whether more money is spent on sports or movies in the US.

Sports without a doubt.

 

[railroaddonna]

I really enjoyed the way it used to be on C-band.
Once a year I would take a look at all of the channels, pick and choose which ones I wanted to pay for, call up my provider, and pay for them.
I was really shocked at the prices of DBS when I scuttled the BUD and went mini.
The great thing about the c-band business model, is that you could choose a package, or completely ala cart...your choice.

I held out as long as I could with the BUD but when my receiver died, I decided I would have to go to DISH. It is a real sticker shock since I only got a few channels that I really liked to watch each year.
Donna in KC

 

[The Fat Man]

Canada does themes. They have packages that have a bunch of channels in them but they also break up channels like sports, news, music, etc. They also have some channels you can buy just by the channel

easier to do this...look at the pdf attached. This is for Shaw Direct

Thanks iceberg. I had to work my first Saturday in 8 years, and probably the last for another 8.

 

[navychop]

I don't think that was what led to c-band fading away.Who wants a 10' dish that has to have multiple cables coming in so it can move to a different sat for other channels.Not to mention the price.An 18" with all your favorite channels with one cable and much cheaper for the equipment is what led/leading to its demise.I highly doubt it was due to al a carte.

Not a la carte. CHEAP a la carte. And the other things you mentioned.

 

[dwarren2]

I don't think that was what led to c-band fading away.Who wants a 10' dish that has to have multiple cables coming in so it can move to a different sat for other channels.Not to mention the price.An 18" with all your favorite channels with one cable and much cheaper for the equipment is what led/leading to its demise.I highly doubt it was due to al a carte.

Agreed. I also was a long time C-bander. There were many reasons that lead to it's demise. Things like cost to install, not being family friendly(only 1 TV), the migration from analog to digital signals forcing the purchase of a 4DTV receiver and the technology of DBS.
I was lucky, after a power surge from the electric company following a wind storm that blew out electronics in our region, I was able to replace my HTS 9+ with a 4DTV.
I added Dish when they costs dropped to buy/subscribe to resonable rates so I could get Empire Sports. For many years I was paying for duplicate services.

 

[Jim5506]

The problem with a-la-carte is that it does not fit the business model of the program providers.

As long as satellite subscribers make AT200 the most popular package, that tells the program providers that we are willing to pay the extra price for the few wants in their higher packages and don't care that all the other trash is thrown in.

There is NO pressure on the program providers to do anything other than what they are currently doing.

If you want to change things, downgrade your subscription to the cheapest there is and hang in there, hoping everybody else does the same - yea-right!

Dont blame Dish or DirecTV or even Disney or Viacom, they only put the product out there with their restrictions it is the subscribers who keep buying their crap that keeps them going.