HBO to launch standalone streaming

[Luminous]

Originally Posted by nbr3bagshotrow

I have 3 options for internet in my area. Comcast, AT&T, Century Link,

What kind of connection speeds are we talking about?

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Originally Posted by Luminous

What kind of connection speeds are we talking about?

Right now I have a 40 MB Century Link connection.

[nbr3bagshotrow]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0I42TN20141015

[JP Sarri]

Although I agree with some of the points made, I disagree with the idea that Cable companies are unshakeable. Based on the recent data, 40% of Americans stream content online. It is estimated to rise to 50% in the next few years. HBO wants to tap into this goldmine that has been primarily controlled by Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV, etc. There is a lot of money to be made and HBO wants a piece of that big pie.

With that being said, it is fair to assume that the cable industry is evolving and adapting to this new age of entertainment instead of completely disappearing. The big dogs will remain in the game while the small local providers will disappear due to the fierce competition. The recent merger between Warner Cable and Comcast is a clear example of this. Big companies are bracing themselves for change while simplifying and adjusting their market approach.

Cable TV as we know it, is a dying breed. On the other hand, Cable companies will survive and thrive as Internet providers. The only bad thing is that monopolies and hegemonies are on the horizon.

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Originally Posted by jpsarri

Although I agree with some of the points made, I disagree with the idea that Cable companies are unshakeable. Based on the recent data, 40% of Americans stream content online. It is estimated to rise to 50% in the next few years. HBO wants to tap into this goldmine that has been primarily controlled by Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV, etc. There is a lot of money to be made and HBO wants a piece of that big pie.

With that being said, it is fair to assume that the cable industry is evolving and adapting to this new age of entertainment instead of completely disappearing. The big dogs will remain in the game while the small local providers will disappear due to the fierce competition. The recent merger between Warner Cable and Comcast is a clear example of this. Big companies are bracing themselves for change while simplifying and adjusting their market approach.

Cable TV as we know it, is a dying breed. On the other hand, Cable companies will survive and thrive as Internet providers. The only bad thing is that monopolies and hegemonies are on the horizon.

What is going to be a pain (from a consumer point of view) is having to sign up and pay for all the various content providers you want to "subscribe" to. Also, one of the good things provided by the cable companies is the mechanism to search and find all the content for which they provide via their DVRs. For those of us who will ultimately end up dropping cable and subscribing to different content providers searching won't be that easy to see "what is on".

[JP Sarri]

Originally Posted by nbr3bagshotrow

What is going to be a pain (from a consumer point of view) is having to sign up and pay for all the various content providers you want to "subscribe" to. Also, one of the good things provided by the cable companies is the mechanism to search and find all the content for which they provide via their DVRs. For those of us who will ultimately end up dropping cable and subscribing to different content providers searching won't be that easy to see "what is on".

Definitely.

[ZenLogikos]

This is all well and good, and something almost everyone will be in favor of, but there's an underlying issue that will affect this soon: Pay-per-use bandwidth for all. It's inevitable. Once all sorts of streaming features and services are rolled out, and consumers are content, service providers will switch over to this format.

Users who have "cut the cord" already, average FAR more bandwidth than those who haven't. Just be aware that the internet's "free ride" will end at some point, and you will be paying for exactly what you use. Just like smartphones (and apps you never knew you needed), providers want to get you used to streaming all kinds of content before making the switch.

[JP Sarri]

Originally Posted by ZenLogikos

This is all well and good, and something almost everyone will be in favor of, but there's an underlying issue that will affect this soon: Pay-per-use bandwidth for all. It's inevitable. Once all sorts of streaming features and services are rolled out, and consumers are content, service providers will switch over to this format.

Users who have "cut the cord" already, average FAR more bandwidth than those who haven't. Just be aware that the internet's "free ride" will end at some point, and you will be paying for exactly what you use. Just like smartphones (and apps you never knew you needed), providers want to get you used to streaming all kinds of content before making the switch.

That is true and there's no questions about it. At the end of the day, it is all about giving the consumer a false sense of control. Regardless of the choices, the companies will continue to retain our money one way or another.

Now for me, it is all about choosing the lesser evil. I rather pay a premium for a wide range of personal options through faster internet, than for a limited array of mostly unwanted channels. Market indicators show that I am not alone.

[PureInvasion]

Originally Posted by nbr3bagshotrow

What is going to be a pain (from a consumer point of view) is having to sign up and pay for all the various content providers you want to "subscribe" to. Also, one of the good things provided by the cable companies is the mechanism to search and find all the content for which they provide via their DVRs. For those of us who will ultimately end up dropping cable and subscribing to different content providers searching won't be that easy to see "what is on".

Agreed.

I may be one of the rare "young" ones who feel this way but I still enjoy the ease of cable (and my dvr). I enjoy just throwing on the sports channel in the morning and having it play in the background while I get ready for work. I enjoy having everything on my dvr as opposed to having to spend time trying to search for a show i want.

My cousin has Netflix (and keep in mind that Canadian Netflix is garbage in comparison to its US counterpart) and its great to have a ton of content at your fingertips. Yet, each time he asks me "what do you want to watch?", it leads to 20-30 minutes of scrolling through endless lists of options.

I'm a rare one who just likes simplicity...

[nbr3bagshotrow]

http://televisions.reviewed.com/news...utm_medium=cpc

According to research from the industry analysts at nScreenMedia, a whopping 84% of recent cord-cutters are "at least somewhat happy with their decision."
The firm polled 1,000 U.S. broadband subscribers who had recently terminated cable or satellite TV service. In addition to the massive majority of generally happy cable-free households, nScreenMedia also found that a substantial 37% were so pleased that they have no plans to ever subscribe to paid-for TV ever again.
Many of the respondents appear to actively resent subscription TV providers—a trend confirmed by other recent surveys. Even so, 17% of polled cord-cutters were in some way displeased with their choice, and 9% wished they had never terminated their subscription TV service at all.
What cord-cutters miss most about pay TV.
When asked why, 31% of the regretful cord cutters listed supply as the ultimate problem—they simply missed TV shows they couldn't find via streaming media. Only 9% of the remorseful group said they missed cable sports packages, and just 6% said they missed popular movie channels like Showtime and HBO.
There's no shortage of great programs available exclusively through cable and satellite TV, so the main issues for the likes of Comcast and Time Warner are apparently unwanted bundling and hefty price tags—the two elements of the current subscription TV model that seem least likely to change. Just how TV providers plan to win back cord cutters hearts and minds remains unclear for now.