HBO is just the beginning of many channels that will probably be going solo. Do you think this is also the beginning of the end for cable tv? With so much bad publicity Comcast has received, and poor quality service from other companies like Dish cutting channels and Direct TV not being clear on their packages, I honestly think people will eventually switch to Netflix and Hulu. I will gladly pay for both. $8 per month is nothing compared to the cable bills I've racked up. All in the name of hidden fees and crappy channels I never watch. It's so much more worth it to have Netflix with a sh*t-load of options to watch. Plus I love their original series line ups. I cannot wait for HBO to go this route too.
Cable television services aren't going anywhere anytime soon. The only reason that HBO is going to offer a separate online service is because it's the most popular cable package out there. Others aren't nearly as popular, and customers aren't stammering for an separate online subscription for those packages. Plus, Netflix and Hulu have their own limitations, ranging from late release schedules to a lack of certain television shows and movies. Cable still has a very important place for consumers, especially those that have no problem whatsoever paying the price for cable.
I think eventually streaming services will take over but that is a long way off. Eventually the industry model will shift though and people will stop buying insanely large cable packages. At least, I hope that is what happens. I am happy with my netflix and hulu but it doesn't take the place of some regular cable channels yet.
I once went 4 years without cable because I had Hulu, Crackle, Dramafever and a couple of those bootleg Asian streaming sites. I would still be cable free if I hadn't gotten a cheap bundle deal when I moved. Streaming sites are fantastic if you have a decent internet connection. You don't really need TV unless you can get one of those rock bottom cheap $40 deals by bundling it with other services.
I pretty much stopped watched TV the moment I got my laptop. I still watch a few movies on local channels now and then when I have my siblings or friends over, but other than that I get all my entertainment from the internet (which doesn't help with my anime addiction). I also use Netflix occasionally, but it had nothing to do with me dropping cable TV.
I think as the years go by, steaming tv will take over cable tv. For one, it is a lot cheaper than cable providers. DISH and DIRECTV steady goes up on your bill and most other providers have taken off really great channels.
I think it will take a little while more for cable to completely go away. There are lots of older people who still prefer it and the next generation is probably the one who will emerge as the people who are growing up not being used to cable. I think for now it is still a good way of discovering new shows and channels without having to consciously click on anything.
Yes and there lies the problem with streaming. The fact that Comcast owns most of the internet connections and they're purposely going crappy for anyone who uses Netflix or Hulu, makes it harder for streaming companies to maintain business. Which is the reason for the net neutrality. I am honestly getting fed up with Comcast. I said that already though.
Cablecompanies continue to raise their rates for the same amount of programming, andmore and more people are switching over to plans like netflix and Apple TV. With cable or satellite, you have to pay fora group of channels, even though you may only watch a few of those channels. And if you want to watch programs not included in your selection, you have topay for a larger selection, even though you maybe only wanted to add one other station. I really think that we are moving to a time when thecable and satellite are going to have to offer a better deal to users, or they will actually gounder becasue people can choose the stations they want to watch with a program like Apple TV, or Roku, or one of theother similar setups. Not only that, with this kind of programming, you buy a whole season of the TV program that you like, and then you can watch as many as you want, and when you want to watch them; as opposed to watching one a week at the time it comes on TV.
I would personally love it if I could individually select different channels that I usually watch to pay for, rather than pay for a sh*t load of channels I never watch. And to be honest I'm getting sick of television. I love watching shows on Netflix, but I'm sick of the noise of the media, the news, the biased opinions of sports commentators. It's just noise pollution to me now. Same with the radio. I think people are developing a sense of individuality these days with their own selection of music and television.
I just don't feel like providers such as DISH and DirecTV etc. are a good value any more. Having 120+ channels and still not being able to find anything to watch is absurd. Having infomercials running 24/7 on numerous channels as if they are programs, is garbage too, if you ask me. They used to just run that stuff late at night, but it seems like it's half of your package these days. Netflix is a much better value for me. I prefer it to Hulu + as well.
Streaming services have become so huge over the past couple of years. I, for one, almost never touch my TV anymore. Netflix just offers so much convenience. And considering the price of these services, it isn't hard to imagine that cable TV will go out of business. But I imagine this is still far off in the future.
They might be, I haven't watched anything that's not streaming for a few years now. I have a busy schedule and being able to watch any show I'm following whenever I have time or feel like it is a godsend. So, if more people start thinking like I do cable tv will likely slowly die off.
I would love to be able to switch but there are so many shows that are not on these providers. It really sucks because I hate Comcast. I'm still mad at myself that I missed Who Wants to be A Millionaire a few days ago and they're not rerunning it. I have looked all over online and can't find it at all. It makes no sense. What are they gaining by not showing it anywhere?
I haven't spent money on cable TV in a long time, and I don't think I ever will again. Sure, sometimes you can see stuff you've never seen before on TV and start exploring. However, I feel like I've done just as well in that regard using Hulu and Netflix. I usually get my news just from my local newspaper websites, and I find it's much better the garbage they have on FOX news and CNN. I'm also planning to get Amazon Prime, and from what I understand they also offer some TV shows, and I'm looking forward to watching them. The only problem is HBO, as I am a huge GoT fan, and I really don't want to pay for cable just to watch that show.
It sounds like HBO is breaking off from cable and giving people the option to pay for it individually so they can watch it online. I can't wait for that! Because I'm like you. I don't want a $200 bill for one channel that has good shows on it. What a waste! I feel like people should be allowed to pick and choose what channels they want to pay for rather than pay for an entire package of channels they'll never watch.
I honestly think so. I don't even own a TV and I'm perfectly fine. Whenever I feel like watching something I go on either Hulu, YouTube, Crackle, or Netflix. I feel like TV is pretty unnecessary nowadays. No one really sits and watches TV for hours and if they do, that's not the only thing that they are doing. Even TVs have a DVR feature that's pretty standard these days. With Kindle getting in and giving Netflix some competition, it's going to be interesting to see the fate of the standard television the next couple of years. I think that there only purpose will be to play video games or to hook up your DVD player; somthing along those lines.
Most likely, sites like Hulu and Netflix provide some really nice quality movies and series, the best part of it is that there are no ads interrupting your showtime . All there is to be done, if you have to take a break is just pause the video . You can get through an episode or movie faster than watching it on cable because of that. These sites also make it possible for binge watching as they upload a whole season of a series at a time, unlike on cable television where you would have to wait for certain days or the following week for just one episode. In time they will be able to replace these cable networks because of the consumer advantages.
I have to say I don't really watch television anymore. I watch more on my laptop or phone. I think what will keep cable on the market would be if they teamed up with these streaming services somehow or become one themselves. Other than that, I can see it going away eventually. Cable deals are getting ridiculously expensive, and they don't let you choose exactly what you want. So you end up paying for channels you'll probably never watch. With other alternatives, online people will drop cable immediately. We'll always want the better option.
It seems that things are already headed in this direction, and I am quite okay with that. I think it has been some time coming though as cable just felt like a rip off, and now there is one hundred channels and absolutely nothing on.
