Comments
clrmoney
1/27/2017 10:28:30 AM
User Rank Platinum
Pay TV exaggerated
I think it is a little because they are losing customers and gaining new ones at the same time for Pay TV
Anti-Betteridge
I feel like there's been a trend over the past year or so in tech news of exceptions to Betteridge's Law of Headlines, and I'm inclined to think this is one of them.
Cable never died. It just...adapted.
#rimshot
afwriter
1/27/2017 1:52:23 PM
User Rank Platinum
Not Dead Yet
It may not be dead, but it is ailing. I predict that the only things that keep Pay-TV going are live events and a handful of blockbuster shows. Live events will never go away but if we ever see a time where huge shows like Wallking Dead and Game of Thrones are over with nothing to fill their void we will see a mass exodus from TV.
faryl
1/27/2017 6:09:24 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Not Dead Yet
Especially since it looks like content creators are looking to Amazon & Netflix.
AMC still hasn't seemed to find another "Mad Men" and they make it too hard to catch up on seasons for shows like "The Americans" to draw me into what they currently have. The Walking Dead has been losing viewers like crazy this season.
And isn't this coming season the last for Game of Thrones?
dcawrey
1/27/2017 11:12:35 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Not Dead Yet
It has to be difficult to be a cable channel these days. The smart cookies like HBO are already offering their own streaming service. I did try HBO Now for a while, but it lacked the diversity Amazon and Netflix have because of the focus on original shows. Hopefully they can fix that at some point.
Ariella
1/28/2017 7:02:56 PM
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Re: Not Dead Yet
@dcawrey what lures you in to try a new service? Is it a promotional price? Exclusive content that interests you? Or is there something else at play?
elizabethv
1/30/2017 6:44:29 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Not Dead Yet
@dcawrey - That's interesting that you weren't that impressed with HBO Now, I'm really enjoying having it. Mostly for their movie selection though, not as much for their original content, outside of Game of Thrones. I would think if HBO Now was really working THAT well for them though, that other cable companies would start following suit and doing the same thing. That they are makes me wonder if the profit just isn't there yet for such a thing.
faryl
1/31/2017 6:56:16 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Not Dead Yet
@elizabethtv It's funny, even though HBO was originally just movies, I always forget to look there for anything other than their series!
Re: Not Dead Yet
@dcawrey: At the same time, the HBO content tends to be exclusive. Good luck watching GoT or any of the movies HBO has anywhere else (legally).
As for Netflix's original content? For every original content item Netflix has that I like, there are about 40 or more that I have zero interest in.
Michelle
1/28/2017 6:10:15 PM
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Re: Not Dead Yet
@afwriter so you're saying pay-tv is the walking dead? The evolution of tv will be quite a show to watch going forward.
elizabethv
1/30/2017 6:35:56 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Not Dead Yet
@afwriter - You really don't need to rely on pay-TV for Walking Dead and Game of Thrones either. I watch both shows and ditched Pay-TV about two years ago. Of course I dont watch them as they air, but realistically if that was that important to someone, even Sling would solve that problem. At least for Walking Dead. My husband and I were rarely ever able to watch anything when it was actually on, so switching to streaming wasn't that big a deal. Personally, I think I'm one of the few people in the world that isn't the least bit bothered by spoilers (actually I seek them out) so other people seeing it before me doesn't change a thing. I'm really confused by the people who are bothered by spoilers and then check the Facebook pages of the shows they watch before they've seen the latest episode. Sorry, you're just asking for them if that's what you're doing.
Re: Not Dead Yet
@afwriter: The funny thing is, the thing I use cable for most is a few select Music Choice channels.
Pandora plays the same stuff over and over -- until it decides to get weird -- and is largely unpredictable. Spotify requires a download and is too hipstery for my tastes anyway. Plain ol' radio is boring. My CDs are in storage, and I can't remember the last time I downloaded an mp3.
So Music Choice it is.
srufolo1
1/27/2017 5:00:33 PM
User Rank Platinum
Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
I personally cut the cord a while ago because of the cost of cable TV, but I am considering returning to it. As an AT&T subscriber, I am skeptical of DirectTV because I haven't heard much about it. But there are so many more choices today. I believe cafeteria-style, or skinny bundles, will eventually cause the fat-bundle viewing to die out. Also, it's surprising Comcast has been doing so well considering the bad reviews it always receives.
faryl
1/27/2017 6:05:09 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
AT&T is really pushing DirectTV. They lowered my cell phone bill because they changed me to a monthly plan based on having DirectTV as well, even though I don't have any TV services with them.
Not sure if that was some sort of error or just a really bad marketing tactic (either way, it did little to endear me!)
Michelle
1/28/2017 6:07:04 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@faryl That's really interesting. I wonder how viable the approach has been for them. I assume the lowered bill has an expiration date (after 6 months or a year or something maybe?)
faryl
1/31/2017 6:19:19 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
Not sure. Since I don't have direct TV, I'm not eligible for the discount - I found out about it when I got a text saying I needed to sign up for DirectTV or lose the discount.
Michelle
1/31/2017 7:18:23 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
That's too bad you have to buy another service just to keep the one discount. Perhaps it's time for a cost-savings analysis of your bill ;)
srufolo1
2/3/2017 6:52:54 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@faryl: Sounds to be like a horrible marketing tactic on AT&T's part, not to mention highly unethical. I've been a subscriber to AT&T for many years, and this luckily has not happened to me.
srufolo1
1/29/2017 5:55:11 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
I wouldn't mind a lower bill for something I didn't even have to buy. AT&T frustrates me with its products. They sell you tablets and such but they don't offer Wi-Fi, although a sales rep did tell me that AT&T offers it in the South via U-verse. DirectTV could be good, but I don't like satellite dishes.
Ariella
1/30/2017 10:54:25 AM
User Rank Author
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Adi the comment @srulofo just posted reminded me of something. In the UK, there's a mandatory tax for TV, correct? Is it possible now for people there to pay for these kind of streaming services and bypass the traditional programming from BBC, etc?
Adi
1/30/2017 11:50:47 AM
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Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
Ariella - That's right, there is a BBC license fee, which is essentially a tax on every household with a TV. It was expanded last year to include users of the BBC's on-demand streaming services (BBC iPlayer) which are very popular in the UK. I think if you don't have a TV set or pay-TV connection and never, ever stream content from the BBC, then you wouldn't need a license. Even if you were using other streaming services.
Ariella
1/30/2017 1:08:30 PM
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Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Adi so if someone in the UK streams content to a mobile device but does not watch programming on a TV, that person could be exempt? I have read references to seraches of homes for undeclared television sets owned by people who don't pay the tax. Does that actually happen?
elizabethv
1/30/2017 6:21:37 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
To some extent, these numbers REALLY surprise me. Though to some extent, I would think most people who plan to cut the cord have already done so. And as a cord cutter, good grief! $60 a month for your cable! Eek! I recently just ditched Sling because we didn't use it enough to warrant an extra $20. Though we are using a free month of HBO that I am considering keeping, because for $15 a month, the movies are actually pretty decent and give my kids the change up I wasn't enjoying as much with Sling, since Sling also included commercials which I really try to avoid with my kids, because they already ask for enough without the help of advertisers. And HBO is nice because I can access it through Amazon, so it doesn't require any extra manuevering on my part. I guess I'm just a committed cord cutter though, so I don't really understand the desire to pay $60 a month for anything. Even if I keep HBO I'll only be a regular bill of $25. (My Prime I don't really count since I pay for that once a year and it also nets me a ridiculous number of significantly cheaper products mailed to me with free shipping.)
elizabethv
1/30/2017 6:51:28 PM
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Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
This conversation about the tax for BBC is really interesting. Given the recent cuts of NPR and PBS by the Federal Government, I wonder if we could push for such a thing to continue funding them. It also then makes me curious about the number of households in the US that don't have a television at all. I know a few people that don't but I'd be curious to see a percentage.
Adi
1/31/2017 5:23:37 AM
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Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
elizabethtv - it used to be about 5-7% pre-OTT. That's probably gone up a bit now with more people not only cutting the cord, but simply using their laptops to view videos. I would guess it's just about the 10% mark or maybe a little under.
elizabethv
1/31/2017 3:40:25 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Adi - that's a little higher than I would have expected. Even with the cord cutting of today. I can see why people would just use laptops, but I suppose their personal living situation would play into this a lot too. I dated a Marine for awhile, and his only source of television was from his laptop, and this was about 8 years ago or so. It was just easier for him, even though he was a lucky enough to have his own barracks room, he was still moved around enough that he preferred to just keep the laptop for easy setup, instead of worrying about a ton of extra gadgets every time he had to pack up and move. For my family though, it's nice to have the television, because we still sit down in the living room with our kids and watch movies and TV shows. Though I also know families that prefer not to have a TV, to keep their kids from being tempted. To each their own.
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Adi: I thought I had seen something recently indicating that a lot of cord cutters were coming back to cable and "reattaching" the cord. Any data that you're aware of on that over the past year or so?
Michelle
1/31/2017 7:22:08 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
I would be interested in seeing that data myself. I could see how viewers might make the way back to cable. The cost of many a la carte streaming channels adds up.
elizabethv
1/31/2017 7:30:55 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Michelle - I agree, too many OTT services could quickly make cord cutting a non sequitur. I suppose self-control really has to pay into it. And once you get into the smaller ones you should really ask yourself if it's worth it to pay X amount of dollars for the one TV series you're trying to get access too, or is there another way? Maybe you can find that series on DVD at Goodwill? Or some other route. Monthly fees don't have to be the answer, but if you get caught up in the fun of it, I could see people letting it get out of hand.
Michelle
1/31/2017 7:37:29 PM
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Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@elizabeth You've perfectly illustrated my thinking on the topic. You're right about self control. It plays a major part in spending. Some shows are neat but I wouldn't want to pay $15 a month to access the one thing I really want to watch...
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@elizabethv: A lot of people in Britain get pretty peeved about the mandatory TV/BBC licensing fee. I sure wouldn't want that to happen here (especially after a conversation with my tax accountant today).
Of course, I guess I'm being taxed in other ways or it. :/
Michelle
1/31/2017 7:26:49 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
I didn't realize Britans paid a mandatory licensing fees. I don't think I would like that very much myself, but you're right -- we do get taxed in many other ways.
elizabethv
1/31/2017 7:27:07 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Joe - I have no idea of the accuracy of the claims, but I saw something that said the other day that each individual tax payer is only paying like $4 a year for access to NPR/PBS. At that rate, I think it's worth it. But then you can always just donate to them too if you like. I just hope the end of Federal funding doesn't spell the end for PBS/NPR.
Ariella
2/1/2017 10:40:33 AM
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Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Joe we are taxed in other ways, it's true, thogh in general they likely pay more in the UK than many Americans do. See https://www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates/current-rates-and-allowances and https://www.irs.com/articles/projected-us-tax-rates-2016 However, things are complicated by where you live here. I don't know if there is the equivalent of a state income tax there as we have here. And in NY the amount is substantial. So even though we don't have a federal rate that top 40%, you can come up to that with yout state tax. Another thing to factor in is sales tax, which also varies a great deal by location. I believe Europe has the VAT instead, but I'm not sure if the amounts on that vary and what exemptions exist.
Adi
1/31/2017 5:21:32 AM
User Rank Author
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
Ariella - If that content is not from the BBC then I think they would be exempt. But if they stream BBC content to their phone, laptop, tablet, STB...or anything really, they have to pay. I'm not a legal expert, but that is my understanding of the law.
I don't actually know of anyone who has had their home searched though it's certainly possible. But info is usually collected at the store - if you buy a TV or sign up for a pay-TV service, they get your information from there.
Ariella
2/1/2017 10:35:07 AM
User Rank Author
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Adi Thanks again for providing the info. It does make me wonder if people have tried smuggling in television sets to avoid being tracked if the governemnt depends on store records.
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@srufolo1: Interesting. What is it specifically you dislike about satellite dishes? Do you simply think them to be an eyesore, or is it something else?
srufolo1
2/3/2017 7:03:22 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Joe Stanganelli Not so much that satellite dishes are an eyesore, although I don't really like how they look, but that I've heard so many horror stories about them not working properly in bad weather.
faryl
1/31/2017 6:21:48 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@srrufolo1 To be clear, I wasn't eligible for the discount - they enrolled me without my permission, then sent a text telling me I needed to register for DirectTV to maintain the discount or else my bill would go up.
elizabethv
1/30/2017 6:38:36 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@srufuolo1 - Comcast is HORRIBLE! I only have their internet because I literally have no other choice. And you're right, it's a pretty popular opinion that their customer service is terrible. There's a meme going around that if you want to solve the drug epidemic in this country you should make drugs legal but force everyone to get them through Comcast Customer Service. Might actually be an effective method. :-)
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@srufolo1:
> Also, it's surprising Comcast has been doing so well considering the bad reviews it always receives.
The thing is, though, usually there's only one cable company in a regional market (and, where there's more than one, it's usually but two). So Comcast is often the only choice for people who want the service.
Interestingly enough, relatives of mine were forced by their homeowners' association to switch from Comcast to a competitor -- which is, I am told, far worse and offers far less value.
srufolo1
2/3/2017 6:45:17 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Are Reports of Pay Tv's Death Exaggerated
@Joe Stanganelli: Homeowners' associations exert far too much control over what people can and can't do in my opinion. I belong to one and we are not able to get FIOS, only Optimum.
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