6 Years after "Cutting The Cord" from cable and satellite. (opinion)

[Overmind One]

If you get yourself a VPN like http://hidemyass.com, you can appear to be in the US and watch just about any show currently on TV on Hulu for free on a PC or notebook or for $7 through a smart device. Add Netflix and you'll even forget about the free-to-air TV. The VPN service lets you connect through nodes around the world. I sometimes connect to the UK to watch some shows before they get here.

Yep. I only tune into those free to air stations when other people come over. If what they want is on there, they are in luck. I used a different VPN service, but the basic idea is the same...you can watch most of Canadian and British broadcasting easily using VPN services, despite geo-locking.

 

[YJ02]

Okay well that is different then. This still does not affect cord cutters because we are not seeing targeted ads...or any ads at all. At best, the cord cutter RFID data only creates anomalies in the datasets for them.



FDIC exists to prevent loss of my money if my bank crashes. Dude, are you reading this stuff you are writing? You are sounding like a VERY fearful person! I dont worry about my banks crashing, invasion by North Korea, pot raids or horse posses of the KKK.



Red bolded: How so? Cord cutters ARE watching when they want, and they ARE getting things on demand. What is delusional about that? And about creating things, I create things all the time. This website is an example. The purpose of cutting the cord has nothing to do with creating things. It has to do with eliminating advertising and getting control of the outside entertainment conduit. Others do it for convenience. For instance, when a cord cutter watches the same show a TV watcher watches, it is when they want and how they want, with no commercials. It means they are not paying advertisers for commercials they dont want to see, or channels they are not watching.

We can not watch anything from Korean TV for free that is new. If it does exists (the ability to watch new/current) then it is a pay service to the Korea networks. There are sites like crunchyroll and drama fever (also on roku) that have recent shows but you must rely on other members recording a live/new airing then getting it uploaded to the sites. Crunchyroll and dramafever are pay as well, but it is not very much

This reminds me a little of some of those old threads at syfy forums, where people would complain about cutting out syfy or getting the stuff they did want to watch from the net. But if enough ppl cut the cord, dish and become a free rider, then doesn't it become self defeating? That is, a signif drop in subscribers will mean far less profit for providers and the networks which would eventually lead to them producing nothing new--then what do you watch for free?

It is not the current method of targeting ads that the rfid ppl are talking about, it is the future methods. These will still be, however, nothing more than pure nuisance.

As to the green highlighted, its not necessarily about what they may do now, but what they may try in the future

For someone who is as negative about corporations making money from war and weapons you sure do give them a free pass on other areas. As to the "pot", like I said, go ahead use it its legal where you are. THE ONE POINT I am making is that one should not feel completely safe in using until the entire nation is legal BY FEDERAL LAW. Things in DC can and often do change. IT is solely a "just saying" thing from my POV. Never said that someone IS going to come and get you.

We all have to use the banks with the required Direct deposit being so normal these days. But look back just a few years-the recent crisis of bank failures did place a huge strain on the FDIC. A more general type of failure might actually "kill" the fdic through exhaustion of funds.

 

[YJ02]

Yep. I only tune into those free to air stations when other people come over. If what they want is on there, they are in luck. I used a different VPN service, but the basic idea is the same...you can watch most of Canadian and British broadcasting easily using VPN services, despite geo-locking.

That sounds quite similar in principle to my grandmother and great aunts who would go "hop shopping" only buying what was on special--"whats for lunch grandma?" only what was on special (like whats on air for free at that time) whether you like it or not

You are sounding quite a lot like a social libertarian; "F everyone else-I got mine"

 

[Overmind One]

That sounds quite similar in principle to my grandmother and great aunts who would go "hop shopping" only buying what was on special--"whats for lunch grandma?" only what was on special (like whats on air for free at that time) whether you like it or not

You are sounding quite a lot like a social libertarian; "F everyone else-I got mine"

You might just be right about that. Im starting to think that perhaps if I had more access to the wide open freedom that you have, my worldview might be much different. Im now contemplating the possibilities of growing my own tomatoes and cilantro (I eat a lot of both). But I have always been a city boy and I never knew how rewarding it was to supply myself with my own goods. Cooking my own meals is one step, but still I have been going to the store to get ingredients. You get to use your own eggs! You know the chickens which lay them even. You can grow your own produce, etc. Im trying to get a bit of that at home. My place is done in a "nature" theme. Lots of seagrass stuff and muted earth colors. Big houseplants and ambient forest sounds played from Atmosphere Deluxe.

This is all part of "unplugging", and cutting the cord is just a technological equivalent of it.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Okay well that is different then. This still does not affect cord cutters because we are not seeing targeted ads...or any ads at all. At best, the cord cutter RFID data only creates anomalies in the datasets for them.

Sure

FDIC exists to prevent loss of my money if my bank crashes. Dude, are you reading this stuff you are writing? You are sounding like a VERY fearful person! I dont worry about my banks crashing, invasion by North Korea, pot raids or horse posses of the KKK.

Yes, I am reading what I am writing. Are you suggesting that the people who lost money from their pension plans and such in the US '08 will get their money back?
and really, which one of us owns a gun?

Red bolded: How so? Cord cutters ARE watching when they want, and they ARE getting things on demand. What is delusional about that? And about creating things, I create things all the time. This website is an example. The purpose of cutting the cord has nothing to do with creating things. It has to do with eliminating advertising and getting control of the outside entertainment conduit. Others do it for convenience. For instance, when a cord cutter watches the same show a TV watcher watches, it is when they want and how they want, with no commercials. It means they are not paying advertisers for commercials they dont want to see, or channels they are not watching.

What happens if everyone cuts the cord?
Who will pay for new content?
You guys like to bemoan the loss of "quality programming" but the truth of the matter is, the lower the pool of people actually PAYING for stuff, the less you get. You can argue "BS overcosts in actors and such cause of their "damn unions" all you want, but that is NOT the issue, the issue is, people want it now, and they want it free, and to hell with anyone else.

 

[Overmind One]

Sure


Yes, I am reading what I am writing. Are you suggesting that the people who lost money from their pension plans and such in the US '08 will get their money back?
and really, which one of us owns a gun?

Pension plans are not the same as a savings or checking account or even a CD or a bond. It is a market based product and part of it's disclosures is the possibility of a loss of principal. Owning a gun for me is partially fear based, and I admit it. But a single handgun hardly places me in the "hoarding" category.

What happens if everyone cuts the cord?
Who will pay for new content?

Advertisers! Consumers! (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, etc) But they will no longer only be paying the big studios who are connected to the cable/movie infrastructure exclusively. They will soon be able to pay a la carte to specific YouTube channels.

You guys like to bemoan the loss of "quality programming" but the truth of the matter is, the lower the pool of people actually PAYING for stuff, the less you get. You can argue "BS overcosts in actors and such cause of their "damn unions" all you want, but that is NOT the issue, the issue is, people want it now, and they want it free, and to hell with anyone else.

Half the stuff out there that costs a lot of money is pure shite. Perhaps a complete fail at producing shit will force studios to look more closely at what they are greenlighting for production.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Pension plans are not the same as a savings or checking account or even a CD or a bond. It is a market based product and part of it's disclosures is the possibility of a loss of principal.

What about people who have lost money in actual banks when they have collapsed?

Owning a gun for me is partially fear based, and I admit it. But a single handgun hardly places me in the "hoarding" category.

Dude, I am hardly suggesting you are a hoarder

Advertisers!

Word one, ADVERTISERS, the very people you are trying to avoid

Consumers! (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, etc) But they will no longer only be paying the big studios who are connected to the cable/movie infrastructure exclusively. They will soon be able to pay a la carte to specific YouTube channels.

And when they succeed?
All they will do is replace the existing infrastructure with their own.

Half the stuff out there that costs a lot of money is pure shite. Perhaps a complete fail at producing shit will force studios to look more closely at what they are greenlighting for production.

That is personal perception dude, and we cannot argue that as it is purely subjective.

And still, you have not answered the question, what will happen if no one is paying, even for the shit?

 

[Backstep]

You have a highdef little mermaid that sits on your satellite dish? I don't even want to know what her "booster" is-sounds kinky..what DO the neighbors think?

Oh, you read that wrong, it's a Bustiere.

 

[YJ02]

You might just be right about that. Im starting to think that perhaps if I had more access to the wide open freedom that you have, my worldview might be much different. Im now contemplating the possibilities of growing my own tomatoes and cilantro (I eat a lot of both). But I have always been a city boy and I never knew how rewarding it was to supply myself with my own goods. Cooking my own meals is one step, but still I have been going to the store to get ingredients. You get to use your own eggs! You know the chickens which lay them even. You can grow your own produce, etc. Im trying to get a bit of that at home. My place is done in a "nature" theme. Lots of seagrass stuff and muted earth colors. Big houseplants and ambient forest sounds played from Atmosphere Deluxe.

This is all part of "unplugging", and cutting the cord is just a technological equivalent of it.

I forgot, does your apt have a flat roof? If so, do you have access? Flat roofs make great growing areas for high sun needing plants like tomato.

That whole HAVING to be so focused on one's self and own (family) and be wary of or care little for neighbors is yet another reason I live where I do.

 

[shavedape]

What happens if everyone cuts the cord?
Who will pay for new content?
You guys like to bemoan the loss of "quality programming" but the truth of the matter is, the lower the pool of people actually PAYING for stuff, the less you get. You can argue "BS overcosts in actors and such cause of their "damn unions" all you want, but that is NOT the issue, the issue is, people want it now, and they want it free, and to hell with anyone else.

Not quite. If "cutting the cord" becomes so popular that the numbers start to move things then networks like SyFy will have to either improve or die off. This is a good thing for more reasons than I care to type out at 1:24 a.m.

And it's not a "union thing" per se. It's a quality issue. Quite simply the cost associated with viewing TV shows and movies right now doesn't match the return on investment. Paying $70 a month for cable TV is not worth it. It just isn't. The quality of programming is not there. This isn't my fault. It's not OM1's fault. So why should we be guilted into putting yet another mink on the backs of the cable TV execs? If they want our dollars then they can do the work of providing content worth paying for. Until that happens then I will feel zero sympathy for entities that serve up crap and call it entertainment worthy of my hard earned dollars.

Or in other words, I don't pay money to put shit food into my body so why should I pay money to put shit stories into my head?

 

[Gatefan1976]

Not quite. If "cutting the cord" becomes so popular that the numbers start to move things then networks like SyFy will have to either improve or die off. This is a good thing for more reasons than I care to type out at 1:24 a.m.

No, I'm all with you for improving quality dude, don't mistake me there. Question is, would you re-invest in cable if the content was there?
Honestly, I don't think anyone would.

And it's not a "union thing" per se. It's a quality issue. Quite simply the cost associated with viewing TV shows and movies right now doesn't match the return on investment. Paying $70 a month for cable TV is not worth it. It just isn't. The quality of programming is not there. This isn't my fault. It's not OM1's fault. So why should we be guilted into putting yet another mink on the backs of the cable TV execs? If they want our dollars then they can do the work of providing content worth paying for. Until that happens then I will feel zero sympathy for entities that serve up crap and call it entertainment worthy of my hard earned dollars.

Or in other words, I don't pay money to put shit food into my body so why should I pay money to put shit stories into my head?

Again, I agree with your sentiment, but their market share is dropping, so the are making less and are less inclined to pay for "quality shows". I'm not blaming any one person per se here dude, but as the market share shrinks, the money to produce good just isn't there.

 

[Overmind One]

What about people who have lost money in actual banks when they have collapsed?

Nobody who had a standard savings or checking account or CD accounts lost money. People who have money to invest in high risk financial vehicles lose money all the time. In the US, FDIC insured funds cannot be lost unless the Fed collapses.

Dude, I am hardly suggesting you are a hoarder


Word one, ADVERTISERS, the very people you are trying to avoid

And when they succeed?
All they will do is replace the existing infrastructure with their own.

The TV infrastructure IS "their own". Not the internet. They are powerless to take it over...they cannot even penetrate it effectively with advertising. TV = Advertising delivery vehicle. Internet = Information sharing network

That is personal perception dude, and we cannot argue that as it is purely subjective.

And still, you have not answered the question, what will happen if no one is paying, even for the shit?

Entertainment will move to a different medium. Entertainment and the art of playwrights and writers will continue on. None of them need the advertising industry. The only reason the advertising industry exists is because of capitalism.

 

[Overmind One]

We can not watch anything from Korean TV for free that is new. If it does exists (the ability to watch new/current) then it is a pay service to the Korea networks. There are sites like crunchyroll and drama fever (also on roku) that have recent shows but you must rely on other members recording a live/new airing then getting it uploaded to the sites. Crunchyroll and dramafever are pay as well, but it is not very much

This reminds me a little of some of those old threads at syfy forums, where people would complain about cutting out syfy or getting the stuff they did want to watch from the net. But if enough ppl cut the cord, dish and become a free rider, then doesn't it become self defeating? That is, a signif drop in subscribers will mean far less profit for providers and the networks which would eventually lead to them producing nothing new--then what do you watch for free?

It is not the current method of targeting ads that the rfid ppl are talking about, it is the future methods. These will still be, however, nothing more than pure nuisance.

As to the green highlighted, its not necessarily about what they may do now, but what they may try in the future

For someone who is as negative about corporations making money from war and weapons you sure do give them a free pass on other areas. As to the "pot", like I said, go ahead use it its legal where you are. THE ONE POINT I am making is that one should not feel completely safe in using until the entire nation is legal BY FEDERAL LAW. Things in DC can and often do change. IT is solely a "just saying" thing from my POV. Never said that someone IS going to come and get you.

We all have to use the banks with the required Direct deposit being so normal these days. But look back just a few years-the recent crisis of bank failures did place a huge strain on the FDIC. A more general type of failure might actually "kill" the fdic through exhaustion of funds.

The day the FDIC fails, the dollar will have collapsed or the government will have collapsed or something. Why would you or GateFan76 waste a single minute thinking about these doomsday scenarios? I am not going to prepare for the collapse of the FDIC, a pot bust, an asteroid impact, a revolution, a worldwide plague, an alien invasion, Nibiru or an ape uprising (no offense, Shavedape!). Fear is a tool of control. Get people afraid of things and you can sell them protection (usually in the form of "insurance"). I think it is sad for people that fear the future.

 

[Overmind One]

No, I'm all with you for improving quality dude, don't mistake me there. Question is, would you re-invest in cable if the content was there?
Honestly, I don't think anyone would.

Cable is a one way street. It is going to fail because of that, more than it being full of shit programming. It is failing because it costs too much and the return on the cost is just not there...as Ape pointed out. If the advertisers can produce these shows without the studio middlemen, there is a new model for them to use. Big soundstages and sprawling studio lots are so last century...they are what keep the costs so high in the movie/tv industry. That and the Screen Actors Guild union. The old infrastructure needs to collapse before a new one can rise. Media companies like Syfy appear to be responding to their decreased relevance by limiting their financial commitments to producers with shorter contracts and early cancellations AND increasing the advertising slots. Looking too much like greed...oh wait. It is greed. . Netflix is paying for original programming now...I will invest in that model gladly. I would pay twice what I am paying now for Netflix if they had a revived version of Firefly or a new Trek show (in the old universe) or a new Stargate series (not from BW). But as soon as commercials appear on Netflix, Im out.

Again, I agree with your sentiment, but their market share is dropping, so the are making less and are less inclined to pay for "quality shows". I'm not blaming any one person per se here dude, but as the market share shrinks, the money to produce good just isn't there.

"They" is the TV industry. Producers submit pilots all the time and are turned down by the TV industry. Many producers are going direct to DVD because of this, Netflix picks these up all the time. Many appear on the net as web series. I really dont care for the TV industry or cable companies at all. Let them fall. Let the little guys become bigger guys. The advertisers will have to come up with a new model other than interstitial advertising to get their ads across. Since cable has existed, we have seen advertisers inject commercials into a previously commercial-free service, then we saw them go through legal issues with the FCC regarding denying the ability for viewers to get tech which could skip the commercials, then more recently they were turning the volume up on the commercials which is now illegal too.

 

[Overmind One]

I forgot, does your apt have a flat roof? If so, do you have access? Flat roofs make great growing areas for high sun needing plants like tomato.

That whole HAVING to be so focused on one's self and own (family) and be wary of or care little for neighbors is yet another reason I live where I do.

The roof is flat, but I do not have access. I was more thinking about my grow pod for doing this. I can easily design a much larger one for vegetables. The CFL grow light solution works as well as the Sun. My plants are doing so well under those lights it is amazing. My neighbor who is growing his plants in the window is getting terrible results. Also, indoors I dont have to worry about pests infesting my plants. I am looking forward to eliminating the need to buy my MM from a dispensary. Why not extend this to tomatoes and perhaps lettuce?

 

[Gatefan1976]

The day the FDIC fails, the dollar will have collapsed or the government will have collapsed or something. Why would you or GateFan76 waste a single minute thinking about these doomsday scenarios? I am not going to prepare for the collapse of the FDIC, a pot bust, an asteroid impact, a revolution, a worldwide plague, an alien invasion, Nibiru or an ape uprising (no offense, Shavedape!). Fear is a tool of control. Get people afraid of things and you can sell them protection (usually in the form of "insurance"). I think it is sad for people that fear the future.

LOL!!!
I do not "fear the future"
You, my good sir live in more fear than I do.

The fact that I point out things that are true, and you feel the need to all but change the subject is very telling. I do not fear the future, I do not fear change, but I am not *not* going to recognise the cost of the change. Youtube, Netflix, Amazon, whatever, they ARE the future, no argument, but don't expect me to ignore the cost of that transition, or point it out it's current failings. Cable used to have 80-90% market penetration, they made good shows, now they have around 54%, so every company is dropping good shows for reality shows with lower budgets and higher return, that's business 101. I would call it short-sighted, but they are in the squeeze, and there is no real way out of it for them.
People are simply dodging the pay for content model all togeather, and there is a tipping point where these companies will simply not produce anything but cheap ass reality crap because they simply will not see a return at any viable level to stay in business. We do it to Cable, we WILL do it to "net channels" as well.

 

[Overmind One]

Not quite. If "cutting the cord" becomes so popular that the numbers start to move things then networks like SyFy will have to either improve or die off. This is a good thing for more reasons than I care to type out at 1:24 a.m.

And it's not a "union thing" per se. It's a quality issue. Quite simply the cost associated with viewing TV shows and movies right now doesn't match the return on investment. Paying $70 a month for cable TV is not worth it. It just isn't. The quality of programming is not there. This isn't my fault. It's not OM1's fault. So why should we be guilted into putting yet another mink on the backs of the cable TV execs? If they want our dollars then they can do the work of providing content worth paying for. Until that happens then I will feel zero sympathy for entities that serve up crap and call it entertainment worthy of my hard earned dollars.

Or in other words, I don't pay money to put shit food into my body so why should I pay money to put shit stories into my head?

BINGO. Quality is very very important. I would never buy a Mercedes made after 2000. You can get a Honda or Toyota or Nissan for half the price and similar (or better) manufacturing tolerances. Quality at Mercedes has given way to appealing to the masses with easier purchased (and more cheaply built) autos. Thanks a lot, Chrysler. . The cable companies are wanting to have their cake and eat it too. They want me to watch ridiculous shows like Defiance and SGU, sit through commercials AND pay for it too? I dont think so.

I think GateFan76 sees the cable companies as being the only source of quality production. I could be wrong, but Im thinking he believes that supporting studios is the answer to quality programming? The reality is that most of these shows we see are created and developed by production companies and then they are purchased by cable companies and given rights. This means producers can go elsewhere since they are the ones creating the shows, not the cable companies.

 

[Overmind One]

LOL!!!
I do not "fear the future"
You, my good sir live in more fear than I do.

I fear very very little, my friend. . And I do not entertain thoughts about the FDIC failing or my country "falling apart". So, why do these scenarios find their way into these threads?

The fact that I point out things that are true, and you feel the need to all but change the subject is very telling. I do not fear the future, I do not fear change, but I am not *not* going to recognise the cost of the change. Youtube, Netflix, Amazon, whatever, they ARE the future, no argument, but don't expect me to ignore the cost of that transition, or point it out it's current failings. Cable used to have 80-90% market penetration, they made good shows, now they have around 54%, so every company is dropping good shows for reality shows with lower budgets and higher return, that's business 101. I would call it short-sighted, but they are in the squeeze, and there is no real way out of it for them.
People are simply dodging the pay for content model all togeather, and there is a tipping point where these companies will simply not produce anything but cheap ass reality crap because they simply will not see a return at any viable level to stay in business. We do it to Cable, we WILL do it to "net channels" as well.

Let me ask you a question...who do you think is producing the content you see on TV? The cable companies? You think Syfy created Defiance and Helix? When Syfy or any other cable channel says they have "original programming", do you think they are the ones who produced the content? Sorry, but no! Syfy buys content and content rights based on their cost, deals with advertisers and "expected" performance in a given demographic. But the product itself is independent of the cable companies AND the advertisers. I will pay for content when it is worth paying for.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Cable is a one way street. It is going to fail because of that, more than it being full of shit programming. It is failing because it costs too much and the return on the cost is just not there...as Ape pointed out.

Then they need to look at COST, not the model itself. My total Telco bill for Landline, net, and cable is 134 bucks a month, and I get EVERY DAMN CHANNEL.
Now, you could say "GF ditch the landline" but I have no mobile phone, and I stay home, so I am someone who wants one, Ditch the cable? It's around 50 bucks for everything, so that's ok, and the net, well it's speed capped at 50 GB for 4G, but it is RARE for us to break that cap for another 50 bucks.
Quite frankly. you guys in the US should be paying about half that for your services, 80 bucks a month, for all your services, would you pay that?

If the advertisers can produce these shows without the studio middlemen, there is a new model for them to use. Big soundstages and sprawling studio lots are so last century...they are what keep the costs so high in the movie/tv industry. That and the Screen Actors Guild union. The old infrastructure needs to collapse before a new one can rise.

Fine, that's entirely fine, but you will loose stuff along the way, that's just obvious.

Media companies like Syfy appear to be responding to their decreased relevance by limiting their financial commitments to producers with shorter contracts and early cancellations AND increasing the advertising slots. Looking too much like greed...oh wait. It is greed. . Netflix is paying for original programming now...I will invest in that model gladly. I would pay twice what I am paying now for Netflix if they had a revived version of Firefly or a new Trek show (in the old universe) or a new Stargate series (not from BW). But as soon as commercials appear on Netflix, Im out.

Hang on, you want advertisers to pay for shit, but not see it??
ROTFLMFAO!!!!

"They" is the TV industry. Producers submit pilots all the time and are turned down by the TV industry. Many producers are going direct to DVD because of this, Netflix picks these up all the time.

NO-ONE goes "Direct to DVD" anymore, there is no value in it. Netflix picks up series that "just fall off the value wagon" and don't kid yourself otherwise.

Many appear on the net as web series. I really dont care for the TV industry or cable companies at all. Let them fall. Let the little guys become bigger guys. The advertisers will have to come up with a new model other than interstitial advertising to get their ads across.

But your beef is with advertisers, isn't it? If you spend your time avoiding ads, then WHY would they try to "enable" you?

Since cable has existed, we have seen advertisers inject commercials into a previously commercial-free service, then we saw them go through legal issues with the FCC regarding denying the ability for viewers to get tech which could skip the commercials, then more recently they were turning the volume up on the commercials which is now illegal too.

There is more money in ads, than anything else. you cut them out, you loose the revenue stream.
Don't get me wrong her OM, I am no fan of ads, I do not support their agenda, I would rather have no ads, but I cannot blind myself to what they bring to the table here.
It's not "cognative dissonance" it's "here things are, and there is a cost to cutting it out, and don't bitch when the shit goes downhill from your decision"
Ya get me dude??

 

[Gatefan1976]

I fear very very little, my friend. . And I do not entertain thoughts about the FDIC failing or my country "falling apart". So, why do these scenarios find their way into these threads?

cause YOU bring them up you dumbass

Let me ask you a question...who do you think is producing the content you see on TV? The cable companies? You think Syfy created Defiance and Helix? When Syfy or any other cable channel says they have "original programming", do you think they are the ones who produced the content? Sorry, but no! Syfy buys content and content rights based on their cost, deals with advertisers and "expected" performance in a given demographic. But the product itself is independent of the cable companies AND the advertisers. I will pay for content when it is worth paying for.

Do you think I am stupid??
Syfy creates nothing, it finances ALOT however. Do you think that SGA, or Defiance, or Helix, Or W13, or Eureka could be paid for just by their respective little studio's getting a dollar a hit for permanent access to a show?? Even at 2 million hits, they will be behind, let alone the loss of the entire DVD/B-R field (why by the dvd, I have it on my PC!!)