The High Cost of Cable TV (rant)

[mish]

I can't get any channel to come in without subscribing to cable. In my area there's only one cable co, and the bill is $40 + a month - and that's just basic and (what they call) extended (no pay per view, no rental equipment, no high speed internet). Every few months (it seems) the price keeps on jumping higher. It's been that way (one cable co) in my area for years.

So today, I expressed my displeasure & told them they're a monopoly, blah, blah, blah. Also mentioned I saw an ad on TV (toll free #), where a bill will be proposed to bring in another co,? since they have made billions over the years from a majority of the population here. I can't wait & really hope they will fold. GRRRRR!!!

What's the cable price/situation in your neck of the woods?

P.S. And, you hold a year-and-a-day to get someone on the phone. Press 1 for Spanish, press 2 for English. Gave them a piece of my mind about that as well. Next, they want my drivers license # and address. At the end of the conversation, there's "Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

P.P.S. And with all their stations, there's nothing on. (Several news cable stations, spanish, and several shopping channels.)

This was prompted by a message left telling me what time they'd be out for my appointment. I didn't have an appointment. DUH.

It's a conspiracy, , among the phone co., cellular phones, high speed internet, and cable tv cos to hand 'em over all our money. My VCR still flashes 12:00, 12;00, 12:00

 

[texasgirl]

We have Directv. It's extended with Starz and HBO. We pay $81 a month.
My niece has Comcast, which is digital cable, with the same set up, but, different movie channels and pays about the same, I think she had said $85.

 

[pdswife]

We have comcast too... just basic cable as we are not big tv watchers. I think it's around 40 a month. What gets me is with all channels there's still NOTHING good to watch. 3 or 4 sports channels?? Isn't that a little tooooo much?

 

[Trip]

We just switched to Bell Expressview from digital cable, we're saving about 15$ a month because we're getting bundle with internet and phone... it'll do for now. Used to use Star Choice, almost had to start shooting, waited 45 min on phone to talk to someone and ask why they didn't stop billing when we cancelled service, finally got fed up and hung up and sent them a rather scathing email, they finally got back to me with an apology saying they were going to send me my corrected final bill, and what we recieved was a over due going to collections notification... and all of them were being sent to an old address that I had corrected with them when I moved lol. Sometimes I think its worth paying more for good cust serv, digital cable was actually really good but was 150 a month for cable and internet... way tooooo much, now pay less for satellite, internet and phone.

 

[texasgirl]

What gets me is with all channels there's still NOTHING good to watch.

Right, even with movie channels, there is never anything to watch except on the weekend.

3 or 4 sports channels?? Isn't that a little tooooo much?

NOOOOOOOOOO!! You don't watch sports much, do you?

 

[Andy M.]

I have Comcast for basic and extended basic TV and for High speed internet. The combined total is about $98. The split is almost 50/50.

 

[pdswife]

Right, even with movie channels, there is never anything to watch except on the weekend.



NOOOOOOOOOO!! You don't watch sports much, do you?

NO! LOL! I watched the superbowl this year but just because the Seahawks played. Sometimes I'll watch a good looking cowboy try to ride a bucking bronco but that's about it.

 

[mish]

We have Directv. It's extended with Starz and HBO. We pay $81 a month.
My niece has Comcast, which is digital cable, with the same set up, but, different movie channels and pays about the same, I think she had said $85.

Yikes.

We only have one choice and it's Adelphia. Told them I'll be happy to pull their plug when the competition gets here.

 

[mish]

What gets me is with all channels there's still NOTHING good to watch. 3 or 4 sports channels?? Isn't that a little tooooo much?

YES!!! Same here, pds. Cable and nothing on. Sports all weekend long. They even took the weather channel off CSPAN? Who cares. What the heck is that.

 

[mish]

Sometimes I think its worth paying more for good cust serv, digital cable was actually really good but was 150 a month for cable and internet... way tooooo much, now pay less for satellite, internet and phone.

You would think with all that money, they could hire a competent staff & pick up the phone - rather than hold & listen to the other junk they want to sell us.

 

[mish]

I have Comcast for basic and extended basic TV and for High speed internet. The combined total is about $98. The split is almost 50/50.

You're what Seinfeld called the break even guy. No matter he does, he breaks even.

 

[kimbaby]

I have dish network, I pay about 109.00 a month plus pay per view, and I have all the channels they offer...
I use to have cable, they offered 21 channels, for 50.00.(i live in a small town)

 

[kleenex]

The Time Warner Bill that comes in the mail is almost 100 bucks just for basic cable and the cable modem. I used to get 5 bucks off for owning both, but then they stopped doing it a few years ago.

We really do not have enough sports channels though. I would not mind seeing an all womens sports channel and one non division 1A college sports network.

What I hate is the increase in price we have to go through each year for the Cable bill. I also hate the high cost the networks have to dish out so they can get the rights to air something like the NFL or NASCAR.

I think buying only the channels you want will work in the short run to lower the price, but in the end a few important smaller networks will 100% go under. Not a good idea.

 

[mugsy27]

you should look into FTA (free to air) sattelites.

http://www.gosatellite.net/

 

[mugsy27]

btw..i have every channel you can get from both DTV and Dishnetwork...prolly over 1000 channels...and their STILL isnt anything good to watch!