Comcast Rates going UP

[b4pjoe]

$treaming i$ going up in price too. Catching up, I daresay. Without providing as good of a DVR experience.

How are they going to catch up with sat/cable? It isn’t like sat/cable has put a price freeze on their services.

 

[Bruce]

$treaming i$ going up in price too. Catching up, I daresay.

It is not even close, when I get Paramount, Peacock, Hulu, Disney, Showtime, HBO(MAX) and Netflix, all in the no commercials/4K tier, pay about $80 a month, I basically get 20 times the content that is on Traditional Paid Live TV.

Without providing as good of a DVR experience.

With the on demand streaming services, I have no need of a DVR, plus the fact I do not have commercials, no need to REW/FF, I can, just no need.

I have also never understood having 100’s of hours stored in a format that is so prone to failure, plus the fact that same content never seems to get viewed, you are paying $150 a month for a digital locker you never open.

 

[harshness]

It is not even close...

Your assertion/assumption that the prices for streaming won't make a similar jump in the future is questionable.

Consider how quickly Max got to $21.

 

[harshness]

I just checked my new Xfinity rate card and it shows that the Broadcast Channel fee will rise to a mind-blowing $37.75 on January 5th.

This is in addition to a $1.90 fee for Root Sports NW and an undisclosed franchise fee.

Their idea of lifeline service is $55/month.

 

[Bruce]

Your assertion/assumption that the prices for streaming won't make a similar jump in the future is questionable.

And Paid Live TV will do the same.

I never wrote streaming will not go up, but at the rate Cable/Satellite is, the difference will remain the same between streaming and Cable/Satellite.

Look at Comcast, announced a price increase for January about two months ago, now announced another increase just yesterday for the RSNs.

Consider how quickly Max got to $21.

That is only for the upgrade to 4K, plus, I believe , the sports content, not sure on that part.

Regular MAX is the same price, $16, as what Paid Live TV charges.

And again, all the streaming services added together, that have the majority of content from Paid Live TV, plus tons more content in streaming shows and movies, 4K/no commercials tier, is still a less then Cable/Satellite services.

 

[b4pjoe]

Your assertion/assumption that the prices for streaming won't make a similar jump in the future is questionable.

While your assertion/assumption that the prices for cable/satellite won't make a similar jump in the future is questionable.

 

[harshness]

I never wrote...

You seem to feel compelled to say this a lot.

That is only for the upgrade to 4K, plus, I believe , the sports content, not sure on that part.

The original Max included 4K content.

The sports content was noted up front as a come-on and won't be without additional cost for long.

 

[harshness]

While your assertion/assumption that the prices for cable/satellite won't make a similar jump in the future is questionable.

My assertion is based on a long-established history. Streaming price increases have been mostly unpredictable but when they do happen, they tend to be more than 10%.

 

[b4pjoe]

My assertion is based on a long-established history. Streaming price increases have been mostly unpredictable but when they do happen, they tend to be more than 10%.

There you go again using useless percentages that mean nothing. Talk dollars and cents for the cost of satellite/cable vs streaming.

 

[Bruce]

You seem to feel compelled to say this a lot.

The original Max included 4K content.

Why are you focused on MAX’s pricing, it is the total that counts, add them all together, still extremely less expensive then Cable/Satellite TV.

The average monthly costs of Cable/Satellite TV, with all the fees, is roughly $140 a month, streaming does not even come close, as I have proven so many times already.

 

[Bruce]

I just checked my new Xfinity rate card and it shows that the Broadcast Channel fee will rise to a mind-blowing $37.75 on January 5th. Their idea of lifeline service is $55/month.

Then you have to add a Box/DVR to view those.

That means Paramount+ (CBS)with Showtime, Peacock(NBC), Hulu(ABC, FOX) with Disney, all no commercials tier, 4K, a lot more content, is $45 a month.

And you actually tried to argue streaming prices are getting close to Cable/Satellite TV……ha.

 

[harshness]

Talk dollars and cents for the cost of satellite/cable vs streaming.

The bottom line is not a particularly good metric as it is composed of multiple component costs that change more or less at random.

Also, the subscriptions come and go as well based on running out of desirable content or the expiration of promotions so it is necessary to conjure up some form of multiplier (a percentage) that describes what to expect overall. This is where the time spent maintaining the overall TV toolbox enters into play.

On the other hand, if cost isn't the primary concern, it is rather academic to discuss how it changes,

 

[harshness]

And you actually tried to argue streaming prices are getting close to Cable/Satellite TV……ha.

I've never held Comcast up as a pillar of reasonable pricing. On the contrary, they are perhaps one of the best examples of how bad iit can get.

Even at that, they may be the only option available to some to get the content that they desire on the timeline that they need it.

 

[b4pjoe]

The bottom line is not a particularly good metric as it is composed of multiple component costs that change more or less at random.

Also, the subscriptions come and go as well based on running out of desirable content or the expiration of promotions so it is necessary to conjure up some form of multiplier (a percentage) that describes what to expect overall. This is where the time spent maintaining the overall TV toolbox enters into play.

On the other hand, if cost isn't the primary concern, it is rather academic to discuss how it changes,

The bottom line is the only metric to use.

 

[harshness]

The bottom line is the only metric to use.

How do we compare and contrast our bottom lines?

 

[John2021]

$treaming i$ going up in price too. Catching up, I daresay. Without providing as good of a DVR experience.

Although I must admit, most of my DVR’d Dish stuff is gone, due to unexplained Dish actions. I -MIGHT- recover some of if I get off my butt and find those Linux directions to try and copy to a larger HDD.


Side note: ATSC3 just might put paid to OTA, at least in any recognizable semblance to what we have today. And no doubt, that will please some.

I wonder if NPT and NPR will be around in the next couple of years, as we now know them. I expect a loss of funding, but I recall an analysis from many years ago that showed due to such a self selected, well off, audience, they could make it with REAL commercials. They skirt that edge pretty close today. {MODS: If you deem this “political” please just delete this last paragraph.}

i say be careful with what people wish for with atsc 3.0 because more than likely it will be the end of free t.v.

 

[navychop]

Agreed. That is a real possibility.

 

[harshness]

i say be careful with what people wish for with atsc 3.0 because more than likely it will be the end of free t.v.

The way things are going, I don't think we have much to be afraid of in the foreseeable future given the fumbling by the proponents of the standard and their inability to provide content that is more compelling to drive its adoption.

The big station groups tried to back into making NextGen TV a standard by getting the public on board but that's getting worse with every announcement. DTV had a huge battle with adoption when there was a legislative mandate. I don't believe anything less will suffice.

Maybe it is time for DVB-T to be given some consideration.