Competition. The future is looking good!

[markd]

Hey guys and gals. I know most of us are frustrated with our providers. Be it, cable, D* or E*. It seems none of them are offering the service we would like to have. Be it bad PQ, bad STB, bad customer service, not enough HD channels, etc. And needless to say, we love to complain about it. BOY, do we love to complain. I would like to give us some hope for the future.

Back in 2002 I subscribed to D* and got into HD. Since then I was giving the feeling that next year will be the year we get quality and quantity HD programing. Well, here it is 2006 and I still hear next year will be the year of HD. Hopefully it will come true this time.

I think within the next couple of years our appetites will finally be filled. With all the competition coming along someone has to get it right. And the others will have to follow to keep up.

Right now it looks like Verizon FIOS is setting the standard. They have open the door for the other bells to get into the game. Once they all get up and running cable and the sats providers will have to get with the game and quit trying to gouge it's HD customers.

Here locally, I see quite a few options coming our way. AT&T is buying BellSouth. With that, maybe our telco will add video service. Comcast will be taking over TWC in a few months. Maybe Comcast will improve the PQ of the SD channels and get a decent HD-DVR. D* will be, hopefully, adding more HD with better PQ(again hopefully) next year. E* is starting to provide more HD.

As you can see the future is not as gloomy as it once was.

Personally, I'm hoping that AT&T offers a killer service. I would love to have all my services (phone, internet, video) with one provided instead of three that I have now (phone=BS, internet=TWC, video=D*). But I'll take whoever offers the best PQ and the most HD. And in that order. PQ will always be the most important to me.

 

[Jimbo]

Hey guys and gals. I know most of us are frustrated with our providers. Be it, cable, D* or E*. It seems none of them are offering the service we would like to have. Be it bad PQ, bad STB, bad customer service, not enough HD channels, etc. And needless to say, we love to complain about it. BOY, do we love to complain. I would like to give us some hope for the future.

Back in 2002 I subscribed to D* and got into HD. Since then I was giving the feeling that next year will be the year we get quality and quantity HD programing. Well, here it is 2006 and I still hear next year will be the year of HD. Hopefully it will come true this time.

I think within the next couple of years our appetites will finally be filled. With all the competition coming along someone has to get it right. And the others will have to follow to keep up.

Right now it looks like Verizon FIOS is setting the standard. They have open the door for the other bells to get into the game. Once they all get up and running cable and the sats providers will have to get with the game and quit trying to gouge it's HD customers.

Here locally, I see quite a few options coming our way. AT&T is buying BellSouth. With that, maybe our telco will add video service. Comcast will be taking over TWC in a few months. Maybe Comcast will improve the PQ of the SD channels and get a decent HD-DVR. D* will be, hopefully, adding more HD with better PQ(again hopefully) next year. E* is starting to provide more HD.

As you can see the future is not as gloomy as it once was.

Personally, I'm hoping that AT&T offers a killer service. I would love to have all my services (phone, internet, video) with one provided instead of three that I have now (phone=BS, internet=TWC, video=D*). But I'll take whoever offers the best PQ and the most HD. And in that order. PQ will always be the most important to me.

As for your billing situation, you will probably be in luck.
AT&T (SBC) will be able to handle your Phone needs local and LD, as well as your High Speed internet, if you choose to go that route, and eventually Video.

Currently they partner with DISH or D* depending on your location., that brings us to another situation.

Jimbo

 

[Stargazer]

IPTV looks VERY promising. I believe that is the wave of the future.

 

[markd]

IPTV looks VERY promising. I believe that is the wave of the future.

Yeah, I forgot about IPTV. I think/hope you are right about it. I would love to see it happen.

 

[Stargazer]

It will, just give it a little time. High speed internet needs to be available almost everywhere (wirelessly would greatly help) including the country in order for it to be even more successful. Once that happens they can combine the television/IPTV/internet/phone access all in one with getting Wi-Fi/Wi-Max to the customers. There would be more to gain for the company that gets the service to them.