" the wheels are falling off of satellite TV"

[JSheridan]

Don't have a data cap(part of my contract) and everyone will have rising costs if you have broadband and have cable/sat/streaming service.

You'll have a cap soon, everybody will. And it's a simple fact the internet access is not free and must be factored into your pie in the sky streaming analysis.

Don't forget about the millions and millions of people who can't even get hi speed internet, like most of the people around here.

Personally I enjoy watching recordings and live TV on my Hopper complete with 4 different channels at the same time with MultiView, pause, skip back, fast forward and no commercials. It's going to be a long time if ever until that changes.

 

[navychop]

Most streaming/on demand I've seen included commercials. I'll stick with my Dish DVR and skip the commercials

Provider rates are generally per subscriber or similar. As subs drop, their take will drop. They'll try to increase that rate and hit diminishing returns.

 

[Blackloz]

I’m definitely not a fan of streaming, but I do stream live tv or on demand from my office at work all day and I do have Amazon since it’s free with my prime account which is ok and I will purchase a gen 5 Apple TV so I can purchase seasons of shows not out on Blu-Ray IE: Last Man Standing, Halt & Catch Fire ect,ect but in the end I’ll always stick to physical media(minus DVD) and my satellite service.

 

[Radioguy41]

Sat TV isn't going away, it's evolving. Dish's Flex Pack is just the beginning. Actually, let me rephrase that, Dish isn't going away, DirecTV just might. Observing the direction AT&T is taking with DirecTV makes me wonder if they have a clue about the business they bought, but that's a discussion for another day. In the coming months and years you're going to see sat TV subscription options getting closer and closer to ala-carte. You are also going to see bundles (like Disney) disintegrate as they become less and less sustainable. Dozens, yes dozens, of those channels we all complain about because we never watch them but we pay for them will disappear. I found it hilarious that the industry actually complained to the FCC in ala-carte hearings a few years ago that implementing ala-carte would kill off finacially unviable channels as if that were a bad thing. It's coming and it's going to be messy for a while but in the end it will be better.

 

[dare2be]

They'll try to increase that rate and hit diminishing returns.

Sat TV isn't going away, it's evolving. Dish's Flex Pack is just the beginning. Actually, let me rephrase that, Dish isn't going away, DirecTV just might. Observing the direction AT&T is taking with DirecTV makes me wonder if they have a clue about the business they bought, but that's a discussion for another day. In the coming months and years you're going to see sat TV subscription options getting closer and closer to ala-carte. You are also going to see bundles (like Disney) disintegrate as they become less and less sustainable. Dozens, yes dozens, of those channels we all complain about because we never watch them but we pay for them will disappear. I found it hilarious that the industry actually complained to the FCC in ala-carte hearings a few years ago that implementing ala-carte would kill off finacially unviable channels as if that were a bad thing. It's coming and it's going to be messy for a while but in the end it will be better.

As long as the conglomerates don't kill off things like the Flex Pack, I agree. But I don't hold much hope for that in the short term. Yes, it will get very ugly.

 

[gpflepsen]

I think you will see DISH and DIRECTV move to offer a higher quality service, offering things that will be hard to get online, such as 4K and higher quality HD.

I hope this is what pans out. When HD first hit we were getting some HD that could rival the 4k that DISH is offering on ch 540 now. Most of the HD delivered now looks like DVD quality. My lack of streaming bandwidth and Verizon's ever slowing service are putting a real challenge on my getting 4k programming. DISH could fill that gap and maybe bring in those yearning for a high quality picture.

 

[mwdxer1]

Depending what you want, Netflix streaming did little for me as they do not offer many of the older shows. So I still get them via discs.

 

[Bruce]

I hope this is what pans out. When HD first hit we were getting some HD that could rival the 4k that DISH is offering on ch 540 now. Most of the HD delivered now looks like DVD quality. My lack of streaming bandwidth and Verizon's ever slowing service are putting a real challenge on my getting 4k programming. DISH could fill that gap and maybe bring in those yearning for a high quality picture.

The problem with 4K is the Broadcasters, there is not one that is providing a 4K version of their channels and not one rumor of one coming soon, providers like Dish cannot put something on that does not exist.

 

[Bruce]

Depending what you want, Netflix streaming did little for me as they do not offer many of the older shows. So I still get them via discs.

Hulu is the best one for classic shows but their new app sucks as far as searching for them, it is easier on their website to search and add them to your watchlist and then use your app to watch on the TV.

 

[gpflepsen]

The problem with 4K is the Broadcasters, there is not one that is providing a 4K version of their channels and not one rumor of one coming soon, providers like Dish cannot put something on that does not exist.

AMC and HBO offer 4k content. That's just 's start. It's just not available outside streaming.

If the providers just transitioned the compression efficiency that is afforded their 4k content to the HD spectrum, the viewing experience would be greatly enhanced. It's not about delivering 4k content, it's about delivering image quality that the resolution is capable of. Real HD would go a long way.

 

[Bruce]

AMC and HBO offer 4k content. That's just 's start. It's just not available outside streaming.

The only thing AMC has is Better Call Saul that that is only because of a deal with Netflix, HBO only thing is Westworld on 4K Disc coming soon, do not know if that will be available for streaming.

Does not change the fact that Broadcasters are dragging their feet as far as offering their channels in 4K.

 

[Bobby]

The only thing AMC has is Better Call Saul that that is only because of a deal with Netflix, HBO only thing is Westworld on 4K Disc coming soon, do not know if that will be available for streaming.

Does not change the fact that Broadcasters are dragging their feet as far as offering their channels in 4K.

4K for over the air broadcasting is going to take ATSC 3.0 to work. There is only one transmitter in the USA, today, that is capable of that and there are no tuners for the general public to receive that transmission. Everyone, broadcasters and the public, will need to invest in new equipment to make it work. Your 4K TV is not capable of receiving an ATSC 3.0 signal today and there is no firmware fix to make that happen. You will need, when it may become available, an external receiver to be able to see OTA 4K. Or, a new TV when they may become available. It is not as simple as you seem to think it is.

ATSC 3.0 - Wikipedia

 

[KAB]

And if and when broadcasters do 4K, people will say, " where's the WOW? I don't see any WOW!

 

[navychop]

Just WCG and HDR will wow. IF done correctly and on a TV that can make the most of it. And these can be done in HD.

 

[Jhon69]

You'll have a cap soon, everybody will. And it's a simple fact the internet access is not free and must be factored into your pie in the sky streaming analysis.

Don't forget about the millions and millions of people who can't even get hi speed internet, like most of the people around here.

Personally I enjoy watching recordings and live TV on my Hopper complete with 4 different channels at the same time with MultiView, pause, skip back, fast forward and no commercials. It's going to be a long time if ever until that changes.

Those with Charter Spectrum cable internet should not see a cap in 6 more years(As they promised the F.C.C. if they let them merge,no caps for 7 years).

 

[JSheridan]

Those with Charter Spectrum cable internet should not see a cap in 6 more years(As they promised the F.C.C. if they let them merge,no caps for 7 years).

They have caps right now. This is from Charter/Spectrum's AUP page:

14. NO EXCESSIVE USE OF BANDWIDTH
The Service is for residential use and only within limits that Charter considers reasonable for the service level to which Customer subscribes. Residential service usage for Customers subscribing to the Lite or Express packages should not exceed 100 Gigabytes ("GB") of data per month. Usage for Customers subscribing to the Plus or Max packages should not exceed 250 GB of data per month and usage for Customers subscribing to the Ultra100 package should not exceed 500 GB of data per month. Charter reserves the right to revise or implement additional usage limits at any time.

Charter Spectrum Residential - Acceptable Use Policy

 

[charlesrshell]

Either you're wrong or Spectrum is. This is from Charter/Spectrum's AUP page:

14. NO EXCESSIVE USE OF BANDWIDTH
The Service is for residential use and only within limits that Charter considers reasonable for the service level to which Customer subscribes. Residential service usage for Customers subscribing to the Lite or Express packages should not exceed 100 Gigabytes ("GB") of data per month. Usage for Customers subscribing to the Plus or Max packages should not exceed 250 GB of data per month and usage for Customers subscribing to the Ultra100 package should not exceed 500 GB of data per month. Charter reserves the right to revise or implement additional usage limits at any time.

Charter Spectrum Residential - Acceptable Use Policy

Yep, I have seen that before. I have Charter Internet Ultra plan only (no TV) in the St Louis area. I asked Charter about this limit policy about a year ago or so. They said if customers got close or go over the limit they would contact them and give like a warning or maybe upgrade their service. I don't know if things have changed since they have the new Spectrum name.

 

[Bruce]

New rules from the Federal Communication Commission mean that Charter “will not be permitted to charge usage-based prices or impose data caps” for at least seven years after the merger.

The FCC won’t let Charter/Time Warner put data caps on internet plans

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0425/DOC-339028A1.pdf

 

[JSheridan]

If that's anything like the promises they made to New York State at the time of the merger then it's pretty worthless. NY is currently suing them. By the time the suits are over the 7 years will be long gone.

 

[dolfan3033]

I have Spectrum for Internet only in a legacy Time Warner Cable area. I use about a TB a month give or take and never received a notice. They even advertise no data caps on tv commercials. I know every ISP have fair usage provisions in their terms for residential users but I always assumed that was so you can’t run a web server out of your closet without paying appropriately. Regardless, not sure why they put those caps on their site, but it’s obviously not being enforced in my area. They are advertising as such.