[dtarr]

As much as I dislike paying for a bunch of channels I don't want, there are certain ones that my wife and I enjoy enough that we keep our satellite service. If I had to watch only what I could get OTA I'd just sell my TVs.

[igamogam]

In response to mslavick...
True, however, this evening I've also: cooked a healthy meal, talked to my brother and grandmother, emailed some friends, helped my wife study, re-installed Adobe CS suite, booked a trip to the UK, created 2 panoramic images, checked out what's been happening at the world track championships in Poland, made contact with a potential new client and soon I'm going to sit down and continue reading a really good book.
When I used to watch TV my evenings were wasted err, well, watching TV...
;-)

[hillstones]

Such an odd headline. Shouldn't it be "Unplugging the Cable/Satellite?" If you unplug the TV, you have nothing to watch, even with your internet-based alternative programming. I clicked on the link wondering if it was going to be an article advising people to get off the couch and go outside instead.

Not every show is offered on the internet/iTunes, and I would rather watch them in HD. HD content is growing on iTunes, but still extremely limited both in content and quality (720p). I have no interest in watching streaming TV on my Mac.

[hillstones]

If you ditch your cable service, are you also going back to a dial-up modem for internet access? That should work well with your internet streaming and downloading. DSL will never reach the speed of my cable modem. Yes, you can keep the cable modem service, but they typically surcharge you if that is the only product purchased.

I do remember the old days with the original cable box that was 2-13 and "Premium" and that premium channel was called "The Z Channel" and it only showed movies in the evening. Then there was ONTv.

[ChrisLJ]

"Yes, you can keep the cable modem service, but they typically surcharge you if that is the only product purchased."

That's how they screw us over with all of their bundling scams. I'd still rather pay more for the broadband. Maybe when Verizon gets more FIOS in place the cable companies will be a little more competitive, but I doubt it.

I remember when our town first installed their own cable system it cost less than $6 per month. Then Time Warner came through and bought them and everyone else out. Now we pay out the wazoo for a zillion channels of junk.
So much for progress.

[johndrake]

jarek91 said:

. Cable companies need to step up to the plate with a-la-carte programming or they could end up in worse shape publicly than the RIAA/MPAA.

Actually most cable (and probably satellite) operators would be willing to go ala carte, even though it would be a billing/tracking nightmare,
The biggest stumbling block is the programers, especially the big guys, Disney and Viacom are the worst of the bunch since they each control so many programs they have been getting their way by forcing operators into "all or nothing" agreements.
You don't take this you don't get that. And unless congress steps on the networks, it'll never happen "'cause they makes their money from the adverts" and the amount they get to charge is based on, you guessed it the number of eyeballs they can deliver, and it really doesn't matter if those eyeballs are looking in the 'fridge and not at the ads. If the polls say 50,000,000 americans watched the latest episode of Desperate & Hungry Housewives then that's what they go by.
At the end of June my year of free full boat service from Comcast will end, and while we will definitely keep the HSD connection we're not sure what else we will keep. Everything I watch is available from iTunes in HD, and or Netfilx so it's going to be interesting since even though my wife enjoys the Food Ch and H>V she is not hung up on it like I was on BGS, and now to a lesser extent Heroes and T:TSCC.

[HalanR]

Interesting comments from all...

I know everyone is different... but to me TV is junk. I briefly had cable for a few years in the mid-1980's (while in college, I wanted my MTV!), but quickly realized that there are so many other worthwhile things I could be doing instead of sitting in front of a big advertisement machine. These days, I watch a few PBS shows (OTA), and that's about it. My music, the web, podcasts, books, NPR, the occasional Hulu (Daily Show) and a few DVDs I rent or buy, satisfy all my entertainment needs, and I have a lot more time for other things I enjoy.

I freak out when I hear people talk about the backlog of TIVO shows they "have" to watch. I just feel that there is more to life than TV. And I save a lot of money by not feeding a TV habit. Although I do give yearly donations to both PBS and NPR, but that's a bargain considering what I would pay for cable or satellite.

I'm lucky in that my wife is very like-minded and watches very little TV also. I have no kids, so thankfully I don't have to worry about what the TV machine is doing to their impressionable little minds. I do sympathize with sports fans, as they probably have few alternatives, but I am not one.

Of course, we all have our addictions... as someone that not only makes their living in the computer field, but is admittedly a bona-fide geek, if you turned off my internet connection, I'd probably have to check into a 12-step program.

"I came home and I pointed it out into the stars
A message came back from the great beyond
There's fifty-seven channels and nothin' on"
... Bruce Springsteen

[thebiggfrogg]

Thinkable. Most of the reality TV, infotainment news stuff they put out on TV is crap. I try to limit myself to a few TV shows and for me the new system works perfectly. As a big Battlestar Galactica fan I used iTunes and, reluctantly, Hulu (despite being in China Hotspot Shield worked wonders for this "not in the country stuff"). When I was desperate or broke I try Limewire too (and use it for an occasional "Meet the Conchords" fix, also use Youtube to check out their music video bits).
I also use iTunes for free NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press video podcasts (and a zillion other mainstream and alt news podcasts on the audio side).
I check out the BBC News using TVants app on the Win-dohs side using VMWare.
I really like the current arrangement as it prevents channel surfing and a huge waste of time. Plus I avoid annoying advertisements. I'd gladly pay $1.99 for Battlestar Galactica to keep a copy on my own and avoid watching crap ads.
Fortunately, I also have a complete and total disinterest in sports, so for me this hodgepodge of online options works wonderfully.

[thebiggfrogg]

SyFy, ugh is right. 99% of the programming there is crap, but they do some good stuff every now and again. When I was in the States I only had cable for one or two shows. I enjoyed Farscape and the Dune mini-series on SciFi in the day and always liked to watch C-SPAN and the occasional Frontline or McLaughlin Group on PBS. Later I kept cable and TV around for BSG and The West Wing (which I had a love/hate, mostly hate relationship with), but nowadays with digital downloads there seems to be little point in having cable when you only follow a show or two.

[Kees]

Holy cow, that's a total rip of.


I get (digital) cable tv, 25 mbit internet connection + free nationwide calling for €55,50 a month from my cable company over here in Holland. (http://www.upc.nl/totaalpakketten/internetdigitaletv)



You shouldn't just cancel, you should organise some sort of protest!


man, $80,- a month for cable <confused>

[shadedream]

I've been trying to convince my wife of this for months. Though the I was also hoping the cost of the mini would come down a bit with a base model in the $300-400 range. Boxee (with the exception of the hulu drama) would have made this a pretty easy transition.
Ahh well the wife isnt going for it anyway.

[johndrake]

Kees said:

Holy cow, that's a total rip of.




I get (digital) cable tv, 25 mbit internet connection + free nationwide calling for €55,50 a month from my cable company over here in Holland. (http://www.upc.nl/totaalpakketten/internetdigitaletv)





You shouldn't just cancel, you should organise some sort of protest!




man, $80,- a month for cable <confused>

Don't get too full of yourself, your €55.50 equates to $73.87 USD (as of today) which might get you a free 13th month.
Besides, it's almost impossible to compare since even here in the US of A two families with the same cable company in different states will most likely not have the same options for pricing/channels/packages/internet speeds etc, much less comparing the Colonies to Europe, it is definitely an example of comparing apples to oranges or tulips to roses ;-)

[simdude]

I remember many years ago watching a Star Trek Next Gen episode when they revived some people in suspended animation from our time. When one mentioned TV, Data looked it up and said something like "TV: A form of entertainment popular until the mid-21st century" or something like that. I thought it was funny TV would be gone by 2050 or so. Doesn't look so unrealistic now.
As for sports, I guess it depends what you like. I actually love listening to baseball games. I can't listen to basketball or hockey though.
I've been thinking about ditching the cable too. You just have to check your bundle prices though. Sometimes, the difference isn't that much if you don't have movie channels etc.

[huzzam]

Christopher Breen wrote:
>My nearly total disinterest in sports...
[begin grammar nazi]
Please look up the word "disinterested." It means "unbiased," not "uninterested." A judge should be disinterested in a case, but certainly shouldn't be uninterested.
[end grammar nazi]