A Milder Cable Rate Hike Season Is Coming - The usual price hikes should be 50% lower, says economist
Links: home · search · speed test · login · more ·
Links: New Topic
Forums »
Mactron @ 21st Aug 08:45AM:
Ya Right
"Of course cable customers who've been hearing this for a decade will wisely want to see it to believe it."
That just about sums it up. :uhh:
--
If only the Verizon CSRs worked this well. ;)
reply
Bobcat @ 21st Aug 09:10AM:
100% rate decrease
My cable rate is going down 100% in a couple weeks. That's because I'll be canceling Cablevision's overpriced cable service.
reply
JSRoman @ 21st Aug 09:13AM:
Couple of points
1-Executive pay has very little to do with rate hikes going up or down
2- Check arround, some cable rates just went up in last couple of months.
3- If rates haven't gone up, you are seeing enforcement of fees associated with billing, ie..nsf fees,paying via a live person fees,upgrade/downgrade fees and truckroll fees. All are becoming harder to get out of paying those.
Just like local governments that don't like raising taxes and instead raise fees on all types of services , companies are doing pretty much the same thing.
--
»www.seabee.navy.mil
reply
baineschile @ 21st Aug 09:31AM:
Re: Ya Right
Rates go up for all TV providers, because the network content providers rates go up. Its not as complicated as most people think.
reply
jchambers28 @ 21st Aug 09:38AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
i agree with you there I got rid of cox and went to dish for about 40 a month the best move i have made.
reply
N3OGH @ 21st Aug 09:42AM:
Re: Ya Right
Competition DOES keep your bill down, if you play one against the other.
Both operators in my area offer competing deals. Comcast offers a triple play package for $99, with no price hike the first year. Second year regular pricing kicks in. Problem is, you have to sign a 2 year commitment.
Verizon offers a triple play package with no price increases for 2 years, with a 1 year commitment.
I took Verizon's package. Two years from now, you bet your aers I'll be telling them I leaving for Comcast's deal, and you know they'll be giving me a discount to stay. All you have to do with Verizon is say "Comcast" to them, and they fold like a greeting card.
Problem is, in "polite society" it's not accepted practice to barter with people. In other parts of the world, the price tag is often nothing more than a starting off point for negotiations.
Me, I hit 'em in the chops every time, and just about every time I get some sort of discount.
--
Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power…
reply
TKJunkMail @ 21st Aug 09:51AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
said by Bobcat :
My cable rate is going down 100% in a couple weeks. That's because I'll be canceling Cablevision's overpriced cable service.
And replacing it with what?
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page
reply
TKJunkMail @ 21st Aug 09:52AM:
Re: Ya Right
said by baineschile :
Rates go up for all TV providers, because the network content providers rates go up. Its not as complicated as most people think.
That is the main truth of rate increases ignored by many.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page
reply
travelguy @ 21st Aug 09:54AM:
Re: Ya Right
Rates go up because people will pay. Content costs go up because the providers see that people are willing to pay and want their share.
It isn't complicated.
reply
cableties @ 21st Aug 09:58AM:
Hi, I'm Billy Mays, I'm Dead, but you still Pay!
LOL!
Oh, I forsee less TV for me in the future...but more ads, longer and in 3D!
--
Splat
reply
WayneHolmes @ 21st Aug 10:10AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
said by TKJunkMail :said by Bobcat :
My cable rate is going down 100% in a couple weeks. That's because I'll be canceling Cablevision's overpriced cable service.
And replacing it with what?
In my case I replaced cable TV with spending more time with friends & family, reading, and enjoying some hobbies.
Wayne
reply
morbo @ 21st Aug 10:10AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
care to share what alternative you will be using? OTR? hulu? tivo+netflix streaming? roku? newsgroups?
reply
SLD @ 21st Aug 10:26AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
It is funny that the assumption is that it *must* be replaced.
reply
SLD @ 21st Aug 10:28AM:
Re: Ya Right
What is ignored by your statement is that when multiple networks compete in an area, they have a higher incentive to fight rate increases by their content providers.
Since many networks enjoy gov't sponsored monopolies, they have little incentive to pressure content providers to keep prices low, they just pass it on to their customers.
reply
morbo @ 21st Aug 10:29AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
Fair enough. However, the odds are it will be replaced with something. There are very few people that have the will power to go without tv. I suppose he can just surf the net or start gaming to pass the time.
reply
Bobcat @ 21st Aug 10:31AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
said by TKJunkMail :said by Bobcat :
My cable rate is going down 100% in a couple weeks. That's because I'll be canceling Cablevision's overpriced cable service.
And replacing it with what?
The "OFF" button.
reply
anon @ 21st Aug 11:28AM:
Re: Couple of points
said by JSRoman :
Just like local governments that don't like raising taxes and instead raise fees on all types of services , companies are doing pretty much the same thing.
Come to New York State. All governments here like to both raise taxes and fees.
reply
en102 @ 21st Aug 11:01AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
If mine goes up, I'll replace with HD OTA.
Last year, I paid $90/month (~$100 after fees) for cable/voice/internet.
This year, I'm paying $100/month ($110 after fees) for the same thing.
Sad part is that programming quality has gone down, yet rates keep going up.
reply
N3OGH @ 21st Aug 11:31AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
Burns: Yes, by cutting off cable TV and the beer supply, I can ensure an honest winter's work out of those low-lifes.
Smithers: Sir, did you ever stop to think that maybe it was doing this that caused the previous caretakers to go insane and murder their families?
Burns: Hmm... perhaps. Tell you what: we come back and everyone's slaughtered, I owe you a Coke.
--
Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power…
Heeer's Homer! |
BF69 @ 21st Aug 11:32AM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
said by morbo :
Fair enough. However, the odds are it will be replaced with something. There are very few people that have the will power to go without tv. I suppose he can just surf the net or start gaming to pass the time.
OTA and Hulu( or Hulu type sites ) can make up most of what you get on cable.
reply
beaups @ 21st Aug 11:32AM:
Re: Ya Right
Unfortunately the carrier competition can cause the exact opposite effect as what you describe. Let's use the big10 network in central ohio.
Big10 comes in and wants an unreasonable amount of money and requires the cable company to put it on the basic tier so everyone pays. IIRC it was about $1.10/mo/subscriber.
Now if there was only one provider here they'd have a ton of leverage to fight this. But we have WOW and TW. TW fights it, and no surprise WOW picks up the channel right away and uses it to snag customers with commercials "IF you'd like to see the next OSU game" switch to WOW today!
So TW caves in ad now we all pay for this crap channel.
reply
SLD @ 21st Aug 11:38AM:
Re: Ya Right
Isn't this more of a bundling vs. a la carte than cost of services? Sure, if you consider purchasing unwanted content to be a cost, but compared to rate-hikes, I'm not sure this is the same arguement.
reply
axus @ 21st Aug 11:56AM:
Re: Ya Right
heheh, I'm not willing to pay, but plenty of people are.
reply
anon @ 21st Aug 12:25PM:
Re: Couple of points
they jack the rate up high box rent fees and that free dta will not be free in a year also we plan to make clear qam OTA + psa only.
reply
ak3883 @ 21st Aug 12:49PM:
Wanna bet?
N3OGH, great quote:)
Here with Comcast, I bet we are gonna pay this year. NBA,NHL,NFL networks all moved to a lower digital tier, we got ESPNU as well... i'm sure it will go up close to 10% again.
Yes I have a choice, and I downgraded to basic cable for the summertime, just don't watch enough of it, saved a couple hundred bucks, and am eligible for a new promo once football season revs up in a few weeks!
reply
imrf @ 21st Aug 01:14PM:
Re: Ya Right
said by SLD :
What is ignored by your statement is that when multiple networks compete in an area,
I disagree. I have 3 cable companies in my backyard plus AT&T U-Verse, DirecTV and Dish Network all as options. All 5 raised the rates last year, and the year before all 4 raised the rates(the year before U-Verse was non-existent here).
Since many networks enjoy gov't sponsored monopolies,
Where would those be? There hasn't been anything stopping another cable company to come through in any area for well over a decade. The problem is, is that no company wants to overlap an already served area. It costs way to much to build a network. It's a loosing battle.
reply
tubbynet @ 21st Aug 01:32PM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
said by en102 :
If mine goes up, I'll replace with HD OTA.
Last year, I paid $90/month (~$100 after fees) for cable/voice/internet.
This year, I'm paying $100/month ($110 after fees) for the same thing.
Sad part is that programming quality has gone down, yet rates keep going up.
i got tired of this as well. used to have a cox triple play - was costing me $150/month with premier internet, one hd/dvr, and basic digital phone. after about a year, i got tired of paying for the crap i wasn't watching or using. i cut out phone and cable, leaving the premier internet. i switched to ota hd for locals. i subscribed to netflix and purchased a roku box. what i can't watch between those two is watched online, either through podcasts or through the website itself (daily show, etc). as the icing on the cake, i went with an indie voip provider for landline.
my bill went from $150/month + tax to around $80 (if you include my estimate at $10/month for my voip). my overall satisfaction is much higher and i read a lot more and spend more quality time with the family too. its a win.
q.
--
"...if I in my north room dance naked, grotesquely before my mirror waving my shirt round my head and singing softly to myself..."
reply
rid0617 @ 21st Aug 01:54PM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
Nothing. I'm from the generation that never paid for TV, got sucked into it and with over the air HDTV no longer pay for it. Got tired of paying $50 plus per month for crap programming and 10 minutes of commercials every 30 minutes
reply
Eat Me @ 21st Aug 02:25PM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
said by BF69 :said by morbo :
Fair enough. However, the odds are it will be replaced with something. There are very few people that have the will power to go without tv. I suppose he can just surf the net or start gaming to pass the time.
OTA and Hulu( or Hulu type sites ) can make up most of what you get on cable.
Until Hulu is no longer free (which has been indicated can happen.)
reply
MySay @ 21st Aug 02:39PM:
Solution
WDTV + 1TB Drive + HD Movie Torrents = My current solution!
I won't pay to watch commercials, ever again! :mad:
reply
anon @ 21st Aug 05:33PM:
Re: Ya Right
I've not had a rate increase since last year. In January I cancelled cable. Haven't missed it one bit.
I suggest others do the same. Your life isn't enhanced by television, and it certainly isn't worth $100 a month to watch it. There are a lot more alternatives out there than you think.
reply
pandora @ 21st Aug 06:17PM:
Re: Ya Right
You make an excellent point. Almost anywhere in the U.S. a consumer can subscribe to Dish or DirecTV. There is no cable monopoly for programming IMO.
Currently telco's are competing with cable for both cable content and internet access. Additionally some are finding wireless acceptable for internet (though these 5GB wireless caps should be raised IMO).
In addition to traditional offers, there is VOIP provided by many companies in many pricing structures. There is also IP TV via Hulu, Youtube, even Netflix. Today even many cell phones can play TV programs.
Overall, we seem to have more competition than ever for phone, internet and cable program services.
--
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use."
reply
fiberguy @ 21st Aug 06:50PM:
Re: Solution
.... so... steal it.. good answer.
reply
tmc8080 @ 21st Aug 07:13PM:
Re: 100% rate decrease
said by Bobcat :said by TKJunkMail :said by Bobcat :
My cable rate is going down 100% in a couple weeks. That's because I'll be canceling Cablevision's overpriced cable service.
And replacing it with what?
The "OFF" button.
That's probably not STRICTLY the case if at least part of the family is tech savvy.. there's SOMEBODY downloading content probably for FREE over the internet.. that's one HUGE factor in stalling deployment of DOCSIS 3.0 in Verizon FIOS areas. At some point, the [CABLE-TV] industry will have see that they are on a collision course with the so-called FREE PIRACY MAYHEM of content ditribution over the internet VERSUS semi annual price increases for Cable-TV content channels. At this point, the idea of A-LA-CARTE idea might have to be nuanced further.. instead of paying for CHANNELS.. you may just want to download/stream blocks of content for a small fee to stay on the "LEGAL" side of things this way you can place a "VALUE" on the content itself.. and good luck selling it with commercials/informercials. Cable-TV as it is sold today is dying a slow death, with more and more consumers saying the heck with it.. and the tipping point will come--maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow.. but your children (as a whole) are HOOKED on FREE to dirt cheap cost, and that.. cable-tv isn't with all it's set-top box rentals and price gouging feature sets & widgets/interactivity.
reply
anon @ 21st Aug 07:21PM:
msg deleted
deleted by a moderator
reply
MySay @ 22nd Aug 12:16AM:
Re: Solution
said by fiberguy :
.... so... steal it.. good answer.
"My views are my own." QFT! At least mine are commercial free.
reply
PittsPgh @ 23rd Aug 03:29AM:
Re: Ya Right
said by N3OGH :
Competition DOES keep your bill down, if you play one against the other.
Both operators in my area offer competing deals. Comcast offers a triple play package for $99, with no price hike the first year. Second year regular pricing kicks in. Problem is, you have to sign a 2 year commitment.
Verizon offers a triple play package with no price increases for 2 years, with a 1 year commitment.
I took Verizon's package. Two years from now, you bet your aers I'll be telling them I leaving for Comcast's deal, and you know they'll be giving me a discount to stay. All you have to do with Verizon is say "Comcast" to them, and they fold like a greeting card.
Problem is, in "polite society" it's not accepted practice to barter with people. In other parts of the world, the price tag is often nothing more than a starting off point for negotiations.
Me, I hit 'em in the chops every time, and just about every time I get some sort of discount.
That only works IF you have Competition!
Paul
reply
Kearnstd @ 24th Aug 10:59PM:
Re: Ya Right
sometimes rates go up because of bullshit like niche stations getting put on the normal tiers. ESPN is what? 5 dollars per sub for the carrier to have. but to get any other disney corp owned channels they must carry espn in their normal tiers.
also greed is endless, NFL network sued comcast for keeping it in the sports tier.
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports
reply
Thank you for using lo-fi dslreports.com - report bugs
© 99-2009 silver matrix LLC