4 ms·

This kind of TV is the 'default' here in the UK (Freeview) - we get about 50-60 digital channels and 10 HD channels. I suspect cable TV is actually on the rise

by pidg 11y ago

This kind of TV is the 'default' here in the UK (Freeview) - we get about 50-60 digital channels and 10 HD channels. I suspect cable TV is actually on the rise here, but can't find stats to back that up.

ZenoArrow 11y ago
> "I suspect cable TV is actually on the rise here, but can't find stats to back that up." Here's one recent report about Virgin Media (the main cable TV provider in the UK)... "just 5,100 new TV customers were added as revenues fell by 3.3 percent to £234.7 million" http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/mobility/4g/virgin-media-says-quad-play-strategy-paying-revenues-rise-155013 http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/mobility/4g/virgin-media-say...
TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
Isn't satellite more common here than cable? Americans get cable, we get Sky.
- PaulHoule 11y ago
  Cable and Satellite split the market in the U.S. If you are in an an urban or a rural area in the lower 48 you can get a satellite package that is roughly equivalent to a cable package -- although you might need to cut down a tree or win a fight with your landlord, homeowner's association, etc. The only real drawback is that fading can get bad when it is wet (say you are staying at home watching TV because of a snowstorm but you can't get any TV) For TV-only service there is definitely a price war situation with cable in urban areas, but all the services differentiate themselves as best they can. If you can't get enough of American Football, for instance, you can get the "NFL Sunday Ticket" from DirectTV which gives you pretty much all the football you could get without violating some law.
ForHackernews 11y ago
The Brits really have us beat here. For Americans, take a look at this list: http://www.ukfree.tv/channels/all http://www.ukfree.tv/channels/all On the other hand, they have to pay an annual government tax just for owning a TV.
- johnwards 11y ago
  The TV Licence funds the BBC content, which is Free to Air TV, online stuff, Radio etc. It has no ads and aims to have as much diverse stuff as possible. The BBC is awesome, I happily pay my tv tax :)
  - lmm 11y ago
    The BBC is awesome, but the TV License is incredibly regressive (it's basically a poll tax), and has failed at making them independent of parliament (instead of a parliamentary debate over how much money to give the BBC, we just get a parliamentary debate over how much the license fee should be). And their enforcers are... not nice, and an incredibly inefficient use of human labour. It would be better to fund the BBC from general taxation.
  - scholia 11y ago
    I'm also happy to pay, and feel sorry for Americans who have to put up with inferior public TV services. Not only is the BBC awesome, the licence fee is much lower than cable or satellite charges, and BBC programmes are not stuffed with mind-numbing adverts.
- porsupah 11y ago
  Not quite - the license fee only applies if you watch live programming. If you're an iPlayer catch-up sort instead, or only watch iTunes/Blu-Ray/Netflix, no fee is payable - although it's hardly a bad idea to support a broadcaster as good as the BBC.

by pidg 11y ago

ZenoArrow 11y ago

> "I suspect cable TV is actually on the rise here, but can't find stats to back that up." Here's one recent report about Virgin Media (the main cable TV provider in the UK)... "just 5,100 new TV customers were added as revenues fell by 3.3 percent to £234.7 million" http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/mobility/4g/virgin-media-says-quad-play-strategy-paying-revenues-rise-155013 http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/mobility/4g/virgin-media-say...

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago

Isn't satellite more common here than cable? Americans get cable, we get Sky.

PaulHoule 11y ago
Cable and Satellite split the market in the U.S. If you are in an an urban or a rural area in the lower 48 you can get a satellite package that is roughly equivalent to a cable package -- although you might need to cut down a tree or win a fight with your landlord, homeowner's association, etc. The only real drawback is that fading can get bad when it is wet (say you are staying at home watching TV because of a snowstorm but you can't get any TV) For TV-only service there is definitely a price war situation with cable in urban areas, but all the services differentiate themselves as best they can. If you can't get enough of American Football, for instance, you can get the "NFL Sunday Ticket" from DirectTV which gives you pretty much all the football you could get without violating some law.

ForHackernews 11y ago

The Brits really have us beat here. For Americans, take a look at this list: http://www.ukfree.tv/channels/all http://www.ukfree.tv/channels/all On the other hand, they have to pay an annual government tax just for owning a TV.

johnwards 11y ago
The TV Licence funds the BBC content, which is Free to Air TV, online stuff, Radio etc. It has no ads and aims to have as much diverse stuff as possible. The BBC is awesome, I happily pay my tv tax :)
- lmm 11y ago
  The BBC is awesome, but the TV License is incredibly regressive (it's basically a poll tax), and has failed at making them independent of parliament (instead of a parliamentary debate over how much money to give the BBC, we just get a parliamentary debate over how much the license fee should be). And their enforcers are... not nice, and an incredibly inefficient use of human labour. It would be better to fund the BBC from general taxation.
- scholia 11y ago
  I'm also happy to pay, and feel sorry for Americans who have to put up with inferior public TV services. Not only is the BBC awesome, the licence fee is much lower than cable or satellite charges, and BBC programmes are not stuffed with mind-numbing adverts.
porsupah 11y ago
Not quite - the license fee only applies if you watch live programming. If you're an iPlayer catch-up sort instead, or only watch iTunes/Blu-Ray/Netflix, no fee is payable - although it's hardly a bad idea to support a broadcaster as good as the BBC.