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> While most of the industry is trying to lure cost-conscious consumers by offering cheaper packages with fewer channels, Denver-based Layer3 has gone in the op

> While most of the industry is trying to lure cost-conscious consumers by offering cheaper packages with fewer channels, Denver-based Layer3 has gone in the opposite direction. It sells an online-TV subscription with hundreds of channels that starts at $75 a month. Layer3 is betting there’s a market for consumers who are willing to pay a premium for TV that is delivered in high definition and is easier to navigate. I don’t see how T-Mo succeeds at that price point when streaming w/sports + Netflix or Hulu is about half that cost.

jandrese 9y ago
I cut the cord because my old FiOS TV service was just too damn expensive. Several months ago Layer 3 started sending me mail about their new service so I looked into it and found the same bloated bullshit expensive bundles that my old provider offered, and for about the same price. Maybe $10/month cheaper depending on what the rental fees and service fees and government fees and carrier fees and tax and so on work out to. Needless to say their mailers have been going straight to recycle ever since. If T-Mo can figure out this alacarte thing I might give them a second look. I'm not paying $90/month after fees for two channels that show maybe a couple of shows that I'm actually interested in. That's madness.
cptskippy 9y ago
Ar's article gives some additional information that sheds some light on why T-Mobile probably acquired them but still asks the same question you have in the end. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/12/t-mobile-promises-to-end-the-complete-bulls-t-from-tv-companies-in-2018/ https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/12/t-mobile-promises-to-... > Layer3 TV brands itself as "The New Cable." ... offering access to a wide range of HD and 4K channels (more than 275 in total), streamed using the highly efficient H.265 (also known as HEVC) video codec and a custom set-top box. It's a pure IP service—there's no tuner in the box, and it will connect over Wi-Fi—and to support it, Layer3 has built out a fiber distribution network and data center in Denver that handles transcoding shows into HEVC. It also has partnerships with Internet providers to provide the last mile connectivity. This private backbone network should mean that Layer3 doesn't suffer the kinds of issues that Netflix dealt with a few years ago when its links bought from Cogent became congested. I suspect that T-Mobile is buying them for their technology and plans to scrap the current service offerings and try to offer an À la carte service. If they're able to do that it could be revolutionary but that's a big if. Most cable packages exist today because networks force their channels to be sold in bundles, you can't offer ESPN without ESPN2 or the Disney Channel. Sling TV is allegedly À la carte but it's really just a basic cable bundle with the really crap channels excluded.
- amyjess 9y ago
  This sounds a lot like AT&T U-verse, which is technologically impressive.
jbigelow76 9y ago
I don’t see how T-Mo succeeds at that price point when streaming w/sports + Netflix or Hulu is about half that cost. I pay a little over 50 bucks a month for Hulu's Live TV service but the interface and UX is absolute garbage. If I could get everything I get from Hulu Live with a real honest channel guide + easily managed cloud DVR I would pay an extra $25 a month and drop Hulu in a flash. I'll definitely be giving the T-Mobile service a look as the only thing keeping me on Hulu is lack of good alternatives (I'm looking at you DirectTV).
- deadmutex 9y ago
  Have you tried out YouTube TV? https://tv.youtube.com https://tv.youtube.com Disclaimer: I work at YouTube, but am not on YouTube TV team.
- axaxs 9y ago
  Curious...why don't you like DirectTV? It's the first service I signed up for...so I don't have much to compare. But the quality is excellent.
  - jbigelow76 9y ago
    It may have improved since the initial roll out. I had wanted to ditch my cable service for quite a while so I gave DirectTV a try when it launched, when service wasn't yet up to par and the interface wasn't any better than what Hulu has now. It maybe time to give it another look.

jandrese 9y ago

I cut the cord because my old FiOS TV service was just too damn expensive. Several months ago Layer 3 started sending me mail about their new service so I looked into it and found the same bloated bullshit expensive bundles that my old provider offered, and for about the same price. Maybe $10/month cheaper depending on what the rental fees and service fees and government fees and carrier fees and tax and so on work out to. Needless to say their mailers have been going straight to recycle ever since. If T-Mo can figure out this alacarte thing I might give them a second look. I'm not paying $90/month after fees for two channels that show maybe a couple of shows that I'm actually interested in. That's madness.

cptskippy 9y ago

Ar's article gives some additional information that sheds some light on why T-Mobile probably acquired them but still asks the same question you have in the end. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/12/t-mobile-promises-to-end-the-complete-bulls-t-from-tv-companies-in-2018/ https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/12/t-mobile-promises-to-... > Layer3 TV brands itself as "The New Cable." ... offering access to a wide range of HD and 4K channels (more than 275 in total), streamed using the highly efficient H.265 (also known as HEVC) video codec and a custom set-top box. It's a pure IP service—there's no tuner in the box, and it will connect over Wi-Fi—and to support it, Layer3 has built out a fiber distribution network and data center in Denver that handles transcoding shows into HEVC. It also has partnerships with Internet providers to provide the last mile connectivity. This private backbone network should mean that Layer3 doesn't suffer the kinds of issues that Netflix dealt with a few years ago when its links bought from Cogent became congested. I suspect that T-Mobile is buying them for their technology and plans to scrap the current service offerings and try to offer an À la carte service. If they're able to do that it could be revolutionary but that's a big if. Most cable packages exist today because networks force their channels to be sold in bundles, you can't offer ESPN without ESPN2 or the Disney Channel. Sling TV is allegedly À la carte but it's really just a basic cable bundle with the really crap channels excluded.

amyjess 9y ago
This sounds a lot like AT&T U-verse, which is technologically impressive.

jbigelow76 9y ago

I don’t see how T-Mo succeeds at that price point when streaming w/sports + Netflix or Hulu is about half that cost. I pay a little over 50 bucks a month for Hulu's Live TV service but the interface and UX is absolute garbage. If I could get everything I get from Hulu Live with a real honest channel guide + easily managed cloud DVR I would pay an extra $25 a month and drop Hulu in a flash. I'll definitely be giving the T-Mobile service a look as the only thing keeping me on Hulu is lack of good alternatives (I'm looking at you DirectTV).

deadmutex 9y ago
Have you tried out YouTube TV? https://tv.youtube.com https://tv.youtube.com Disclaimer: I work at YouTube, but am not on YouTube TV team.
axaxs 9y ago
Curious...why don't you like DirectTV? It's the first service I signed up for...so I don't have much to compare. But the quality is excellent.
- jbigelow76 9y ago
  It may have improved since the initial roll out. I had wanted to ditch my cable service for quite a while so I gave DirectTV a try when it launched, when service wasn't yet up to par and the interface wasn't any better than what Hulu has now. It maybe time to give it another look.