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Then, Netflix drastically cut the elapsed time with streaming content. That the cable companies did next to nothing to combat this disruption is astounding give

by there 16y ago

Then, Netflix drastically cut the elapsed time with streaming content. That the cable companies did next to nothing to combat this disruption is astounding given that they already owned and controlled a pipe into the customer's house! huh? cable companies have had on-demand digital streaming for ages, and done through a cable box already installed in the customer's house. comcast has a lot of programming available for free that is included with monthly service, and their pay-per-view rates are pretty cheap.

jellicle 16y ago
Speaking for myself and my cable company - their on-demand streaming in 2011 offers a choice of tens of C-grade movies at only $5.95 apiece. This isn't really a competitive offering against "all the movies and TV shows ever for $8/month". It's embarrassing to even attempt to compare them.
- there 16y ago
  netflix has a pretty crappy selection of streaming movies, too, but my point was that saying the cable companies are doing nothing is not accurate. cable companies have the technology to offer the same service as netflix and have the advantage of being able to offer newer pay-per-view titles and live sporting events.
  - jellicle 16y ago
    Oh, we agree that cable companies "have the technology" and could offer the same service. But they aren't. At all. Not even close. And have no intentions of doing so. Ever. Did I mention that all streamed movies from my cable company expire 24 hours after they start streaming? So if you start a movie at 8PM, watch the first hour until 9PM, and then you come back to it the next day to finish it... well, you better start watching before 7PM the next day, because exactly at 8PM it turns into a pumpkin and disappears. Even if you're in the middle of watching it. Brilliant! Who would ever want to watch part of a movie the next day?
  - adamc 16y ago
    Yes, but with Netflix the price is right. Also, amidst all that crap there are a decent number of good movies.
  - chopsueyar 16y ago
    I'm not sure if they do have the technology. Most Comcast boxes (Motorola, Scientific Atlanta) are only decoding MPEG2 digital streams, I believe. It would be quite expensive to roll out to all existing customers a DOCSIS Roku box with a QAM tuner. All the RF stuff makes it more expensive to produce, design, and maintain. Someone else with more knowledge of CATV infrastructure and equipment could please clarify.
- rahoulb 16y ago
  Whereas I'd love to get rid of my UK VirginMedia cable box (it crashes often, is slow and I just resent it a lot of the time) but won't - the on-demand movies are cheaper than iTunes and have a comparable selection (not great but reasonably up to date). But the killer it also has iPlayer and its equivalents from the other four major channels built in. The only competitor to that, functionality-wise, would be to plug a real computer into the TV. So in this case, cable does offer some real value - enough for me not to cancel my subscription.
brandall10 16y ago
"Pretty cheap" is quite a bit more expensive than free. Believe the parent is referring to an all-you-can-eat vs. PPV for your actively selected viewing pleasure.
- there 16y ago
  the last time i used comcast for tv service years ago, they had tv shows and a bunch of regularly rotated free movies. if you subscribed to premium channels, you got a lot of the content from those networks available on-demand as well. if cable companies deem netflix a serious problem for them, i would imagine it would be pretty easy to step up their licensing agreements and provide more on-demand content.
  - brandall10 16y ago
    The front loaded cost of that is pretty high vs. $8 for Netflix though - and we're talking a handful of premium/new releases vs. the Netflix's streaming catalog which has been rapidly growing in size/quality. That said, I can only speak to my experience as a Cox sub from about 4 years back as I've since cut the cord. I agree that big cable should have the power and leverage to stop the bloodletting. I think it's similar to any industry that has coasted along far too long, thinking that it is too big and powerful to fall.

by there 16y ago

jellicle 16y ago

Speaking for myself and my cable company - their on-demand streaming in 2011 offers a choice of tens of C-grade movies at only $5.95 apiece. This isn't really a competitive offering against "all the movies and TV shows ever for $8/month". It's embarrassing to even attempt to compare them.

there 16y ago
netflix has a pretty crappy selection of streaming movies, too, but my point was that saying the cable companies are doing nothing is not accurate. cable companies have the technology to offer the same service as netflix and have the advantage of being able to offer newer pay-per-view titles and live sporting events.
- jellicle 16y ago
  Oh, we agree that cable companies "have the technology" and could offer the same service. But they aren't. At all. Not even close. And have no intentions of doing so. Ever. Did I mention that all streamed movies from my cable company expire 24 hours after they start streaming? So if you start a movie at 8PM, watch the first hour until 9PM, and then you come back to it the next day to finish it... well, you better start watching before 7PM the next day, because exactly at 8PM it turns into a pumpkin and disappears. Even if you're in the middle of watching it. Brilliant! Who would ever want to watch part of a movie the next day?
- adamc 16y ago
  Yes, but with Netflix the price is right. Also, amidst all that crap there are a decent number of good movies.
- chopsueyar 16y ago
  I'm not sure if they do have the technology. Most Comcast boxes (Motorola, Scientific Atlanta) are only decoding MPEG2 digital streams, I believe. It would be quite expensive to roll out to all existing customers a DOCSIS Roku box with a QAM tuner. All the RF stuff makes it more expensive to produce, design, and maintain. Someone else with more knowledge of CATV infrastructure and equipment could please clarify.
rahoulb 16y ago
Whereas I'd love to get rid of my UK VirginMedia cable box (it crashes often, is slow and I just resent it a lot of the time) but won't - the on-demand movies are cheaper than iTunes and have a comparable selection (not great but reasonably up to date). But the killer it also has iPlayer and its equivalents from the other four major channels built in. The only competitor to that, functionality-wise, would be to plug a real computer into the TV. So in this case, cable does offer some real value - enough for me not to cancel my subscription.

brandall10 16y ago

"Pretty cheap" is quite a bit more expensive than free. Believe the parent is referring to an all-you-can-eat vs. PPV for your actively selected viewing pleasure.

there 16y ago
the last time i used comcast for tv service years ago, they had tv shows and a bunch of regularly rotated free movies. if you subscribed to premium channels, you got a lot of the content from those networks available on-demand as well. if cable companies deem netflix a serious problem for them, i would imagine it would be pretty easy to step up their licensing agreements and provide more on-demand content.
- brandall10 16y ago
  The front loaded cost of that is pretty high vs. $8 for Netflix though - and we're talking a handful of premium/new releases vs. the Netflix's streaming catalog which has been rapidly growing in size/quality. That said, I can only speak to my experience as a Cox sub from about 4 years back as I've since cut the cord. I agree that big cable should have the power and leverage to stop the bloodletting. I think it's similar to any industry that has coasted along far too long, thinking that it is too big and powerful to fall.