CRTC *finally* looking into Pick and Pay for Cable TV

[Mr. Analog]

In an age where people have a giant pipe full of every kind of entertainment you can imagine coming into their house for a flat monthly fee (INTERNET) the CRTC is finally looking at letting cable subscribers buy what they want and move away from useless bundles

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-begins-hearing-proposals-for-pick-and-pay-other-cable-tv-changes-1.2758854

My package would be 4 sports channels, Space and AMC + local. I know many of you have already unplugged, would this move bring you back to cable?

[Tom]

If it was cheap enough, it might bring me back. Especially if it makes things like HBO not be $20 each.

[Thorin]

Yes, yes it would.

To be honest, if there was a set-top box that lets you buy episodes for $1 per episode (not per watching, but you pay, then you download, then you have it forever), I'd definitely do that instead.  And the shows I watch would probably make more money that way than by being bundled with a hundred other channels.

[Tom]

Yes, yes it would.

To be honest, if there was a set-top box that lets you buy episodes for $1 per episode (not per watching, but you pay, then you download, then you have it forever), I'd definitely do that instead.  And the shows I watch would probably make more money that way than by being bundled with a hundred other channels.

Now binge watch SG1. 24-26 eps per season, 10 seasons.

[Darren Dirt]

My package would be 4 sports channels, Space and AMC + local. I know many of you have already unplugged, would this move bring you back to cable?

My ex-wife wanted cable a few months ago and by now I find I enjoy having it just so I can PVR heavily (still rarely watch live TV) which is at least a bit more dependable than streaming sites (plus no "guilt" haha) ... Was surprised when we were picking the channel grouping that they are actually a bit more logical and reasonable; was pretty okay with what we got (not too many "will never watch THIS" standouts) , the groupings definitely are streets ahead* of what they used to be. With this change coming up though, my guess is cable companies would jack up the price of each individual channel to the point where you aren't saving much (if any) by hand-picking just your Top10 (or maybe even Top5) favorites... #skepticalManIsSkeptical






* to coin a phrase (in Community) (by a grumpy old fart) (before you ask, no I am not sure if I am using it ironically or not)

[Mr. Analog]

Yes, yes it would.

To be honest, if there was a set-top box that lets you buy episodes for $1 per episode (not per watching, but you pay, then you download, then you have it forever), I'd definitely do that instead.  And the shows I watch would probably make more money that way than by being bundled with a hundred other channels.

Now binge watch SG1. 24-26 eps per season, 10 seasons.

Reminds me of this infographic: http://www.fastcocreate.com/3029968/infographic-heres-how-long-it-takes-to-binge-watch-that-show-you-keep-hearing-about

Stargate SG1 would take 8 Days and 22 hours (at least according to http://tiii.me/ )

My package would be 4 sports channels, Space and AMC + local. I know many of you have already unplugged, would this move bring you back to cable?

My ex-wife wanted cable a few months ago and by now I find I enjoy having it just so I can PVR heavily (still rarely watch live TV) which is at least a bit more dependable than streaming sites (plus no "guilt" haha) ... Was surprised when we were picking the channel grouping that they are actually a bit more logical and reasonable; was pretty okay with what we got (not too many "will never watch THIS" standouts) , the groupings definitely are streets ahead* of what they used to be. With this change coming up though, my guess is cable companies would jack up the price of each individual channel to the point where you aren't saving much (if any) by hand-picking just your Top10 (or maybe even Top5) favorites... #skepticalManIsSkeptical






* to coin a phrase (in Community) (by a grumpy old fart) (before you ask, no I am not sure if I am using it ironically or not)

Believe me I know, Netflix has been the gateway to (non-sports) TV for me, there are a lot of good shows out there but I find myself only watching a few channels.

Most often I'm recording off PVR and like Thorin says, if there was just a service I could subscribe to on top of regular TV that just put stuff right in my PVR whether or not I had the channel would be awesome.

[Darren Dirt]

Now binge watch SG1. 24-26 eps per season, 10 seasons.

Stargate SG1 would take 8 Days and 22 hours (at least according to http://tiii.me/ )

Nice little simple site! (To watch non-stop all of Bonanza would take 17.5 days; Law & Order = 19 days!)

[Mr. Analog]

I know right? You start looking into things and find surprises like Seinfeld would take about 9 and a half days to watch all the way through



Now I can find out exactly how much time I've wasted binge watching shows I like over and over

(FARSCAPE is almost a whopping 15 DAYS hrrghghghhhshhhffffpht!)

[Thorin]

Uh, Darren, you have cable now?  For years you were the anti-cable guy because of "brain rot" and all that...

The key to the device I'm suggesting is to make it work like iPods and iTunes - pay once, download, then watch it as often as you like without paying again.  Sure, powering through SG1 would cost you $25 per season, $250 for the whole ten seasons.  But once you've paid that, you could do it again a second time without paying for it.

Just like how you can buy 25 songs, then play them over and over and over again.

Honestly, if the system was easy to use you'd probably get a bunch of people who download episodes now that would just pay for it.  I think the key is make it simple to plug into the TV and set it up like iTunes.

[Tom]

Uh, Darren, you have cable now?  For years you were the anti-cable guy because of "brain rot" and all that...

The key to the device I'm suggesting is to make it work like iPods and iTunes - pay once, download, then watch it as often as you like without paying again.  Sure, powering through SG1 would cost you $25 per season, $250 for the whole ten seasons.  But once you've paid that, you could do it again a second time without paying for it.

Just like how you can buy 25 songs, then play them over and over and over again.

Honestly, if the system was easy to use you'd probably get a bunch of people who download episodes now that would just pay for it.  I think the key is make it simple to plug into the TV and set it up like iTunes.

$1 per ep isn't that great for binge watchers. A small monthly subscription seems more palatable, even if the math doesn't add up....

[Mr. Analog]

Uh, Darren, you have cable now?  For years you were the anti-cable guy because of "brain rot" and all that...

The key to the device I'm suggesting is to make it work like iPods and iTunes - pay once, download, then watch it as often as you like without paying again.  Sure, powering through SG1 would cost you $25 per season, $250 for the whole ten seasons.  But once you've paid that, you could do it again a second time without paying for it.

Just like how you can buy 25 songs, then play them over and over and over again.

Honestly, if the system was easy to use you'd probably get a bunch of people who download episodes now that would just pay for it.  I think the key is make it simple to plug into the TV and set it up like iTunes.

$1 per ep isn't that great for binge watchers. A small monthly subscription seems more palatable, even if the math doesn't add up....

Yeah, they could call the service "flicks on the internet" even!

haha

Well I don't know about Darren but I found if I didn't have one form of escape I'd switch to another. Like I'd play games instead of internet, YouTube instead of TV.

What I did do is stop beating myself up over how I spent my fun time / personal development

[Tom]

Uh, Darren, you have cable now?  For years you were the anti-cable guy because of "brain rot" and all that...

The key to the device I'm suggesting is to make it work like iPods and iTunes - pay once, download, then watch it as often as you like without paying again.  Sure, powering through SG1 would cost you $25 per season, $250 for the whole ten seasons.  But once you've paid that, you could do it again a second time without paying for it.

Just like how you can buy 25 songs, then play them over and over and over again.

Honestly, if the system was easy to use you'd probably get a bunch of people who download episodes now that would just pay for it.  I think the key is make it simple to plug into the TV and set it up like iTunes.

$1 per ep isn't that great for binge watchers. A small monthly subscription seems more palatable, even if the math doesn't add up....

Yeah, they could call the service "flicks on the internet" even!

haha

"Flicks on the 'net"   

Well I don't know about Darren but I found if I didn't have one form of escape I'd switch to another. Like I'd play games instead of internet, YouTube instead of TV.

What I did do is stop beating myself up over how I spent my fun time / personal development

Indeed. You get back to actual work faster cause you didn't make yourself depressed for taking a bloody break. lol.

[Darren Dirt]

http://popstrip.com/watching-dead

^ why current-pop-culture piracy will always be a thing.

[Mr. Analog]

Like I said when you guys were over, they should distribute digital versions right after a film / tv show airs.

Give people the easiest option and they'll go for it

[Mr. Analog]

...and of course Cable providers are kicking and screaming about the very idea of pick your own programming

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/crtc-gets-an-earful-at-hearings-on-future-of-tv-1.2764290

RIP in Peace, Cable Companies