This is kind of the reason why the online content on Netflix is so limited. The Cable/Media companies don't want to release the content to Netflix to stream fearing that it would make their cable networks unnecessary. I think they are only delaying the inevitable.
No, I'm not angry. I just got really turned off by Blockbuster when they started peddling candy, junk electronics, and overpriced movies for sale and neglected the rentals. If you showed up after 3pm on a Friday, all that was left was the row of Mona Lisa Smile or direct to DVD Disney movies, and you had to trip over screaming children, marked up video game steering wheels, and 30 pounds of Mike n' Ikes on the way out the door. I just dont see why anybody has any sadness over its inevitable demise since it couldn't figure out how to compete.
Try 75 dollars a month. Its ridiculous, especially when I consider that I spent 25 a month in 1995 for more channels.
Comcast here in Cali is really sticking it to me, mostly because the alternatives suck. I'm paying $160/month for cable and internet including taxes, $5/month for cable modem rental, $8 EACH just for having HD boxes instead of regular non HD boxes. I dont even have any fancy channels. They really screw you when you dont have a phone line in the bundle.
Ouch. I despise Comcast. If I have any other reasonable alternative I will use it. The issue of not having a home phone line kept me tied to them for sometime though. Until recently all the DSL internet providers in the area required you to have a phone line to have internet. This pushed the price of their slower internet service up to being on par with what Comcast was charging, so it didn't make sense. But not to long ago (well maybe a year or more by now) I signed up for Clear and I have been very happy. No home phone line and "high speed" internet for only $30 a month. It looks like they have changed their pricing structure. I am on a 3Mbps download, 500Kbps upload plan for just $30 a month. That is slower than what I had at Comcast, but it was significantly cheaper for internet and it allowed me to get Dish for TV (which had better rates for TV service for my area). Since Clear uses cell phone towers this service isn't for everyone, and they aren't in all markets. I have been very happy with my service however. It worked right out of the box and I can not think of any outages that I've experienced in the year (plus) that I've used it. Unlike Comcast which seemed to crap out weekly on me.
When I signed up it was in only a handful of markets and it is pretty much limited to metropolitan areas. It is nothing more than a 4G cell network with a modem that you can hook up to a computer or home network, so as more and more cell phone companies expand their 4G networks you will see the availability for this type of product in more markets. I've never tried traveling with it, but it could be done pretty easily as long as the area you were traveling to had Clear service as well.
My favorite combo was Verizon Fios. It was slightly more than what I was paying for Comcast in DC, but cheaper than what I'm paying for Comcast in California. It had a lot more channels than Comcast, better picture quality, better service, and the internet was stupid fast. Every few weeks I have to go downstairs and restart my router with Comcast, but I never had a single problem or drop in service with Fios. If they ever put that into your area, it's 100% worth it.
So what kind of equipment do you have for that streaming setup? I was thinking about converting my current laptop into a streaming only machine via HDMI when I get a new one. The other option I was thinking was one of the Popcorn Hour, Boxee Box, or Roku setups. I'm definitely quitting cable when I move next month so I'm probably cutting the cord for good.SapperPE said:
