Time Warner Cable Plans For TV On The Internet

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Time Warner Cable has decided to join the 21st century with plans to sell internet-based cable to cord cutters.

"Where we're headed is the ability of customers to access the complete video product without having to rent a set-top box from us," said CEO Rob Marcus on a call with analysts. He said one thing the company had to do was make sure that every channel was available for an Internet TV alternative that worked through a streaming-TV device like a Roku. Marcus said you wouldn't need a tech to install cable for you. "You can simply type in your username and password and you have video," he said.
 
Since they aren't doing so much of the infrastructure to get it to my home, it should cost less, right? :)

I'll go for it if they can offer a low cost package. Similar to Sling. Cheap, decent channels. I don't need 250 channels. I need 7 good ones.
 
While their parent companies all move in the direction of charging $ per bytes so they can extort even more money from us then they already do. I'd say that's the cynic in me if it wasn't so obvious that's the way the market is going to go.
 
I'll believe it when I see it but after years of being bent over by the cable companies I really doubt this is going to be a good deal for the consumer. More likely it's going to cost more or something else similarly ridiculous.
 
This is funny. I tried to use one their CableCards to avoid that box, and it turned into a 6 week journey of cableless life. They respond to declining numbers and prospectives not to the desire to please customers. I laugh a bit each time I see them advertising their specials to new customers only.... do they even realize how many returning customers they are pissing off with those ads? Funny stuff.
 
But let me guess. Contracts with the channels will still require you to buy the ONE channel you want bundled 25 garbage channels you don't.

Unless it is 100% fully a la carte, where you can opick the channels you want and the ones you don't it is DOA.
 
The only thing that matter will be cost and whether a different conversion device will be needed. This article is utterly light on any of that detail and is more of a press release. They neglect to discuss cost because they are still working on negotiations with networks on who they will monetize who is watching their shows and when. This a total bait and switch and isn't consumer based at all. All it's doing is eliminating TWC's need to buy additional cable boxes, use their current infrastructure to pump bits at a lower cost and suspect they will charge some downgraded version of this with varying price tiers for different levels of resolution. If they allow ala carte selection, I'll be shocked.
 
Don't think Timer Warner understands why people are cutting Cable. Up until Rick and Morty I haven't had a reason to watch TV. One TV show isn't enough for me to pay a monthly subscription.
 
I'd be willing to try it if it comes to KC. I'm using their 300Mbps internet service along with DISH until Google Fiber gets to my area, but I believe (prays) Google will get to me first by Q1 of next year.
 
Since they aren't doing so much of the infrastructure to get it to my home, it should cost less, right? :)

I'll go for it if they can offer a low cost package. Similar to Sling. Cheap, decent channels. I don't need 250 channels. I need 7 good ones.

I wouldn't count on it. It's likely going to be just the same packages delivered via a different method.
 
This is funny. I tried to use one their CableCards to avoid that box, and it turned into a 6 week journey of cableless life. They respond to declining numbers and prospectives not to the desire to please customers. I laugh a bit each time I see them advertising their specials to new customers only.... do they even realize how many returning customers they are pissing off with those ads? Funny stuff.

Pretty much this - went thru the same nightmare with them. Used to use an HDHomeRun to still tune in local stations, until they got approval to encrypt even local broadcasts :(
 
A la carte? If so, I'm sold. I want local channels (don't get good TV reception where I live) and a select few other channels. How about $1 per channel per month?
Right, right. I know its not going to be this way.
I'll stick with my antenna in the attic and get decent reception on most channels (but not ABC). I use Hulu to fill in the blanks for the wife.
 
This is funny. I tried to use one their CableCards to avoid that box, and it turned into a 6 week journey of cableless life. They respond to declining numbers and prospectives not to the desire to please customers. I laugh a bit each time I see them advertising their specials to new customers only.... do they even realize how many returning customers they are pissing off with those ads? Funny stuff.

Cox recently went to all encrypted digital, so the only TV in the house that still works is the one connected to my HTPC with a cable card. Other TV's are old tube TV's that haven't been turned on for at least a year, so I'm just going to get rid of them.

Funny part is that they keep sending me notices that I need to get a cable box, guess they don't remember what a cable card is for.

They where no help setting up the cable card. I did my side myself, and they couldn't get their side setup correctly. I finally had to have them send someone out, and after he called in to have them activate the card for the 4th time, it magically started working.

None of the cable companies seem to realize how upsetting it is to existing customers to see their bill go up every year, only to see steep discounts for new customers.
The local newspaper did the same thing. They kept raising prices, and dropped the regular discount I used to get by prepaying for a year. Got to the point that even calling in to cancel, didn't result in much of a discount. Meanwhile they had huge discounts for new customers. I finally just canceled the paper (30 year customer), waited 30 days (to be considered a new customer), and subscribed to Sunday only using a Groupon for $10 for 2 years. That's 2 years for new subscribers for less than a 30 day subscription for existing customers.
 
I'm glad I'm not the only cynic. I just see them trying to push the outdated cable model on streaming, where its exorbitantly overpirced and you pay for 100 channels you don't care about. I seriously doubt they've adopted the new reality, and will instead, try to impose the old reality on the new one.
 
Thats not cord cutting, that's changing cords.

And even if they save money somehow, they will never pass it on to consumers. They'll just increase the CEO's Parachute or something.
 
Since they aren't doing so much of the infrastructure to get it to my home, it should cost less, right? :)

I'll go for it if they can offer a low cost package. Similar to Sling. Cheap, decent channels. I don't need 250 channels. I need 7 good ones.

Hell I'd even be willing to compromise a bit because I sure in the hell know they won't give me the 5 channels I'd want for 20 bucks. Even 5 I want plus 5 of their choosing would be okay rather than the 245 channels I don't watch and 5 that I do. Though thinking they'd do anything other than what they do now is living in fantasy land unless they dropped 50% of their customers overnight.
 
Still useless.

They didn't say anything about all the content being on-demand.

Since we got Netflix... we don't even want to bother with the whole DVR thing anymore.

The old system is obsolete. The show should have an availability time. "Tuesday, 6pm PST" and that should be that. Starting right then, you can watch that episode anytime you want.

Somehow, I doubt they are planning this.
 
Since they aren't doing so much of the infrastructure to get it to my home, it should cost less, right? :)

I'll go for it if they can offer a low cost package. Similar to Sling. Cheap, decent channels. I don't need 250 channels. I need 7 good ones.

i do think you are just asking way to much


lol
 
If the rates are competitive with Netflix and I'm not forced to pay for shit I don't watch (espn, 500 religion channels) then I'm interested.
 
I get great reception of local stations using an antenna. For everything else, it's Amazon Prime and Netflix. As much as I miss ESPN, it's not worth paying $60 a month just to get that one channel (and never watch the other 200 channels you have to pay for just to get ESPN). There's no way we'll ever see al-la-carte channels because too many of these big media companies also own the little ones. They want us to pay for all just to get the one channel we actually want.
 
They want us to pay for all just to get the one channel we actually want.

I remember when I would have paid for just the Sci-fi channel. At this point I don't even care. There is plenty to watch among Netflix, Amazon, and HBO-Go/now and then there are always other things to do.
 
Ideally, here's what they need to do to appease cord-cutters:

1. Al a Carte. Customers select the channels/networks they want. Discounts for getting multiple channels from the same networks (ESPN channels, Discovery channels, etc)

2. Make all shows on demand and available at their scheduled release date and time (if it airs on Tue at 7pm, then we should be able to select it that early or anytime after)

3. No more regional gerrymandering. If I live in an area that only has Cox and CenturyLink over cable, then I should be able to choose Time-Warner streaming...and access it no matter where I am (like typing in Google.com in my browser anywhere on planet Earth)
 
As others have mentioned it'll just be the same packages streaming over the internet and not the al a carte we all really want. I just hope they finally fix the issues I still have with the 300Mb internet connection slowing to 20Mb during primetime. I would have dumped them long ago if I wasn't limited to AT&T Uverse as my alternative which has bullshit bandwidth limits for a similar price and 1/2 the speed.
 
As others have mentioned it'll just be the same packages streaming over the internet and not the al a carte we all really want. I just hope they finally fix the issues I still have with the 300Mb internet connection slowing to 20Mb during primetime. I would have dumped them long ago if I wasn't limited to AT&T Uverse as my alternative which has bullshit bandwidth limits for a similar price and 1/2 the speed.

Yeah.

What these companies don't seem to understand is that it is not JUST the distribution method that matters. The whole model of "we select what yo get and shove it down your throat" is no longer acceptable to consumers.

Unless consumers get full "a la carte" channel offerings, or even better, the ability to pick and choose which SHOWS they want to subscribe to, and pay only for those shows, they are just going to turn elsewhere for their content.

People WANT to pay for their content, but they want to do so without feeling used and abused, and demand flexibility. This is the new market, and cable providers, and thus channels, need to conform or die.

The cash-cow days of TV are over. They are going to actually have to fight for their customers, or go under.
 
i do think you are just asking way to much


lol

Yes, I know I am. Pretty reasonable demands, but they'll never be met. I'm fine with what I have, though. OTA, Sling occasionally, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime (I got it for shipping, streaming is an added bonus). There are a few things missing, but it's not bad. Definitely not bad enough to pay $50 more for a satellite sub.

I'd be a customer if they could offer what I want for a low price. Sling is about right, if it worked better (Xbox One app sucks, Roku is fine) and had a better selection. It's not bad right now, but it's not great.

I don't know if they'll ever go the way I want them too. But, I am fine with them not. I just won't be a customer of theirs.
 
The price was already announced somewhere and I thought it was $50 dollars with Starz and Showtime + the other channels. And this is in only one test market. Sounds lame to me.

I mean if I dropped cable and the ISP then offered me TV service over my internet I would be kinda pissed. The whole point to cut the cord is not to have to spend ... $50 dollars.

I have Google Fiber, for $120 I get a shit ton of channels + Gigabit Internet.

Time Warner keeps sending us these offers for 100mbit Internet + Epix + Voip service for $89 dollars. They are simply ... brain dead.

I promise that in the future, they will find ways to rape you guys one way or another.
 
Another thing I want to point out to you guys and this info came directly for a Google Engineer. For any ISP to offer you TV service over the internet, they have to provision your hardware to share the video bandwidth. This could be 33% to 50% of your bandwidth. So when you order this TV service over your internet connection, don't complain and cry when your download speeds are cut by a 3rd or 1/2. This could also change during prime times to even further bandwidth cuts.
 
I hope this services is better than their streaming service they give to subscribers. Buffering for days...
 
Another thing I want to point out to you guys and this info came directly for a Google Engineer. For any ISP to offer you TV service over the internet, they have to provision your hardware to share the video bandwidth. This could be 33% to 50% of your bandwidth. So when you order this TV service over your internet connection, don't complain and cry when your download speeds are cut by a 3rd or 1/2. This could also change during prime times to even further bandwidth cuts.

While you are right about IP TV using bandwidth, you have to take the different telco technicians' trash talk with a pinch of salt. Where I work, I get to deal with AT&T, Time Warner, Google, and various phone techs, and they all trash talk the other guys.
 
Time Warner Cable has decided to join the 21st century with plans to sell internet-based cable to cord cutters.

"Where we're headed is the ability of customers to access the complete video product without having to rent a set-top box from us," said CEO Rob Marcus on a call with analysts. He said one thing the company had to do was make sure that every channel was available for an Internet TV alternative that worked through a streaming-TV device like a Roku. Marcus said you wouldn't need a tech to install cable for you. "You can simply type in your username and password and you have video," he said.

Wait, how are they going to charge you for the cable box? Think about their starving kids!!
 
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