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  Geebo 10:59 am on March 1, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cord cutting, streaming ( 9 ), YouTube ( 6 ), YouTube TV   

  YouTube offers new TV service. What’s the catch? 

  

  YouTube recently announced that they would be getting into the broadcast TV game by revealing their new service called YouTube TV. Launching later this month, YouTube TV will be offering live streaming of the four major broadcast networks along with some other cable channels for $35 a month. A major component that separates YouTube TV from its competitors is that it will be offering unlimited cloud DVR storage to record your favorite shows. That’s not to say that YouTube TV doesn’t have some drawbacks.

  Among some of these drawbacks is the fact that it’s missing most of the popular cable networks. Channels like AMC and Comedy Central will not be available through YouTube TV. Another drawback is that YouTube TV will not be available on all devices at first. At launch the service will be available on mobile devices and Google’s Chromecast, but if you use a device like a Roku or Apple TV you’ll be waiting a while to get the service.

  The price also seems a little steep for cord cutters. While $35 is much cheaper than most cable plans it’s a lot more money than successful streaming services like Netflix and Hulu that most cord cutters already use.

  Lastly, it all comes down to your personal use. If you can live with the small amount of channels being offered by YouTube TV then it might be for you, plus it has the backbone of Google behind it since they own YouTube. That could provide a more reliable stream than most other streaming services.

   

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  Geebo 11:11 am on November 30, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cable ( 5 ), cord cutting, government ( 2 ), Netflix ( 15 ), taxes ( 8 )   

  Some towns considering a Netflix tax 

  

  Did you ever notice that when it comes to cable options you’re pretty limited to one cable company in your area? That’s because municipalities usually enter into exclusivity arrangements with cable companies. This is why one town can have Comcast while the next town over could have Time Warner or Cox. Of course these agreements can be financial boons for many cities.

  These exclusivity agreements have been going on since the advent of cable TV. This lack of competition is also why cable companies feel they can charge outrageous monthly fees for a ton of channels that you will hardly ever use. Fast forward to today and the landscape of paid entertainment content has vastly changed. Services like Netflix have led many former cable customers to cut the cord. This means that many cities and towns aren’t getting the same financial benefit since cable subscriptions are down. In order to make up the lost revenue many municipalities are considering a ‘Netflix tax’.

  Glendale, Santa Barbara, Stockton, and Sacramento are among the more than 40 California cities who are currently seeking guidance from municipal consultants as to how they might implement a Netflix tax.

  Unfortunately it’s the regional monopolies that these cities have created for the cable companies that has led to the cord cutting movement. Monopolies breed complacency while competition breeds innovation and lower prices. Basically these cities are considering taxing the solution to the problem they caused. If that’s not governmental bureaucracy in a nutshell I don’t know what is.

   
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  Geebo 10:08 am on October 20, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cord cutting, Google ( 29 ), Netflix ( 15 ), streaming ( 9 )   

  Google to launch its own streaming service 

  

  Google announced recently that they will be launching their own video streaming service in 2017 to compete with services like Netflix. Reports say that Google is already in talks with Disney, FOX, and CBS to feature their content. This is both good news and bad news for consumers.

  The good news is that Netflix could use some real competition. Once the darling of the cord-cutting movement Netflix has recently been shown not to have access to all the movies that users feel they should. So, if Google offers an alternative to Netflix, this could cause Netflix to step up its game. Competition and choice is usually good for consumers.

  On the other hand however, Google is entering into an already crowded industry and if Google has the same issues obtaining properties like Netflix does it could just be another service that cord-cutters may have to sign up for. Since not all the services have all the movies or TV shows, this could cause some cord-cutters to subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, Sling TV, HBO Go and now the new Google service. Since these services cost anywhere from $9.95 to $19.95 a month, the charges for these services start to add up and start to resemble the cable bill that cord-cutters were trying to escape in the first place.

  If any one can beat Netflix at its own game it’s Google with their branding and cache. Maybe we can see a time where Google and Netflix actually become complimentary with each other so we won’t see the return of outrageous bills for our entertainment.

   
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  Geebo 10:01 am on September 9, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cable ( 5 ), cord cutting, FCC ( 29 ), streaming ( 9 )   

  FCC proposal attempts to free us from the cable box 

  

  It’s no secret that cable TV is expensive and shows no sign of ever decreasing in price. The cable companies make a big chunk of that money for the rental fee they charge customers for the cable box. The cable box has been a fixture of cable TV since the late 1970s but if the FCC has their way, the cable box may be a thing of the past.

  With more people using streaming devices, like a Roku or Apple TV, the FCC wants the cable companies to allow their services to be accessed through these devices rather than exclusively through cable boxes. The FCC believes that this will allow consumers more choices for their viewing habits. The cable companies and some major TV networks oppose this idea fearing that the device makers will favor other content over the available cable content.

  With the much cheaper services, like Netflix and Hulu, many more consumers are making the choice to cut the cable in order to save money and many say that they don’t even miss their cable service. The cable companies see this as a threat to the cash cow that they’ve been milking for decades. Rather than innovate, they’d rather just keep the same system in place they’ve had for years. If it wasn’t for sports fans who have little to no choices when it comes to seeing live events the industry might have been in free fall. However, if an industry fails to innovate another one rises to take its place and cable is in that position right now. If they don’t start making more palatable choice for consumers they’ll become the modern-day equivalent of the buggy whip manufacturers.

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