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Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

businessinsider.com

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Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#41

Post by MagicWishMonkey »

clentaminator wrote: post #32
RHSeeger wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't forget that, as a non-sports-watcher, you get to pay a fee to subsidize all the sports channels you don't watch. It's not even the cost of the channels, per se... you get the extra "regional sports surcharge" on top of that.

I never knew about that, so thanks. This is a significant argument against the traditional cable model, at least for me. Are there other genres (for want of a better term) where this applies?

It's around $6/month per subscriber - http://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/how-much-cable-subscribers-pay-...

Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#42

Post by KJasper »

clentaminator wrote: post #28

Aside from ads, freedom of choice with respect to just what you watch seem to be the other key motivator. With the capability of streaming and on-demand services, why would any consumer put up with having to choose any channel with a fixed programming schedule? I almost certainly don't want to watch what you're trying to sell. No other industry seems to operate in this manner. When it comes to books, games, music, et…

Most push media work exactly like tv. Magazines and newspapers have ads in between the content and don't forget about radio that works exactly the same.

Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#43

Post by darkr »

jackgavigan wrote: post #10

It astounds me how much US TV airtime is devoted to adverts - roughly 18 minutes out of every hour, AFAIK (plus any split-screen advertising shenanigans). In the UK, (outside the BBC, which doesn't have adverts) TV broadcasters are limited to an overall average of 7 minutes per hour, with limits of 12 minutes for any individual clock hour (which drops to 8 minutes during primetime). The BBC's Natural History unit del…

I also find it astounding that people pay $50-60/month for a cable service that is 30% adverts.

At that ratio, the cable service should be paying them.

Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#44

Post by stonogo »

rrego wrote: post #35
gtk40 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same thing with Charter for me. They constantly try to sell me a $7/month addon that will give access to over-the-air channels through cable. I got that with a >$10 HD antenna, so I'm not sure what the value would be. (and I've barely used that...)

I've been trying to (unsuccessfully) research why OTA broadcasts of channels exist in the first place. Why do/would these networks provide their service for free? I thought transmissions were to be encrypted. Am I missing something?

Ads.

Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#45

Post by icefox »

RHSeeger wrote: post #31
clentaminator wrote: post #28

Aside from ads, freedom of choice with respect to just what you watch seem to be the other key motivator. With the capability of streaming and on-demand services, why would any consumer put up with having to choose any channel with a fixed programming schedule? I almost certainly don't want to watch what you're trying to sell. No other industry seems to operate in this manner. When it comes to books, games, music, et…

Don't forget that, as a non-sports-watcher, you get to pay a fee to subsidize all the sports channels you don't watch. It's not even the cost of the channels, per se... you get the extra "regional sports surcharge" on top of that.

At least Verizon FIOS in the Boston area lets you opt-out of all sports channels so you are not charged this fee.

Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#46

Post by benten10 »

clentaminator wrote: post #28

Aside from ads, freedom of choice with respect to just what you watch seem to be the other key motivator. With the capability of streaming and on-demand services, why would any consumer put up with having to choose any channel with a fixed programming schedule? I almost certainly don't want to watch what you're trying to sell. No other industry seems to operate in this manner. When it comes to books, games, music, et…

2 points. I won't speak for myself, but from what I've gathered from friends:

1. A lot of people seem to like video ads. Movie ads specially tell you 'whats hot', and general ads put you 'in the loop' so to speak. I've tried to install ABV for a couple of people who won't let me because they actually like ads (as in youtube, not the shiny bright popups). This may be true for more people than HN crowd would assume.

2. One of the biggest problems I have with non-cable is that I need to think. When I'm with friends, we spend a very considerable amount of time trying to agree on what we want to watch, and often end up watching some stupid cute cat video because we couldn't decide. TV solves that. Perhaps if cable were referred to as 'a curated platform of best video content, being streaming 24/7', the conception would change?

Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#47

Post by sosuke »

rrego wrote: post #35
gtk40 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same thing with Charter for me. They constantly try to sell me a $7/month addon that will give access to over-the-air channels through cable. I got that with a >$10 HD antenna, so I'm not sure what the value would be. (and I've barely used that...)

I've been trying to (unsuccessfully) research why OTA broadcasts of channels exist in the first place. Why do/would these networks provide their service for free? I thought transmissions were to be encrypted. Am I missing something?

My gut thought is to look at it like radio. Radio won't go away because it only has 1 channel (AM) because it is a broadcast service. No infrastructure between the signal and you. Emergency services for example. More than that though TV and radio OTA broadcasts are something that should continue, there is 0 config, you just tune into the frequency and you get the message.

Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#48

Post by throwaway049 »

rrego wrote: post #35
gtk40 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same thing with Charter for me. They constantly try to sell me a $7/month addon that will give access to over-the-air channels through cable. I got that with a >$10 HD antenna, so I'm not sure what the value would be. (and I've barely used that...)

I've been trying to (unsuccessfully) research why OTA broadcasts of channels exist in the first place. Why do/would these networks provide their service for free? I thought transmissions were to be encrypted. Am I missing something?

In the UK we have several free OTA channels. The commercial ones are funded mainly by advertising and by being available to all they can offer potentially more eyeballs to advertisers.

Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#49

Post by JoeAltmaier »

benten10 wrote: post #46
clentaminator wrote: post #28

Aside from ads, freedom of choice with respect to just what you watch seem to be the other key motivator. With the capability of streaming and on-demand services, why would any consumer put up with having to choose any channel with a fixed programming schedule? I almost certainly don't want to watch what you're trying to sell. No other industry seems to operate in this manner. When it comes to books, games, music, et…

2 points. I won't speak for myself, but from what I've gathered from friends: 1. A lot of people seem to like video ads. Movie ads specially tell you 'whats hot', and general ads put you 'in the loop' so to speak. I've tried to install ABV for a couple of people who won't let me because they actually like ads (as in youtube, not the shiny bright popups). This may be true for more people than HN crowd would assume. 2.…

I believe crowd-sourcing 'what to watch' will drive you to the lowest common denominator (cat videos). Instead, we take turns choosing. And live with what the other guys choose because, well, that's called being social. Its not too awfully painful to watch a costume drama once in a while.

Re: Cable companies have started showing fewer ads because of Netflix

#50

Post by sosuke »

benten10 wrote: post #46
clentaminator wrote: post #28

Aside from ads, freedom of choice with respect to just what you watch seem to be the other key motivator. With the capability of streaming and on-demand services, why would any consumer put up with having to choose any channel with a fixed programming schedule? I almost certainly don't want to watch what you're trying to sell. No other industry seems to operate in this manner. When it comes to books, games, music, et…

2 points. I won't speak for myself, but from what I've gathered from friends: 1. A lot of people seem to like video ads. Movie ads specially tell you 'whats hot', and general ads put you 'in the loop' so to speak. I've tried to install ABV for a couple of people who won't let me because they actually like ads (as in youtube, not the shiny bright popups). This may be true for more people than HN crowd would assume. 2.…

Number 2 is true and very frustrating. I'd like to have a Netflix channel option. Sci-fi channel, horror channel etc. Did you ever call up someone else and tell them to turn to a channel then share in the same experience?
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