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How much does a cable box really cost? The industry would prefer you don't ask

latimes.com

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Re: How much does a cable box really cost? The industry would prefer you don't ask

#3
I would really like to buy a box that was sophisticated enough to cache which channels I have and what is showing on those channels. They all seem to do a very slow refresh every time I switch between menus.

It's now a distant memory being able to switch between channels instantly. I should at least be able to page through the menus quickly.

Re: How much does a cable box really cost? The industry would prefer you don't ask

#4
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

Re: How much does a cable box really cost? The industry would prefer you don't ask

#5
I have the same reaction every time I read about any cable company, and that's, "WTF are you all still giving them your money for?!"

They have a monopoly on a dying service you literally don't need at all, and most people hate having to deal with them. The pricing and contracts are antagonistic to customers. Is it just momentum at this point?

Re: How much does a cable box really cost? The industry would prefer you don't ask

#6
post #3

I would really like to buy a box that was sophisticated enough to cache which channels I have and what is showing on those channels. They all seem to do a very slow refresh every time I switch between menus. It's now a distant memory being able to switch between channels instantly. I should at least be able to page through the menus quickly.

If you have a cablecard based system you can often get a network tuner like the HD Homerun Prime and do away with the company's cable box altogether. It's what I did, and I'm pretty happy with the results - through Plex I have unlimited DVR and the ability to watch on any device. Channel switching is still slow, though...

Re: How much does a cable box really cost? The industry would prefer you don't ask

#7

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

This article should be switched to an alternative that doesn't have restrictive geofilters or removed.

Re: How much does a cable box really cost? The industry would prefer you don't ask

#9
post #5

I have the same reaction every time I read about any cable company, and that's, "WTF are you all still giving them your money for?!" They have a monopoly on a dying service you literally don't need at all, and most people hate having to deal with them. The pricing and contracts are antagonistic to customers. Is it just momentum at this point?

In the US, cable companies are generally the only source of high-speed internet, and they sometimes charge a higher sticker price to provide internet-only service vs. bundling with TV service.

Re: How much does a cable box really cost? The industry would prefer you don't ask

#10

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

This article should be switched to an alternative that doesn't have restrictive geofilters or removed.

Agree.

It's becoming rather farcical that I may have to use Tor to browse from ... a European IP.

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