US cable TV bleeds subscribers as online grows

[SpecOp9 0]

The economic downturn has US cable television companies shedding subscribers in record numbers and Americans increasingly “cutting the cord†in favor of cheaper online options, new research shows.

The findings point to a growing pool of potential customers for online services such as Hulu and Netflix and newcomers like Apple TV and Google TV, which offer lower prices and more flexibility, analysts say.

According to research firm SNL Kagan, US cable operators lost 741,000 basic video customers in the third quarter of the year, the biggest decline since it started tracking the segment in 1980.

Comcast, the largest US cable operator, lost 275,000 video subscribers during the third quarter while Time Warner Cable, the second-largest, shed 155,000 video customers in the July-September period.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-11-cable-tv-subscribers-online.html

I like how out of the bad news there is good news.

Best of times, worst of times?

[Darkhorse 1-6 16]

You should get your facts a bit straighter next time. The main reason for the "cord cutting" is to save money. A lot of the people they lost were subscribers who's initial discounts recently stopped and didn't have the money for the higher prices. A large portion of them don't have internet either. Its simply that american families are enjoying spending time with their families over watching tv. Well, that and a lot of people just don't see tv or internet as a necessity anymore. Plus the recession.

[HyperU2 11]

I just don't see anything worthwhile on TV. I get my news hours faster by being online. The worst part of it for me is I generally work second shift, which means I get home at 11pm and am up until 6 or 7 in the morning. That gives me about 2hrs of shows and 5hrs of infomercials.

[vilas 473]

TV stupify people

Dance with Stars, love series , Bold and Beauty... Venezuealan soap-love-operas, crminal series ...

all make people stupid, ambitious and brain-use movies are not present... scientific programs only in Discovery , moral-aspect-dramas movies are not present

i almost don't watch TV , from time to time if there is ambitious movie, old movie

in past there were movies like 12 Angry man, now all the time no-brain-shit is on TV

if i count how many hours in week i see TV , it is maby few hours - tv news , discovery, some movie (comedy or drama or documentary)

there are many well educated people who not have TV at all , cause they know that in many cases TV news manipulate info, lie, turns upside-down informations

better read good literature (especially Russian literature from XIX century as Dostoyevsky, XX c. Bulhakov) than watch stupid TV

[Darkhorse 1-6 16]

I try to read more than watch tv, but certain shows just call to me, such as M*A*S*H, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Battlestar Galactica, and a few others. I do watch the history channel when I have no books to read and the weather is crappy. (almost every day this month unfortunately.)

I will admit I do feel that internet is a necessity. With all the projects I'm working on, all the people I know, and the price of a cell phone bill, the internet is almost invaluable. With internet you have a tv, a "game station", a phone, and a lot more, so I can see why some people might end up giving up their tv subscription for an internet subscription.

[nettrucker 142]

hi there

I agree with Vilas 100 %. I don't watch TV for more than over ten years now. My time is too valuable to invest in watching stupid television programs. The level of intellectual good tv programs don't exist here in Italy. Italian TV sucks big time. When I'm visiting my relatives in Germany I'm exclusively watching documentary channels which are really great.

kind regards

[KEVINMGXP 20]

I gave up on tv to, but i'm not living in america, i'm from belgium. the reason why i gave up on it is because it is stupid money and i dont wana pay for commercials eather, the movies i can buy them and watch them where ever and when ever i want if i own them.

Like Darkhorse 1-6 said already, my PC is like a TV station and a Music station, also i play a game on it read the paper online watch a DVD anything of entertainment is provided on a PC and over the internet ....

I have no need to pay for cable television, there for it is stupid money that i can safe up for other stuff. For my daugther i have like an antenna for the regular stations that you can pick off out of the air, and a dvd set for her to watch kids movies out of that the TV is almost off all the time ...

Darkhorse 1-6, Band of Brothers huh ;-) nice the same thing here btw a little off topic i'm planning to get The Pacific how is that serie? you can answer that on PM if you want.

regards

[Ulanthorn 10]

I gave up on TV in the late 90's due to too much stupid US-TV series.

I lately had to learn that german made ones are even worse since im engaged with a women who still has a TV and is into this trivial love series.

[vilas 473]

i live in country (oppose to You that spoken here) which turn from so called socialism (no value for commerce) into commerce worship

so i can observe how TV changed

many people in my country see it as a problem

first TV was giving a lot of intellectual stuff like scientific programs for teenagers, theater, dramas, psychological dramas, all what we call "movie of moral problems",

due to commerce all turned to pink commercial shit for mainstream

program with rock was replaced by program with disco

program with classic movie replaced by disco

scientific, maths, physics broadcast replaced by dancing

great theater replaced by "shoot and naked boobs"

why ?

usual men is not IQ 120

they want naked woman, shooting rambo, shooting bruce willys, dancing singer, dancing actress

what would be best for mainstream ?

dancing naked boobs singer with shooting from UZI actorr after solarium and with good muscles

what mainstream hate ? (cause it makes their brain hurt)

beard/mustache old professor saying about equations <<< this was our TV in past ca. 3-6 PM

at 8 PM there was theater (modern or classic , ancient, west, east etc.)

what was previously in TV ? Dostoevsky, Shakespeare , Balzac, Molier, Kurosawa, Antonioni :)

what is now ? Rambo, dancing with stars, love in sunny beach :(

Edited November 30, 2010 by vilas

[Ulanthorn 10]

I think it is a misinterpretation that men with a IQ above 120 do not like naked women. They just like them better dressed before they go naked ;)

[vilas 473]

heheh , of course it was short joke (i also love naked girls) but not stupifying society (cause then they vote for liars)

or maybe it is whole issue - to have idiots voting for liars ???

but now i see TV is more for IQ 90 than 120

and it is sad for me, cause it makes people low when it comes to world culture, now teenager, 25 years old men do not know who is Kurosawa, Balzac, Antonioni, Bulhakov, Dostoyevsky or even what is (greeeeeat for me ) 12 angry man

even our own Quo Vadis is not such known as another rambo-like serie or dancing actress (which even not finished university of art or literature),

nice boobs women, sportsmen is now more important in TV than professors who wrote many scientific books :/

when it comes to this issue , our TV turned 180 degrees

when i was young i watched "Sonda" "Laboratory" "TV Theatre" now i have TV turned off for week or more , when i open it, only for Discovery or OldMovies

i just cant stand Dancing with Stars, L aka Love, New Love, Love in neighborhood...

i remember voice of one professor (sociologist, philosophy) he said : "goal of intelligent people is to lead mob to something more valuable and found answers" while TV do it oposite way

one politician confessed "role of TV is to keep frustrated people in homes, to not connect to each others and start rebellion"

thats why my neighbors watch 6 hours daily L like Love, New Love in town, Bold and Beauty, Dancing Actress, Dancing Stars, Singing actress ... dreaming to be like them (living in palace) and working 12 hours for 400 Euro

probably Lenin said - intelligence is curse of gods

so the more stupid people - the easier to cheat them and make them follow , they not know a thing, they are promised before voting day, they vote, and you have 4 years of being in rule broking what you promissed and lie again and ... they eat shit, they watch shit, they became shit , using stomach not brain , buying all shit you produce (what for to have a "new supper t-shirt with happy horse photo" if you have t-shirt and you not feel cold ? cause other 7 y.o. girls in class will beat you if you not have it , every tooth past is "the best" , so how can all be the best ???)

if they would think - they would say they must change world ;] if not think - they will stay in home for 6 hours eating shit and thinking how to work harder to buy "new super toy which make you so popular in the class" or "how i would like to have Latino lover while my husband is white and blond" "what a beauty dance of this actress"

Edited November 30, 2010 by vilas

[max power 21]

TV is aimed no higher than the minds of pubescents. They want teens to be entertained and establish a viewership that matures into a consumer base later. To create these habits in young people is very important. If TV is aimed above their heads, it will not foster the same kind of consumer loyalty.

[vilas 473]

but i said what WAS TV before in my country (it really turned 180 degrees, almost all science programs were deleted and replaced by dance-quizz :/ when i was young in TV i watched equations and science and history broadcast and classic literature )

in past we almost had no commercials in TV !!! now 15 minutes every half hour

it is sad that it is aimed only in consumer, not as teacher role to teach and make brains bigger and moral issues of dramas /theater/classic literature etc.

teaching is always hard role, but idiotism should be fought, not supported

if TV is falling down - i can only congratulate people , they took books, they make sport, they meet each other , they spend more time on doing researches themselves

Edited November 30, 2010 by vilas

[mosh 0]

when i was young in TV i watched equations and science and history broadcast and classic literature

Same thing over here. While I do believe there are a few channels that still promote learning, there's 500 more that don't. Back when I was younger there was only 7 channels and at least 3 would have educational shows every morning. Now I have 500+ to pick from that are mostly crap with nothing but reality shows and talk shows.

Discovery Channel, Science Channel, National Geographic Channel, Military Channel, History Channel, etc... and ESPN. That's about all I watch regularly.

But as far as so many people leaving cable companies, I also agree with whoever said it's more to do with the economy that anything else. Believe me, If I get hungry, the cable goes first.

[vilas 473]

i thougth that it came only to us after 1989 with commerce, so i had thought it was in your countries all the time like this

i thought that west culture (US specially afer 50s) is only rambo and bold and beautiful and gangsta rap (cause all value movies like 12 Angry Man, Moby Dick etc. are black-white Gregory Peck, or some first color movies )

i do not meant to sound disrespecting, but i always connected all shit that came with mainstream and commerce with all what we have in TV today (Bold and Beauty, Dancing with Stars, Stars on Ice, See they singing, stupid quizzes, all rambo-like movies on and on and on, 80% of series are US made here , of course there was super Kojak, Streets of S.F. , Dirty Harry, but all those Prison Cell or those CSI etc. on and on and on and on are US , while classic theater is now not present at all and to watch classic drama you must go and pay 50/60 PLN to theater )

i am surprised what you wrote that also you see TV failing into pink shit

But as far as so many people leaving cable companies, I also agree with whoever said it's more to do with the economy that anything else. Believe me, If I get hungry, the cable goes first.

shame, it should go with brain, not economy reason, unless cable tv do not have some scientific or historic or sociology or literature channels ;)

i don't say anyone to hear opera music - its not for me too , my girl visits opera and theater every week, i am metalhead

but read classic literature and grow brain is must in my opinion :) not reading Harlequins

most of those mainstream watchers never read 2-4 novels from XIX century (i believe that everyone should try to read Crime and Punishment - Dostoevsky, Master and Margarita - Bulgakov and some more , even Quo Vadis by Sienkiewicz, just like in school i read French literature like Molier or Le Miserables, English classic, Hemingway, Little Prince )

noone need to read it 10 times, but at least once to know some of it

work less - more time in life spend reading, listening to music - fighting economy, but LIVING

6 hours instead of work 12 - lie on bed and read novels listening to music - it should be life , to invest in soul and mind , not in being tool like in Matrix 1

and i found it really confusing when people almost get stroke to argue who should win Dancing with Stars saying names that i don't recognize (so called mainstream actors who play in soap-operas "L like Love" "new love in town" "time for love" )

people not watch global economy dangers, they not see law enforcement dangers, they know who dance, who sleep with each other

serious life problems like "do i have job, what will be taxes, what will happen in hospital if i will have accident, what is foreign politics of my country, how my country reacted on something" are smashed by "will Tom sleep with Claudia, will Anna will f** Steven" :(

Edited November 30, 2010 by vilas

[Ulanthorn 10]

In germany you have to pay a TV-fee if you own one...the GEZ has "inspectors" that lurk around the nighbourhood looking for fee refusers like me. Thank god they dont have any special rights, but they are pesky enought right now.

the fee ist 5.76 for PC with internet connection (because you can look tv or listen Radio over Internet in gerrmany)

and 17,98 a month for TV.

I have fun with them for like 10 years now, once a year I have a letter in the box.

GEZ website

[mosh 0]

i thougth that it came only to us after 1989 with commerce, so i had thought it was in your countries all the time like this

i thought that west culture (US specially afer 50s) is only rambo and bold and beautiful and gangsta rap (cause all value movies like 12 Angry Man, Moby Dick etc. are black-white Gregory Peck, or some first color movies )

i do not meant to sound disrespecting, but i always connected all shit that came with mainstream and commerce with all what we have in TV today (Bold and Beauty, Dancing with Stars, Stars on Ice, See they singing, stupid quizzes, all rambo-like movies on and on and on, 80% of series are US made here , of course there was super Kojak, Streets of S.F. , Dirty Harry, but all those Prison Cell or those CSI etc. on and on and on and on are US , while classic theater is now not present at all and to watch classic drama you must go and pay 50/60 PLN to theater )

i am surprised what you wrote that also you see TV failing into pink shit

I wasn't saying we didn't start the whole mess, we make the stupidest shows ever now, but it just wasn't always this way. TV was much different here as a kid for me also.

Then again, as a kid... we went outside and played. I really didn't watch much TV growing up.

[vilas 473]

commercial TV stations have billions from commercials, they not need any money from us

they have serious billions from this 15 minutes commercial break every half hour or 10 minutes every 20 minutes

if their bosses have own helicopters - they are not poor , they won't get my single cent :)

---------- Post added at 02:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:31 PM ----------

I wasn't saying we didn't start the whole mess, we make the stupidest shows ever now, but it just wasn't always this way. TV was much different here as a kid for me also.

Then again, as a kid... we went outside and played. I really didn't watch much TV growing up.

good for your spine, for your eyes, for your heart

spending time by TV is equal getting ill, fat , lazy :)

if there was good weather we played football on grass under block

we were climbing trees, always in group of stupid jokers, but TV was for bad weather only or for education to school (math, physics) :]

but as i said above quoting one politician - they won't allow masses to be wise

cause real sense of life should not be fight and race, but cooperation and being happy (for example work less, spend time reading, listening to music, making sport, sex , sightsee, painting, taking photos)

[KEVINMGXP 20]

commercial TV stations have billions from commercials, they not need any money from us

they have serious billions from this 15 minutes commercial break every half hour or 10 minutes every 20 minutes

if their bosses have own helicopters - they are not poor , they won't get my single cent :)

---------- Post added at 02:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:31 PM ----------

good for your spine, for your eyes, for your heart

spending time by TV is equal getting ill, fat , lazy :)

if there was good weather we played football on grass under block

we were climbing trees, always in group of stupid jokers, but TV was for bad weather only or for education to school (math, physics) :]

but as i said above quoting one politician - they won't allow masses to be wise

cause real sense of life should not be fight and race, but cooperation and being happy (for example work less, spend time reading, listening to music, making sport, sex , sightsee, painting, taking photos)

sorry but you can't define it to be the poloticians foult that people are sitting before the tube like 24 hours a day, they have a mind for them selves. Although i find politics lately a joke for the intier world some things are just miss treatened by the end user it selves.

I can sit before the tube and stuff my self with candy or,

I can Go out side jog, take a walk in the park, or do something with my family.

but there will always be people that are sitting before the tube all day! You can blame a lot of things on politicians but this lol common now ... So the guy next to me is stuffing hes stommage with nasty food sitting for the tube "yeah" the prime minister did it! hes stuffing him selves hes sitting before the tube the intier dam day, its like when your adicted to Arma II and say BI did it because they made a cool game :D and there goal was to make ones life misareble without it :confused:

sorry i can't aggree on pointing fingers towards politics AGAIN ...

that television is not giving a good example on a lot of things i want to aggree on that, but don't blame politics for it! the people deside for there own to watch or dont watch the rubische on the tube :rolleyes:

regards.

Edited November 30, 2010 by KBourne
Gramma

[vilas 473]

no - politicians shape something - to have people follow and obey

they do all to make people stupid, people if forced to learn - learn

if forced to be better - became

if giving stupidity - also

managing society is choosing way it goes - you give them nice pink shit - they will eat it

you give them kick in brain "think fools" ,many of them will start

if there was no such stupid dance-shows and love-series, what would do people ?

go to visit each other and find "ooops your husband was cheated by bank, oops my was cheated too, and my aunt too" and milions would say "we must make our gov. to care for us"

instead they sit in home (dreaming about better life) watching dancing actress

turn of TV for month, meet people - you will see how many problems are in world, not only beauty actress with big palace with handsome Latino and blue sea (specially in poor countries)

in rich countries maybe TV play other role

in poor countries it makes frustrated people sit in home, get fat by mc shit, work more, want less and die buying cheap shit and not FIGHT for rights and NOT be informed about bribes, corruption, poverty, homeless, unemployed, bank frauds, big companies frauds etc.

[max power 21]

but i said what WAS TV before in my country (it really turned 180 degrees, almost all science programs were deleted and replaced by dance-quizz :/ when i was young in TV i watched equations and science and history broadcast and classic literature )

in past we almost had no commercials in TV !!! now 15 minutes every half hour

it is sad that it is aimed only in consumer, not as teacher role to teach and make brains bigger and moral issues of dramas /theater/classic literature etc.

teaching is always hard role, but idiotism should be fought, not supported

if TV is falling down - i can only congratulate people , they took books, they make sport, they meet each other , they spend more time on doing researches themselves

Adolescents learn all day in school. I guess the thinking is they don't want to come home watch school on TV. TV isn't even aimed at their consumers- but at capturing future consumers. They only need to stimulate their actual consumers enough to keep the habits they established in their childhood going.

[vilas 473]

Adolescents learn all day in school. I guess the thinking is they don't want to come home watch school on TV. TV isn't even aimed at their consumers- but at capturing future consumers. They only need to stimulate their actual consumers enough to keep the habits they established in their childhood going.

i understand this, but i complete disagree with this commerce philosophy

cause people souls should be shaped, not consumer behaviour, also TV has other goal in some countries - to make people BLIND

i said it in post before (previous site)

[mrcash2009 0]

Dont worry a new form of fee and moving people online more and more like a carrot on on stick will come soon enough via the "web".

[nodunit 397]

I try to read more than watch tv, but certain shows just call to me, such as M*A*S*H, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Battlestar Galactica, and a few others. I do watch the history channel when I have no books to read and the weather is crappy. (almost every day this month unfortunately.)

Yeah History, Discovery and Animal planet are the only ones I watch these days, everything else I can feel my brain cells dieing as I watch them, double for when I go to my friends house whose boyfriend for whatever reason loves to watch Icarly..*shudders*. How can people watch this stuff.

On a different note have you seen the WWII in HD series?

[vilas 473]

probably on CoD/MoH/CS forums public will say opposite

BIS users are definitely elite