[Johncv]

This little news BS from ara technica :

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...ies-blame-cablecard-for-coming-rate-hike.html

Cable rate to go up in January because of CableCARD's. This is only going to make Lawyers happy.

 

[wolflord11]

Well if this does happen, then those using Cable are going to see rising Cable Bills. Some of those that jumped from Sat to Cable just for a Series 3 Tivo might start having second thoughts.

 

[stevel]

Cable companies need an excuse to raise rates? They never have in the past... It was when TimeWarner raised my rates twice in one year that I decided I'd had enough...

 

[DocNo]

That's why when Comcast was willing to give me a two year contract on triple play with the cable cards for the S3 I jumped on it.

I've yet to see the cable companies lower their prices

 

[bicker]

True, though this does provide the cable companies enough "air cover" for at least this one price increase, shifting a good bit of the blame in the minds of many of those they get their message across to onto the shoulders of the government -- and many people are very willing to blame government for things.

 

[magnus]

Maybe some of those people should think about using OTA HD instead of cable or satellite. It's free and one of the good things about the changes that the government has made.

Well if this does happen, then those using Cable are going to see rising Cable Bills. Some of those that jumped from Sat to Cable just for a Series 3 Tivo might start having second thoughts.

 

[captain_video]

I have a HTPC with five ATSC tuners that I use solely for the purpose of recording OTA HD programming. My S3 Tivo is used for recording the rest of the channels I watch on FIOS.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

There is a thread in the Series 3 forum as well on this.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=357905

my response in that thread was

nice to see the article had both sides.. from my perspective this is the side that rings true

"But Chris Murray, senior counsel at Consumers Union in Washington, said it's convenient for cable companies to blame regulators when they've stalled about complying with the FCC rule for years. Cable operators also have had no problem raising rates regularly for various reasons.

"They raise rates three times faster than inflation every year, for more than a decade," he said. "Cable companies want to have absolute control. We don't think they should have it."

anyone that wants to go BooHoo for the cable company getting bullied by the FCC will need to have a very good reason for the quote I bolded above.

 

[HDTiVo]

"They raise rates three times faster than inflation every year, for more than a decade," [/I]

Please provide documentary evidence that cable companies have raised rates three times faster than inflation every year, for more than a decade.

Does he mean on the equipment that's been sitting in your home for years? Or does he mean when they give you more channels or the channels raise their rates?

This cableCARD thing is apparently a big expense and you bet rates are going up for it. It is a lousy, expensive solution that provides minimal benefit. The FCC, CEA and Cable are all to blame.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

This cableCARD thing is apparently a big expense and you bet rates are going up for it. It is a lousy, expensive solution that provides minimal benefit. The FCC, CEA and Cable are all to blame.

for rasing rates on someone who has had the same equipment in their house for years and not changing it at all? Recall that in those homes the cable company is allowed to replace with the same type of box. They can call it "spreading out the cost" but we all know that is just BS spin for we raise the rates on everyone and will never lower them even after the new kind of boxes are mass produced and just as cheap as the current box is.

we all know that cable raises rates for no justification, we know the cable company has studied and determined that rasing rates does not lead to mass defections to sat. and that they can do what they say in the article because at the end of the day, after all the fancy legal talk and cable company spin there is no real competition.

 

[atmuscarella]

At least they are going to raise the box rental fee and not general cable rates. This should at least give non-cable company STBs a chance to compete.

For the satellite companies all the equipment costs are know built into the cost of programing instead of being a separate cost item, so even if the FCC forced them to use a universal/open STB configuration who could build products to compete with the providers free or nearly free STBs?

Thanks,

 

[HDTiVo]

for rasing rates on someone who has had the same equipment in their house for years and not changing it at all?

That part is on the cable company.

we all know that cable raises rates for no justification, we know the cable company has studied and determined that rasing rates does not lead to mass defections to sat. and that they can do what they say in the article because at the end of the day, after all the fancy legal talk and cable company spin there is no real competition.

That's all part of being in a monopoly/oligopoly. I don't know that rates have been raised so much on equipment.* But in this case there is a justification.

*Personally, recently I have been getting more advanced boxes for the same prices as the old boxes on two entirely separate cable systems ( & companies).

 

[HDTiVo]

At least they are going to raise the box rental fee and not general cable rates. This should at least give non-cable company STBs a chance to compete.

For the satellite companies all the equipment costs are know built into the cost of programing instead of being a separate cost item, so even if the FCC forced them to use a universal/open STB configuration who could build products to compete with the providers free or nearly free STBs?

The problem with the "spread" method is that it still leaves the cable co a big advantage because the CE company has to charge full price on the CC box.

Unbundling would have to be required to reveal pricing and open competition.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

That's all part of being in a monopoly/oligopoly. I don't know that rates have been raised so much on equipment.* But in this case there is a justification.

*Personally, recently I have been getting more advanced boxes for the same prices as the old boxes on two entirely separate cable systems ( & companies).

so currently , they have been able to switch out older quipment for more expensive newer equipment without raising rates. They have known about the need for these boxes for 3 years now so this is not some out of the blue, everyone caught unawares requirement - yet for this specific newer, more expesnive equipment they need to raise rates?? sorry just not buying that there is an actual justification vs a political agenda at work here. I truly hope the political agenda backfires on the cable companies as it is just shafting the customers while trying to thwart the rule of law.

 

[HDTiVo]

so currently , they have been able to switch out older quipment for more expensive newer equipment without raising rates.

I don't know if the new equipment is more expensive than the old equipment was originally. But the new equipment provides new revenue opportunities while the switch to CC boxes doesn't. So there is some reason to treat the two cases differently.

 

[HDTiVo]

Another advantage cable co's may have is pre-installed cableCARDs.

 

[HiDefGator]

for rasing rates on someone who has had the same equipment in their house for years and not changing it at all?

Even with the same equipment in place, the content costs cable pays have gone up every year so why shouldn't yours? God I can't believe I'm taking up for cable companies now. I need a bath.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

Even with the same equipment in place, the content costs cable pays have gone up every year so why shouldn't yours? God I can't believe I'm taking up for cable companies now. I need a bath.

This is not about content but the specific statement by cable companies that in order to deal with "the cost" of cable cards in the new boxes they are considering raising the rate on everyone who pays for a cable box by 2$ or so.

This clearly makes it seem like a way to just get a rate raise while slamming the FCC for the blame. We all know that as the new cable card boxes get less expensive that this rate raise will stay in place and turn into profit for the cable company.

 

[HiDefGator]

This is not about content but the specific statement by cable companies that in order to deal with "the cost" of cable cards in the new boxes they are considering raising the rate on everyone who pays for a cable box by 2$ or so.

This clearly makes it seem like a way to just get a rate raise while slamming the FCC for the blame. We all know that as the new cable card boxes get less expensive that this rate raise will stay in place and turn into profit for the cable company.

Agreed. But I still don't blame them. I would do the same thing if the government mandated a change to my business. I would tell every customer that this cost increase was solely because of the mandated change.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

I don't know if the new equipment is more expensive than the old equipment was originally. But the new equipment provides new revenue opportunities while the switch to CC boxes doesn't. So there is some reason to treat the two cases differently.

what new revenue opportunities has a set top box produced? All I have ever seen or heard of was PPV/VOD. SDV is one possibility of adding in more channels.

I do agree that the cable cards are a cost, but every cable company is dealing with them (within the FCC waiver system)and the cost will go down over time. I just mover up to free digital cable under a bundle deal but if they try and now charge me extra before the year is up they will take the set top box back. That is my personal take on it adn I would think that other consumers who are not getting new equipemnt should also be irate at the cable companies trying to charge them more in order to play politics.