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Old 07-15-2012, 10:49 PM
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Default Finally Time for A La Carte Television?

Okay, I'm squeezing this into the Media forum because I think it's the best fit. If we don't like here, suggest somewhere else...

The ongoing fight between DirecTV and Viacom is only the latest in disputes between networks and distributors. Distributors bundle television networks into packages we purchase for viewing. Networks may have several channels. Viacom, for example, had 26 on the DirecTV system. I wouldn't call any of the Viacom channels a "must have" for me. A handful might be the extent of their quality channels in my opinion.

Problem is that I can't purchase those channels separately. See, DirecTV makes a deal with Viacom to sell me all of the Viacom channels. It doesn't matter if I watch them or not. (Remember that saying? Something like 10000 channels and nothing on...) Viacom demands this sort of service from DirecTV because they make money on the subscribers. So to get CMT, I also have to get 25 other channels that I'm not going to watch.

Really, television would be a better deal for everyone (and we'd have less crap programming) if the distributors could carry the channels and sell them a la carte. The channels that don't get enough subscribers? Well they fold.

And it's not just a problem with DirecTV. Dish just lost AMC and a couple of others.
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Old 07-16-2012, 08:54 AM
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Default Re: Finally Time for A La Carte Television?

150% agree.

One of the reasons I don't bother with TV anymore, other than the unbelievable biased (both ways) news shows that have been come Drama Central IMO, is the absurdity of the programming packages. No, I really don't want some of the drivel, I want NatGeo, History, Discovery, weather, and maybe a netwrk channel from each coast.... do I really need to pay $100 a month just to get those?

As with many things, by bundling what people do want with the garbage, they can charge more. I really don't see them doing a la carte any time soon, unfortunately.

So I just don't bother watching at all.
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Old 07-16-2012, 11:01 AM
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Default Re: Finally Time for A La Carte Television?

cnn, bbc, msnbc, comedy central, pbs. Maybe AMC or TCM. Thats all I care about.
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Old 07-16-2012, 11:20 AM
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Default Re: Finally Time for A La Carte Television?

It's been time for it for a loooong time.

I didn't have any TV provider for some time, but when bought my house in the middle of bum**** this year, I had to get satellite internet. That meant a limit on what I could watch online as well as slow streaming speeds. So, I went ahead and got satellite TV.

I have a gazillion channels that NEVER watch. And, I don't even get some of the channels that I watch the most (abc, nbc, cbs, and fox). I pay $100/month to have access to about 10 channels that I watch. And, I just lost one of them with the viacom bull****. It's so ****ing stupid.

So, I pay 100 a month for LESS than 10 channels and to NOT be able to watch 5 of my favorite channels.
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Old 07-18-2012, 09:19 AM
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Default Re: Finally Time for A La Carte Television?

Past time in my opinion. Heck I would prefer no channels and just pay by the show. Kind of like Netflix.
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Old 07-18-2012, 01:02 PM
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Default Re: Finally Time for A La Carte Television?

Since CNN has become more centrist I spend most of my time there and on C-SPAN. Netflix covers the rest nicely for me,great movies,history and documentaries as well.I prefer "commercial free" tv shows like West Wing and many crime/forensic programs that I enjoy are commercial free,no need to fast forward through them!. With Netflix,we already have A La Carte Television..
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Old 07-18-2012, 01:10 PM
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Default Re: Finally Time for A La Carte Television?

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Originally Posted by Mikeyy View Post
cnn, bbc, msnbc, comedy central, pbs. Maybe AMC or TCM. Thats all I care about.
I might add the history channel
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Old 07-18-2012, 01:15 PM
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Default Re: Finally Time for A La Carte Television?

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Originally Posted by Spencer Collins View Post
Since CNN has become more centrist I spend most of my time there and on C-SPAN. Netflix covers the rest nicely for me,great movies,history and documentaries as well.I prefer "commercial free" tv shows like West Wing and many crime/forensic programs that I enjoy are commercial free,no need to fast forward through them!. With Netflix,we already have A La Carte Television..
That's what I was doing. But now with satellite internet, I can't do it anymore.
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Old 07-18-2012, 01:22 PM
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Default Re: Finally Time for A La Carte Television?

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Originally Posted by rivrrat View Post
That's what I was doing. But now with satellite internet, I can't do it anymore.
Hopefully...in time you will be back on the high speed grid. It took years for me to get a pipeline connection at my other home in the sticks,now my renters enjoy what I never had.I have high speed here at the condo and Netflix has really expanded their selections after all that bad pr over prices.
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