dropping cable

[tmetro-blu-5a1Jt6qxUNc at public.gmane.org (Tom Metro)]

Greg Rundlett (freephile) wrote:
> I simply cancelled tv.

Sure, that's an option.

I can say Comcast is doing a good job of getting me used to living
without their services. The more this happens, the better the chances
are that I and others will find alternatives and cancel their service.
(About a year ago I signed up to a 2-year contract, so I'd need to
figure out where the break-even point is on the early termination fee.)

What I'm curious to see is what will happen as the web transitions to
HTML5, and standards-based video. Take for example a channel like Comedy
Central, who not long ago pulled their content from Hulu, and now
provides full episodes on their site for many of their shows.

What's to say a future MythTV version couldn't subscribe to and download
these episodes directly from the content provider and dispense with the
cable company? (I wouldn't even mind the inclusion of commercials. This
direct model apparently makes it profitable to have just one or two
commercials per 22 minutes, instead of dozens.)

Of course many of the content providers are now fully or partially owned
by cable companies. There's even rumor that Comcast may move NBC to be
cable-only. So they'll throw up roadblocks to protect their old revenue
model. But eventually they'll hit a tipping point and the content
providers will need to go where the viewers are, or face being replaced
by low-overhead startups.

If there is enough DRM-free, standards-compliant content out there,
we'll see video appliances, like the Boxee Box, supporting this delivery
model. It'll take off with average consumers who do the math and see how
a one-time appliance purchase is way cheaper than years of basic cable.
And streaming content from Netflix and other subscription providers that
play nice with the standards will provide the equivalent of premium
channels.

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/