Cisco to Join Web-TV Battle on Behalf of Cable Cos

[JMcEntegart]

We’ve already heard that Microsoft will be unveiling a web-connected TV tonight during its keynote appearance. However, Microsoft isn’t the only company eager to take on Google and Apple in the living room.

Cisco to Join Web-TV Battle on Behalf of Cable Cos : Read more

 

[dark_lord69]

F*ck you Cisco!
We all need to find a good alternative to our greedy cable companies charging $80 a month for cable is total BS! and you don't even want to know how much internet costs!

 

[computerlame]

Someone finally gets it.

The vast majority of consumers in the market segment these companies have been targeting already have something like U-verse or FiOS, so why not reduce the number of devices cluttering up the entertainment area by integrating them together through the set top boxes from the cable providers?

Bravo!

 

[kinggraves]

The cablecos deserve everything they get. For decades they've abused the fact they control distribution of television programs to charge whatever they pleased, hike prices without warning, and force the customer to take channels and programs they never use. Now that there's alternatives coming out for their customers, they're struggling to compete.

Combined with a cable box? Why do I even need one? What do I need 300 channels for? Why should I be forced to get a cable box for the few channels I do want, or to have HD cable? All it's doing is descrambling what they're already sending you. An HTPC or most of these xTV devices already can have hard drives and DVR functions, as well as accept HD feeds. There would be no actual need for a cable box if the cablecos would give up their greed and just descramble their programming.

 

[computerlame]

I don't quite understand the desire to do away with the cable companies. Someone has to lay the fiber optic, etc. and maintain it that is required to connect one part of the world with another.

I do certainly wish that they were forced to allow the end users to ultimately pick and choose exactly what they want. I certainly do not need the hundreds of cable channels that are included in the bundle I have to pick in order to get the specific channels I want and am happy to stand on the hill waiving that flag with you.

But getting rid of them would be like creating your own private power grid to circumvent Edison, or setting up your own pipe lines, drilling your own oil well and building your own refinery to eliminate the gas companies in order to run your car, etc.

 

[-lukin-]

100% dittos to kinggraves. Spot on.

 

[-lukin-]

lol computerlame, I agree with your sentiments about wanting to pick and choose my own damn channels, however, just imagine the amount of smaller broadcasting companies that would lose SO much money when they realize that less than 2% of the subscriber base chose their channels...the channel bundles are where the companies make their money.

 

[Guest]

aye Comcast can suck a big fat

 

[AGPC]

Your kiding right?!

 

[falchard]

Cisco already makes all the cable boxes that are used by Cable Cos.

 

[overclockingrocks]

I'd wholeheartedly like to see an a la carte package for programming honestly. It'd be nice to say ok I'd like fox for the simpsons,family guy etc TLC and the discovery channel for educational amazing tv and then say maybe the history channel for when my itch to watch nazi hunters or WW2 in HD comes on and then throw in A&E, Spike and some stations local to ontario like CBC and CTV and then last but not least global for some extra shows I watch. I'd take a pack of basic channels then add in the few that i listed here and be complete. In all honesty I watch maybe 10 hours of tv a week max and a lot of that is sundays with new episodes and such coming out. Then when UFC is on spike and like I said family guy, the simpsons etc on fox and I'm mostly set

 

[mayankleoboy1]

why not cisco?

 

[aaron88_7]

[citation][nom]dark_lord69[/nom]F*ck you Cisco!We all need to find a good alternative to our greedy cable companies charging $80 a month for cable is total BS! and you don't even want to know how much internet costs![/citation]
Considering Cisco has played a major role in building the internet, I think they have a fairly good idea of what it costs.

If they can produce something for cable operators that is better than what Apple or Google can provide, then what is the problem?

 

[svdb]

Wow, so only 3 full years after all major TV manufacturers started selling web connected TVs in Japan we finally get to see some here in the US... lol

The operational margin of cable companies in close to that of the phone companies, in the one thousand ratio range: for one dollar charged they've spent one thousandth of a dollar. So I really don't feel sorry for them and I can totally see why more companies want a piece of that pie.