Article cites OTA, alternatives in mini-exodus from pay TV

[Don_M]

Here are another 800,000 reasons why Genachowski and Co. may wish to reconsider squashing broadcast TV in general... and killing OTA HD in particular:

Nearly 800,000 U.S. TV households 'cut the cord,' report says

Nearly 800,000 households in the U.S. have "cut the cord," dumping their cable, satellite, or telco TV providers (such as AT&T U-verse or Verizon FiOS) and turning instead to Web-based videos (like Hulu), downloadable shows (iTunes), by-mail subscription services (Netflix), or even good ol' over-the-air antennas for their favorite shows, according to the report.

Now, as TechCrunch points out, the estimated 800,000 cord cutters represent less than 1 percent of the 100 million U.S. households (give or take) currently subscribing to a cable/satellite/telco TV carrier, so it's not like we're talking a mass exodus here. But by the end of 2011, the report guesstimates, the number of cord-cutting households in the U.S. will double to about 1.6 million, and if the trend continues, well...

The TechCrunch report on this topic later clarified the number, saying that the 800,000-household total was cumulative from the past two years.

If their estimates are accurate, that would mean 200,000 households in 2008, followed by 600,000 last year... and another 1 million this year. Looks like "cord cutters" just might become a growth industry!

 

[Jason Fritz]

How about that!

Need some polls to confirm why people are moving away from OTA.

I have a feeling that this trend will continue with the influx of new (and some not so new) media devices like, smart phones, pdas, tablets (iPad), LAN connected TVs, and programming available through online.

 

[Jason Fritz]

Front Page @ Yahoo. Nearly 800,000 U.S. TV households 'cut the cord,' report says - Yahoo! News

 

[Piggie]

I would say if you take this report and the one Bicker cites http://www.dtvusaforum.com/general-...imetime-broadcast-television-audience-go.html I find one thing I keep saying.

OTA digital is being full frontal attacked and it's not yet been a year since analog cutoff (wrongly named the digital transition). I think it should be allowed to run 10 years to see what happens.

First the frequency grabbers haven't even built out the 700 MHz auction band to know they are out of room. Two if we give them all of TV bands, still very soon they will be out of room with no one left to grab more spectrum from. Then what?

Two things need to happen. See how OTA does at least over the next 10 years. Left the data users figure out more efficient ways to bring higher speed to more users with their existing frequencies. One way talked about 20 some years ago was very high UHF (often called microwave) with very short range cells. No bigger than a block in size. Thus allowing the same frequencies to be used over and over. Very directional antennas which are possible at those frequencies like spot beam satellite has done with the higher frequencies.

If we just give them all the last of the spectrum there will be no market motivation to improve their delivery of their services. Much like the analogy of those that right code for dedicated processors (the iPad for example) vs the desktop PC with tons more processing power, but much more verbose code to accomplish the same thing. Or the analog of higher energy costs make people spend more insulation for their homes.

I say giving the data people all the spectrum will actually stifle market innovations and market driven solutions. After all once they use up all the RF, then they have two choices. Make it very expensive to get wireless data, or move to new ways to deliver more data on the same amount of spectrum allocation.

 

[Don_M]

I say giving the data people all the spectrum will actually stifle market innovations and market driven solutions. After all once they use up all the RF, then they have two choices. Make it very expensive to get wireless data, or move to new ways to deliver more data on the same amount of spectrum allocation.

You've expressed some deeply held suspicions of mine. To the broadband concerns at whose feet Genachowski repeatedly genuflects, another spectrum grab represents cover for all the advertising promises they cannot possibly fulfill. Problem is, it's like a desert mirage -- those tantalizing, cool pools of water that are always just beyond reach up ahead. By trying to be everything to everybody, they may ultimately end up being nothing and nobody.

Gee, I've seen this movie before...

Now I remember! They sound exactly like the cable companies used to when they were BSing franchise authorities left and right ca. 1980-85!

Reporters' inside joke from back then:

Q. How can you tell when the cable rep is lying?

A. Happens every time his lips start moving.