seriously sick of crappy cable television

Mon Rominee · #1 04-20-2008, 08:29 PM

So I begrudgingly turned cable t.v. back on last Monday. I didn't want it, but felt bad after a few months of not having programming as the 5 year old liked his cartoons, and the 13 year old her share of shows...I dunno, I never found it that important to have, but whatever...I got the basic+ tier (2-99) as a part of one of those stupid package deals...I already had Voip & Web, so by getting the cable as well, I am actually saving a bit of money on the package by having held out for a decent offer.

Hell, call me cheap. Go ahead.

Now call me Captain Obvious, but sure as feces the second I get home from work the day in question, the boy is watching cartoons, and they are the same cartoons I saw when I got the t.v. turned off last time, and quite worse, the same cartoons I've been seeing for the past 3-4 years. Over and over.

Same with all the other channels. Hence my dismay.

All these channels, and nothing but redundant content. I really feel if cable companies are going to have a monopoly on delivery, and not allow you to choose channels a-la-carte then they should be FORCED, or the channels should be FORCED to provide at least a certain percentage per month or broadcast quarter of 100% new content. At LEAST 40 percent. And news doesn't count. Syndication and overlapping broadcasting for the sake of having more "stations" should be done away with. These monopolies over transmission lines that do nothing whilst making millions over millions off us by simply delivering content, redundant repeated ad nauseum content.

And all these movie packages. Ok, sure, I wanna pay an extra 20 bucks a month for all the Showtimes, so 90% of the time I have only Harry & The Hendersons or the first Airplane movie to choose from.
5 different Showtimes and they show 20 year old movies to fill up the time. Ridiculous.

I apologize for the rant, and I know it will never change because not enough people will ever put up a stink, but I just find it such a ripoff it's incomprehensible to me why I need to pay 80 bucks a month for the priveledge.

Love,
Mr Old Man Crotchety.

iamlowsound · #2 04-20-2008, 08:36 PM

That is why I don't. The Internet is wonderful.

lowsound

Mon Rominee · #3 04-20-2008, 08:41 PM

I know. I swear cable companies are in cahoots with battery companies because I swear I'm gonna burn my remote out quite often switching channels looking for something that isn't a repeat or even worth a damn.

Yeah, I really wanna watch a Moonlighting marathon. Sure.

I know I'm not helping by actually re-signing on...I realize the potential irony in my rant...I just would think the few times I turn the TV on to watch something other than a movie now I'd actually see something new and be entertained for my hard-earned bucks. I mean really. screw Tila Tequila. Honestly.

Marcury · #4 04-20-2008, 09:08 PM

there surely is a lot of garbage and redundancy, but there is some stuff worth watching too. You might want to get rid of Showtime and switch to HBO, Good original programming (although definitely not for kids) and lots of good movies if your package includes Sundance, IFC and Turner Classic. BBC-A has some good stuff too, Doctor Who and Torchwood to name two.

It's not all wasteland

Mon Rominee · #5 04-20-2008, 09:19 PM

Yeah, I know...that was why I was lamenting not being able to order channels a-la-carte.

In order to get Sundance & IFC, which I loved before I had it turned off, I'd have to get a digital package, and I can't see spending 40 bucks more a month for 2 more channels..and a bunch of crappy off-air "radio stations" when I already have Sirius, which is superior.

And I was using Showtime as an example, I don't have any movie packages. I simply cannot see the point of 5 Showtimes or 5 HBOs or whatever if it's only to show old movies over and over. It's stupid. HBO has superior original programming. Heck, Showtime's "the Tudors" was good too. But start an original programming channel. One channel.

I dunno, prolly in the minority here.

peterbright · #6 04-21-2008, 05:50 AM

Get the 200 channel package and have even more repeats.

Mon Rominee · #7 04-21-2008, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterbright

Get the 200 channel package and have even more repeats.

Why didn't I think of that? Pay more, to watch my blood pressure skyrocket and be even less entertained...damn, you're smart.

j/k man. Yeah, it's ridiculous. If I had my choice, I'd prolly pay for 10-12 channels, tops. I'd be willing to pay x-amount per channel, to completely forego 10 QVC stations...ya know?

How these "stations" get away with existing almost solely for running old content, and the occasional station defining special / series (oxygen anyone?) or simply to sell crap at higher prices than I can get online at better deals is beyond me.

MakiSupaStar · #8 04-21-2008, 02:16 PM

Ocean Force [/shameless plug]

HollowBassman · #9 04-21-2008, 02:38 PM

They need to make a cheap cable package that just has Speed, Spike, ESPN, ESPN 2, Comedy Central, and The Weather Channel.

Mon Rominee · #10 04-21-2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HollowBassman

They need to make a cheap cable package that just has Speed, Spike, ESPN, ESPN 2, Comedy Central, and The Weather Channel.

Yeah man, no doubt...glad I'm not the only one who wishes channels were a la carte. I wonder if cable companies are scared about that as far as billing, like people will add and subtract channels constantly. Well, make it an elective opportunity bi-annually. Changes and omissions twice a year only...

Johnny Crab · #11 04-21-2008, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

Yeah man, no doubt...glad I'm not the only one who wishes channels were a la carte.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Agree with this idea a lot.

After doing part of college with a TV addict(I ended up sleeping when he was awake so I could study) and spending 3 months in a hospital in traction watching sewage(motorcycle accident, 1973), I've learned to not like mass TV.

See my tagline.