[Lindsay649]

Its a bit difficult to get used to no sim-subs on the American channels....ha ha. We are currently watching channels on Bright House Cable in the Tampa Bay area and it is interesting. No more complaints regarding the repitition of shows on various channels owned by the same companies.....it is just as bad, if not worse here. Bright Cable seems to get ads on just about every channel several times each hour plus a number of Tampa ads are inserted into many network shows each hour. For those of us tired of Roger Ads.....this cable company beats them all.
The cable company just added several new HD channels bringing their total to........wait for it......146. This includes all the premium channels etc. They are also showing 19 3D movies. Local high school basketball games are available in HD on Bright House owned channels. As to the cost....they advertise the only company that offers FREE HD as long as you subscribe to their digital counterparts. The cost for everything would be in the neighbourhood of $120 per month. But as we always say....you can only watch one channel at a time.

 

[tofinoguy]

If I am not mistaken, the major drawback to US-based cable or satellite options is the lack of network timeshifting.

 

[classicsat]

Yes, compared to Canadian systems, US providers are only allowed to provide the broadcast channels local to the system for wired systems, or the customer for satellite.

Another concept US systems generally have is "Class 2" digital channels like we got a bunch of in 2001, which many providers offered with true alacarte.
The don't even have group tiers, just progressive packages with more and more channels.

At least that is my perspective looking at their packages, from a Shaw Direct satellite customer.

 

[Lindsay649]

Generally speaking US residents are very insular and the concept of timeshifting is not a big issue. With the ever expanding use of PVRs and On-Demand the concept has little appeal and the availability of channels on local and DTH systems reduces the need.

 

[Bayguy]

Lindsay i don't know what you mean when you say "insular" that way. it makes it sound like Americans wouldn't WANT timeshifting b/c they only care about local stations but its just that most people here never know that its POSSIBLE to get other stations. The closest is HBO and Showtime where on satellite you can get the east and west feeds but no one except us who have CDN satellite systems or a few other TV-savvy people would ever think of getting LOCAL stations from another city. I'll bet if people could get other cities lots of people would want it so they could decide when to watch something.

 

[classicsat]

It is the viewers that are not voluntarily insular, it is the stations basically forcing it on them.

You see, in the USA, each station is basically an individual competitive business entity, which has exclusive rights to provide their network and syndicated programming to their market. With that, they have made the rules so that it is basically impossible for a person to receive out of market locals through a provider, when they should have their own locals at least.

 

[Bayguy]

in the USA, each station is basically an individual competitive business entity, which has exclusive rights to provide their network and syndicated programming to their market.

yes exactly and they use the NAB to make sure they protect their turf. I've heard that in Canada lots of stations are owned by the networks so they dont care which station you watch because its their's anyway.

 

[gobisbay]

I could be mistaken, but I think DirecTV subscribers that are not in any of DirecTV's "local station" areas get both New York & L.A. locals.

Of course, DirecTV has expanded their local markets quite rapidly in the past 10 years so that option would only be available to the most rural of customers.

 

[ta guy]

With directv you can get the locals from la and ny even if they carry your own locals.Just as long as you already had them.