Your costly cable box is likely getting the ax....

The Underboss

Registered User
Dec 20, 2006
24,133
417
Florida
http://theweek.com/speedreads/64319...getting-ax-heres-what-fcc-considering-instead


The Federal Communications Commission is looking at two proposals to get rid of that cable set-top box you rent from your cable provider, at an average cost of $231 a year. That's good news if you are a cable subscriber, though it's a $20 billion loss in rental fees for the cable companies.

The two proposals the FCC is considering to replace the cable box are also very different, explains Seth Fiegerman at CNNMoney. In January, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler proposed giving subscribers the option to scrap the set-top box, which you can only get from the cable company, for a cheaper third-party device that would also allow streaming Netflix, Hulu, or other online content services.
 

karnige

Real Life FTL
Oct 18, 2006
19,213
1,306
the android box would be a nightmare for older people. scraping the cable box is a dangerous idea. prices are already climbing. do what canada is going to do in december and let people pick the channels they want.
 

Whiplash27

Quattro!!
Jan 25, 2007
17,343
66
Westchester, NY
the android box would be a nightmare for older people. scraping the cable box is a dangerous idea. prices are already climbing. do what canada is going to do in december and let people pick the channels they want.

+1. I'd probably have about 15-20 channels max (mostly for sports) if they let me just pick what I wanted...
 

542365

2018-19 Cup Champs!
Sponsor
Mar 22, 2012
22,262
8,646
I'd have ESPN, NHL Network, MLB Network, Fox Sport Midwest, NBCSN, HGTV(fiancee is obsessed), and a news station. That's it. That's all we ever watch. I would love if you could order a la carte like that.
 

Osprey

Registered User
Feb 18, 2005
27,093
9,356
I don't follow the reasoning that this would be hard on the elderly. First, a box with open software (ex. Google) could be just as easy to use as one with closed software, perhaps even easier (ex. by offering more customization options). Second, there would be competition. Right now, if you don't like your cable box software (or hardware), there's very little that you can do about it. Finally, the cable companies would simply continue to design and sell/rent their own boxes to their customers, especially ones like the elderly who would simply take what the cable companies are offering. The only difference would be that younger, more savvy cable subscribers could go out and buy a 3rd-party box, instead.

Funny story: my parents replaced their cable box (with a newer model) just yesterday, the same day that that article was published. I just texted my Mom to applaud/tease her on her timing and give her a link to this article.
 

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