Time Warner and the NFL channel

[speaker]

Is there already a thread for this? I apologize if so.

The world's largest media company raised its full-year forecast for adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization growth in the low double-digit percentage range from the high single digits after factoring in the purchase of cable operator Adelphia Communications Corp. (ADELQ.PK) and other items.
Second-quarter net profit was $1 billion, or 24 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $409 million, or 9 cents per share, in the year-earlier period, when it settled shareholder lawsuits.
Excluding items, the New York-based owner of the Warner Brothers movies studio and People magazine, posted a profit of 20 cents per share.
Revenue rose 1 percent to $10.7 billion.
Time Warner beat Wall Street profit expectation by a penny, but missed revenue expectations of $10.9 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
Cable services revenue rose 15 percent to $2.7 billion in the quarter. It added 18,000 net additional basic video subscribers, 171,000 digital video subscribers, 230,000 residential high-speed Internet subscribers, and 234,000 digital phone customers in the quarter.
AOL revenue fell 2 percent to $2 billion due to an 11 percent drop in subscription revenue. It lost 976,000 U.S. subscribers from the first quarter, ending the period with 17.7 million subscribers.
AOL ad sales rose 40 percent. The AOL changeover is intended to boost the online ad business as it gives away e-mail and Web services for free.
At 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) on Wednesday, Time Warner is scheduled to discuss its plan for AOL, which has lost about 30 percent of its subscribers since 2003.
Shares of Time Warner touched a two-year low on July 17 after reports that the AOL changeover could cost Time Warner up to $1 billion in total operating profit through 2009. Time Warner has disputed the reports as based on incomplete financial data.
Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.
MSNBC News MSNBC Cover Page

[Nicolas II]

This thread triggered a question I had and I am sorry that my post isn't directly on point, but I need some "tech" help here. At the same time Adelphia switched over to Time Warner, I looked at my cable bill (which also includes the high speed internet) and said to myself: Why am I paying about $110 a month for this crap?" I find out that I can get the basic, basic cable which has only the local chanels (pretty much what I watch anyway) for $8 a month and I see Verizon offers a DSL for $19 a month--sounds like a no-brainer to me....but what I need to know is how much slower is the Verizon $19 DSL compared to the Verizon $40 per month DSL and will I really notice it? Thanks.

It's time for us to revolt against these revolting fees.....

[moonshine]

how much slower is the Verizon $19 DSL compared to the Verizon $40 per month DSL and will I really notice it

That's a simple answer: It Depends.

I've had both on several occassions. In general, the residential Adelphia cable is twice as fast as the residential Verizon and far more stable. My verizon modem needed to be reset at least once a day, which is a major pain in the ass when you have to shutdown an entire home network to restart the modem. The cable modem requires a restart about once every six months.

Have you verified that DSL is available at your house? Just because it's available to your neighbor doesn't mean it will be available to you.

[yaksplat]

I'd go with the lowest Directv or Dishnetwork package. Cut the cord.

The speed of the dsl depends on how far you are from the CO. I'm right about at the distance limit of 3000' so my speed sucks. I'm waiting for verizon to spead the fiber optic lines over to lancaster once they're done with hamburg and orchard park. That is by far the best deal going right now.

[speaker]

You know, Nick, I changed over to what they call broadcast cable. It's $8 plus tax=$10. I miss some channels but I've always like PBS so that's a big plus for me.
Verizon DSL is $16 on the internet, and there are different speeds. Cable it is not.Try Online Buffalo. It's as fast as anything. But cable. I have desperately tried to cut back my communications monthly bill, but find it very difficult.
Dish tv is a washout, with zillions of shopping channels and religous stuff and commercial altogether.
I had asked at Adelphia what their plans were to change to viewer selection cable, and she said it'll never happen, And if you think of the economics of it, I can see their pov. But we need relief from the $100 plus for we pay for the combination. If a company could come up with a decent rate for a land line, cell phone, internet provider, it's be great.

Just cannot handle the utilities as they are now.

[Nicolas II]

Well, I guess it boils down to this: I go to broadcast cable at about $10 per month (my kids will scream, but maybe it will force them to read a book) The only other issue being whether the internet speed advantage justifies paying $46 a month as opposed to $20.............

Principle is telling me "No"......

[300miles]

Well, I guess it boils down to this: I go to broadcast cable at about $10 per month (my kids will scream, but maybe it will force them to read a book) The only other issue being whether the internet speed advantage justifies paying $46 a month as opposed to $20............

as for Broadcast Cable... couldn't you get some good rabbit ears and avoid cable tv altogether? You may get some fuzzy channels but it's another option to save $10 per month.

as for Verizon not-so-high-speed... I don't know anyone that chose that cheaper option so I'm not sure either. I guess it depends on what you're used to. If you've had high speed DSL for a while, you will probably notice the slower speeds. But if you don't download big files like MP3's all the time, maybe it's no big deal. Sites with lots of graphics will be a pain. When I was on dialup I used to turn-off images and use text-only sites to avoid the pain.

If you were using regular dialup before then the cheaper DSL would be a nobrainer since only a few bucks more.

Actually, their cheaper broadband option will really wipe out the DialUp crowd. pretty soon kids won't know what that screeching modem dialup noise is anymore.

[Nicolas II]

Well, somehow I think we have all fallen into these whopping bills for things that we really don't need. Do we really nedd 116 channels of TV? No. Do we really need to speak 1500 minutes a month on a cell phone with the resulting bill? No. I have a feeling that anyone who lived thru the Depression would be looking at us as if we were out of our minds...........

[speaker]

Well, no more little kids here. But if you changed at school time or about, they might not miss all of that junk (I call it) as much as you might think. I don't but that's me.
Strummin on that old compaint again, but tired to pieces of some people making a small fortune while the rest of us pay through the nose.
Fuel bills, gasoline and all that.

[colossus27]

I'd go with the lowest Directv or Dishnetwork package. Cut the cord.

If you value picture quality, don't go w/Directv.

FIOS is the best option- once that comes in, I'm tossing my satellite away.

[speaker]

FIOS?

[concernedwnyer]

Is there already a thread for this? I apologize if so.

The world's largest media company raised its full-year forecast for adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization growth in the low double-digit percentage range from the high single digits after factoring in the purchase of cable operator Adelphia Communications Corp. (ADELQ.PK) and other items.
Second-quarter net profit was $1 billion, or 24 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $409 million, or 9 cents per share, in the year-earlier period, when it settled shareholder lawsuits.
Excluding items, the New York-based owner of the Warner Brothers movies studio and People magazine, posted a profit of 20 cents per share.
Revenue rose 1 percent to $10.7 billion.
Time Warner beat Wall Street profit expectation by a penny, but missed revenue expectations of $10.9 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
Cable services revenue rose 15 percent to $2.7 billion in the quarter. It added 18,000 net additional basic video subscribers, 171,000 digital video subscribers, 230,000 residential high-speed Internet subscribers, and 234,000 digital phone customers in the quarter.
AOL revenue fell 2 percent to $2 billion due to an 11 percent drop in subscription revenue. It lost 976,000 U.S. subscribers from the first quarter, ending the period with 17.7 million subscribers.
AOL ad sales rose 40 percent. The AOL changeover is intended to boost the online ad business as it gives away e-mail and Web services for free.
At 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) on Wednesday, Time Warner is scheduled to discuss its plan for AOL, which has lost about 30 percent of its subscribers since 2003.
Shares of Time Warner touched a two-year low on July 17 after reports that the AOL changeover could cost Time Warner up to $1 billion in total operating profit through 2009. Time Warner has disputed the reports as based on incomplete financial data.
Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.
MSNBC News MSNBC Cover Page

…..and now the real reason given as per the NFL in a statement to the news media. Apparently Time Warner would like the network to be put on their higher tiered service plan so customers would need to pay more in order to get all the NFL broadcasts. The NFL bulked at that plan and said no the customer who subscribe to your lower end service plans should be able to get the broadcasts too. It was on WIVB news channel four the other night...

I hate it when businesses use the old strong arm technique in order to screw their customers. It sends me into a tail spin.........Not all people are so stupid as to not see what is going on and yet if you bring it to business's attention they insult your intelligence even more......

Hp- I was relentless with HP - the phone line was glowing red.
Cuisinart. over four weeks to get a replacement Food Processor Bowl while the unit was under warranty... Finally I told them this is what you are going to do…. Yep the part was over nighted on their dime.
GM - Still might drive the car up the CEO's butt in Detroit.
Sprint - Oh yes the entire store full of customers heard me well one day.... This one commission happy associate rubbed me the wrong way for the last time. She was not there the following week so she might have been promoted out the door.
Adelphia - told them where to shove their set top box and cable service plan. Got a stair from the security guard on that one.
Directv - noticing some bad habits lately...... They are on mental notice.

Look at what Cingular is doing – they are going to up charge their customers five dollars if the customer has an older non GPS type phone.

Ok, give the customers a reasonable cost on a new cell phone. $150 bucks for a cell phone is not too reasonable in my book. Otherwise I will show you what up charge is all about. Right from the cancellation request to a different carriers contract agreement… Loyalty is earned not necessarily an assumed give in.

It has to be oxygen deprivation way on top of the corporate ladder. You know that little business pyramid model. The people on top are so high up their brains lack the required oxygen to make sound decisions for the rest of the troops below… Business is war customers at war! Who wins? So far for the most part I have been happy with my outcomes. You cannot win if the apposite side hammers down the facts on what is right is right and you know it but you cannot admit it becasue you are corporate.

[colossus27]

…..and now the real reason given as per the NFL in a statement to the news media. Apparently Time Warner would like the network to be put on their higher tiered service plan so customers would need to pay more in order to get all the NFL broadcasts. The NFL bulked at that plan and said no the customer who subscribe to your lower end service plans should be able to get the broadcasts too. It was on WIVB news channel four the other night...

This is the same NFL with the retarded blackout rules. Screwing the customer over applies in both directions; in this case, it's TW's fault.

Cable companies have been screwing satellite dish users over for years with the FCC-mandated fee for local channels.

Sports teams routinely screw over locals- forget the tax money used to bankroll stadiums- I'm talking about mandated coverage and fees for sports channels. When I lived in Annapolis, every TV set in Maryland that gets cable was required to carry HTS- $5 a month- just to help bankroll the Orioles.

Enough about socialized sports. Satellite is your first option- but- again- AVOID DirectTV. I am ditching mine the instant I can get FIOS.

FIOS is Verizon's product- fiberoptic to your door- meaning broadband internet, and- unlike directtv- full-bandwidth high definition. No blocky MPG compression on locals either. I have a DirectTV hidef tuner, and get locals via my dish. I prefer watching them via antenna (over-the-air, aka OTA) since the picture quality is much better. And in the WNY market, you still can't get locals in highdef via satellite.

[colossus27]

FIOS is Verizon's product- fiberoptic to your door- meaning broadband internet, and- unlike directtv- full-bandwidth high definition. No blocky MPG compression on locals either. I have a DirectTV hidef tuner, and get locals via my dish. I prefer watching them via antenna (over-the-air, aka OTA) since the picture quality is much better. And in the WNY market, you still can't get locals in highdef via satellite.

This link gives you an idea as to the difference in quality by sat providers. You might think picture quality is subtle, but if you blow up these screenshots to the size of a 40" and up TV, the difference is pretty obvious.

If you're thinking of getting into HD- particularly for sports- take heed to this thread. Be warned- this link needs broadband.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=704350

[ForestBird]

I had Adelphia internet and hated it - it was dead for at least an hour a day, every day. Once they came up with a newsgroup downloading limit of 5gigs per month, I dumped them. I used 5 gigs in one day ! Verizon has been steady and dependable.