ChaimTime

This issue is addressed at least once a month, when someone gets mad at their cable company.  While the arguments are presented other places, this is my opinion.  Chaimtime has argued this before (sorry no link), but here are the facts.

You can get cable service for $30/month.  I know after the first year…. ($40 after that).  So you need to cut that bill to something more managable.  So let’s say you want the big networks (CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, WB11), and let’s choose 8 cable channels (ESPN, TBS, TNT, Food Network, Bravo, CNN, and 2 more).  How much should that cost?  Well let’s figure on $3 a channel.  Just on those 8, that is $24, then we have to add for the piping in of the networks.  There is your $30.  At that point you might as well just pay for all 700 channels.  How much extra will HD cost?

The wholesale deal that the cable companies get is because they can guarantee millions of subscribers.  Now they won’t be able to.  So the bad networks like mtv4 will fail, but the good ones will start costing more.  Remember HBO is self sufficient at $20 dollars a month.

All this is simple math and economies of scale.  (I’m good at the math but not the economics).  The best way is to pressure @johnament to explain how his HTPC and external antennae works for watching TV.  For someone who has no cable he will see who will win the oscars tonight where I won’t.