@Lushlala, I am not aware that you can control the show that you're watching like you're watching a DVD? Maybe that's why it's so expensive? Over here there are aroud 4 cable providers, so I guess that's also responsible for the low prices. Our provider has no contract too, so you can terminate your subscription anytime.
Sidney, I'm surprised at that! Are you guys not tied into a contract of some sort? I am glad that we too can stop and start our subscription as and when we like. In the UK, we didn't have have cable, but we could pause, rewind, fast forward and record programs on our freeview box without any additional costs. Sadly, here they've taken advantage of people not being aware of this, and charge a fee for it. It also seems to be a hidden fee, because we started a discussion on it on Facebook; as many people weren't aware of this fee, they promptly decided to cancel their subscriptions....oops!
@Lushlala, I can only speak for our cable provider though, maybe the more expensive providers have a contract. They do charge you with an initial 2 months deposit when you apply. Freeview boxes are unheard of here in the Philippines. I had to google that, lol. I guess the people there are taking advantage again of the gullibility of the people, no wonder they charge their subscribers. They have everything to gain!
@sidney...we too don't have freeview in Botswana. -and yes, these companies take advantage of the fact that a great number of people have never been out of the country and have never known any different. But they need to be careful, because more and more people are travelling abroad now and will see a lot of stuff for which we're being exploited!
We had cable TV up until two weeks ago. It is crazy how much people pay for cable these days, we were paying over $100 a month! I bought something called an android box where you stream everything you want to watch and it was the best decision I've ever made!
I have freeview on my television - the one in my bedroom. And the televisions downstairs that are not connected to cable TV also have freeview. There are certain freeview boxes that you can purchase in the UK that allow you to pause and rewind and forward television shows, for no additional cost.
Ours is a cable tv. I just want to tell this short anecdote that happened yesterday. Our cable connection has 2 outlets, one in our bedroom and another in the living room. The package for both outlets is the medium pack. I was wondering why in our bedroom there is HBO, Cinemax and some other channels while in the living room there isn't one. I called up the cable company yesterday and made a technical check on the concerned outlet in the living room. The tech said that our connection is okay and that it really has no movie channel because our package is the medium. We have to upgrade if we want the movie channel. So that means our bedroom is getting more channels for free? Hahahaaa.
What it is Sidney, you have this box (not Freeview) for your cable into which you slot you card. On this box, you get all the channels you've subscribed for. It's the cable company's own brand and I guess they can manipulate it to allow you to stop, fast forward, rewind, pause and record, depending on whether or not you've paid the "access fee". I think it's a whole load of BS, just another way of getting more money out of you! #daylightrobbery!!!
@Corzhens, Is your cable provider Sky Cable? How much is the cheapest subscription over there? @Lushlala, Ah, I get it now. They offer the same service, but they have the "Paidview" brand, lol. I think Freeview is only available in 1st world countries. I've never even seen such a box, hehe.
@sidney, yes, sky cable is the only service provider in our area. I don't know the cheapest but what we got is the second cheapest package which is 299 pesos per month. But beware because Sky Cable is always experiencing technical problems when it rains. And it's too difficult to call their office.
Sidney, I take it "paid view" is like a pay as you view type service? Wow, i wish we had that because it'd be nice for my husband during the English premier league, and also just the freedom of choosing what to watch. -well, as long as it doesn't start becoming too expensive LOL @corzhens...our box also experiences technical difficulties during stormy /raining weather, which is weird because it never happens in the UK!
I still have cable, for now. I'm sure at some point I will be able to cut the cord, but right now, the best way for me to get what I need is to keep my current service. It's the most stable and reliable programming I can get, unfortunately, because it costs an arm and a leg, but I feel better having a stable connection and being able to watch the local stations for news and weather during Hurricane Season. I've cut the cable before, and it's difficult to get antennas that work well enough to get the major stations, let alone the minor ones.
@Corzhens, We use Cablelink and we get charged P550 per month for the basic plan, I think that's the cheapest. We currently have 66 channels. How about you? Can you count how many channels you have? I don't think Cablelink has issues when it's raining, thank God. @Lushlala, I was actually joking regarding what you have in Botswana, lol. We never had that feature over here. Our cable provider didn't provide us any box at all. Maybe it will be offered in 2050? Haha.
We have digital cable through Charter and I would be lost without it. I like all of the channels we receive and do not know that we could get them through the streaming services.
@sidney, our channel for the almost the same plan of 550 pesos monthly is just around 25 excluding movie channels. We feel that Sky cable is shortchanging us but we have no choice since it was the only cable provider when moved here in 2001. Although there is Globe and Signal now, their service is below par compared to Sky.
It all depends on what you want. I personally use Netflix because it's convenient and I'm not in that much of a hurry to catch up to new shows. If I feel the need to catch up, I usually go to a friends house, bring some snacks, and watch the new show on their DVR. These cable-retaining friends usually want to watch sports and what not. If they're willing to pay and like cable, then don't fix what isn't broken.
I wholeheartedly agree with this. With the advent of streaming services like Hulu and Netflix, and ultra cheap internet plans, cable TV is soon on its way out. Even sporting events can be watched on demand from their various parent sites, so I don't see that as a viable reason to stick to cable either. It all comes down to ease and accessibility in the end, and internet streaming wins hands down. Plus, the vast array of programming exclusive to such sites make an easy choice even easier.
@Lushlala, I was actually joking regarding what you have in Botswana, lol. We never had that feature over here. Our cable provider didn't provide us any box at all. Maybe it will be offered in 2050? Haha.[/QUOTE] Hehe Sidney, your comment about being offered the box probably in 2050 cracked me up LOL It's like Botswana, we always take forever to catch up with the rest of the world
@Corzhens, Sky Cable is really expensive isn't it? They're the most popular, but the most expensive too! I asked my dad and the monthly charge is only P495, we get charged P550 because 2 tv's are linked with the cable. I didn't know that Globe Telecom now also ventured into offering cable subscriptions? Too bad Cablelink isn't available there, you get to save a lot if you sign up with them! @Lushlala, All countries aren't created equal isn't it? 3rd world countries are always behind the latest technology. Have you noticed that 1st world countries have winter while 3rd world countries don't have it? The Lord knows that winter attire can be expensive, lol.
