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clrmoney
clrmoney
11/13/2017 11:16:46 AM
User Rank
Platinum
More Services To Offer
I know you always have to some up with something different to stand out and be better than other competitors. You should always have many options to offer the customers to keep them coming back for more.  I think that people are tired of pay per view and they are trying to come up with better solutions because I know that things are going more and more digital so maybe try that or see if you can bypass the sytem to make it better for you in a way.

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dcawrey
dcawrey
11/13/2017 3:58:42 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: More Sevices To Offer
I think people want immersive experiences at home. While I do not believe the current crop of VR devices is sufficient, someone will come along with an experience that captivates people. It's probably going to be Apple. 

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afwriter
afwriter
11/23/2017 7:43:36 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: More Sevices To Offer
@Dcawrey, you're probably right, but this would be a perfect time for Microsoft to catch back up. The best option would be to see a startup come out of the blue and deliver the experience.

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afwriter
afwriter
11/14/2017 12:11:14 AM
User Rank
Platinum
VR
<Well, some people are saying that it is overhyped, but I personally think [the TV experience will somehow be combined] with virtual reality (VR).>

I feel like, moving into winter, VR was the hot summer thing but we haven't heard too much about it as of late. 

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elizabethv
elizabethv
11/14/2017 7:52:39 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: VR
@afwriter - I had seen a few "VR Experience" things in the mall not too long ago. Which may be a lucrative direction for VR to take. That or other theme park type experiences. Where people are generally willing to fork over otherwise absurd amounts of money for some kind of promising activity. Perhaps it could take a route similar to the "Escape Rooms" have taken as of late. Or even join up with them. An Escape Room with a VR headset would certainly be a new take if nothing else. 

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afwriter
afwriter
11/14/2017 10:55:54 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: VR
@Eliabethv I don't think that the technology has died off or is even going anywhere anytime soon. I just think the enthusiasm for it has diminished slightly, it will still have great benefits in the future for sure. I love your idea of a VR escape room, if someone isn't already doing it they should be. 

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srufolo1
srufolo1
11/15/2017 1:28:08 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Standalone Services Can't Survive
Sports is always content that viewers want to watch so NTV's Petukhov made the right move with exclusive streaming coverage of football league matches. I would assume "football" as in soccer. Sports events on TV are always in high demand and viewers will pay for them. In fact, in scrutinizing my Optimum bill a little more closely this month, I discovered that along with the extra charge for 2 cable boxes and Broadcast TV, they took the opportunity to sneak in a $4.97 surcharge for Sports TV. You would think it would be part of the package.

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elizabethv
elizabethv
11/15/2017 7:13:45 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@srufolo1 - Good to see cable packages haven't changed since my nearly 4 year departure from the arena. That is literally exactly why I left. I had "signed up" in May of whatever year it was, but somehow ended up on a Football package. (Football, not futbol.) No one ever informed me of the package, or the up-charge I would have once football season actually started. I ended up cutting the cord over the ordeal and haven't looked back. That's crazy that they still haven't changed. 

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afwriter
afwriter
11/15/2017 1:40:12 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
I re-cut the cord after being tricked into a terrible two-year contract and I don't miss it one bit. If anything it is giving me time to watch what I want to watch instead of the shows I felt obligated to watch because they were DVRed. While the numbers go back and forth it seems obvious to me that cable will one day be non-existent, at least as we know it now. 

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srufolo1
srufolo1
11/15/2017 10:36:56 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@afwriter  We've been saying the same thing about print newspapers and magazines, but there they are, still on the stands, and I even ordered a subscription to The New York Times at 75% off for the weekend paper. I keep falling for the same terrible deals all the time. I don't think cable will ever completely disappear. It may make itself skinnier and less obvious, like the way the Sunday Times is, but it will somehow always be lurking in the shadows to see where it can snare another hapless creature.

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freehe
freehe
11/24/2017 11:33:20 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@afwriter. Good your for. I have the most basic cable plan. I need to try to figure out how to watch the shows I like and movies on a different platform so I can cut the cord permanently like you did.

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vnewman
vnewman
11/29/2017 2:06:48 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@freehe - I recently cut the cord and am having terrible growing pains.  Do a lot of research and talk to your neighbors before you take the plunge.  We are with Xfinity and shows take an inordinate amount of time to load/buffer, stop mid-stream, etc.  Our service just went out completely and it took them 3 days to get here.  That was 3 days with no wifi = no TV.  Nada.  It's been frustrating so far.

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vnewman
vnewman
11/30/2017 9:53:39 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@freefee - the other thing that I find difficult is having to "search" for shows instead of "flipping channels."  I didn't think it would be a huge change but I think, for me, the process is so far ingrained in me that I'm having trouble getting past it.  

It also adds a bunch of extra steps.  Turning the TV on, then turning the Apple TV on, then selecting an app to use, then searching for the show.  Having cable gives you an "instant" on - much like Apple Macbooks.  To me, going through all of this is like waiting for a Windows boot.  It's frustrating.  I'm ready to at least break down and get a basic cable package.

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mpouraryan
mpouraryan
12/1/2017 3:07:48 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
There is life beyond TV--hang in there--you will survive!!

On a side note, the "Tweet" I noted for all--a tough read:

https://twitter.com/ft/status/936393652565397504

Wishin' all a fab Friday & a Fab W-End.

 

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JohnBarnes
JohnBarnes
12/2/2017 2:12:24 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
vnewman,

I suspect this is why the ultimate endpoint is some mixture of streaming a la carte, with a basic revenue charge to the consumer allocated in very small slices; ultimately consumers probably want to be able to just see short clips till something holds their attention, and then hop back to the beginning (if it's something with a beginning/middle/end), and sooner or later bandwidth, tracking, and responsivity will reach a point where that can be sold to them. It is probably much closer than we imagine.

Apropos of Petukhov's situation, I really wonder how much longer the varioius "catch-up" attempts in less developed markets will remain a viable business model.  In media and information services, most nations (and people) seem to catch up as far as they can at each point.  Sooner or later everyone's catch-up point will be the state of the art.

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vnewman
vnewman
12/5/2017 1:11:23 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@JohnBarnes!  Exactly!  I could not put my finer on it exactly but but this is precisely what is missing when you cut the cord completely.  I truly can't get past it and I imagine I'm not the only one  I'm a busy person and don't really have time to sit and wait for the suggestions to leisurely pop up and then decide if I want to stick around to watch it.  I guess if this is what you've grown to know, then you don't remember what you're missing?  There's a middle market someone needs to tap into here a little bit better.

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batye
batye
12/13/2017 2:40:36 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@vnewman I could not agree more as I see it the same way - it like a middle ground... one way or other.... 

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vnewman
vnewman
12/14/2017 12:53:10 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
I understand that it’s cheaper but clearly this is a case of you get what you pay for. At least from my personal experience.

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srufolo1
srufolo1
11/15/2017 10:30:08 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@elizabethv The only reason I went back to cable is that I needed the Wi-Fi, and was tired of having nothing to watch on my TV due to a small antenna I bought that picked up only 7 stations. And they sucked me in with what looked like a good deal at the time. In looking at this cable bill again, which is aggravating me, it appears that my promotional savings come to $163.61. I am wondering if that means that's how much more the bill will be per month after these promotions are over. Time to cut the cord again soon!

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afwriter
afwriter
11/15/2017 11:21:21 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
More power to you. I know that there are a lot of factors that go into the price of cable but I'm shocked that they haven't learned yet that price (especially sneaky predatory pricing) is one of the main reasons people don't have cable anymore. 

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srufolo1
srufolo1
11/16/2017 10:53:35 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@afwriter  Yes, and the fact that you watch what they put on. The predatory pricing is terrible, not to mention all the taxes and fees. Still trying to figure out why there is an E-911 Fee and a Federal Universal Service Fund. And, oh, here's a good one. There is a "Modem Sales Tax." Why? Am I buying the modem every month?

 

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afwriter
afwriter
11/16/2017 11:10:56 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
It is funny though, it shows that those practices are not the only reason people are leaving cable because companies like mobile providers and even the garbage company like to sneak in a lot of nonsense "taxes and fees" into their bills.

 

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srufolo1
srufolo1
11/17/2017 1:32:32 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@afwriter Well, cable companies are going to have to change their ways ... and fast. Let's start with being honest, and stop ripping off their customers. There's lots of competition out there, and I doubt they are getting much business from the Millennials. That leaves us (or me), the Baby Boomers. And I hate to say this, but we're a dying breed, literally. They need to appease us, not push us away, or they'd better think up a plan to attract the younger crowd.

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freehe
freehe
11/24/2017 11:44:38 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@afwriter. You are so right. Our local water company increased the prices for everyone in the city by 50% or more. Everyone is complaining. I am writing my letter this weekend to complain. They are charging us fees for their projects they are doing for the city which do not affect customers or our water supply. It is criminal.

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freehe
freehe
11/24/2017 11:42:37 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@afwriter, @srufolo1. I have the most basic package and am in the second year of a promotion. I have internet and voice but I don't have any premium movie channels and still I pay $124.99/month. I am going to do research this weekend to find a better alternative. Comcast is the worst.

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afwriter
afwriter
11/24/2017 11:49:19 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
That is pretty steep. I think it all depends on what you watch on a regular basis. I have a few OTT services along with an OTA antenna and, apart from FX shows, there is nothing that I watch that can't get. Apart from the initial investment in the antenna, I only pay around $30 a month for Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.

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mpouraryan
mpouraryan
11/24/2017 3:17:04 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
What I wonder, though on a consistent and consistent basis, is how the distributors (Comcast; TIme Warner/AT&T (even though under scrutitny); Verizon) and the second tier players will respond to the changes.....

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afwriter
afwriter
11/29/2017 1:33:14 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
They're in a volatile industry, they will have to keep up and change. We see every day that certain careers won't carry a channel anymore until their subscribers complain. I'm sure all of the sexual assault allegations and halting production, and cast shakeups is throwing everyone, including service providers for a loop right now. They have made it this far so I am guessing that they will have a strategy to deal with the changes and if they don't someone else will. 

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mpouraryan
mpouraryan
12/1/2017 3:00:10 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
Earlier, in response to a comment by Joe, I shared a Tweet to note that there is not one industry that is not volatile and subject to profound change--especially as we're faced with 40% of jobs disappearing....that's the bigger challenge as we begin a new month and as we continue to think about a reasonably viable future.   

 

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batye
batye
12/13/2017 2:42:12 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
@mpouraryan the way I see it economy is still in recovery and it not an easy times... but it life... as long as we alive and above a ground... - the way I see it :) 

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mpouraryan
mpouraryan
12/13/2017 10:39:36 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
The Economy is slated to grow in 2018--albeit at times in a rather challenging way.    It is also of note that the US has a very pivotal year ahead of it as well.    

May we live in interesting times....as we embrace 2018.....

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afwriter
afwriter
11/29/2017 1:33:14 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
They're in a volatile industry, they will have to keep up and change. We see every day that certain careers won't carry a channel anymore until their subscribers complain. I'm sure all of the sexual assault allegations and halting production, and cast shakeups is throwing everyone, including service providers for a loop right now. They have made it this far so I am guessing that they will have a strategy to deal with the changes and if they don't someone else will. 

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afwriter
afwriter
11/15/2017 1:41:31 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Standalone Services Can't Survive
I can't find it off hand but I saw that there is a new skinny bundle coming out that is undercutting everyone else's prices by not offering any sports. I want to say it was around $16 a month. 

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freehe
freehe
11/24/2017 11:29:45 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Fast
"It's not like in the past where you didn't need to change, you could wait years for new technology. Now you cannot allow yourself to be slow. You have to innovate all the time, look at other markets to see what is coming, and always think one to two steps ahead. It's becoming more crucial from year to year."

Working in IT is like a marathon. The faster one to develop a new product or service wins the big prize - the most customers. Everyone else has to fight for the leftover customers.

These are amazing times in the technology world. It is exciting to see so much expansion and growth. I can't even imagine what we will have in just the new 5 years.

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freehe
freehe
11/24/2017 11:31:46 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Growth
Growth is the key to sustaining any business. As long as the company keeps growing it can remain successful. It is amazing that Petukhov was able to stream 10,000 sports events viewed by over 2.5 million users in just 5 years. That is incredible growth.

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freehe
freehe
11/24/2017 11:38:24 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Competition
The Russian market is very competitive. It is great that Petukhov realized this earlier on and found a solution to remain competitive by partnering with other companies. I think collaboration and partnerships are key for all companies no matter what size to ensure both companies remain competitive. Technology is moving so fast that most companies cannot keep up with just their own resources. It also save time, money and resources.

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freehe
freehe
11/24/2017 11:46:38 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Niche
"You also need to have something that is different, out of the box. We have the edge in sports, Amediateka has the advantage of HBO's exclusive content. You have to find that advantage that no one else has, and build on that, exploit it. That's what you need to succeed in the Russian market."

Sometimes companies have to know their sweet spot and find their niche. It may not make the company a leader or have the top sales but they are revered as a quality company that has loyal customers.

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dlr5288
dlr5288
11/30/2017 11:15:59 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Niche
Good point! I also think it’s important for companies to find what they’re good at. What makes them special and keeps customers coming back to them. It doesn’t always mean you have to be the leader, but find what they excel at and stay with it.

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batye
batye
12/13/2017 2:39:06 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Niche
@dlr5288 yes it very important to put customers first... and remember it...  as some Co. tend to forget... 

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dlr5288
dlr5288
12/18/2017 6:31:26 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Niche
I think sometimes companies are so busy trying to out due another business or get ahead, that they forget about their customers..

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