Podcast #1062: Video IPTV Service How to Stop Subscriber Loss for Cable and Satellite

This week we take a look at a new IPTV service called Vidgo and the five reasons why services like Vidgo are taking subscribers away from Cable and Satellite TV Services. Can they stem the flow? Perhaps but it's unlikely they will do what is needed. We also read your email and the news of the week.

News: 

Disney+ update adds Atmos Spatial Audio on Apple TV 4K, breaks Atmos on Android TV Nest cameras can now, at long last, livestream to Chromecast with Google TV TCL REPORTS 10.15M GLOBAL SMART TV SHIPMENTS OVER THE FIRST HALF OF 2022 LG debuts CineBeam projector lineup

Other:

NextGen TV: Auton, Anywave Launch Broadcast Internet Trial in Bend, Oregon | TV Tech Vidgo IPTV Service

Stream with Vidgo for 110+ channels of LIVE sports, entertainment news, local, and so much more. Every Vidgo subscription gives you access to 14,000+ shows and movies, with 100+ hours of new content added daily. Timeless hits, blockbuster movies, classics, and new releases - all at your fingertips. Grab your popcorn and get comfy! More info…

5 Reasons The Cable and Satellite Services are losing Subscribers

We have talked about Cable and Satellite systems dying a slow death for quite some time. This is a slow death that has been going on for almost ten years. Today we talk about what is causing it and how the cable companies can not only reverse it but thrive.

The most obvious is that there are streaming alternatives that provide on demand entertainment. Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Apple as well as the networks provide streaming content. You no longer need a set top box provided by cable and satellite companies to watch anything that is being broadcast to the masses. Ironically you need high speed internet and for most of us that is being provided by cable companies. This is a missed opportunity for better bundles by cable providers. We are no longer willing to pay for a ton of channels that we don’t watch. We joke about getting what we want (a la carte programming) is costing us more, which is true. However, for the same amount or slightly more money, we get an unproportionally large amount of programming. When we first opined that it would be great to just watch the channels we wanted and only pay for them, we had no idea what was coming in the way of content. There is just so much content out there that you have to subscribe to more services which ends up driving up the cost of your “TV”  plan. And it is good content!! No more summer doldrums as far as TV programming goes. If you have a limited budget you now allocate it to other services and not cable or satellite.  Companies like ESPN, Discovery, and HBO have made their content available directly to the consumer. No need for a cable or satellite service to get some of the best programming on TV. Cable and Satellite service costs have really risen to the point where the pain of separating is less than the pain of remaining on the service.  Back in the day if you wanted to watch something it had to be on TV. Now we watch on our phones, tablets and computers. It is so easy to take your content with you using streaming providers. Your entertainment is now portable both inside and outside the house. With IPTV every room in the house can easily be connected to your streamers. Gone are the days when adding a TV to a bedroom was an ordeal to string cable to it. Now if you have wifi you can add a TV.

So what can be done to reverse this trend? In our opinion there is nothing that can be done. However, the cable providers can steer into the skid and go full IPTV. We looked into adding a cable TV and an Internet bundles and on paper it looked comparable so why not just go with getting both services in one place. 

Well it's the fees and hidden costs that get you. We could not find a true IPTV service through Cox. Sure they had an option where you could watch your TV on different devices. But all their plans required a set top box that you have to rent. Plus the costs are only guaranteed for two years and require a two year commitment. And to top it off, there are a bunch of fees that just break the bank and make this an uncompetitive choice for almost everyone.

For cable companies to survive, they have to stop being cable companies and embrace the fact that they are now primarily Internet Service Providers that can also offer IPTV at a lower cost that other IPTV services.