Satellites rule my world

Today I had a small fight with my cable company. I wanted to add Showtime so that we can watch the new Queer as Folk season. My cable company informed me that, unlike previously, I can no longer get Showtime without “upgrading” to Digital Cable.

My cable company has the worst implementation of digital cable that you will ever find:
- It uses the TV Guide channel listing. This guide is s-l-o-w and not user friendly.
- The channel listing has ad banners.
- When you change channels, they super-impose ad banners next to the title of the show that you are watching
- Most of the channels on digital cable are not digital, they are still analog
- Some channels, like Bravo, are duplicated. You pay to receive them in analog AND digital form.
- If you want TecTV, for example, you must subscribe to a package that includes 6 sports channels.
- If you want the Game Show Network, you must subscribe to a package that includes 3 religious channels and 3 children channels.
- You only get it on one TV unless you pay $5/month per extra TV

So today I canceled my cable service after being a customer for close to 10 years. On Tuesday, the folks at Dish Network will come and hook up 3 bedrooms at no charge. I’ll receive 120 channels, plus all local channels, plus 10 showtime channels. All for the same cost as Digital Cable + Showtime on 1 TV.

Thank you satellites. They rule my world. My car also has XM Radio, which uses 2 satellites to beam down over 100 channels of music and entertainment that I listen to while I drive.

Finally, my car also has a GPS, which uses a satellite network to tell me where I’m at and where I need to go.

Thank you satellites. I’d feel like I’m living in a 3rd would country if it weren’t because of you.

Posted by david at 2:51 pm | Permalink |

Filed under Observations