Competition For Cable TV?
from the it's-coming... dept
Lots of people have been submitting this one, so I guess that means people really want it posted. USDTV is making news today after announcing a plan to offer a digital cable-style TV system that is broadcast over traditional airwaves. They've signed up about 25 networks to be included - but have some of the big draws - like ESPN. They're aiming to be the low cost supplier. There's a $100 set-top box needed, but the monthly fee is only $20 - well below competing offerings. For many people, you could see this as being "good enough" and certainly cheap enough to replace a traditional cable or satellite TV offering. Right now they've only launched in one small market, and they're taking their time rolling it out to others, so it won't be available to most people. However, it is nice to see some competition for traditional cable providers - who have been jacking up their prices on a regular basis. Of course, you have to wonder, if Comcast acquired Disney, would they continue to allow their stations (such as ESPN) to show up on such a competing offering?
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Comcast isn't everywhere.
USDTV is clearly designed for male sports junkies and their wives -- watch any NCAA tournament game you want over the air AND get cheap SportsCenter to recap the games? Plus some Lifetime and Discovery Channels for her? That's going to attract a good number of customers once it expands into other markets.
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