HBO's standalone streaming service launches next month. $15/mo.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.2137663

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HBO Now's availability would be cross platform—similar to Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime. The service would be accessible from Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. There was no mention of the service being available of computers or mobile devices.

It's still unclear as to whether HBO Now will offer everything HBO Go offers, which is all the live programming a cable user would originally get.

Standalone subscription services have been increasing in popularity. NBC, CBS and Nickelodeon have all announced the release of a possible standalone online streaming services, ideal for cable cutters.

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Piracy for GoT, the most widely pirated show ever, will probably still be an issue. But I expect it to be far less of one. I think a lot of people turn to torrents because of the superior service, not the price.

That said, I will not be shelling out the $15/month for this. I think that's a bit high and I'm not aware of anything on HBO that would attract me besides GoT. I get Netflix for $8, and their selection keep me pretty busy. But if over 1 million people pay $15/month for WWE network, I'm sure HBO will get plenty of takers.

This is awful news for the cable industry and I think the writing is on the wall. A la carte streaming services are better priced, more convenient, commercial free, and becoming more prevalent. As soon as NFL/NBA/MLB get on board, their days are numbered.

they'll just jack the prices up on cable internet if cable tv dies out.

Many channels will be doing this in the future. I already pay for HBO/MAX it's like $15 a month for both on cable which gets me both streaming so why the fuck would I just by the stand alone BUT you can bet several people will do just that.

death blow to the comcast & charters of the world

they had enough trouble already trying to bundle in that landline

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

Many channels will be doing this in the future. I already pay for HBO/MAX it's like $15 a month for both on cable which gets me both streaming so why the fuck would I just by the stand alone BUT you can bet several people will do just that.

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Can you get HBO Go on your TV these days, or browser only? I recall a few years ago it was locked out on Roku if you had it through Comcast, because they were afraid of exactly this sort of thing happening.

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Originally Posted by SrslySirius

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

Many channels will be doing this in the future. I already pay for HBO/MAX it's like $15 a month for both on cable which gets me both streaming so why the fuck would I just by the stand alone BUT you can bet several people will do just that.

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Can you get HBO Go on your TV these days, or browser only? I recall a few years ago it was locked out on Roku if you had it through Comcast, because they were afraid of exactly this sort of thing happening.

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you can get HBOgo on roku and other devices

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Originally Posted by SrslySirius

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

Many channels will be doing this in the future. I already pay for HBO/MAX it's like $15 a month for both on cable which gets me both streaming so why the fuck would I just by the stand alone BUT you can bet several people will do just that.

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Can you get HBO Go on your TV these days, or browser only? I recall a few years ago it was locked out on Roku if you had it through Comcast, because they were afraid of exactly this sort of thing happening.

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I'm not 100% but I think it's just a comcast thing they did (or tried to) with a few devices but I believe you could always get around that with google chromecast anyways and some other devices.

The time is ticking on cable companies to make money unless they get first dibs into the pure wifi game.

It might be 5 years or 10 to 15 away but everything will be wifi someday where all you will need is a box that has wifi capabilities where you won't need cables all over your home to stream tv at the highest resolution available. I believe you can already do that in South Korea and maybe some other places.

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Originally Posted by WillieMcFML

you can get HBOgo on roku and other devices

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Apparently they unblocked it a few months ago.

http://arstechnica.com/business/2014...aming-devices/

My body is ready.

I know a bunch of kids who just share a Comcast account about ten ways. They each kick in $20/mo and share a fully bundled (every premium movie channel) account and stream via TVgo.

Most hook up their Macs or iPads to TV with some kind of connector that costs $29 from Apple.

They fight about recording resources cause not everything is on demand but otherwise it works for them. Most say they hardly watch anything anyway.

Death to cable.

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Originally Posted by Sanlmar

I know a bunch of kids who just share a Comcast account about ten ways. They each kick in $20/mo and share a fully bundled (every premium movie channel) account and stream via TVgo.

Most hook up their Macs or iPads to TV with some kind of connector that costs $29 from Apple.

They fight about recording resources cause not everything is on demand but otherwise it works for them. Most say they hardly watch anything anyway.

Death to cable.

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Yeah wake me up when HBO pays billions for live sports, until then cable is going nowhere. And why the fuck would I pay $15 when I can pay $10 thru cable?

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Originally Posted by NaturalBornHustler

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Originally Posted by Sanlmar

I know a bunch of kids who just share a Comcast account about ten ways. They each kick in $20/mo and share a fully bundled (every premium movie channel) account and stream via TVgo.

Most hook up their Macs or iPads to TV with some kind of connector that costs $29 from Apple.

They fight about recording resources cause not everything is on demand but otherwise it works for them. Most say they hardly watch anything anyway.

Death to cable.

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Yeah wake me up when HBO pays billions for live sports, until then cable is going nowhere. And why the fuck would I pay $15 when I can pay $10 thru cable?

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Ya why pay $15 when you can pay 100/month for cable + only $10!

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Originally Posted by SrslySirius

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.2137663

Quote:

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HBO Now's availability would be cross platform—similar to Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime. The service would be accessible from Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. There was no mention of the service being available of computers or mobile devices.

It's still unclear as to whether HBO Now will offer everything HBO Go offers, which is all the live programming a cable user would originally get.

Standalone subscription services have been increasing in popularity. NBC, CBS and Nickelodeon have all announced the release of a possible standalone online streaming services, ideal for cable cutters.

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Piracy for GoT, the most widely pirated show ever, will probably still be an issue. But I expect it to be far less of one. I think a lot of people turn to torrents because of the superior service, not the price.

That said, I will not be shelling out the $15/month for this. I think that's a bit high and I'm not aware of anything on HBO that would attract me besides GoT. I get Netflix for $8, and their selection keep me pretty busy. But if over 1 million people pay $15/month for WWE network, I'm sure HBO will get plenty of takers.

This is awful news for the cable industry and I think the writing is on the wall. A la carte streaming services are better priced, more convenient, commercial free, and becoming more prevalent. As soon as NFL/NBA/MLB get on board, their days are numbered.

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I stream all 3 sports you listed. NFL needs to come down in price though.

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Originally Posted by lewfather

they'll just jack the prices up on cable internet if cable tv dies out.

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Best post in this thread. These companies aren't just going to roll over and die. The cable companies will simply start realizing more profits through their internet services. Because if you think you will be constantly streaming shit you have no other viable option than cable internet

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Originally Posted by WillieMcFML

death blow to the comcast & charters of the world

they had enough trouble already trying to bundle in that landline

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I should start looking for alternatives to Charter. Two landlines, two computers with cable internet, and two cable TV's (one w/premium channels). Just a shade under $300/mo.

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Originally Posted by Benford

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Originally Posted by WillieMcFML

death blow to the comcast & charters of the world

they had enough trouble already trying to bundle in that landline

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I should start looking for alternatives to Charter. Two landlines, two computers with cable internet, and two cable TV's (one w/premium channels). Just a shade under $300/mo.

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Holy Shit. You need to call them and threaten to cancel. That's what I do to comcast when the bill creeps up. I've got 3 cable boxes (2 hd) with hbo and sports channels, internet and 1 phone line for 125.

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Originally Posted by ToasterOven

Holy Shit. You need to call them and threaten to cancel. That's what I do to comcast when the bill creeps up. I've got 3 cable boxes (2 hd) with hbo and sports channels, internet and 1 phone line for 125.

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Yeah, I've been with them for about 4 years or so. Those 12-month specials are long gone now. They even charge about $8/mo for renting the cable internet modems. Paid for the cost of those 4 times over already.
Just been too busy & procrastinating on trimming the fat. Need to to get my inner Jewish nit into action one of these days.

EDIT: Charter does give you loyalty points. Think I racked up 90,000 or so and I haven't bothered to look at the catalogue yet, lol. Yet another nit project to work on, since the points expire after 2 years. Already let a bunch of them expire..

I've actually called Comcast and just told the CSR that my bill was just too much. If he couldn't find some savings, I'd have to cancel. Then I get some 6 month deals or 12 months deals and the bill gets back to somewhere between 115-145. I assume Charter will do the same kind of thing.

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

Many channels will be doing this in the future. I already pay for HBO/MAX it's like $15 a month for both on cable which gets me both streaming so why the fuck would I just by the stand alone BUT you can bet several people will do just that.

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Most of my friends have cut there cable, most have roku..hulu plus and hbo is really all I would need..

Big thing will be if there is a minimum commitment or not?

If not, subscribe two to three months a year, spread out throughout the year, binge watch and cancel.

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Originally Posted by Benford

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Originally Posted by ToasterOven

Holy Shit. You need to call them and threaten to cancel. That's what I do to comcast when the bill creeps up. I've got 3 cable boxes (2 hd) with hbo and sports channels, internet and 1 phone line for 125.

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Yeah, I've been with them for about 4 years or so. Those 12-month specials are long gone now. They even charge about $8/mo for renting the cable internet modems. Paid for the cost of those 4 times over already.
Just been too busy & procrastinating on trimming the fat. Need to to get my inner Jewish nit into action one of these days.

EDIT: Charter does give you loyalty points. Think I racked up 90,000 or so and I haven't bothered to look at the catalogue yet, lol. Yet another nit project to work on, since the points expire after 2 years. Already let a bunch of them expire..

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Loyalty points? I would take the cruise or save a few more and pick the Toyota.

$300/mo? The ToasterOven call to CSR would be the most fun you will have all day. Brinksmanship. Take it to the last possible second if you live in some rural area with a monopoly.

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Originally Posted by jsearles22

These companies aren't just going to roll over and die. The cable companies will simply start realizing more profits through their internet services. Because if you think you will be constantly streaming shit you have no other viable option than cable internet

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We'll see. Of course I don't expect cable television to ever completely die. We still have terrestrial radio and newspapers after all.

These companies do have a monopoly on internet service, but how much more can they squeeze us? I'm sure they're currently gouging us for the optimal amount. As helplessly reliant as we are on internet service, it is still possible to price some people out, especially younger people that spend most of their time on their phones and perhaps elderly folks that don't see it as a necessity.

Meanwhile, Google is expanding their fiber network, the FCC has just made it easier for municipalities to build their own, and Virgin Galactic is launching satellites to provide internet service (albeit at high latency). Comcast and TWC are already the most hated companies in America, ranking dead last and 2nd to last in customer satisfaction. As soon as viable alternatives become available, the door will be promptly slammed in their faces.

Maybe it will be a slow death, but I think the tide is beginning to turn. They can stubbornly cling to their shitty business model and go the way of Blockbuster, or adapt and remain somewhat relevant like Kodak.

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Originally Posted by simpdog

I stream all 3 sports you listed. NFL needs to come down in price though.

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I tried to order NFL Sunday Ticket when I moved to Atlanta, but they required me to have a particular cable subscription. I see that they now have standalone streaming. I don't think that was an option at the time.

Good for them, but I agree $50/mo. is way too much.

EDIT: Wait, I think it's still tied to DirecTV...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200...eaming-options

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The service is only available to those who: 1) live in apartment buildings where DirecTV service is unavailable; 2) live in metro New York, Philadelphia or San Francisco; or 3) attend college at Michigan (Ann Arbor), Alabama, Washington, Texas (Austin), USC, Florida, Colorado (Boulder), Syracuse, Ohio State or Harvard.

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Originally Posted by SrslySirius

I tried to order NFL Sunday Ticket when I moved to Atlanta, but they required me to have a particular cable subscription. I see that they now have standalone streaming. I don't think that was an option at the time.

Good for them, but I agree $50/mo. is way too much.

EDIT: Wait, I think it's still tied to DirecTV...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200...eaming-options

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The service is only available to those who: 1) live in apartment buildings where DirecTV service is unavailable; 2) live in metro New York, Philadelphia or San Francisco; or 3) attend college at Michigan (Ann Arbor), Alabama, Washington, Texas (Austin), USC, Florida, Colorado (Boulder), Syracuse, Ohio State or Harvard.

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Sorry didn't realize it isn't available in the usa. Funny I order my subscription and also use a VPN (to make it seem like I'm in the USA) to avoid blackouts.

*Certain restrictions apply. NFL Game Pass is only available to users located outside the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, Antigua, the Bahamas, and any U.S. territories, possessions and commonwealths. Game broadcasts included in the service are available only in English. For a full description of device-specific features, requirements, limitations, and other information, visit our FAQ.

Too bad for Micon too.

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Originally Posted by simpdog

Sorry didn't realize it isn't available in the usa. Funny I order my subscription and also use a VPN (to make it seem like I'm in the USA) to avoid blackouts.

*Certain restrictions apply. NFL Game Pass is only available to users located outside the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, Antigua, the Bahamas, and any U.S. territories, possessions and commonwealths. Game broadcasts included in the service are available only in English. For a full description of device-specific features, requirements, limitations, and other information, visit our FAQ.

Too bad for Micon too.

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This is exactly what I meant before about piracy being a service problem. I had my wallet out, ready to give the NFL my money, but they wouldn't take it. Now I watch Texans games through *ahem* alternative providers.

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Originally Posted by SrslySirius

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Originally Posted by simpdog

Sorry didn't realize it isn't available in the usa. Funny I order my subscription and also use a VPN (to make it seem like I'm in the USA) to avoid blackouts.

*Certain restrictions apply. NFL Game Pass is only available to users located outside the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, Antigua, the Bahamas, and any U.S. territories, possessions and commonwealths. Game broadcasts included in the service are available only in English. For a full description of device-specific features, requirements, limitations, and other information, visit our FAQ.

Too bad for Micon too.

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This is exactly what I meant before about piracy being a service problem. I had my wallet out, ready to give the NFL my money, but they wouldn't take it. Now I watch Texans games through *ahem* alternative providers.

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Well if you have a VPN you can order it from another country, then apparently stream it no problem from the USA.

I hate ball watchers and men that like watching other men play with balls..use your money, time and effort to do other more productive things..

like post on a poker forum?

Pretty sure you can order Sunday ticket through PS 3 & 4, and the other sports through most other streaming players.

Not really sure this HBO standalone makes that big of a dent. Are there really that many people who have Cable just because of HBO?

To "cut the cord" how many different streaming services are you going to have to get? Imagine if you wanted NFL, MLB, Coll FB, NHL, NBA plus HBO, Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, etc.etc Like are we going to have 15 different subscriptions just to get everything we want? People like things packaged together which is kind of the whole point of cable.

Everyone says people are cutting the cord yet the cable companies have only lost like 0.2% of their base the last couple of years. I do think the cable companies will start providing a more "a la carte" type of programming so people can bring their bills down and not get bundled with a bunch of stuff they don't want. Cable will be around for a long, long time.

ANd by cable companies, Im including satelitte and telco companies that provide that "cable" experience