Why can't I purchase an app with local Broadcast TV stations (Philadelphia: 2014, rent)

[PacoMartin]

If these television stations all broadcast over the air in Philadelphia area, why can't I just purchase an app for computers or Roku for approximately $10 a month to watch these stations in HD video with commercials?

I don't have good antenna reception, so it seems to me this would be just another way to deliver the media.

1. KYW-3 (CBS)
2. WPVI-6 (ABC)
3. WTXF-29 (FOX)
4. WCAU-10 (NBC)
5. WHYY-12 (PBS)
6. WWOR (My Network TV)
7. WPPX (ION)
8. WPIX (CW)
9. WUVP (Univision)
10. WWSI (Telemundo)
11. WPHL-17
12. Me-TV
13. QVC
14. HSN

[chessimprov]

I believe CBS is included with Sling. Most of those, you can get with a digital antenna and pay nothing as long as the area you are in has decent reception.

There's probably not much money people can make from your proposal, and maybe somehow the organizations involved would actually lose money due to the cost of the setup required to make your proposal feasible. So they don't tap in that market and let things be as they are.

[1ondoner]

I don't have cable but I have Sling and an Antenna.

Prior to my move to Philly, I had a Best Buy antenna which worked fine. However, when we moved here is was pretty much useless, I couldn't get anything.

I now use this antenna
https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Amplif...dp/B01KUXVKK0/

Depending on how you hook it to your TV, you could get Philly and NJ over the air stations. I first had it on my Tivo DVR and it picked a lot more stations. When I hooked it directly to my smart TV, I don't think it picked the NJ stations.

I have the antenna in my attic facing reading.

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

I don't have good antenna reception, so it seems to me this would be just another way to deliver the media.

1. KYW-3 (CBS)
2. WPVI-6 (ABC)
3. WTXF-29 (FOX)
4. WCAU-10 (NBC)
5. WHYY-12 (PBS)
   
6. WPHL-17
   

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by chessimprov

I believe CBS is included with Sling. Most of those, you can get with a digital antenna and pay nothing as long as the area you are in has decent reception.

Sling includes FOX and NBC,but not ABC and CBS. My cable company advertises $30 a month for 25 Mbps internet and $50 a month for 25 Mbps internet + Broadcast stations. So while it sounds like only an extra $20 you end up paying a lot of surcharges plus roughly $20 for equipment. So all in all it ends up being ~ $50/month just to watch Philly broadcast channels.

As I said, I get virtually no antenna reception from Philly as there are two major hills (roughly 1000' in elevation) blocking the signal path.

As Netflix costs $10 and HBO Now costs $15 a month, it seems that broadcast stations can sell a Roku app to re-transmit their signal.

Hulu TV, Youtube TV, and CBS All access are apps that include broadcast stations, but I don't think they include Sports. Sling TV does not include ABC and CBS.

[chessimprov]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

Sling includes FOX and NBC,but not ABC and CBS. My cable company advertises $30 a month for 25 Mbps internet and $50 a month for 25 Mbps internet + Broadcast stations. So while it sounds like only an extra $20 you end up paying a lot of surcharges plus roughly $20 for equipment. So all in all it ends up being ~ $50/month just to watch Philly broadcast channels.

As I said, I get virtually no antenna reception from Philly as there are two major hills (roughly 1000' in elevation) blocking the signal path.

As Netflix costs $10 and HBO Now costs $15 a month, it seems that broadcast stations can sell a Roku app to re-transmit their signal.

Hulu TV, Youtube TV, and CBS All access are apps that include broadcast stations, but I don't think they include Sports. Sling TV does not include ABC and CBS.

ABC, Fox, and NBC are offered in only select markets apparently. Sorry for not double checking the sling info beforehand.

https://www.sling.com/c/channels

They've changed things a lot from 6-8 months ago for the regular channels and the news extra. There used to be many more international news options for the news portion. Now, they focused more domestically, which is more understandable, although I enjoyed hearing the different accents and perspectives when playing those channels for homeroom class when I taught 7th-8th grade.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by chessimprov

They've changed things a lot from 6-8 months ago for the regular channels and the news extra.

I'm age 60, and I would be perfectly happy with HULU non commercial option ($12), Netflix ($10) and HBO NOW($15) . I could pay $42 a month for 25 Mbs internet (includes modem rental). that would be $80 plus the cost of cell phones. That would give me a reasonable choice of commercial free video options. I could get my news from websites.

But my parents are age 81 and 82. They are very attached to their traditional television with commercials. My dad would die if he couldn't get football. They hate cell phones. So we are tied into $164 for triple play plus the cost of cell phones which is more than they pay per person for food.

Antenna is not an option as the nearby hills block out all but PBS, local news, and religious channel.

Aereo lost their supreme court case on June 25, 2014. Aereo argued that they were simply bringing free over the air signal into people's home with new technology, and were selling an "antenna" service.

I simply figured that the local broadcast stations would develop their own app, but it hasn't happened in three years.

[chessimprov]

Is satellite TV an option? Going to guess no because of the hills. So, I guess you're out of luck then if not.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by chessimprov

Is satellite TV an option? Going to guess no because of the hills. So, I guess you're out of luck then if not.

Some of the neighbors use satellite, and others say the installers gave up trying to get a signal. Many of the trees in our neighborhood are over 100 feet tall as they were planted as much as a century ago.

But philosophically it seems that all local AM/FM radio stations are all available on the web for free. It seems the only way to compete with Pandora and other web based services.

I don't expect the broadcast app to be free. Aereo was $8 a month and included a virtual DVR.

But the cable company (RCN) charges an extra $20 for broadcast stations (over the $30 for internet). But you can't use Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV or any other commercial product. So we rent boxes from the cable company, made by Pace, for $20/month for three rooms.

The cable company also has ridiculous surcharges. The third one probably applies to only basic cable, and not broadcast.
Broadcast TV Surcharge $9.03
Sports Programming Surcharge $7.82
Entertainment Networks Surcharge $7.10 ( Viacom, AMC, Turner, Scripps Networks and others)

So you end up paying far more for local broadcast stations than you do for internet.

[Hannah5555]

I thought Roku worked with just internet, and you didn't need cable. I currently watch Netflix, PBS Passport, Acorn and Showtime on Roku. I only watch PBS on regular cable now, but since I can watch it on my computer, and plan to subscribe to CBS All Access and some others, I had no intention of getting cable again when I move. Am I missing something?

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by Hannah5555

I only watch PBS on regular cable now, but since I can watch it on my computer, and plan to subscribe to CBS All Access and some others, I had no intention of getting cable again when I move. Am I missing something?

The newer versions of Roku can get PBS. So your wasting your money.

Coaxial cable is still the most reliable way to get high speed internet unless your neighborhood has fiver. It is sometimes cheaper to get internet via phone line by the quality varies greatly from city to city and neighborhood to neighborhood.

There are many services that were developed in the last two years that deliver over internet a version of what you used to by from your cable company (multiple channels of networks with shows interrupted by commercial) . Sling TV, Direct TV NOW, Youtube TV, Hulu Live TV, and Play Station Vue.

Many analysts are predicting that all of the smaller cable companies will switch to internet only service and let you buy your video from the company of your choice. The four biggest cable companies cover over 2/3 of the country and will probably continue to sell their own TV service, although SPORTS and BROADCAST stations may become their own tiers.

Provider Population Covered States
XFINITY from Comcast 109,365,995 41
Time Warner Cable 65,271,476 29
Charter Spectrum 27,484,432 28
Cox Communications 20,977,073 19
Optimum by Cablevision 12,213,255 4
Bright House Networks 8,440,654 6
WOW! 7,248,951 10
Suddenlink Communications 6,177,723 16
Mediacom Cable 5,395,908 14
RCN 3,809,880 7
Cable ONE 3,225,624 19
PenTeleData 2,021,477 2
Wave Broadband 1,747,210 3
Atlantic Broadband 1,153,980 20
Grande Communications 1,100,524 1
Midcontinent Communications 1,072,499 4
Service Electric Broadband Cable 969,100 2
Armstrong 943,103 6
Newwave Communications 768,791 7
MetroCast Communications 718,200 7
Vyve Broadband 623,226 10
Blue Ridge Communications 616,308 1
TDS Telecom 585,843 7
GCI Communication 555,371 1
Buckeye CableSystem 549,123 2
En-Touch Systems 503,308 1