Windows 7: Why is broadband so expensive in the US

jimbo45 · 30 Oct 2013

Hi there
It's not the commercials - but the QUALITY of them these days that's so inane.

I remember an old commercial -- it showed a picture of a seemingly empty building with a phone ringing -- a man then appeared going through rooms until he found a phone under a thick layer of dust -- he blew the dust away and on the phone it said "Carlsberg Complaints Dept" !!! (Carlsberg is a type of lager / beer for those not in the know).

Another good one - also by a Danish beer company was a Huge truck pulls up outside a small house. Truck driver rings door bell -- old grey-haired woman answers door - truck driver asks to go to the Bog (can / WC) - woman sees Tuborg Export on side of truck and says Yes please do. -- As soon as truck driver enters she opens a trapdoor and deposits Truck driver in the cellar.

Commercial ends with "Tuborg so good - The Danes hate to see it leave". !!

They don't make commercials like that any more so no wonder people don't watch them. For TV catch up services are infinitely better so no commercials even on commercial channels (at least on the SKY catch up service).

Mind you again if you use the TV catch up services whether downloading or via streams you still need a decent UNCAPPED service -- it doesn't have to be mega fast either - a 3 - 4 MB/s service will easily stream you an HD movie at full 1080p quality. For me I'd choose almost ANY uncapped service over a capped one at almost any speed.

Cheers
jimbo

whs · 30 Oct 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by johnsmith45jock

Quote: Originally Posted by whs

The advantage of having TV from many countries is that you can get perspecives on current issues that come from different angles. Thus you are not stuck with what one goverment allows them to broadcast.

Europe has many countries but it is not small and the EU alone is 500 million people - if only their goverments could agree on a common direction. With the history of those 27 countries that is not easy - especially with the Brits.

What I meant when I said small countries was their size as in square miles in area, and not population. I do realize Germany is packed with a population of over 82,000,000 and is about the same size in square miles as the US state of New Mexico. I lived in Darmstadt, Germany for nearly 3 years. But, that was a long time ago. Oktoberfest was fun!

I watch BBC channel often, like their news and movies. I don't have HBO, but Downton Abbey is really good. Saw the first 2 seasons in Comcast On-Demand. Still waiting for season 3 to pop up there.

John

Interesting - Darmstadt is my home town where I grew up and made my masters degree at the Technische Hochschule. But that was in the late 50's and early 60's. I left there in 1961 to work in Stuttgart and have lived mostely in foreign countries since 1962.

whs · 30 Oct 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by Britton30

Wolfgang I wish the US had free commercial-free channels with watchable, entertaining content. We have C-SPAN and occasionally NASA TV. C-SPAN is or was live feeds from Congress, not fun at all.

I suppose I'm more or less average in TV habits. When commercials come on my eyes glaze over or I go get a snack. I suspect if these advertisers knew how little their expensive content is ignored there would be changes.

One unique exception, I like to watch the Super Bowl only for the new and sometimes very funny ads, I don't like football. I do now have a DVR so I can forward through ads with recordings.

The answer to the title....they are greedy <expletive deleted>.

Gary, our commercial free channels have excellent programs. They are federal or a German state (we have 16 states) owned but are controlled by independent boards that come from all walks of life - parties, unions, churches and other groups. That makes them completely independent. Those channels we pay for with our 20 Euro fee.

But we also have channels that are financed by e.g. the German Parliament, the EU, Germany and France together (Arte) and Germany, Austria and Switzerland together (3Sat).

In addition to those we have commercial free channels from other countries. I watch Austria, Switzerland, UK, Canada (Quebec), France, Belgium. And then there is, of course, CNN Europe and Al Jazeera in English (excellent). But those have an occasional commercials.

There are also Russian and Chinese channels in English. But those I usually do not watch.

AmericanPharaoh · 30 Oct 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by whs

Quote: Originally Posted by johnsmith45jock

Quote: Originally Posted by whs

The advantage of having TV from many countries is that you can get perspecives on current issues that come from different angles. Thus you are not stuck with what one goverment allows them to broadcast.

Europe has many countries but it is not small and the EU alone is 500 million people - if only their goverments could agree on a common direction. With the history of those 27 countries that is not easy - especially with the Brits.

What I meant when I said small countries was their size as in square miles in area, and not population. I do realize Germany is packed with a population of over 82,000,000 and is about the same size in square miles as the US state of New Mexico. I lived in Darmstadt, Germany for nearly 3 years. But, that was a long time ago. Oktoberfest was fun!

I watch BBC channel often, like their news and movies. I don't have HBO, but Downton Abbey is really good. Saw the first 2 seasons in Comcast On-Demand. Still waiting for season 3 to pop up there.

John

Interesting - Darmstadt is my home town where I grew up and made my masters degree at the Technische Hochschule. But that was in the late 50's and early 60's. I left there in 1961 to work in Stuttgart and have lived mostely in foreign countries since 1962.

Small World! I was in Darmstadt 1972-75. Nice little town. The bratwurst mit brötchen is great!

I've been to Stuttgart, too. And several other towns and cities in Germany. Liked riding the train.

John

z3r010 · 30 Oct 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by whs

Europe has many countries but it is not small and the EU alone is 500 million people - if only their goverments could agree on a common direction.

Like scrapping the whole corrupt undemocratic establishment that is the EU

jimbo45 · 30 Oct 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by z3r010

Quote: Originally Posted by whs

Europe has many countries but it is not small and the EU alone is 500 million people - if only their goverments could agree on a common direction.

Like scrapping the whole corrupt undemocratic establishment that is the EU

Hi there
I can't believe this either - But I'm actually in agreement with you (for once) !!!!!.

Cheers
jimbo

whs · 30 Oct 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by z3r010

Quote: Originally Posted by whs

Europe has many countries but it is not small and the EU alone is 500 million people - if only their goverments could agree on a common direction.

Like scrapping the whole corrupt undemocratic establishment that is the EU

It could be better if the national goverments would give way and have a democratically elected EU goverment take over. Then they may start to address the real problems rather than make directives about cucumbers or bananas.

Corruption is a problem everywhere. None of our current goverments are free from that.

z3r010 · 30 Oct 2013

Most of our governments can get there accounts signed off which is more than the evil eu.

Also somebody would need to send the EU some democracy for dummies books as they currently ain't got a clue what it is.

whs · 30 Oct 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by z3r010

Most of our governments can get there accounts signed off which is more than the evil eu.

Also somebody would need to send the EU some democracy for dummies books as they currently ain't got a clue what it is.

In 2015 you have a chance to vote against GB staying in the EU. I hope a majority of the British voters will vote that way.

z3r010 · 30 Oct 2013

If we were allowed a referendum the polls show most of us would leave, sadly it looks like we won't get that choice.

Anyway I could go on all night about how much I detest the EU but I've just sat down in a bar and am going just do it in person with my Spanish waiter lol.