Learning to Love the Cable Guy

An anonymous reader writes "The New York Times and C|Net are reporting on new good will gestures from big cable companies. As service monopolies increasingly became the norm, quality of service began to decline across the board. Now, though, with a number of alternatives cropping up, cable companies are beginning to realize the need to ensure customers say with the often imposing service companies." From the article: "[As] service has improved slowly as satellite providers, upstart phone carriers and cell phone companies have provided attractive alternatives. And now that cable and phone companies are starting to sell similar bundles of phone, broadband Internet and television products--known in the industry as a triple play--they risk losing subscribers forever if they do not keep them happy."

Comments

Telco's Win Again... News at 11

[mpapet]

Most of you will be buying your entertainment from telco's in 10 yrs. or less.

Telco's are creating a "national overlay" which will get them into the entertainment business. Here's a hard-spinning link that lays out the so-called "benefits." I'm too lazy to find something more objective http://www.nam.org/s_nam/doc1.asp?CID=161&DID=2371 22

fsck em all.
-Sell your giant screen whatever,
-tear down the "media center" shelf system
-get rid of the ring of couches,
And replace it with book shelves and a table you can do -anything- on. (as in even accidentally drilling a hole through the thing)

You'll wonder what in the hell you were wasting your time with.

A 19" tv and dvd is much better, because entertainment is good sometimes and you aren't -drawn- to it as much as a monstrous TV. When you want to watch it, you sit around the table and watch.