Just an informal "poll"... I suppose it is now the "norm", across the country, for the cable Co"s to scramble ALL channels, even basic cable and local "off air" channels?
Case in point... our little town is "served" by Midco Cable and as of the middle of this month, they scrambled EVERYTHING.
You need one of their adapters on EVERY TV, or you get NOTHING (after paying for cable).
Rates have DOUBLED for basic cable over a few years to around $60 for basic cable.
They supply two adapters for free, additional ones are $2 a month each.
We have 5 TV"s, in a 3-person household, 3 of which are only occasionally used, but nice to have if a person is in the kitchen, or downstairs and want to follow a program.
We have the two "free" adapters, and the other 3 TV"s have gone dark "cuz I feel it is a rip-off to pay for the extra adapters for the little they are used, just to view the basic channels we have already been paying for.
I have stayed with cable vs. a satellite service "cuz the house was wired for cable when we bought it and satellite TV requires lots of extra wiring and $$$ extra boxes and we are not total TV addicts and were perfectly content with what we HAD.
FUNNY, we are all told to go "GREEN", and now, if I play along with Midco, I will have FIVE extra "wall worts" each wasting a few Watts of power 24/7.
Guess Midco is not a "GREEN" company!
My son (who lives on his own, away from home) told me how pathetic I was and just to pay the extra $72.00 a year and be done with it. (And then, a week later was looking unsuccessfully for a handout when HE ran short of money for HIS montly bills.)
Yep, and the water bill increase, AND the BIG monthly "facility charge" increase ($$$ I pay for having power at the farm before so much as turning on a light), and, and, and!
Add "em all together and it takes quite a bit of EXTRA "cha-ching" each year to make it all happen!
Am I being a Luddite for being awfully disgusted with it all?
Case in point... our little town is "served" by Midco Cable and as of the middle of this month, they scrambled EVERYTHING.
You need one of their adapters on EVERY TV, or you get NOTHING (after paying for cable).
Rates have DOUBLED for basic cable over a few years to around $60 for basic cable.
They supply two adapters for free, additional ones are $2 a month each.
We have 5 TV"s, in a 3-person household, 3 of which are only occasionally used, but nice to have if a person is in the kitchen, or downstairs and want to follow a program.
We have the two "free" adapters, and the other 3 TV"s have gone dark "cuz I feel it is a rip-off to pay for the extra adapters for the little they are used, just to view the basic channels we have already been paying for.
I have stayed with cable vs. a satellite service "cuz the house was wired for cable when we bought it and satellite TV requires lots of extra wiring and $$$ extra boxes and we are not total TV addicts and were perfectly content with what we HAD.
FUNNY, we are all told to go "GREEN", and now, if I play along with Midco, I will have FIVE extra "wall worts" each wasting a few Watts of power 24/7.
Guess Midco is not a "GREEN" company!
My son (who lives on his own, away from home) told me how pathetic I was and just to pay the extra $72.00 a year and be done with it. (And then, a week later was looking unsuccessfully for a handout when HE ran short of money for HIS montly bills.)
Yep, and the water bill increase, AND the BIG monthly "facility charge" increase ($$$ I pay for having power at the farm before so much as turning on a light), and, and, and!
Add "em all together and it takes quite a bit of EXTRA "cha-ching" each year to make it all happen!
Am I being a Luddite for being awfully disgusted with it all?