More trouble for Hollywood? Kevin Rose ditches cable, TiVo for Internet, Netflix
Kevin Rose is an influential guy in Silicon Valley, the kind other young gearheads follow. And that includes on micro-blogging service Twitter, which is where Rose announced to the world that he had canceled his Comcast cable and TiVo subscriptions.
"From this point forward I'm going all internet / netflix," he wrote. A few dozen FriendFeed users posted comments about his decision, with many saying that they had done the same or were thinking about it.
Rose, the 31-year-old who helped start such sites as Digg, Revision3 and Pownce, says he realized he was only watching a handful of shows and about 10 to 12 hours of programming a week. And although he still dug loading up Blu-ray movies on his 110-inch high-definition projector TV, he was just as happy to tune into "Lost" at ABC.com and "Heroes" on Hulu.com on the small screen. A fan of the Green Bay Packers (his grandfather played center for the football team), he could kick back and watch games streamed live on NFL.com.
He can also get streaming video through a Netflix set-top box manufactured by Roku and, soon, on his Xbox 360 console. BitTorrent fills most other gaps. Or Rose hits house parties or local bars to pick up entertainment he misses elsewhere.
It's a big improvement from the days when he had to wait six to eight hours to download pirated versions of his favorite shows, Rose says. Today even pirated shows are a snap. "Now most of the stuff is Flash encoded. It's a single click," he said.
Rose should be in the cable industry's sweet spot. He takes his entertainment seriously. But he said he decided to dump Comcast after ...
... reading a slew of stories on Digg about how to conserve cash during the recession.
"I was not going to cut my gym membership," said Rose, who is sporting a newly buffed physique.
It's not that Rose is against ponying up for entertainment. His complaint: Cable companies don't offer an a la carte menu so Rose can pay for only what he wants. "I'd be happy to pay for it if they would offer it," he said. "But they don't offer that. It's all or nothing."
And he is not the only one to cut the cord.
"As far as my tech friends, early adopters, absolutely," he said. "There is so just so much content now available even in the last one or two or three months that wasn't online before, that it makes that decision a whole lot easier."
As Silicon Valley goes, so goes the nation? My colleagues Dawn C. Chmielewski and Meg James wrote today that "with faster processors, improved technology to compress video and more than 60 million homes in the U.S. with high-speed connections, the computer seamlessly delivers full-length episodes of television shows and movies. As a result, the computer now vies with the TV and cinema as the go-to screen for entertainment."
Rose says someday everyone will consume entertainment the way he does. "Now all you have to do is "click the big, huge play button," he said.
That said, he doubts older generations will change their ways. His parents certainly won't, he said. Last season when his father missed an episode of "24," Rose had to remotely commandeer his father's computer to help him download the episode.
"There's no way he would ever been able to figure that out without me helping him out."
-- Jessica Guynn
Photo: Kevin Rose, right, and Alex Albrecht get ready to tape their show DiggNation at Rose's house in San Francisco. Credit: Randi Lynn Beach / For the Times
We've been doing this for 3 years and have watched our selection of movies and television shows grow. We did this after the "cable guys" did not show up to install the cable in our new home and the "dish guys" only wanted to plug into our telephone line for cable. The added benefit is that my kid can watch all the CSI's before his bed time. AND we do try to use the sponsors products: the products are more in tune with our lifestyle.
Posted by: tortoise1 | October 29, 2008 at 02:29 PM
Someday, whatever that means, yeah.
Today? Get real.
If you think music sounds good on cruddy iPod earphones, you'll probably enjoy watching video on your PC, while spilling popcorn in your keyboard. Or better yet, watch a movie on your iPod.
Real people? Not so much.
Posted by: JimF | October 29, 2008 at 02:42 PM
So, because Kevin Rose does it, suddenly it's new?
I and many of my friends haven't wasted money on cable TV (or TV at all) since we were children. (>10 years ago)
Wasting 25-50% of your time with adverts is just ridiculous, and letting someone else determine your life schedule is incomprehensible.
I'll freely admit to spending too much time in front of a computer, but that's because it's an empowering technology. I really don't understand why anyone lets TV influence their lives.
Posted by: Graham | October 29, 2008 at 02:59 PM
We ditched cable four years ago and never looked back. The TV offerings are pathetic, and like Rose has discovered are all available elsewhere and on MY schedule. Plus, I don't have to pay for half a dozen idiot religious channels that I don't even want near my house, much less piped into my television - and certainly not part of my bill! When the cable halfwits figure out how to sell their stuff a la carte, then maybe I'll give them another chance.
Posted by: Jolnir the Happy Viking | October 29, 2008 at 03:00 PM
I'm doing the same. After my building stopped offering free cable, I've decided to go without. I had no idea that the most basic subscription is about $50! Most of the shows I like I can watch online.
Posted by: Eliza | October 29, 2008 at 03:03 PM
So from where does Kevin's connection to the internet come? I'm guessing there are more options in SF than flyover country. Most of us either take DSL (slowish) or cable modems (less slowish).
Posted by: Yunohu | October 29, 2008 at 03:05 PM
I've been getting my movies and television via computer for years. Same with my music. Oh, and just as an aside, I am the older generation.
Posted by: Varina | October 29, 2008 at 03:14 PM
Gee!! We have been on the cutting edge for all these years! No TV since 1971 and internet and Netflix since it became available. I watch all the shows I want.
Posted by: Uki | October 29, 2008 at 03:57 PM
"So, because Kevin Rose does it, suddenly it's new?"
I ditched CABLE and NETWORK TV February 2001. I have not regretted it or looked back. It was a HUGE waste of time, energy and cash. I was also offended by some of the programming as well!
I've been doing high speed internet programming for more than 3 years!!!
DIE TV DIE!!!
Posted by: black girl | October 29, 2008 at 04:46 PM
No cable or Dish for years. I guess Comcast and TiVo not a big advertiser for KRose?
Posted by: Mike B | October 29, 2008 at 04:50 PM
it's only fair to point out that kevin used to work for Comcast and left on bad terms.
Posted by: JimR | October 29, 2008 at 05:17 PM
I like how this came out the day before the TiVo Netflix deal was announced. Think he'll re-neg?
Posted by: Geoff | October 30, 2008 at 12:18 PM
I believe it was suggested that services like Hulu (http://www.hulu.com) and FreeTube (http://www.freetube.us.tc) were free alternatives that more then satiated those wanting live television or to catch up on their favorite tv shows, but not having to shell out lots of dough in this recession environment.
Posted by: Miguel Torez | October 30, 2008 at 09:10 PM
Wait until those internet usage quotas kick in, what will he do then?
Posted by: Bob | November 03, 2008 at 10:20 AM