Tired of paying all that money to the cable company and getting two religious channels and three home shopping networks mixed in amongst the standard sex and violence on the basic and premium channels? Well, there are alternatives. This low-budget guide looks at the pros and cons of several options, and is built around interviews with both industry reps and customers. The time-indexed chapters include segments on broadcast TV (6 channels and nothing worth watching), cable TV (39 channels and nothing worth watching), and satellite dish set-ups (150 channels and...). Actually, the wide proliferation of channels available is a godsend, and the opportunities for niche programming will become even greater in the near future once the phone companies and the cable companies stop breaking off their highly publicized engagements and we get on down the 500 channel information superhighway (think about it--25 premium channels all showing Pauly Shore in Son-in-Law: welcome to TV hell.) The program concludes with some interesting speculations about the future, and offers an exciting glimpse of DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite), which has the double benefits of being about half the cost of a low-end satellite dish and--since it's only a couple feet in diameter--doesn't look like the ugliest piece of lawn furniture on the block. An accompanying booklet offers commentary on rates, and sources for more free information. An unusual consumer awareness program (I'm not familiar with another on the subject). Recommended. (R. Pitman)
Cable Alternatives
(1994) 56 min. $39.95 (booklet included). Robert McConnell Productions. PPR. Color cover. Vol. 9, Issue 4
Cable Alternatives
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