In Les Misérables, the storekeeper's big number extols how to get more money from the customer, "charge them for the mice..." and all the other "extras". In the airline industry, baggage, food, and perhaps soon, pillows and blankets, all cost extra. For the cable industry, the big extra is the cable box. As cable operators transitioned from analog to digital, TV sets all required a cable box to connect the cable wire to the TV set and unscramble each channel's signal. More TV sets to connect in the home, the more cable boxes to rent, the more revenue per household.
In the past, Comcast offered "special adapters and that those adapters - two per household - would be free." But not in Philly anymore or perhaps anywhere. These are not the big boxes, the ones that access on demand or can DVR programs, or even pause and rewind the show being watched. These low level adapters simply unscramble signals. More costs to get access to what was once free to the consumer.
But perhaps this is just one more tipping point to move from big screen to tablet, from connected to wireless. As costs rise, consumers will be less likely to want to connect more TVs. Bedrooms will be more likely to find laptops and tablets, then TVs, for consumers to watch content. It may even cause consumers to more quickly cut their cable cord. It may be an attempt to grow the revenue stream and improve the profit margins of cable, but it may also lead to more detrimental results.
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