Aereo TV Reviewed On Cape Cod

Aereo TV is expanding despite lawsuits and threats to turn broadcasters into cablecasters.  In a review in today's "capecodtoday", the review deemed the service as worth it.  And for $8 a month, Aereo offered a cheaper alternative to cable for access to about 20 channels of content.  The stream is accessible on computers and mobile devices as well as through a Roku box for access on a TV screen.  In fact, the service reminds me of the early days of cable when cable boxes only got about 36 channels of content for an affordable low price.  But of course those days are gone.

So here is the most interesting part of the review for me.  "For the geeks in the audience, our testing was done on a Comcast home network connection that read 25 MBPS down and 11 MBPS up. We tested on a Wireless G, Wireless N and wired Ethernet connection."  That's right, you still need to buy broadband access, either from your cable provider or if available a telco provider.  And while the overall cost may be cheaper for the consumer, the cable/telco company is still getting a monthly subscription fee for their service.

So what should it say to the broadband side of the company?  You can win back those cord cutters to Aereo if you offer a competitive low cost package.  Tout the lower bundled cost of cable and broadband and enable authenticated streaming of cable content.  Rather than fight the battle in the courtroom, market your superior service and easier access.  Enable third party boxes like Roku, TiVo and others to work with your infrastructure and build the better mousetrap.  Till then, this is the message that the consumer is hearing.  "Aereo is a service that works well and is available right now. It does what the company promises and at a highly affordable price. Aereo provides a rich channel selection and a free virtual DVR service – far more than “basic cable” offers."

Aereo TV is here because you left the door open for them.  But you may still have time to shut it and offer different sizes for different customer needs.