Cord Cutter's Diary

Farhad Manjoo writes, “Free TV should be free, wherever you get it. By suggesting otherwise, Aereo isn’t merely profoundly stupid; it’s dangerous, too.” I’m no fan of the $12 a month fee, either, and don’t know if I’ll pay if Aereo ever gets around to asking for it. But I think Manjoo’s argument here is a little shortsighted. It’s clear as day that streaming network TV is merely a prelude to Aereo’s more ambitious plans, which could include selling a la carte networks directly to consumers. (Here’s a little more on how I think that could happen.) For now, the service has to work with the content at its disposal under regulations as they currently stand. When I cut the cord, I needed to find a way to get network TV. I could have purchased a cheap antenna for live programming over the air, but adding a DVR would have started to approach the cost of Aereo. (Here’s my initial post figuring those costs.) Since subscribing to Aereo — I’m still in the free trial period that doesn’t want to end — I’ve found its greatest value is in letting me tune in live, mostly to sports, when I’m not at home. There’s also something elegant about not having a tuner at home. None of which is to say that Aereo is a revolutionary product or worth $12 a month. But after a few months with the service, I’m pleased to root for it as I would any company trying to deliver media in new ways.