HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS TAGGED "CORD CUTTING"

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Over-the-Air TV is Gaining in Popularity

"Every time that Hulu and Netflix enhance their services, our phones light up," says Antenna Direct president Richard Schneider.

Cord cutting is becoming increasingly popular - not just because of the cost of cable service, but because consumers are becoming more familiar with the alternatives. Netflix and Hulu are household names, but the unexpected effect of streaming content popularity is the resurfacing of antennas.

Richard Shneider of Antenna Direct says that sales are increasing greatly. He sold 400,000 antennas in 2010, 600,000 last year and expects to double that in 2012. Adding to his already impressive sales will be a recent agreement that puts Antenna Direct products in Walmart stores.

The more aware people are that the old-school seeming antenna is a valid option for getting HD content, the more they seem to sell. "Many consumers don't realize they can get these channels over the air in HD for free," says Boxee's Avner Ronen.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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Boxee Will Add Live TV Through the Boxee Box

A dongle will be needed, but you'll be able to pull in over-the-air television signals through your Box.

The Boxee Box is really working hard to appeal to cord-cutters everywhere and the upcoming version of the Box will be offering even more.

The folks over at NewTeeVee were able to get their hands on a build of the Boxee Box 1.5 update and were surprised to see a new option called Boxee Live TV, which is just what it sounds like. Live TV gives you the option to watch over-the-air broadcasts through your Boxee Box if you pick up a special dongle to enable it.

While watching live TV on your Boxee Box is certainly a nice addition, Boxee will also be adding plenty of the social integration that they're known for.

There's no word yet on when this update will come out and Boxee hasn't yet commented on the reveal.

Source: New TeeVee

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Study Says Consumers Aren't Cord Cutting - They're Supplementing

While alternative content providers are doing quite well, they're not taking as much away from cable subscriptions as people like to think.

It's obvious to even the most casual observer that less traditional viewing methods are on the rise. Streaming to PCs, game systems and phones is becoming more common and there are plenty of workarounds for those that don't want to shell out cash for cable.

According to the NPD Group, over a quarter of cable subscribers subscribe to Netflix. A similar amount watch VOD content and nearly half of all cable subscribers also pay for a premium movie or sports channel. That's quite a bit of supplemented entertainment.

"There may be too much emphasis on so-called ‘cord cutters’ who represent a small group, as opposed to potential ‘cord throttlers,’ who are a massive segment of the subscribing population," says NPD analyst Russ Crupnick.

Source: Home Media Magazine

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