content: I hear this (correct) argument all the time, so i'm going to explain why i pay those bastards at all.  I live in the sticks.  I have metered internet.  If i casually stream a channel on my big screen, then i blow through my monthly data allowance in a week.  I also have to deal with broken streams which require human interaction to press play.  All this so i can leave the news on one TV while i do whatever on my HTPC/tablet/phone.  So my options are to either pay overages on my internet which are sometimes less than the Sat TV bill or pay the Satellite company directly and have a better quality picture that's quicker and easier to use.  If i had coax or fiber, this would be a no brainer.