Clark despises monopolies. He has a built-in prejudice that makes him automatically expect bad things from them. One of his least favorite monopolies (one that invariably gets some of the lowest score in customer satisfaction ratings) is the cable industry. Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, is not only raising rates by around 5%, but it's recently begun to put caps on the usage of its Comcast internet service. What's driving this? Clark says to look toward South Korea, which has one of the most advanced internet systems in the world. Younger Koreans no longer subscribe in large numbers to pay television. They watch TV mainly over the internet and on their advanced-technology media phones. Over the next year or two it will become much easier to get internet programming onto your big screen in this country as well. Comcast is very afraid of this trend, and has responded with this cap on internet usage. If you exceed their limit, they'll fire you as a customer. Time Warner Cable is looking at metering internet usage as well.

Even though the US pioneered the web, our internet capacity is now at third world standards. Other countries are much more advanced, and pricing reflects that. For example, Korea's ultra-fast high speed connection costs only about $7 a month - compare that to what you're paying here in the States! You can thank the cable monopolies for that.

Several months ago, Clark told you about a fight that's going on in the TV world between Verizon and the monopoly cable companies. The issue of contention has been Verizon's build-out of its FiOS (high-speed fiber-optic broadband Internet) network.

FiOS comes with the promise of a wide range of programming choices, which has the monopoly cable companies running scared and fighting it every step of the way. The hand-to-hand combat became so intense that Verizon began offering free HDTVs to new FiOS customers.

But now it turns out that Verizon has not been delivering on its promise. Adding insult to injury, Verizon is also refusing to grant media interviews about the "customer no service" debacle. They instead released a statement that simply confirms that there have been delivery delays.

The one-two punch of the statement and the refusal to talk to the media smells of a monopoly mentality, according to Clark. What would Verizon's "Customer Care Czar" Tom Maguire -- a former guest on the show -- have to say about this debacle? And will it result in a proposed class-action suit years from now, in which case nobody wins??

Clark would like to extend an offer to be the personal shopper for Verizon's CEO, helping him find the best deals on HDTVs. That way Verizon can honor its word to all FiOS customers. After all, Clark assumes Verizon wasn't actually trying to scam people -- they just don't have their act together, right?

In the early days of NetFlix, no one was quite sure if the company's business model would work. Now they've become an enormous success and have practically demolished competitors like Blockbuster.

The next challenge NetFlix has to face is the on-demand movie threat. So the company has come up with a $99 box that delivers on-demand flicks directly to your TV. A monthly subscription fee of about $9 is required to have access to some 10,000 movies.

Netflix is hoping this device will help them counter the on-demand services from some of the cable companies. But do you really want another box on top of your TV? That's become valuable real estate.

In related news, expect to see more tiny computers during the next few years. This trend should be a real boon for all the road warriors who have to lug around heavy laptops.

Clark has a new Hewlett Packard mini-laptop ($599) that weighs 2 pounds and has a full keyboard. It can fit easily in a woman's purse or inside a carry-on bag -- no need for a separate computer bag.

Think of it as HP's response to Clark's beloved "Triple E" PC. Clark was an early adopter of the "Triple E" and bought it for $399. Now he recently saw BJ's selling it for $274!

So business travelers and others, take heart. The days of hurting your shoulder are over. You no longer need to lug a heavy laptop and create a living for the chiropractors!

Here's another money-saving tip from Clark. The penny-pinching guru's mom recently moved into a new place and wanted a TV in her den and another in her bedroom. But the building wasn't wired for TV in the den. While Clark is a self-proclaimed techno idiot, his brother Gary is a tech genius. It was Gary who told Clark about a wireless video sender called the X10 that lets you send a video signal from one TV to another. The device cost Clark $40 (though it's now selling for around $50) and installation was a breeze.

With one simple piece of equipment, Clark solved the problem for his mom. But he missed out on the real purpose of the product. Cable and satellite companies charge you for every additional box for the extra TVs in your home. The X10, however, will let you pay for just one box and then bounce the signal to your other screens. You can stop paying extra every month for those additional boxes. There may be other devices like the X10, but Clark found this one was so easy to use -- it even came with a remote. The only drawback is that you must watch the same broadcast on all screens in your home. Thanks again, mom!

The Hollywood writer's strike has inadvertently changed the way people watch TV. People in their 20s and 30s have turned to watching the equivalent of TV on their computers. The growth of sites like YouTube and JibJab has definitely helped out. Nielsen Media Research reports that almost 50 percent of viewers 34 or younger now watch full-length TV shows on a computer.

TiVo allowed you to watch TV on your schedule; the next generation of developments will allow you to watch what you want, where you want across platform. Imagine being a cable company and seeing your vice grip on the market blown apart by tech innovations. Now ESPN is making its programming available to military personnel and educators/students anywhere in the world for free on their computers. That's going to be a major blow to the cable and satellite companies who rely on business from customers signing up to get ESPN. It's now also very easy to take your computer and run a cable to your TV, allowing you to watch Internet content on the boob tube. The next thing coming down the pike will be watching Internet content on your TV in hi-def. One day Clark's 2-year-old son will marvel at the fact that TV used to be something you watched on a schedule decided by the cable or satellite company.

Have you been hearing all about the coming switch to high-definition TV? There's some misinformation floating around that Clark wants to clear up. If you still get your reception via rabbit ears or a roof-based antenna, your old TV will not be obsolete when the switch is made from analog to digital signals in early 2009. That's because you'll be able to get a converter box for around $50 -- and the feds will even subsidize around $40 of it. So there's no need to buy a new HDTV -- unless you really want one! Meanwhile, how you watch TV is going to be changing. Hulu.com is a new website that will make network TV shows available via your high-speed internet connection. But the really big news that Clark's excited about is that 32-inch LCDs are being designed to hook up to your computer. You can even split the signal so that you don't have to check your e-mail on the boob tube. Clark loves all the changes and choices that are coming -- even though he doesn't really watch TV! We're moving into era where you'll be able to be anywhere in the world and watch the shows you love if you have a high-speed Internet connection.

Renters are about to enjoy the benefits of more competition for their cable business. The FCC plans to announce that landlords can no longer rip-off tenants by dictating which TV/cable/Internet providers they can use. Landlords previously could receive huge kickbacks from little private cable companies by signing exclusive deals for their buildings. When it comes to cable service, we don't have a lot of choice in this arena to begin with thanks to monopolies. The FCC's upcoming move will afford renters a little more wiggle room. Very rarely has a landlord dictating who you can go with for cable been a positive thing. In one unusual case, Clark's executive producer Christa once lived in an apartment where the management company offered her cable service at below-market price. Right now there's no telling how soon renters will feel the benefit of the upcoming FCC decision. On a related note, renters already have the right to go the satellite route. Under the Satellite Home Viewers Act, you can get satellite if you have a clear shot of the southern sky.

In 1983, the government broke up the phone company monopoly. Back then, if you wanted phone service, you could only lease the phone from the phone company, and the phone could only do what the phone company said it could do. Up until 1983, it was typical to have one telephone. It was illegal to buy a phone from somewhere else (overseas), but people still would find a way to get around this monopoly. Once that monopoly broke up, the cordless phone came along, along with fancy new phone sets. Thus, once the market is unleashed, the innovation is extraordinary. Now, we are in the midst of that in the cable industry! Starting July 1st 2007, you will be free from buying the cable companies’ cable box. For a while, this will only be noticed by “techno-nerds”. Around Christmas 2008, this will be a craze! The technologies that will be unleashed will be phenomenal! DVR and electronic devices may have one cable signal—one device sending signals all around the house! You can feed the internet, such as YouTube videos or other signals, onto your TV. You will be in control, not the cable company! Remember 1999 with Replay TV (that preceded technologies like Tivo.) No one understood that for years. It’s the same with the new cable technology.

Cable rates are going up all over the country, in some cases up to 8% percent. Cable rates have gone up 93 percent in the last 10 years. Meanwhile, general inflation is no where near that. There is a 600 percent mark-up on cable costs, which is outrageous. The companies claim they have pushed through this increase because of programming costs. But really ESPN is the only expensive program they carry. It’s really happening because they have no competition. The interesting side note is that cable companies have not increased Internet costs much at all over the years. That’s because there are other companies competing for your business. So is there a silver lining in the television business? Yes! Telephone companies are getting into the TV business and it has the cable companies quaking. Once that happens, the massive increases will stop.

Cable companies have had terrible customer service ratings in the past, and for good reason. Cable companies are notorious for failing to show up for service calls and offering little or no help when customers call. That’s changing though, and it’s all because of fear, according to the Wall Street Journal. Cable companies are terrified by the fact that telephone companies are getting into the television business. So, the cable companies have started offering much more precise appointment windows and some have even installed tracking systems in vans so it’s clear where a technician is at all times. Not to mention the fact that technicians are actually showing up when they are supposed to. The cable companies could actually change their image around with this move. Maybe they’ll become an industry we no longer completely despise. Wouldn’t that be nice.

Clark loves competition and hates monopolies. Monopolies stifle capitalism and harm our country. That’s why Clark was so excited when satellite TV started in 1994. It was the first competition for monopoly cable companies, and satellite has been growing ever since. The best scenario is when there are three competitors in an industry. It prevents any of the three from slacking off and keeps all of them on their toes. The good news is that Verizon is going to be that third factor. Verizon is operating pay TV services in Texas, and it’s going to cost one-third of what cable costs, according to Newsday. So, if you were paying $60 a month for cable, you’ll now pay about $40 for Verizon service. There will probably be some fits and starts with it, but Clark is so happy about a third player coming into the market. Consumers will benefit a great deal from this.

Clark has been thinking of changing his high-speed Internet service because it’s getting so expensive. For most people it’s a two horse race, and Clark is one of those folks. Right now, it’s either the local monopoly phone company or the local monopoly cable company. Recently, the phone company cut the rates and he was about to switch, but he decided to call his current company first to see if they would offer him a better deal. He’s currently paying about $43 a month, which is outrageous. When he told the “customer retention specialist” that he was about to cancel, she offered him three months for $9.99 a month. She told him to call back again in 90 days to see if he could get the same deal. He was so excited about saving $100 in a four minute phone call that he told everyone. Then his Smart Money magazine arrived and knocked him down a notch. The issue, which is about saving on cable and Internet service, says not to take any three-month offers and to keep fighting for more. The reporter was able to get a discount on service for an entire year! Phone companies are also reducing costs, so you may want to consider switching companies all together, as Clark was about to do. Also, if you can, cut your home phone line to the minimum line cost. You don’t use it much anyway, thanks to cell phones, and you can usually get it down to between $17 and $20 a month total. Also, consider scaling back your cable or satellite service. Get just the broadcast channels. You may also be paying way too much for your cell phone service. Now that you can take your number with you, consider switching to Metro PCS or Cricket. They offer unlimited calling in your local area for one low price.

You've probably moved into a new place and had to set up electrical, phone and TV service, among other things. These days many more people are choosing satellite TV for their paid television service. But what if you set up your satellite service and, in addition to the satellite bill, you received a cable bill? Sound strange? Well, it’s happening in certain areas of the country and, even worse, it’s completely legal. Hundreds of people have unknowingly agreed to pay for cable TV when they sign their rental contracts, according to the New York Times. The cable companies are having trouble getting new subscribers because nearly everyone who wants pay television already has it. So, cable companies are negotiating deals with apartment managers who then attach a “pass through" cable charge in tenants' leases. The Times called what’s happening “Pay Twice TV.” So, you need to check your lease to find out what you're paying for. About 85 percent of American households pay for either satellite or cable. That means 15 percent of people have “rabbit ears” or no television at all. It’s also happening in condominium complexes, which could be a potentially good thing for homeowners. Bulk deals can save owners a great deal of money. But if you're a renter, you must read your lease!