Viacom and DirecTV disagree on price

DirecTV has pulled the plug on 26 of its satellite channels owned by Viacom after a dispute between the two companies.

Millions of subscribers have been affected by the blackout which started Tuesday night, taking many popular shows off the air. Channels affected by the dispute include BET, Comedy Central, VH1, MTV and others.

Both companies are locked in a price dispute and Viacom wants to raise the price of its channels but so far DirecTV has refused to comply. It added that it would make subscriptions to the service more expensive for its customers, something it doesn't want to do.

Hulu has capitalized on the dispute by offering new customers a free one-week trial. Who will win the price war? Can Viacom succesfully raise its prices or is it time to switch service? DirecTV customers may also feel that they are paying too much for a premium service that doesn't offer their favourite channels.