[opendtv] Re: Amazon Considering Online Pay-TV Service
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:58:22 -0500
> On Jan 23, 2014, at 11:19 AM, Kon Wilms <konfoo@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 5:21 AM, Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> The bandwidth doesn't exist.. maybe, maybe not. Netflix uses AWS. And do we
> really need 'live' and 'linear' TV? I haven't watched that format in probably
> 6 years. And these days when I'm at a relative or friend's house, if anything
> a TV playing live TV is an annoyance to me more than anything else. My kids
> are about 5 now and they have never experienced a 'live TV household' (if you
> will). When I watch their reactions to live TV.. it looks like it is a
> distraction they prefer to do without, because there is no control over the
> format.
I'm with you on the general lack of interest in live TV. There is simply no
good reason that a pre-produced program has to air at a certain time. Movies do
not air at a certain time, other than in theaters, and for very popular movies
there are often multiple screens in a complex showing the same movie at
staggered times. While a specific time slot for a TV program may no longer be
important, as with movies, a release date may still be important. I can easily
see programs moving to an App front end - in essence when you download the App
you subscribe to the series. Each episode could then be viewed on demand, or if
you elected, downloaded to your devices on the release date.
> Some things like sports, events and news I can see a point for. However, the
> rest of live TV needs to just lay down and die. But I'm sure they will fight
> to the bitter end, and get left with the horse and buggy in the process.
As the report I linked to this morning noted, sports is the biggest attraction
for many, if not most, subscribers to MVPD services. News is also a big draw.
This stuff will need to be (mostly) live streams. The rest should be available
on demand.
Regards
Craig
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