[opendtv] Re: And the Yang
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 09:14:06 -0400
At 5:35 PM -0500 4/11/11, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
Sorry Bert, but you DID inform those sites that you are using a PC to access
their content. You did not do this overtly, as
in signing a license agreement,
but you PC did identify itself to the servers
that are streaming content to it.
If you recall, the congloms got quite perturbed
about GoogleTV. The rationale was, we are okay
with people using their PCs to do TV episode
"catchup," presumably sitting up to the small
screen. But those web sites are not intended for
comfy viewing on your large flat panel in the
den. The ad breaks are not long enough for that.
We expect more ad revenue from that relaxed
viewing venue.
What I'm trying to get across, obviously without
a lot of success, is that the device makers
should not be trying so hard to hand this
information over on a silver platter, as the
tablet makers and the GoogleTV devices do. And
no, Craig, I certainly did not inform those
sites.
They know you are using a PC. They do not know
that it is connected to your TV. They DID KNOW
that a device called Google TV is designed for
the TV in the family room and chose NOT to stream
content to it. To shut down "media PCs" they
would have to shut down ALL PCs - apparently they
are not ready to do that...yet.
I'm furthermore suggesting that the device
makers do this differentiation, in large
measure, because it suits THEM. Because it is
THEIR revenues that go up faster, if they make
the new devices unique. One obvious example,
they get to sell this new wigit, the "app," that
they weren't peddling previously. Good for you,
device maker, you get to sell this new app. But
pay attention: now it becomes obvious to the
congloms that you are raking in an extra amount
of revenue, and using the conglom's content for
that purpose. And the device maker feigns
surprise that the conglom wants a piece of that
new action? How unbelievably naïve of them!
Sounds practically disingenuous, to me.
There is NOTHING NEW about APPS Bert. Computers
have been running software programs forever. The
only thing that is new is the way APPS are
distributed and the pricing models.
Developers have always been part of the PC
ecosystem. And Microsoft did a VERY GOOD job of
locking them into its platform.
And more, the device makers can now expect a
kickback when cablecos or other subscription
sites stream to their new and different devices.
Or, better yet, if the generic cablecos won't
support their new gizmo, the device maker can
create its own subscription site for that.
What kickback?
The apps in question are FREE. The only benefit
to Apple or Google or any other mobile OS vendor
is that the APPS help sell the hardware.
The iTunes store is another issue (or the Amazon
media stores). These stores rent or sell media
for a wide range of devices including PCs, mobile
devices, TVs, game consoles, etc.
The reality is that there are many ways to obtain
content for all of these platforms.
For one thing, because of the differences in support for various streaming
technologies,
... for which there was never any valid excuse.
Again, it is the device maker that was looking
to benefit from this, i.e. with more revenues,
more than any technical reason.
Sorry Bert, but this is not correct. It is
ludicrous to send a 1920 x 1080 HD stream to a
smartphone. Different applications have different
requirements. And competition is NOT a bad thing.
Hanging on to outdated legacy standards is a bad
thing.
(I can see that perhaps devices as small as
smart phones really cannot use the same web
pages as PCs, however that excuse is far less
credible for tablets, whose screens are not that
different from laptops.)
You are on the right track here.
I would also add that when people are paying
premium prices for bits, as they are doing today
with 3G broadband, consumer get pissed off with
pop ups and other intrusive ads that they do not
want, and complex sites that work well on a PC
browser with a big pipe, but bring a mobile
browser to its knees.
Regards
Craig
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