[opendtv] Re: Apple TV: Eddy Cue on streaming video and TV channels - Nov. 6, 2015

  • From: Craig Birkmaier <brewmastercraig@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 08 Nov 2015 09:40:06 -0500

On Nov 7, 2015, at 8:12 PM, Albert Manfredi <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


Craig sounds just as clueless as those who write these articles.

The congloms have been making their stuff available over the Internet for
more than a decade, Craig. If you feel the need to pretend that these limited
boxes, which rely on collusion and under-the-table dealing, are the only way
to get that online content to your big screen, then please explain to us what
motivates you to think so.

The congloms have been re-selling their TV content into syndication for more
than a half century. The Internet is just a new market for their old stuff. You
could argue that they are making some of their new shows available within days
of the original broadcast (almost immediately for some paid OTT services), and
you would be correct. They have learned that catch-up services help to increase
ratings, both for the delayed streams and for the broadcast streams.

What has NOT happened is the ability to watch a huge portion of the most
popular content currently behind pay walls, for free over the Internet. We are
seeing some new paid business models, and some early attempts at recreating
MVPD services over the Internet. But the difficulties in licensing content that
Cue was talking about are very real.

Sling TV does not have a package with the major networks. Sony Play Station Vue
does not have ESPN and is not much cheaper than the MVPD bundles. These are not
hardware or ecosystem issues, they are licensing issues. The content owners are
moving slowly into this area and trying out a variety of business models.

We have discussed various forms of collusion in this forum for more than a
decade. That's what we have come to expect from oligopolies that are propped up
by the politicians and regulators. You can try to blame the device makers all
you want, but that does not change the fact that it is the content owners. Who
are holding us up!

Are you ready to authorize ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Netflix, Amazon, Scripps
Howard,
and others to hit your credit card each month to watch their content?

I see what they offer, under what terms, and I decide, Craig. Some of these
guys offer content FOTI, some do not. I decide. Why do I need to belabor the
obvious?

Because you refuse to pay, except for two day shipping from Amazon that also
provides access to some content. And you refuse to see that the trend is moving
toward paying for everything, not more free content.

Your friend Les is telling you otherwise. "Want to watch the new Star Trek?
Just subscribe to All Access."

For the first viewing.

No, the first episode will air on CBS (free) then to see the rest you must
subscribe to All Access.

And he'll offer it other ways after some undisclosed delay.

Yup. No doubt he will license the rights to Netflix or Amazon and after another
delay to TBS or the Sci-Fi channel. That's the way everyone does business.

So sure, I can either subscribe to All Access, I can wait and watch FOTI, or,
if needed, I can simply not watch Star Trek and watch something else instead.

Thanks for admitting the obvious. You tolerate the delays for some content to
watch it free, and you choose not to pay for stuff that may be delayed for
years before it is offered FOTI. You are the exception, not the rule.

I see nothing unusual in any of this. The fact remains, insisting that these
limited boxes are the only answer shows a certain lack of understanding of
this subject matter.

The boxes have nothing to do with it as the Cue interview explained. The
problem is getting the content owners to agree to a new business model that is
less bloated, cheaper, and easier to use.

Regards
Craig


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