[opendtv] Re: Spectrum is too valuable

From: Craig Birkmaier <brewmastercraig@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2015 12:48:24 -0500

On Nov 24, 2015, at 7:04 PM, Manfredi, Albert E <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Not just "libraries," Craig. You get hung up on just that aspect. We are
changing how we view, we are changing the platforms we view it on, and we are
changing where we want to be able to view it from. Not just archival
material, Craig. All material. That's why the MVPDs have had to introduce new
services.

Yes Bert, we know that all material can be delivered over the Internet. Even
complete MVPD bundles.

But the reality is that very little of the live linear streams are available
via the Internet - that is changing thanks to TV Everywhere, but you must
subscribe to the related MVPD channel(s) to use TV Everywhere.

There are multiple reasons the content owners and MVPD services are launching
TV Everywhere Apps:

1. To enhance the perceived value of the MVPD service;
2. To move beyond the limitations of the umbilical cord connected to the TVs at
the point of service;
3. To offer live streams to subscribers when they are mobile;
4. To access library content (and recent replays) on all screens on demand.

To date, the vast majority of OTT streaming has been limited to VOD access to
library content by both subscription and ad supported FOTI services like Hulu.
TV Everywhere is starting to impact the statistics - I expect that we will see
some very interesting numbers from ESPN this football season.

That being said, the only OTT streaming having a negative impact on MVPD
channels is VOD access to library content - specifically services like Netflix,
Amazon and HBO Now, and to a lesser extent Hulu. These services make the rerun
channels, responsible for the bloated size of the extended basic bundle, far
less necessary. The impact on the popular linear MVPD channels including the
broadcast networks, where live and first run content is available, has been
minimal. The primary beneficiary has been Hulu as a catch up site.

This is not likely to change. These channels will continue to be the backbone
of MVPD bundles (along with their associated TV Everywhere Apps), moving
forward. The primary change will be a shift to smaller, less expensive bundles,
as we have already seen with Dish Sling.

And the simple reality is, the MPEG-2 TS broadcast spectrum takes a huge
chuck of their available bandwidth. You seem capable of grasping this concept
for OTA TV, but for some reason, can't make the association with cabled media.

It is easy to grasp Bert. This spectrum still delivers the bits that 80 million
homes watch every day, often two or three streams simultaneously in homes with
kids. Yes it is a huge chunk of the cable bandwidth and nearly 100% of DBS
bandwidth - and it is doing exactly what people are paying for as Ron pointed
out.

It's actually obvious why, and I've already mentioned it. To install FiOS is
a hassle. It involves having to string coax inside the house (Verizon uses
MOCA), which I now do not have. It involves also installing the backup
battery in the house. Going to Cox cable would similarly involve installing
the indoor coax. If Verizon offered FiOS with VDSL indoors, running over the
voice grade twisted pair, that would be great. But I'm sure I'll have to make
the switch eventually. I'm just buying time, that's all. Nothing like your
anxiety in letting go of that cord.

It's not like you need to pull coax all over the house anymore, especially if
you are not connecting TVs to the coax. We pulled a new coax into the house for
Cox broadband and added a splitter that feeds the old coax network installed
when the house was built in 1976. The new coax plugged feeds the DOCSIS modem
that feeds the WiFi router. Everything in the house now gets bits via WiFi -
the Macs, the printer, the iPads, the iPhones, the Apple TV, the LG smart TV,
The Wii, the thermostat...

So all you need is to run coax to a location where it is easy to place the
modem and WiFi router.

I've said this many times, Craig. Check your facts before attempting to argue.

I conceded this error in another message this morning.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.263

"H.263 also found many applications on the internet: much Flash Video content
(as used on sites such as YouTube, Google Video, MySpace, etc.) used to be
encoded in Sorenson Spark format (an incomplete implementation of H.263). The
original version of the RealVideo codec was based on H.263 up until the
release of RealVideo 8."

Note that Wiki says nothing about sites streaming full length television
programming with h.263.

I simply tell it like it is, Craig, because I have no ulterior motives making
me pretend otherwise. Yes, the networks have been putting their content on
the Internet for about 10 years already, give or take a year, and I have no
reason to pretend otherwise.

Then find me even one link that confirms this. I have looked for a specific
date that pre-dates the launch of Hulu in 2008 and cannot find anything. It is
possible that one or more of the network .com sites started streaming programs
with FLASH before 2008, but I cannot confirm this.

And don't try to tell us that the network .com site existed much earlier - we
know that. The detail you need to provide is when they first started streaming
entire programs, not just promotional clips.

Yes, my old PC became unable to play these media streams at a certain point.
The video became jumpy, as the player was skipping frames. I have no idea why
you can't wrap your head around these facts.

I completely understand that. We all experienced these issues as broadband
speeds, streaming protocols and compression codecs improved between the mid
'90s and 2010. I still see these issues on live sports broadcasts using MPEG-2,
or when there are glitches with ISP service.

And there were significant differences in performance with codecs running on
CPUs like VP6. My old MacBook Pro would turn into a toaster when playing VP6
streams. The turning point came thanks to support for industry standards like
h.264; that's when the GPU manufacturers got on board and added hardware
acceleration for h.264.

There isn't anything remotely ambiguous or doubtful about any of this, unless
you're utterly uninformed on these Internet developments.

Proof please.

Regards
Craig

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References:
- [opendtv] Re: Spectrum is too valuable
  - From: Manfredi, Albert E

[opendtv] Re: Spectrum is too valuable

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