TV providers test online

[Dr Mordrid]

They're feeling the heat because outfits like HULU, YouTube, Microsoft (X360) and many others are licensing TV and movie studio content for streaming, and the quality is acceptable to the vast majority of viewers.

We may be seeing the beginning of the end of broadcast TV, now less than 10% of the market, and the cable/satellite model.

http://www.techspot.com/news/35998-tv-providers-to-test-online-broadcasts.html

TV providers to test online broadcasts

By Matthew DeCarlo, TechSpot.com
Published: August 27, 2009, 5:42 PM EST

Scrambling to protect their subscription revenue, TV providers Time Warner Cable and Verizon are planning to offer their paying customers shows on the Web. The old broadcast model could face a serious threat if cable shows became widely available on the Internet. The collective traditional media is already feeling the Web's presence, and it seems they are looking to nip it in the bud.

Dubbed TV Everywhere, Time Warner's trial of the online TV service will include shows from the NBC Universal-owned Syfy channel; Time Warner's TNT, HBO and TBS; Cablevision System's AMC, IFC and Sundance Channel; and BBC's BBC America. CBS and Discovery are also involved in the test. The trial of TV Everywhere is expected to be made available to 5,000 households. Verizon will roll out its flavor of the TV Everywhere trial, making TNT and TBS available online for FiOS customers.

Recognizing the threat at hand, other companies are also moving to safeguard the subscription model of old. DirecTV is reportedly working on a version of TV Everywhere. While their attempts may woo some, I have one question: Will the TV Everywhere online broadcasts be crammed full of ads?

[Tjalfe]

until they scrap the download caps here, such service will not catch on.. Canada went from being a leader in Fast internet, to amongst the worst in the western world now

[Elie]

Well Bell Cananda now offers IPTV in locations where it can provide the bandwidth, so it's only a matter of time.

How long? who knows, eventually all content will be delivered via IP, but the studios will continue to broadcast. People will have a choice between Satelite, cable or IPTV.

[Dr Mordrid]

Dunno about that. A recent editorial in one of the trade mags said satellite and cable have between 5 and 7 years, perhaps less, before IP overtakes them.

Already about 5% in the US get TV over IP as a secondary feed, but tracking is starting to pick up people using IP only. They get their movies through Netflix etc. and their TV programming through HULU and the other services. Even HB0 is offering IP programming as an adjunct to their main service. IMO it won't be too long before the roles reverse.

Then there is the whole DVR issue. TiVo has been suing Dish/Echostar for years over their DVR boxes violating their patent. They won, least so far, so then last week they sued AT&T and the other DVR providers.

Another suit challenged the idea of remote DVR; the provider would store recorded video's not local to the customer but on their own servers. Delivery could be either IP or through cable/satellite channels, but most current satellite boxes could only handle IP (as Dish's box does for video on demand), and only then if they had an IP port, and current cable feeds are maxing out their bandwidth.

That suit failed, making remote DVR an escape clause for Dish, AT&T and others.

The question is if the providers will continue to broadcast discrete channels or follow the IP model as high capacity optical feeds come along, AT&T being the leader there.

[Tjalfe]

Well Bell Cananda now offers IPTV in locations where it can provide the bandwidth, so it's only a matter of time.

How long? who knows, eventually all content will be delivered via IP, but the studios will continue to broadcast. People will have a choice between Satelite, cable or IPTV.

Well, bell can provide 560kbps to my house, them having no plans for upgrading
so this bandwidth capping they are doing is less about fair use of the internet and more about making sure people will not be getting tv services from the internet, which would cut deep into both Rogers and bells main business. I mean, if both do IPTV, be it bell, or Rogers tv on demand, both use more bandwidth than any torrent user, I would think.
And to think that in suburban Stockholm, for less than what you can get 10Mbit for here, you can get 100Mbit is just a sad state of affairs

[Wulfman]

560kbps to my house,

seriously? my hsdpa-modem is faster than that, in most locations.

mfg
wulfman

[Dr Mordrid]

10,000k here

[Wulfman]

10,000k here

yeah, but not under a tree in the park.

mfg
wulfman

[Dr Mordrid]

Our park is the 16,000 sq/ft back yard and there has been discussion of wiring the picnic table/fire pit area. Light discussion, but still. Anyone know where you can get exterior RJ-45's & boxes?

[Wulfman]

my backyard literally is the prater, roughly 54 000 000 ft², that no one intends to wire, and nobody needs to. even at the picnic tables.

your 1500m² should be easily covered by 802.11n, if you are using proper equipment.

mfg
wulfman

[Dr Mordrid]

N is fast, but not wired fast.

[KRSESQ]

I should think that any exterior rated 120v conduit & boxes should do nicely. A weather-tight cover for said boxes should be available from any electrician.

When I rewired my detached garage I ran underground pvc conduit along the exact route my father-in-law ran it 50 years ago. Ran 220, phone and rj45 but (I'm such a dork) I forgot the TV cable!

So now I need to get some lube and run a TV cable.

Kevin

[Dr Mordrid]

How in God's name could you forget the freakin' TV CABLE??

Jeezzz......that's enough to get you expelled from the dood union

[KRSESQ]

It's okay. I don't have a TV to put out there right now anyway. After I build my loft, on the other hand...

The rj45, on the other hand, gets a lot of use.

Kevin