HBO to Launch Stand-Alone Streaming Service

[Syt]

It's about time. Maybe they saw some stats on how many people pirate Game of Thrones.

For sure. But will the pirates pay for something they can get for free? I know that their "excuse" has been they didn't have cable or satellite. But now...will they pay?

Only speaking for myself, but since my Spotify subscription I've not downloaded any music illegally, largely because I can use it on PC, phone and tablet, so having files to transfer becomes irrelevant. If there was a movie/TV show equivalent with a similar range I'd be willing to pay for that, too, and probably quite a bit.

[Josephus]

Not sure if in the US of A it's different, but here, in Canada, with the major cable/satellite subscriptons owned by Bell and Rogers, who also own the major internet subscriptions, in the end it doesn't matter for them if you leave cable or not. Either way you're going to end up paying them. Either for a cable package or for an upgraded and expensive bandwith subscription.

[Grey Fox]

The Cable co will answer back, Berkut.

Mainly by lobbying until the FCC completely kills Net Neutrality.

and on that day, they will have won.

In Canada, the recurring allowance by the CRTC to institute retail data caps will kill any and all of efforts of Cord Cutting.

[Norgy]

There's been a streaming service called HBO Nordic for a year or so.
It's been a blessing.
It finally got Deadwood too.

[crazy canuck]

The Cable co will answer back, Berkut.

Mainly by lobbying until the FCC completely kills Net Neutrality.

and on that day, they will have won.

In Canada, the recurring allowance by the CRTC to institute retail data caps will kill any and all of efforts of Cord Cutting.

I agree that your have accurately described what has happened in Canada to date.  But I also think Berkut is correct that a big change is coming.  In the recent spat between teh CRTC and Netflix I think you are seeing the last days of content regulation.  It has become largely irrelevant.

[Grey Fox]

The Cable co will answer back, Berkut.

Mainly by lobbying until the FCC completely kills Net Neutrality.

and on that day, they will have won.

In Canada, the recurring allowance by the CRTC to institute retail data caps will kill any and all of efforts of Cord Cutting.

I agree that your have accurately described what has happened in Canada to date.  But I also think Berkut is correct that a big change is coming.  In the recent spat between teh CRTC and Netflix I think you are seeing the last days of content regulation.  It has become largely irrelevant.

Has it? CRTC's content regulation is mandated in the Broadcasting act, is there Political will to amend that? I understand that English Canada(and the ROTW) really just wants to watch American TV shows.

Simultaneous substitution has made Bell, Shaw & Rogers very lazy with their programming.

[crazy canuck]

The Cable co will answer back, Berkut.

Mainly by lobbying until the FCC completely kills Net Neutrality.

and on that day, they will have won.

In Canada, the recurring allowance by the CRTC to institute retail data caps will kill any and all of efforts of Cord Cutting.

I agree that your have accurately described what has happened in Canada to date.  But I also think Berkut is correct that a big change is coming.  In the recent spat between teh CRTC and Netflix I think you are seeing the last days of content regulation.  It has become largely irrelevant.

Has it? CRTC's content regulation is mandated in the Broadcasting act, is there Political will to amend that? I understand that English Canada(and the ROTW) really just wants to watch American TV shows.

Simultaneous substitution has made Bell, Shaw & Rogers very lazy with their programming.

There is no need to amend anything.  Netflix already falls outside the regulations.  That is the spat I referred to in my post.  The CRTC can't regulate content on the internet with any practical effect.  The CRTC can go on regulating the content of cable all it wants and the diminishing number of people that will actually impact.

[Grey Fox]

The CRTC is under the impression, and acts accordingly, that Netflix falls under it's umbrella and operates under a 1999 Exception Order for new media(same thing for Youtube).

While the government will never allow it, the CRTC has the authority & the means to make the Canadian ISPs block NetFlix/Youtube.

[crazy canuck]

The CRTC is under the impression, and acts accordingly, that Netflix falls under it's umbrella and operates under a 1999 Exception Order for new media(same thing for Youtube).

While the government will never allow it, the CRTC has the authority & the means to make the Canadian ISPs block NetFlix/Youtube.

Like I said, the CRTC can't regulate the internet with any practical effect....

[Grey Fox]

Yes but the CRTC can and does regulate your access to the internet.

RoBellus will go and has gone before the CRTC arguing that Netflix competition is unfair and doesn't respect rules they have too.

It is a grimm picture but has long has we have no vertical structural seperation those that own the cables will make our access to Netflix and other OTT services harder & more expensive everyday.

[DontSayBanana]

Only speaking for myself, but since my Spotify subscription I've not downloaded any music illegally, largely because I can use it on PC, phone and tablet, so having files to transfer becomes irrelevant. If there was a movie/TV show equivalent with a similar range I'd be willing to pay for that, too, and probably quite a bit.

Grooveshark for me, since it's a little better for allowing access to the international music market, but we'll see how long that keeps up now that GS is in the damages phase of a massive copyright lawsuit.  I would really not be surprised to see them fold, with other services like IHeartRadio, Spotify, and Pandora circling the wagons to cover their backsides, or at least the portion of their backsides that is exposed to the licensing aspects of their businesses.

[Barrister]

Only speaking for myself, but since my Spotify subscription I've not downloaded any music illegally, largely because I can use it on PC, phone and tablet, so having files to transfer becomes irrelevant. If there was a movie/TV show equivalent with a similar range I'd be willing to pay for that, too, and probably quite a bit.

Grooveshark for me, since it's a little better for allowing access to the international music market, but we'll see how long that keeps up now that GS is in the damages phase of a massive copyright lawsuit.  I would really not be surprised to see them fold, with other services like IHeartRadio, Spotify, and Pandora circling the wagons to cover their backsides, or at least the portion of their backsides that is exposed to the licensing aspects of their businesses.

Yeah, Grooveshark is done.  Surprised they're still operating at this point.  The trial found they had just started offering up songs and planned to get licensing deals with the record labels "eventually".

[Berkut]

Is that not ok?

I mean, if they have the best of intentions to eventually get licensing, I don't see what the problem is...

[Maximus]

It's not just the cable companies, the content owners don't like streaming either.

That may be the case with the content owners that have or had content on TV.

My impression is that there are a lot of other content creators and potential creators that would be delighted with the demise of cable TV.

[Eddie Teach]

Sure. The ones who aren't as good want a more wide open field, the ones with the best stuff want the best monetization.