HBO to Launch Stand-Alone Streaming Service

[Grey Fox]

You mean taxpayers paid the entire bill for cable hookups and/or fiber optic?

No fiber back then but afaik, yes.

[Josephus]

here's a good article on why this model won't last forever:

http://www.salon.com/2014/10/20/theyre_going_to_start_destroying_each_other_why_tvs_new_golden_age_is_doomed/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow


The problem, as the article points out, is that at some point people will still have to chose which streaming companies they want to subscribe to. Do you want both Netflix and HBO? What about Cinemax?

Which is why Spotify, and ohter music streaming sites, work for instance. You don't go to Spotify to listen to 70s prog and Rhapsody to listen to heavy metal. It's all under one streaming service. But if you want to watch Game of Thrones and The Knick as well as boxing, you need to subscribe to multiple streaming services.

[garbon]

here's a good article on why this model won't last forever:

http://www.salon.com/2014/10/20/theyre_going_to_start_destroying_each_other_why_tvs_new_golden_age_is_doomed/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow


The problem, as the article points out, is that at some point people will still have to chose which streaming companies they want to subscribe to. Do you want both Netflix and HBO? What about Cinemax?

Which is why Spotify, and ohter music streaming sites, work for instance. You don't go to Spotify to listen to 70s prog and Rhapsody to listen to heavy metal. It's all under one streaming service. But if you want to watch Game of Thrones and The Knick as well as boxing, you need to subscribe to multiple streaming services.

Yeah, it seems to me that Netflix will die off. HBO isn't going to just have their own content but has a lot of deals with major movie houses.

So yeah it does seem like you typically need about 2-3 services (currently Netflix, Hulu+ and Amazon Prime in US). Amazon Prime though is less of a thing you get for the streaming and more that is added benefit on top of other benefits from Amazon Prime. Netflix (or HBO) gets you broader selection of movies and then Hulu+ gets you current broadcast television.

However, there was a period of time when ABC tried to have its own service but gave up and joined Hulu.

Of course, even if one was to be paying for multiple services (which I don't think currently happens as most people I know tend to share their passwords for these services, excepting Amazon as that is linked to more stuff), it would still be cheaper than what you currently have to pay to sign up for cable.

[The Minsky Moment]

I think we are seeing the start of the end of cable and satellite as content delivery mechanisms.

It simple doesn't make any sense.

They have one key competitive advantage - live sports.
The current model of cable delivery actually subsidizes heavy watchers of live sporting events because the extra charges associated with them are spread over all subscribers within a tier.   
Back in the day when most live sports were broadcast in the air, that could be easily worked around with a decent antenna but those days are long gone.

[Jacob]

Here's the link to the BBC article that MIM's graphs came from--

Why is broadband more expensive in the US?

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24528383

"We deregulated high-speed internet access 10 years ago and since then we've seen enormous consolidation and monopolies, so left to their own devices, companies that supply internet access will charge high prices, because they face neither competition nor oversight."

God Bless America! :shareholdervalue: :profit!: :fuckyall:

That's unlikely, since we know for fact that a deregulated free market provides the best prices for consumers.

[garbon]

Here's the link to the BBC article that MIM's graphs came from--

Why is broadband more expensive in the US?

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24528383

"We deregulated high-speed internet access 10 years ago and since then we've seen enormous consolidation and monopolies, so left to their own devices, companies that supply internet access will charge high prices, because they face neither competition nor oversight."

God Bless America! :shareholdervalue: :profit!: :fuckyall:

That's unlikely, since we know for fact that a deregulated free market provides the best prices for consumers.

I mean does anyone here ever argue that monopolies benefit consumers?

[Admiral Yi]

That's unlikely, since we know for fact that a deregulated free market provides the best prices for consumers.

This is not true in all cases.

And of course if the government gave the service away for free that would be an awesome price for consumers.

[Siege]

Fuck monopolies.