Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Watching TV on web is disrupting cable, broadcast worlds
Miami Herald ^ | January 26, 2013 | Glenn Garvin

Posted on 01/26/2013 3:52:18 PM PST by PJ-Comix

Veteran programmer Rob Barnett recently attended a breakfast meeting of television executives where the talk turned, as it almost always does these days, to “disruption,” the industry buzzword for the way new technology is upsetting the TV applecart. From somewhere down the table, he heard a question: “Has anybody here cut the cord?” — that is, dropped cable service in favor of just watching TV through the Internet? Barnett shrugged and raised his hand. “Mine was the only one,” he recalls. “But when it went up, I saw beads of sweat break out on the foreheads of some of the guys across the table.”

When Barnett and 5,000 or so others gather Monday for the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) convention at the Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach, there will be plenty of sweaty foreheads, some acquisitive smiles and — perhaps most numerous — blank looks of confusion. Not since cable turned the old three-channel TV universe on its head in the late 1970s has the industry been in such a state of disoriented befuddlement.

New technologies that give viewers more say in what they watch, where they watch and how much they pay for it are great for consumers. But they’re inducing a collective nervous breakdown among industry executives, who have to figure out new ways to make money in a business facing serious threats to its traditional sources of revenue — advertising and cable-TV subscriptions.

(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: boycotttimewarner; boycottviacom; cable; cabletv; defundtheleft; enemedia; illusionofchoice; monopoly; pravdamedia; satellitetv; television; veetle; webtv
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140 ... 161-165 next last
To: GeronL

Drudge and Breitbart are in a great position to do that.

I’d guess they could get scripts, the scripts reviewed, and rewritten by pros if they looked good -all for a pittance.
They’d have regular production costs, though maybe they can bypass the unions- maybe not. Then broadcast them on their sites.


101 posted on 01/26/2013 5:45:51 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 91 | View Replies]

To: re_nortex

Thanks for the link. I hope you don’t mind, but I HAD TO replace the soundtrack with some Led Zeppelin.


102 posted on 01/26/2013 5:47:51 PM PST by bigheadfred
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 94 | View Replies]

To: DouglasKC

They can’t control the content. You watch what you want and pay for what you want. I pay $41 a month for internet service. I was paying 41+91 and I didn’t have any pay channels. Now I still get Fox(however I have disconnected mentally from the news) and movie channels. I pay $7.99 for Netflix. That’s it. We have hooked up an antenae so we get all the local channels. Bam! Total outlay was $120. Oh and relatively NO COMMERCIALS!!! Downside is sports channels are not up to snuff yet.


103 posted on 01/26/2013 5:50:36 PM PST by marygam (I have extra ducktape for anyone who needs to wrap their head.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: RegulatorCountry
It was colorful, with nice scenery at least.

Indeed...I just couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful sunset vistas in the video and the horses galloping in the background. :-) <- As of I really needed that?

104 posted on 01/26/2013 5:54:56 PM PST by re_nortex (DP...that's what I like about Texas.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 100 | View Replies]

To: Dallas59

But what are you using for an internet conection?


105 posted on 01/26/2013 6:01:17 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: re_nortex

The singer was a little too unaffected by the beauty of his surroundings. He had all the engagement of Barack and Michelle Obama kissing.


106 posted on 01/26/2013 6:03:53 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 104 | View Replies]

To: PJ-Comix

I honestly can’t remember the last time I turned my tv onto cable, satellite, or even digital over the air broadcast.

I’ve been all internet streaming for at least 2 years now.


107 posted on 01/26/2013 6:13:24 PM PST by Domandred (Fdisk, format, and reinstall the entire .gov system.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: narses

I’ve got a Roku ... love it. Lots of channels available ... Netflix, JustIn TV, lots of news channels, Hulu, etc. Dropping Uverse this week. Gotta lose that and a couple of other things to make up for my smaller paychecks (thanks, Obama).


108 posted on 01/26/2013 6:15:43 PM PST by al_c (http://www.blowoutcongress.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: GeronL
"Korea has stricter content standards, so they actually have to have a story"

Thank God for that.

109 posted on 01/26/2013 6:20:05 PM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: PJ-Comix

If I could get my local sports channels over the web I would cancel my TV package in a heart beat and save over a thousand dollars a year.


110 posted on 01/26/2013 6:23:23 PM PST by Wiggins
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Advil000

That is similar to my set-up: Roku and WD TV.

The newest version of WD TV is wireless.

I also added the WD NAS 3TB hard drive, which is wireless, too. With it, I can broadcast movies/tv programs stored on it directly to the WD TV and my LCD TV.

WD TV handles most common video and audio formats.


111 posted on 01/26/2013 6:24:15 PM PST by TomGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies]

To: PJ-Comix; a fool in paradise

My first introduction to cable TV life experience (is that what they call it?) came rather late and involved getting free cable into my house, I don’t remember how it happened, something to do with the neighbours, though I’ve never done anything illegal (except ________ off my dog, as Robert Mitchum once said). This went on for a while, until the cable company caught it, probably by driving one of their sniffing trucks past my house, and sent me a letter with an offer I couldn’t refuse. But I never watched much TV, so I didn’t think I was stealing (”Yeah!”, I anticipate an answer from Harper Valley PTA, “taking a packet of chewing gum without paying is stealing too!”) In any case, TV sucks. Big time. Under the bus with it!


112 posted on 01/26/2013 6:32:44 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: narses; All
Three alternatives you can look into to cut cable (from least to most expensive):
1) XBMC [Cost: Free]
2) Roku [Cost: $50]
3) Boxee [Cost: $99]

1)XBMC
Download XBMC on basically any modern computer/Operating system , then download install the repository installer here, then enable the BlueCop repository, then go to Video Add-ons, and install the "Free Cable" addon.
Here's a tutorial.
Xbmc also has plugins for Youtube, Hulu (for free, you don't need to pay for Hulu Plus), Podcasts (Apple's itunes podcast library). The World news Live Plugin, which you can download here gives you Al Jazeera, CNN, BBC, CNBC, France24, Russia Today, Euronews all as a 24/7 live stream.

There's also a Fox News plugin that you can install, installation instructions are here.

2)Roku
Buy a Roku Box, use Netflix ($7.99/month) Hulu Plus $7, Amazon Prime $75/year to watch your TV programs on demand.

3)Boxee
Buy a Boxee box (which lets you watch over-the-air channels) use Netflix ($7.99/month) Hulu Plus $7 to watch your TV programs on demand.

113 posted on 01/26/2013 7:17:36 PM PST by conservativefreak
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: PJ-Comix
Both COMCAST and Satellite TV have good deals at first but then after about 6 months they jack their prices way up.

That is true for Comcast and DirectTV, but I haven't experienced that with Dish Network.

That said, I have a Roku, am converting my DVD/Bluray collection to mp4, running a Plex server, and subscribe to Netflix.

I'm getting close to 'cutting the cord'.

114 posted on 01/26/2013 7:38:59 PM PST by Washi (PUSH BACK! Encourage your legislators to introduce pro-second amendment legislation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: PJ-Comix

Love my Roku with Netflix.

Gives me more enjoyment per dollar spent, than any other option.


115 posted on 01/26/2013 7:54:03 PM PST by truth_seeker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor

AT&T Elite.


116 posted on 01/26/2013 8:36:45 PM PST by Dallas59 (America died a little bit more on 11/6/2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 105 | View Replies]

To: GeronL; All

Me, I have been watching a lot of British shows on Torrent.. Besides most of the programming here is based on British shows..


117 posted on 01/26/2013 8:36:54 PM PST by KevinDavis (And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: PJ-Comix

It’s not just lower rates - I don’t want 500 channels - many that are leftist propaganda outlets... other culturally offensive. If cable wants to keep me they need to sell by the channel...


118 posted on 01/26/2013 8:45:16 PM PST by GOPJ ( Do murder laws control murders?..freeper Red Badger Let's try Criminal control - Fr:MadMax)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PJ-Comix
Watching TV on web is disrupting cable, broadcast worlds


119 posted on 01/26/2013 8:49:29 PM PST by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Advil000

The newest Roku plays HD very well, we get terrific sound and pics with it.


120 posted on 01/26/2013 8:51:05 PM PST by Maigret
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140 ... 161-165 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson