To: PittsburghAfterDark
They key to televisions future lies in unlimited broadband and the set top box. Think Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV.
Comcast has started charging Netflix a premium for service - and of course Netflix is going to pass that cost on to consumers (who are already paying for Comcast's service). This will not be the last time it happens, either - as long as the ISPs are also in the business of providing content services which compete with the content services their customers want, they have a financial incentive to disadvantage services like Netflix and anything else which might be available on Roku or Apple TV.
Eventually it'll get to the point where services like Netflix must charge customers too much to be viable options to ISP content services, and before they finally are driven out of business I'd expect to see them impose conditions like bundling in an attempt to stay alive.
In 5-10 years, the US will have 2 or 3 major streaming content providers and they will be today's major cable providers - the cost advantage of owning the ISP service as well as the content service is unbeatable.
To: AnotherUnixGeek
Yup. Netflix, Amazon and Google (YouTube) will be vendors to Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, etc., not their replacements.
To: AnotherUnixGeek
It will be like the days of old....ABC,NBC and CBS owned TV. Now it will be Comcast, ATT and?
26 posted on
05/18/2014 5:14:37 PM PDT by
Dallas59
("Remember me as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, so you will be")
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson