Aereo-like cable, but cheaper

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by farmkid, Apr 9, 2013.

  1. farmkid

    farmkid Commodore Commodore

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    This article is the first I have heard of Aereo. What they do is they capture the over-the-air signal broadcast by TV stations and provide shows through the internet to their subscribers for $10/month. They don't have a license from content providers. Networks say they're stealing content, but courts so far have sided with Aereo. Fox has now suggested they may stop broadcasting their signal if this continues.

    So what do you think of this? There certainly seems to be copyright violation because they are making money off of media without having any license to broadcast it. However, they're only providing what people can get for free anyway.

    I'm not sure who would be the primary users of this service. Cable/satellite subscribers might switch to it because it's cheaper, but they would lose out on most of they channels currently have. They might subscribe to it in addition to what they already have as a way to get local news/sports. OTA users might use it because it would allow them to essentially have a DVR. (Side note: the article says it's not possible to pause/DVR OTA TV. Wrong, I do it all the time. It just takes a little more creativity than getting a DVR from the cable company.) From each of these groups, the only ones the broadcasters would lose money from is those who are currently cable/satellite users who would switch but I can't see many people doing that because anyone paying that much for TV instead of using an antenna is probably watching the other channels.

    As someone who uses an antenna, I don't think I like this. I like what I have, and this could only hurt me by making the networks respond in a way that would make me lose content or have to pay for it. We've got a good thing going here that has worked for decades, but this could ruin it all.
     
  2. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    If the courts say there isn't, there probably isn't.
     
  3. farmkid

    farmkid Commodore Commodore

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    Well what I meant by "seems like" is that it looks like copyright violation. Courts have said otherwise, so until a higher court disagrees, it isn't copyright violation even though it sure looks like it.
     
  4. Yoda

    Yoda Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Well, I just hope they expand quickly enough to make a poor man's NFL Sunday Ticket viable. Not sure how long this will last in the era of the DMCA, but a man can dream. I wouldn't want to be the guy facing down the combined lawyer fury of the major networks and also NBC.
     
  5. farmkid

    farmkid Commodore Commodore

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    I don't think they can offer broadcasts outside of your own area, so I don't think they can do anything like the Sunday Ticket. I think that's the key in how they are able to get around copyright laws--they only offer what is already broadcast for free in that same area. Right now, it's only available in NYC, and you have to have a valid credit card with a NYC billing address to sign up. They are expanding to other cities soon, though, so we'll see if that limitation remains.
     
  6. Yoda

    Yoda Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yeah but the address system can always be gamed.
     
  7. not

    not Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    "I'm not sure who would be the primary users of this service"


    Kids don't watch TV on a TV anymore but get their content on their devices. Aereo plans to expand into 22 cities but the fact is that TVs target market have left the advertisement/demographic broadcast and cable model.



    I have been following the legal case and if broadcasters prevail in the third challenge, they still lose with their dying market share.
     
  8. Captrek

    Captrek Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Feels like broadcast.com all over again. I hope they don't dump another Mark Cuban on the world.
     
  9. Amaris

    Amaris Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Interesting. While I do have DirecTV, on my Roku box I have a channel called "NowhereTV", and I get dozens of broadcast stations and programs. It's free, though you're invited to make a donation.
     
  10. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    Hope they're saving their pennies. Because at some point Aereo is going to lose in court and have to pay up.
     
  11. Random_Spock

    Random_Spock Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Yea heard about that. If Fox becomes a pay tv channel due to it, I won't even bother to pay, since it won't be worth it. Cable already costs too much. So many different taxes and fees. It's almost not worth having anymore.

    As for Aereo, they should at least pay something in regards to royalties. But as for the other companies, there should be some healthy competition ;). Nothing like that to help bring down prices.
     
  12. Amaris

    Amaris Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Agreed. Cable prices are absurd, and they only intend on going up. This is very good for competition.
     
  13. Random_Spock

    Random_Spock Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Yea, they only have one thing in mind, getting that much more in the way of money into their pockets. Something's got to put a wrench into their plans for domination of the market.
     
  14. RobertVA

    RobertVA Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Lets not forget the media corporations that won't allow cable, fiber and satellite companies to carry popular channels unless the cable/fiber/satellite company also includes the media company's niche channels (Caution: this may include Trek BBS member favorites like SyFi and BBC America) in the same programming tier.

    Then there are the local broadcasters who periodically demand more generous compensation for retransmission rights and pester local viewers (subscribers and non-subscribers) for weeks with pleas to demand the cable/fiber/satellite company carry their channels (and generously compensate them for it. These are the same advertiser funded channels many of the viewers can watch absolutely free with a standard antenna.

    Of course the cable/fiber/satellite companies aren't going to dip into their corporate assets to cover those expenses. They and their stock holders aren't going to all that trouble to bleed their bank accounts dry. They will pass the higher costs onto the subscribers in the form of rate increases.
     
  15. Captrek

    Captrek Vice Admiral Admiral

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    You can’t get the popular channel without also getting the niche channels. And you can’t get a box of Cracker Jack without also getting the toy inside. Like a niche cable channel, the toy in the Cracker Jack is worthless to most consumers, appreciated by a few and inexpensive to produce and package with the more popular product.
     
  16. Greylock Crescent

    Greylock Crescent Adventurer Admiral

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    Speaking of sports ... what about all those, "No part of this broadcast may be reproduced without the express written consent of ... [the league and the team]" disclaimers aired at the end of the games that most of us have learned to tune out? Seems like Aero violates that disclaimer. I, for one, would not want to be on their end if the likes of, say, the NFL, MLB, the Yankees, Cowboys and others decide to pursue legal action.

    Then again, I don't know much about copyright and broadcast law. So who knows, maybe Aero has, what they believe to be, an airtight defense?
     
  17. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    If I want OTA that bad I will just put up my own antenna.
     
  18. not

    not Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I think the point of the service is lost with your 'antenna' comment; kids don't watch TV on a set anymore.


    Research indicates the trend for news and entertainment is through their phones, Ipads etc....and they aren't interested in viewing this info through their PCs anymore -sales are dropping for that bridge device too.
     
  19. farmkid

    farmkid Commodore Commodore

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    Zombie thread rises from the grave!!!

    Well, it's been decided. The Supreme Court has ruled against Aereo in a 6-3 decision. (In favor of the broadcasters: Breyer, Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan; in favor of Aereo: Scalia, Thomas, Alito). I'm guessing Aereo is now dead. They may try to restructure their service in some way, but I doubt they'll be successful. If nothing else, it was an interesting legal experiment.
     
  20. Peach Wookiee

    Peach Wookiee Cuddly Mod of Doom Moderator

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    Kind of figured. Arrow will figure how to profit even so.