affiliate linkThe folk at Netflix decided that is a good idea for them to make their own content by signing House of Cards to an amazing 2 season deal (check out Deadline for more).

I'm not sure this is a good idea.  YouTube and Hulu have done the same type of thing lately, and it all just makes me sigh.

Content platforms should be Platforms, not producers.  There is an inherent conflict of interest when your business is about both, making content and distributing it.  They will naturally push their original content more than the content of others...

I would love to see them take the idea of being a platform to the next stage instead.  Provide tools for independent producers to submit their content easily, and curate that content, to keep the quality of your offering up to your standards.

Am I making to much out of this?  Let me know what you think.

During the Congress hearing examining the Comcast acquisition of NBC Universal Rep. Rick Boucher Presses NBC About Hulu Practices Toward Boxee.

Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA): What about Boxee? Mr. Zucker you probably are in a better position to answer that. Did Hulu block the Boxee users from access to the Hulu programs?

Zucker (NBC): This was a decision made by the Hulu management to, uh, what Boxee was doing was illegally taking the content that was on Hulu without any business deal. And, you know, all, all the, we have several distributors, actually many distributors of the Hulu content that we have legal distribution deals with so we don’t preclude distribution deals. What we preclude are those who illegally take that content.

Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA): “Well would you have negotiations with Boxee upon request?”

Zucker (NBC): “We have always said that we’re open to negotiations.”

I’m overjoyed to see congress pressing NBC about their issues with Boxee and Hulu.  They have had past issues with streaming content online and now with Comcast set to take over I fear those issues will only get worse.

Boxee uses a web browser to access Hulu’s content – just like Firefox or Internet Explorer. Boxee users click on a link to Hulu’s website and the video within that page plays. We don’t “take” the video. We don’t copy it. We don’t put ads on top of it. The video and the ads play like they do on other browsers or on Hulu Desktop.

The big difference between boxee and other browsers are that boxee took the effort to make their product available on other platforms that connect easily to the TV.  This is unfortunately perceived as a threat by those studios who don’t get the change in the way audiences want to consume their media.  We go into more detail on Speculative Fiction Today #405 “Many Mini Chucks”.

Zucker’s response makes me cringe because it sounds like the health care debate all over again.  One side says hey lets negotiate on this and the other side says they are more then willing to negotiate yet their actions shows no intention of doing so.

(via Boxee Blog)

Would you be willing to pay $4.99 per month subscription to Hulu for more content?

Image via Wikipedia

Hulu is considering limiting free episodes for some TV series to the latest five, and charging $4.99 a month for access to the rest. They are looking to offer at least 20 new and older series in this fashion to entice users. More concrete pricing plans could be announced within six months. (via /film)

I would be willing to pay $4.99 per month subscription so long as there is some great value added in.

• Getting access to more episodes then just the 5 latest ones


• not having to wait long for the episode to air


• I would even be willing to pay some more if they could throw in a Boxee App and / or X-Box App so that I can watch Hulu on my TV.

I would not be willing to pay for

• Access to individual shows, If I wanted to do that I would continue to buy the DVD’s and order them through iTunes.


• Basic access:  The corporate overlords need to realize the true value in a freemium model.  There are many shows that I would not have bought on DVD or even watched if they had not been on Hulu.  Keeping the shows free both increases sales and reduces piracy.

With more to be announced in six months I will have to keep the faith that the Hulu experiment will be allowed to grow instead of being hamstrung further by their corporate masters News Corp. Disney, and soon to be Comcast.

Some sad news out, GE is moving forward on a deal between Comcast and NBC.

Image via Wikipedia

Under the terms of that deal, Comcast would own 51 percent of the new entity, which would combine NBC Universal’s broadcast network, theme parks, movie studio, and cable-television channels USA, Bravo, CNBC and MSNBC with Comcast cable networks E! Entertainment, Versus and Golf Channel.

What does this mean for Hulu?

Hulu would then have 2/3 of their owners more interested in the company going away rather then succeeding.

Comcast is interested in keeping the public watching appointment TV and paying for a cable bill, putting their interests against Hulu.

Disney owners of ABC have a long history of ownership issues which is only furthered by the odd change in Hulu’s direction with their acquisition this year.  This season’s lessening of Hulu with many shows on a one week delay and the things going down with yanking Eastwick.

I’m not so concerned that Hulu would get shut down overnight.  What I do see as a possible future is a slow corruption in the quality of the product.  Lessening and restricting Hulu from making the advances necessary to grow it’s audience share.  This would allow it to become insignificant and to fade away.

With hope I want to believe that Hulu’s success will keep them from taking this great product away from everyone.  Hope is not enough.

How do we move forward?

What steps do you recommend we take to help the big studios see the value in offering shows streaming online and the value in services like Hulu which can aggregate those shows into a good player?

(via NewTeeVee)

I am torn about the idea of an iTunes Subscription service.  Rumors are swirling again that it might me on the way.

A subscription service from Apple consisting of a $35 or so monthly fee for access to a large and complete library of current-season television episodes via iTunes would fit well into the TV networks’ overall content strategy — Hulu has proven there is a demand for streaming full episodes, and the cable companies have long shown that consumers are willing to pay for access(NewTeeVee).

When I wrote my Would you pay for a Boxee app? I laid down some ground rules:

Rules for Paid Apps

 

1. Paid App channels would have to be commercial free.


2. Paid App channels must have a free version to test the content.


3. Apps must be cheap!  The more they cost, the fewer people will pay.


4. Apps should be available for networks and individual shows.

 

Reasons I would pay for an app

 

• Premium Channels: HBO and Showtime are top of my list.


• Foreign Content: BBC iPlayer is top on my list, but I have a soft spot for Chinese and Indian TV.


• Supporting Indie Media:  I would pay to support the Guild, Legend of Neil and other shows, but I would expect extras.

 

Would I pay for an iTunes Subscription Service?

In an era before Hulu, I would definitely would have paid for this, but I am not sure I would now.

If the Price is $35 a month it would have to:

• include many channels that I cannot stream online already


• be commercial free


• allow me to watch the show when it is airing on Cable.


• allow on demand streaming the day the show aired not 24 hours later


• allow all episodes of a season to be on watched at anytime as often as I want


• work on my Mac, PC, AppleTV, and iPod Touch for one fee

I need a lot more details before I know whether I know if I want to pay for this.

What would it take?

What would it take for you to pay for an Apple streaming TV service?

The number of people who are streaming TV Shows and Movies online is way up.  Now is the time to push Decabling!

Hulu and Netflix are helping in the cause, but we have a lot of work to do.  We need to promote AppleTV (or better the Mac Mini) and Boxee to get more people to move to the next phase, leaving the cable companies for the freedom decabling offers.

How do you think we should push decabling?

(via New TeeVee)

 

During a talk at an Internet Week event the other night, News Corp.’s chief digital officer, Jonathan Miller, suggested some of Hulu’s content might become available only to subscribers. Miller’s comments echoed NBC CEO Jeff Zucker’s words at the D7 conference last week where he said that a Hulu subscription was a possibility (New TeeVee).

Hulu is successful because it is like broadcast TV, free to anyone who picks up the signal... If Fox and NBC get their way, there are some people who will pay, but the majority will go back to P2P for their free TV.

How Paid Content on Hulu Might Work

The only way I could possibly see this working is if they left the standard definition content (up to the hi-res) free for anyone to watch and made the high definition (HD) a paid extra.  I think the hi res video is good enough to keep most people on the site, but the extra cost of sending HD video could be subsidized by those who really want it.

The only other way I could see this working is if they offered a commercial free Hulu as a paid service.  That is something even I might pay for.

If they make all of the content for pay, then Hulu will quickly go out of business.

The "Good" News

Hulu says they have no plans to switch from their free model to a paid one..  Cold comfort, but I'll take what I can get.

Hulu have launched a new Desktop app for the Mac and the PC.  It is in beta, but works really well.  This is one step closer to what I want from Hulu but I noticed something in the software's Terms of Service that upset me.

Video their way

 

2. Permitted License Uses and Restrictions. Hulu grants you a license to install and use the Hulu Software on your personal laptop or desktop computer (“Personal Computer”) for the sole purpose of streaming content that is available on Hulu’s site located at www.hulu.com (“Hulu Content”) on your Personal Computer. You may not download, install or use the Hulu Software on any device other than a Personal Computer including without limitation digital media receiver devices (such as Apple TV), mobile devices (such as a cell phone device, mobile handheld device or a PDA), network devices or CE devices (collectively “Prohibited Devices”).

Grrr, argh.  I am glad they made the software, but honestly, I want it on my AppleTV.  I suppose I will have to get a Mac Mini for my next media center so I can run this on my television easier.

I am surprised that they are continuing to push their content way from the television, while at the same time showing that they understand how people want to watch their content.

Hulu walks the line

I think Hulu is doing its best to walk the line between what their viewers want and what their content partners want.  (sigh)

It is only a matter of time before they come around.  This is at the very least, a step forward.

Download

Hulu Desktop Here!

Sci Fi v Syfy | Ellison Strikes Back | Giant Sand Worms | Kings | Dead Like Me | The Chiere | March of Cambreadth | AT-AT Star Wars Filk | and Community Comments Today on the Project: Shadow Informant.

Culture

• WTF! Sci Fi becomes ‘Syfy’ (dashPunk)


• Harlan Ellison sues Paramount (dashPunk)


• Giant sand worms lived in Torbay, scientists claim (via Telegraph)

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Culture

• The Evolution of Batman’s Symbol (dashPunk)


• Hulu Awards: The SF Winners (dashPunk)

Movie

• Fanboys Hits More Theaters: March 13 (via Star Wars)


• Doctor Who 2009 Trailer (dashPunk)


• Fanfilm: Star Wars: Threads of Destiny Trailer 3 (dashPunk)


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• Scarlett Johansson is the Black Widow (dashPunk)


• More are cast in M. Night Shyamalan's Last Airbender (via SCI FI Wire)


• Captain America, Thor, The Avengers, and Spider-Man 4 Get New Release Dates (via /Film)

TV / Series

• Ghost Hunters: Betsy Ross House (dashPunk)


• Ghost Hunters International: Karosta Prison (dashPunk)


• Review: Chuck 216 Versus The Lethal Weapon (dashPunk)


• Review: Legend of the Seeker 114 Hartland (dashPunk)


• Stargate Atlantis Season Five on DVD June 30 (via GateWorld)

Music

• Type O Negative Preorder! Hard, deep, and slow remastered (dashPunk)

Webcomic

• Girl Genius

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Don't wait. Guarantee your seat before you go and  avoid a sold out show. Skip the box office lines and buy movie tickets at Fandango.com.

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