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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/21/march-madness-streaming-video-watch-telecoms-future
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| March Madness: streaming video is a future money-mad telecoms don't get | March Madness: streaming video is a future money-mad telecoms don't get |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Slowly, the entertainment industry is | Slowly, the entertainment industry is |
| adapting to a real world where customers come first. When it comes to video, however, | adapting to a real world where customers come first. When it comes to video, however, |
| some of the most important customers still tend to be powerful intermediaries, not | some of the most important customers still tend to be powerful intermediaries, not |
| the people who do the watching. | the people who do the watching. |
| Incumbent companies still wield | Incumbent companies still wield |
| unreasonable power against new competition for our eyeballs. So we viewers | unreasonable power against new competition for our eyeballs. So we viewers |
| still have to jump through – dare I say it during the month of March? – hoops | still have to jump through – dare I say it during the month of March? – hoops |
| to get what we want, when and where we want it, if we can get it at all. | to get what we want, when and where we want it, if we can get it at all. |
| Speaking of March, the NCAA and its TV | Speaking of March, the NCAA and its TV |
| partners are actually among the smarter purveyors of video entertainment. After such a positive experience last year, when March Madness streaming became a serious | |
| alternative to gathering around television sets, there are quite a few ways – | alternative to gathering around television sets, there are quite a few ways – |
| albeit cumbersome – to watch the college basketball tournament on any number of | albeit cumbersome – to watch the college basketball tournament on any number of |
| different screens. While I don't care in the slightest about this sport (more on that later), people who do care are leveraging their existing cable and | different screens. While I don't care in the slightest about this sport (more on that later), people who do care are leveraging their existing cable and |
| satellite TV subscriptions, and cord cutters are able to pay the broadcasters | satellite TV subscriptions, and cord cutters are able to pay the broadcasters |
| directly to watch video streams. | directly to watch video streams. |
| Meanwhile, as panting fans of HBO's Game of Thrones await next month's start of season four, I'm just | Meanwhile, as panting fans of HBO's Game of Thrones await next month's start of season four, I'm just |
| starting to watch season three. I'm too cheap to pay my TV provider an extra | starting to watch season three. I'm too cheap to pay my TV provider an extra |
| $20 a month just to watch a couple of programs I can watch later by renting the | $20 a month just to watch a couple of programs I can watch later by renting the |
| DVDs. I would gladly pay HBO a few dollars a month, or a one-time charge for specific | DVDs. I would gladly pay HBO a few dollars a month, or a one-time charge for specific |
| shows, if it let me stream programming directly to my various screens. But | shows, if it let me stream programming directly to my various screens. But |
| because HBO's business model relies on collecting money via the cable and | because HBO's business model relies on collecting money via the cable and |
| satellite companies, that's a nonstarter. | satellite companies, that's a nonstarter. |
| HBO can't even make its own HBO Go streaming | HBO can't even make its own HBO Go streaming |
| service work right. (You have to be an existing HBO cable subscriber.) It | service work right. (You have to be an existing HBO cable subscriber.) It |
| bungled the season-ending episode of True Detective earlier this | bungled the season-ending episode of True Detective earlier this |
| month, | month, |
| blaming the outage on "excessive interest" in the show. | blaming the outage on "excessive interest" in the show. |
| Oh, sure, that's the | Oh, sure, that's the |
| ticket: blame the customers. | ticket: blame the customers. |
| I'm on the verge of joining the cord-cutters – people who've dropped or | I'm on the verge of joining the cord-cutters – people who've dropped or |
| never bought traditional pay-TV packages. But this increasingly large audience is simply out of luck when it comes to HBO's admittedly excellent original | never bought traditional pay-TV packages. But this increasingly large audience is simply out of luck when it comes to HBO's admittedly excellent original |
| programming, unless they have the patience to wait. This helps explain why HBO shows are so popular on file-sharing | programming, unless they have the patience to wait. This helps explain why HBO shows are so popular on file-sharing |
| systems: Game of Thrones was the most pirated show last year – again. I don't recommend illegal downloading, but I can absolutely understand why people do | systems: Game of Thrones was the most pirated show last year – again. I don't recommend illegal downloading, but I can absolutely understand why people do |
| it. I can also understand why HBO sticks with a business model that piggybacks | it. I can also understand why HBO sticks with a business model that piggybacks |
| on the cable/satellite providers' still-powerful grip on the viewing public. | on the cable/satellite providers' still-powerful grip on the viewing public. |
| What amazes me is that I was saying things | What amazes me is that I was saying things |
| like this more than a decade ago, when I first started watching TV shows on my | like this more than a decade ago, when I first started watching TV shows on my |
| computer. Every fall I'd spend five or six weeks at the University of Hong Kong. I'd | computer. Every fall I'd spend five or six weeks at the University of Hong Kong. I'd |
| set my video recorder to capture episodes of my then-favorite show. Being less | set my video recorder to capture episodes of my then-favorite show. Being less |
| patient in those days, I'd also download them. The TV networks from which I was allegedly "stealing" – even though I'd paid for it | patient in those days, I'd also download them. The TV networks from which I was allegedly "stealing" – even though I'd paid for it |
| via my cable or satellite provider – couldn't be bothered to let me buy it | via my cable or satellite provider – couldn't be bothered to let me buy it |
| again, which I would have done for the shows I liked the most. | again, which I would have done for the shows I liked the most. |
| This wouldn't have been an issue had a | This wouldn't have been an issue had a |
| service like Aereo existed back then. In the cities it serves, Aereo uses tiny | service like Aereo existed back then. In the cities it serves, Aereo uses tiny |
| antennas to collect over-the-air network programming on behalf of customers who | antennas to collect over-the-air network programming on behalf of customers who |
| can then get the video streamed to their devices. The networks loathe this | can then get the video streamed to their devices. The networks loathe this |
| innovation, which interferes with their collection of money from – you guessed | innovation, which interferes with their collection of money from – you guessed |
| it – the cable and satellite companies, and have sued to stop | it – the cable and satellite companies, and have sued to stop |
| it. | it. |
| Sadly, as the case heads to the Supreme Court next month, the Obama | Sadly, as the case heads to the Supreme Court next month, the Obama |
| administration – which rarely misses a chance to suck up to the Copyright | administration – which rarely misses a chance to suck up to the Copyright |
| Cartel and its allies – has sided with the networks. | Cartel and its allies – has sided with the networks. |
| The common theme in all of these cases, of | The common theme in all of these cases, of |
| course, is money. Big-time entertainment is a huge generator of revenue for the | course, is money. Big-time entertainment is a huge generator of revenue for the |
| people who control it. They want our eyeballs, but only as a way to collect our | people who control it. They want our eyeballs, but only as a way to collect our |
| money – often indirectly, through the orifices called telecommunications | money – often indirectly, through the orifices called telecommunications |
| companies. Someday, the cartels will be | companies. Someday, the cartels will be |
| broken up, if we have common sense as a society. I doubt it'll be soon, though. | broken up, if we have common sense as a society. I doubt it'll be soon, though. |
| One cartel that especially needs | One cartel that especially needs |
| dismantling is the NCAA. I mentioned earlier that I'm not a fan of the NCAA basketball tournament, and the reason I'm ignoring it is my | dismantling is the NCAA. I mentioned earlier that I'm not a fan of the NCAA basketball tournament, and the reason I'm ignoring it is my |
| disgust with the hypocritical system of big-time college sports, which has | disgust with the hypocritical system of big-time college sports, which has |
| become a major part of the entertainment industry itself. Billions of dollars are | become a major part of the entertainment industry itself. Billions of dollars are |
| changing hands each year, much of it coming from the entertainment industry | changing hands each year, much of it coming from the entertainment industry |
| broadcasters that pour wealth into the NCAA and its universities. But the | broadcasters that pour wealth into the NCAA and its universities. But the |
| performers – the "student-athletes" – aren't getting anything close | performers – the "student-athletes" – aren't getting anything close |
| to what they deserve from the arrangement. They don't get zero; scholarships | to what they deserve from the arrangement. They don't get zero; scholarships |
| are worth something, after all. But the big-university players are | are worth something, after all. But the big-university players are |
| professionals who earn billions for coaches, TV networks and universities, | professionals who earn billions for coaches, TV networks and universities, |
| getting only the tiniest share in return. They are being grossly exploited by a | getting only the tiniest share in return. They are being grossly exploited by a |
| system that is capricious if not outright corrupt. (For chapter and verse, | system that is capricious if not outright corrupt. (For chapter and verse, |
| check out some of New York Times columnist Joe Nocera's lacerating descriptions | check out some of New York Times columnist Joe Nocera's lacerating descriptions |
| of NCAA abuses.) | of NCAA abuses.) |
| I'm a fan of this, however: a class-action | I'm a fan of this, however: a class-action |
| lawsuit filed this week by college players who want to break up the | lawsuit filed this week by college players who want to break up the |
| NCAA. | NCAA. |
| I hope the trial is broadcast on TV – or better yet, streamed. That's one show I'd watch, for sure. |