[opendtv] Re: News: Ditch Your TV
- From: "John Willkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 16:08:51 -0800
What tripe. What cable company offers 18 mb/second connection? Notice that
the article says in the second graf "forget upgrading" to a .. "new jumbo
HDTV."
Even if they did, one minute at 18 mb/sec would "only" require 1,080,000,000
bits, and one hour 64,800,000,000, yes, 64 gigabits per hour. Note that
some cable systems charge a premium if you exceed a much lower quota IN A
MONTH.
On the other hand, if you want to watch crapovision-quality content on that
HDTV set, rock on.
John Willkie, who can "only" get 1.8 mb/second at his home.
-----Mensaje original-----
De: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] En
nombre de Craig Birkmaier
Enviado el: Monday, December 08, 2008 9:59 AM
Para: OpenDTV Mail List
Asunto: [opendtv] News: Ditch Your TV
http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/08/ditch-your-tv-tech-personal-cx_mji_1208ditc
htv.html?partner=alerts
Digital Media
Ditch Your TV
Mary Jane Irwin, 12.08.08, 12:00 PM EST
The Internet is offering (almost) all the programming you need, at
little or no cost.
Usually, we all look forward to the holidays as a time of cheer,
relaxation and endless James Bond marathons on TV.
But this year, with global economies in shambles and daily reports of
massive layoffs, your all-you-can-watch $50 monthly cable TV service
is looking excessive. And forget upgrading to a fancier digital video
recorder or a new jumbo HDTV.
Fortunately, there are now myriad ways for you to get your weekly
dose of House without cable or even a TV. Just use your laptop to
access online video repositories like Hulu.com, where you can watch
most Fox and NBC programs for free 12 hours after they air.
You can also go directly to TV network sites. On ABC.com, you can
find shows like Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives streamed
free--often in high definition. CBS is offering its shows with social
chat features, and most other programs can be picked up a la carte
from Amazon.com or iTunes. Finally, you can also use your Xbox 360 or
PlayStation 3 to stream content.
All this means that your computer or game console is a far cheaper
way to watch TV and movies than a cable subscription, and you'll have
the added bonus of watching any time you like. Really, the only thing
you're going to miss is HBO or Showtime, but you can rent the last
season of Entourage or The Tudors from Netflix or buy them on iTunes.
It's inevitable that the Internet will rival, if not surpass,
television. According to Nielsen, Internet viewers watched on average
27 hours of streamed video feeds per month during the third quarter.
And online viewing of video content at television network sites
soared 155% from August to September, due to season premieres,
coverage of political news and the financial crisis, Nielsen said.
The biggest roadblock is live programming. TV networks aren't ready
to cannibalize their premium TV ad spots, which is why most shows air
online a day after they've been taped. But the networks are starting
to make concessions: The NFL is streaming Sunday Night Football live
and CNN offers live streaming reports.
Gartner analyst Mike McGuire says it will all come down to broadband
penetration. "For digital natives--young adults and the
tech-savvy--the Internet is becoming a viable alternative, if not a
preferred alternative" to TV, he says.
McGuire expects that, come January, with everyone so concerned about
household budgets, consumers will take a hard look at their cable
bills. Many, he says, may decide it's more cost-effective to run the
"biggest, fattest [Internet] connection into my house instead of pay
for premium cable." Sure, you're paying for the privilege to watch
those premium shows, but through iTunes, "you're paying only for
programming you want to acquire or download."
For most people, this makes sense, McGuire says. It's about
personalized programming--TV Guide is no longer the task master of
the living room, and you don't have to watch Heroes at its broadcast
time on Monday nights. If you want to watch it Wednesday, just view
it at NBC.com.
The downside: The video quality of streaming services is often
inferior to cable TV, McGuire says.
So, the biggest barrier to free or pay-as-you-watch TV is no longer
about quality or quantity. The question is now, "How do I view this
content on my fancy plasma TV?"
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