[opendtv] Re: Google TV Gets A Cool Welcome
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 21:22:48 -0400
At 4:12 PM -0500 11/5/10, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
If I can go directly to the conglom site, then I don't need to ever
have to rely on any Google gatekeeper. That's the way it should be.
But if devices ONLY allow me to reach the conglom site through a
Google gatekeeper, obviously Google becomes the gatekeeper
bottelneck. You may still be missing the significance of the fact
that Google is negotiating these agreements with the congloms for a
reason, and that these new Internet TVs are only allowing access via
a very small number of these gatekeepers, if not just one.
One more time Bert.
The congloms own Hulu.
The congloms are blocking access to Hulu via devices like Google TV
that allow the content available via the FREE Hulu website to be
viewed on a TV.
The congloms are telling Google, Apple, et all that they must
negotiate for the rights to access Hulu content via ANY device that
displays this content on a TV. They may do this by requiring a
subscription to Hulu Plus, or they can create a paid portal to access
Hulu content.
My son showed me the new Hulu Plus app for his iPhone today. Since he
is paying the monthly fee for Hulu Plus he is allowed to use the FREE
Hulu Plus app on his iPhone and iPad.
You can see all the details here:
http://www.hulu.com/plus
What is even more interesting is that the free apps for the iPhone
and iPad actually work - they are not FLASH based as is the free Hulu
website.
Google and Apple are not becoming gatekeepers voluntarily. They are
being forced to do this by the congloms.
> You are wrong. If I want to view content from Hulu.com on this
Powerbook there is no problem; I go to Hulu and watch.
And if a conglom wants to block access to its stuff from the Hulu
web site, according to you, that would make the conglom a
gatekeeper? Nonsense. The gatekeeper in this case would still be
Hulu.
The congloms OWN Hulu.
I copied an article that explained EXACTLY what the problem was,
Craig. The problem was, the Fox.com full episodes do not make any
revenue to speak of. They are intended, by Fox, only as catch-up TV,
for uncomfortable viewing by individuals, sitting upright. Google
was putting these on their gatekeeper web site, 30 second ad breaks
and all, intended to go to big living room TV sets. Fox says hey, I
transmit this stuff OTA or over MVPDs, intended for comfy TV
viewing, with long ad breaks, that make me the revenue I need. I
won't let you middleman sites thwart my intentions.
Google does not have a gatekeeper website Bert. The congloms want
them to create one.
]Now, as far as I'm concerned, the problem is the CE manufacturers.
Just allow me to go to any site I choose. No doubt, the congloms
will react by updating their own fox.com or nbc.com web sites, and
that's fine. Meanwhile, I won't have a set that will become mostly
useless in short order.
This is exactly how Google TV works Bert.
You can go to YouTube - no problem
You can go to Netflix if you pay the monthly subscriber fee.
If you go to Hulu.com you are blocked.
If you go to Fox.com you are blocked.
And in all of this, your assertion that the congloms are the
gatekeepers continues to be a non sequitur.
Non sense.
Regards
Craig
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