[opendtv] Re: News: The Real Fight Over Fake News

  • From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 12:25:05 -0400

At 11:25 AM -0400 6/4/08, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
Craig Birkmaier wrote:

 Consumers are not coming back to FOTA [IN THE U.S.] because the
 congloms are sucking the life out of that service and will
 abandon it soon.

Like I said before, Craig:

"'The ability to push consumers'?? What, like consumers must be
gellyfish? Bob explained to you that he was on the verge of de-tethering
himself. It is the congloms and MVPD companies that will have to adapt
to consumers, not vice versa."

Ultimately, you might be right. But it all depends on us, the consumers.
It all depends whether consumers march in lock step to whatever tune the
congloms and MVPDs play, or whether they push back.

To the extent they can, they are pushing back - hence the huge concern about piracy among the congloms. Clearly anyone under 30 is more likely to try alternatives. But subscribing to an MVPD is considered to be as important as having a Pots telephone connection in your home. It will take some time for significant numbers of consumers to opt out. The congloms have held on for the past thirty years, even as their core market has splintered in a million directions.

They still have the power to influence the public and the influence in Washington to hold onto their power.

So yes, they can still push most consumers around...for now.


You seem happy to acknowledge that consumers have convinced the congloms
to de-tether their content by making it available over the Internet, but
you seem unable to carry that idea beyond just the Internet.

Huh?

We've already discussed the widespread availability of TV content on DVDs. Different tether, but a huge market for the congloms.

And consumers did not convince the congloms to make their content available via the Internet.

They just DID IT themselves.

The congloms had little choice but to compete with the pirates and legitimize this new distribution infrastructure.

As for de-tethering, there have been few successes with mobile DTV in the U.S. Consumers are not buying into the notion that they need a TV subscription package for their phones that mirrors the packages they have at home. Consumers are looking at the ability to place shift content to their mobile platforms, and even to download that content when there is wireless bandwidth available.

Will MPH change this? Only if they can figure out how to get receivers into consumers mobile devices.

Time will tell.

Regards
Craig


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