HBO: stamping out piracy
p2p news / p2pnet: “Copy protection is not about stamping out piracy. Sure, it will cut down on piracy – at least the casual file-trading that goes on. But at its heart, its about finding new ways to monetize the content. And by ‘monetize the content,’ I mean charge you multiple times for the same thing’.”
For copy protection read DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) and the quote comes at the end of Eric Bangeman’s Ars Technica post on the fact HBO argues its programming, and all “Subscription Video On Demand” services, should fall into the category of “Copy Never.”
“In a broadcast-flagged world, that translate into consumers not being able to record content broadcast by HBO. No TiVo, no VCR, no video capturing on your PC, no nada,” says Bangeman, going on:
Earlier, although the FCC’s attempt to enforce the broadcast flag failed, “the networks are moving full steam ahead on getting the flag written into law one way or another,” he says, mentioning the infamous analog hole, “and there have been a number of Congressional hearings on piracy and copyright. No matter what the venue, the mantra of the media industry has been the same: restrictions on what consumers can do with their broadcasts are absolutely necessary in order to stop piracy and keep the networks in business.”
Meanwhile, the proposed restrictions on recording HBO’s programming are, “a clear and simple money grab,” adds the Ars Technica item.
“Love watching Deadwood, but missed the premiere of the new episode on Sunday night? Well, you may not be able record it, but HBO will be happy to deliver an on-demand viewing to you for an extra couple of bucks.”
Also See:
Ars Technica – HBO wants its programming to be off-limits for DVRs, February 9, 2006
February 10th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
Didn’t we go through this once already with the VCR? I think if HBO wants its stuff to be offlimits to DVRs, we should make our money off limits to HBO.
February 10th, 2006 at 5:04 pm
THAT would be the PERFECT solution to prettty much all our DRM and “media corporation” problems IF PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY DO IT!
But, they won’t… The vast majority don’t even have a clue about what’s going on in the digital media world, and they won’t until it’s locked down and the key thrown away.
PAY TO PLAY.
EVERY TIME.
EVERY FORMAT.
“They” will not rest until that’s the way it is.
(No rest for the wicked…)
February 10th, 2006 at 6:45 pm
When will greedy corporations like HBO, the music industry and others, realize that restricting content is not the way to go. So what if Deadwood or rome appear on the internet? Some people such as myself, would be more than willing to pay for downloads of TV shows and movies, as well as music. However the way these greedy monsters operate now, I have two choices. I can pay for content that’s very restrictive, and doesn’t allow me to choose how or where I can play it, or for free, I can get the same content, free of restrictions, allowing me to choose where and on what devices I can play the content, the way it should be! If these greedy companies offered a service that allowed users to pay for content, as they can now, but without the restrictions they insist on forcing on their customers now, I believe a service like that would be well accepted by consumers, and I personally believe a service that offered download speeds as fast as your net connection could go, could be as popular as usenet is now.
What do you think makes usenet such a popular way to download content? That’s right users can get content as fast as their internet connection can push it to them. So a nonrestrictive download service by MPAA or the like, would be just as popular I’d think.
February 10th, 2006 at 11:38 pm
I keep on reading more or less the same arguments on how to avoid piracy, hoq can they possibly stop someone who goes at a friends with a digital camcorder of any sort and copies the damn protected file?
Plz let me know how it can be done…
February 10th, 2006 at 11:46 pm
they’re to busy counting the imaginary money they think they are going to get for the DRM product. Instead of selling the none drm product for reduced prices to larger numbers of customers.
For some strange reason they think if $100 Milliion people will dl a show off the internet for free, that it means that $100 Million people will pay the ridiculously high price they want to charge…. when in reality they should lower the price and they’ll probably get 20 -50% of that number….but not at the pricces they keep wanting
February 11th, 2006 at 3:11 am
Instead of worrying about dealing with piracy, maybe they ought to be worrying about keeping customers.
The continual policy of running reruns over and over and then swapping them with Showtime doesn’t do anything for making it worth paying for the month. It doesn’t just end with this. When you look at this digital satellite ppv, it advertises you being able to have what; 300 channels? What good does it do to have 300 channels that over 85% show reruns (in some cases back to back such as TBN) are shown several times a day. Add up 10 shows and you got three days worth of entertainment according to what they are figuring. To me that is neither entertainment nor is it programming that is worth the money. If you have two PPV’s then you have most likely seen all the shows the first week or so for all the month. So basically you’re paying for three weeks of filler. (Sort of sounds like music cd’s don’t it?)
I quit paying for or watching PPV a few years ago for this very reason. Maybe they were offering them where you could get a copy but honestly it wasn’t worth it. So now they do without my money as they are not in my opinion offering a service worth the money. In fact there is no input to my tv any longer. No cable, no satellite dish, no antenna. They’ll have to figure out how to make movies again before they get me back as a customer. Reruns and remake in continual succession isn’t going to cut it. Locking those down won’t do it either.
February 11th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
Just vote with your money!
Just dump HBO!
Screw pay for play !
February 13th, 2006 at 3:02 am
Make good shows. That’s their job. Worry about piracy & they’ll go broke, plus that money should be going into MAKING the shows.
When the Net gets fast enough & hard drives large enough, no one’ll watch TV anyway. Your friend could stream you a movie.
Eventually, HBO = Half-Baked & Obsolete.
February 13th, 2006 at 3:05 am
HBO, stamping out quality!