Comcast , Time Warner and
assorted partners are throwing a big push behind the upcoming
On Demand Online / TV Anywhere trial, clearly attempting to preserve their business model and keep customers signed up for cable. You've heard our thoughts so far in
video,
audio and text, now it's your turn to speak up. So, are you just not that impressed by watching TV on your computer, or do you think on demand place shifting could be the next big thing and a big reason to keep / switch to cable? Pick a response and let us know in the comments below.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jon @ Jul 18th 2009 12:25PM
Never .. A big F bomb for slamming streaming down our throats ... I dint buy a respectable HT set up to watch shows online .. in fact this morning i wanted to see what HD on netflix streaming looked like because i forgot .. it was terrible
minimalist @ Jul 18th 2009 1:02PM
A Netflix subscription is a hell of a lot cheaper than the cable tiers you have to pay for just to get premium channels. I can wait till HBO and Showtime content come out on DVD/Blu-ray.
No way in hell am I going back to cable TV. This seems like a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable. Cable providers are going to wind up as data utilities whether they want to or not.
INFPGeek @ Jul 18th 2009 1:15PM
If Comcast is willing to spot me the bandwidth for watching their online on-demand content; sure. But, knowing CoNcast, it sounds like a ploy to get me to blow through their monthly bandwidth allowance
minimalist @ Jul 18th 2009 1:39PM
Oh my god this is a bad idea. Can you say "conflict of interest"? This is exactly the kind of anticompetitive behavior that net neutrality advocates are trying to stop.
gamedude360 @ Jul 18th 2009 2:42PM
since u need to be subscribed to cable, no im giving up cable. 2 they will have commericals at the same length as tv does wow, very lame.
give me hulu + netflix +youtube(the official content they are working on) + zillian tv box thats coming out. + my local over the air channels in HD , and im set. If i want something fast that i cant get from the others right now. then I will go out to the supermarket to the redbox or use amazon or vudu
Shenanigans @ Jul 18th 2009 8:04PM
Same here. Netflix is my lifeline. I get HD coming in through an antenna and Hulu on my computer. If I could easily put all my media (700GB) on a box that streams Hulu and Netflix, I would be so happy. A HTPC is too much right now.
I can't say I miss giving Comcast or RCN $50 a month for crappy programing. I hope I never go back.
RAL2070 @ Jul 18th 2009 3:15PM
So they are trialing something that I've been doing with my Slingboxes and Sat DVRs for years now? Why don't they just make their whole backbone IP based (including live TV and all of the content offered by pay networks)....kind of like one big Media Center System. I'd switch back to cable for that.
Papa Midnight @ Jul 18th 2009 3:18PM
"Don't have cable, Don't want cable".
Not sure if that's entirely fair... I'm sure there's ONE good cable company out there.
Let me be more specific...
"Don't have Comcast; haven't had Comcast for 7 years; don't want Comcast again".
JDS @ Jul 18th 2009 3:33PM
I have high speed internet [around 20Mbps], cable, directv & blu-ray players that stream but never stream or buy VOD, PPV or the like.
Using the computer I download music [lossless] & the occassional bit torrent of live music but movies streamed or downloaded just are not for me.
What can I say, i'm a snob.
For those that this appeals to, enjoy.
YouFaceTheTick @ Jul 18th 2009 3:52PM
Hulu, Roku and (when it's on) Directv's VOD are more than enough. Cable is lousy.
Garst @ Jul 18th 2009 6:05PM
On Demand online streaming is only good for one thing: PORN. And anything good in any cable company's cataog cost extra to watch. So why the Hell would I subscribe to cable service when I can just subscribe to some adult website's VOD?
bill n @ Jul 18th 2009 7:24PM
Although I don't use it that often, I have on demand for certain channels with my cable supplier. Where I found it most useful was being able to watch HBO programs whenever I wanted rather than when they were scheduled. In fact, it one had the desire, they could watch an entire season at one sitting.
Michael @ Jul 18th 2009 8:55PM
Do you need cable tv AAAAAAAAAAAAAND cable internet? I have Cable tv and DSL internet (By the way DSL is fast)
j.howlett @ Jul 18th 2009 11:10PM
this would be a good idea if it work from any high speed connection. if i could visit someone without the same cable package but i could hop on and watch from my account it be great.
Gibbonz @ Jul 18th 2009 11:32PM
Well I have TW cable but I don't use their box. I use my tivo.
I don't think that I can even get On Demand by using the Tivo anyways. Plus when I had the box I never found anything that I wanted to watch that wasn't SD. Just find it silly to watch a SD version of something when I could either record the HD show or even just get the Blu-ray copy when it comes out on Netflix.
Plus if you use a cable box you can stream netflix like you can on Tivo...
I love how it just has a folder in my "Now Playing" list. It sure beats my 360!!!!
Don't have to press my input button on my remote, I'm super lazy!!!
Seals @ Jul 19th 2009 10:53AM
Will this count towards the 250GB cap each month? Will they ever provide a meter for the metered usage?
I don't use Hulu or Netflix, because I don't want to go over the limit...
Tom @ Jul 19th 2009 1:33PM
Here's the HUGE problem with their plan. Like ESPN360.com, it only works if it detects you coming from their internal network. So if I'm home, I could use it, but at home I have DVR's, dvd's, netflix, etc.
Where I'd want to use it is AWAY from my home, where I don't have terabytes of things to watch. Since they rely on IP and other lookups, I can't use the service when I'm not connected to Comcast, thus making it totally useless to me. I'll catch up on shows at work with Hulu, with this service I never could.
Richard Lawler @ Jul 19th 2009 3:28PM
I don't know why you think that is the case, but you're 100% wrong. The whole point of TV "Anywhere" is that you cna use it "anywhere."
Anywhere.
Like, not at home.
Tom @ Jul 19th 2009 6:19PM
See http://techblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/07/tv-viewing-takes-two-steps-clo.html
"Unfortunately, Comcast's On-Demand Online service will come with some restrictions.
First, not only will you have to be a paying Comcast TV and Internet customer, but you'll only be able to access the service through your home Comcast Internet connection.
So you won't be able to whip out your laptop in an airport, plug in a wireless 3G adapter and start channel surfing."
Not anywhere.
Just at home.
Tom @ Jul 19th 2009 6:25PM
Although to be fair I've seen it reported both a login and with IP based restrictions like ESPN360.com. Their latest press release says login:
"Comcast will begin its technical trial of On Demand Online with approximately 5,000 customers from across the U.S. in the coming weeks – the first national trial of its kind. A major focus of the trial is to test Comcast’s new “authentication” technology, which will allow Comcast customers to receive the same content online for free that they subscribe to on TV. The service will utilize a simple log-on system for streaming content and, in the future, will allow for download content to go. The On Demand Online service will roll-out in phases, adding new features, functionality and content over time to provide consumers with a new way to watch television. " (from http://www.comcast.com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail.ashx?PRID=894)
I have seen numerous other articles that speak to the network detection angle though. I honestly hope that isn't the case, as I subscribe to Comcast and would love to be able to access it anywhere.
Richard Lawler @ Jul 19th 2009 6:42PM
If you read further down in the Dallas News article, it mentions that restriction is going to be removed later on in the testing. The 5,000 person test is mostly so they can sort out the authentication. Just like the press release or this posting on their blog http://www.comcastvoices.com/2009/06/on-demand-online-and-tv-everywhere.html (third bullet point) the point since they've announced it is to let you watch it anywhere, not just at home. Whether the beta will launch that way or not we'll have to wait and see.
James @ Jul 20th 2009 8:30AM
Yeah, I'll use their proprietary online service when they can't even offer me clear QAM HD content....
NOT.
Comcast can burn in a very special level of hell with the child molestors and people who talk in the theater.
Austin @ Jul 20th 2009 10:17AM
To work around the ip restriction one could just setup an ssh dynamic tunnel and enable your browsers proxy to point at this tunnel. Then it would appear as if you are browsing from home even though you are anywhere you want to be.
*nix users probably already know how to do this(hopefully).
But for the windows users here is a guide...
http://slashstar.com/blogs/dave/archive/2006/11/27/SSH-Tunneling-_2800_on-Windows_2900_-with-OpenSSH-and-Putty-through-an-HTTP-proxy-.aspx
Justin @ Jul 20th 2009 11:59AM
I chose "Other," as I already use on demand services over the 'net from Dish Network. I select Dish Online via my DVR's menu, and I download content (only the free stuff) to my Internet connected DVR and display it on my screen. It even has 1080p24 content available.