[mythtv-users] From cable to fiber (TDS / Mediaroom)

[jedi]

On Tue, Jul 09, 2013 at 09:39:22AM -0400, Joseph Fry wrote:
> >  > When they first started talking about IPTV, I always envisioned that the
> > > whole purpose was to make television more accessible, to make more people
> > > watch in more places.
> >
> > You silly, silly boy.  :-)
> >
> 
> Indeed... but you must admit that you had similar hopes for "IPTV".  I just
> wish I had known that "IP" stood for "Intellectual Property" and not
> "Internet Protocol"
> 
> 
> >
> > The purpose of DRM of any sort on any media is now, and has forever
> > been, to make it possible for the rightsholder to charge you a separate
> > feed for every single viewing you make of it, to the extent that you will
> > tolerate this without burning their office buildings to the ground.
> >
> 
> Ahh... but your talking about the "rightsholder".  In the case of
> cable/iptv/satellite/etc... there are two.  1. is the content provider, 2.
> is the carrier.  The content provider doesn't make anything more per
> television in a household... they make their  money by having more viewers.
>  The carrier's constant efforts to limit the viewer's flexibility  (often
> disguised as a way to 'protect' the content provider's IP) have to be
> having an impact on the number of viewers.
> 
> Essentially, I can't believe that the networks aren't screaming about the
> fact that, as televisions have become dirt cheap... many households have
> fewer of them.  A lot of networks rely on casual viewers, those who have

  All of this assumes that the networks know what's good for them. Chances are 
that they do not. They are likely more interested in "artistic megalomania" that
comes an illusion of being completely in control. It doesn't matter if this comes
from having created a system that's far less useful.
  
  The current regime is what the industry asked for. Regardless of how stupid we
might think it, it is apparently what the moguls wanted.

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