This could change TV as we know it.

[regexcellent]

How is this any different than iTunes revolutionizing TV with the same business model (which it did not)?

Thank you, I was waiting to read this thread until someone posted succinctly summarizing why Oerdin's wrong yet again.

[DaShi]

Why couldn't you do it?

[Dinner]

How is this any different than iTunes revolutionizing TV with the same business model (which it did not)?

The content would be available for any service which signs a deal with HBO. So instead of just only being able to go to iTunes you could potentionally be able to go to anyone one of dozens of sites. Yes, if more networks sign on to this sort of deal then that would revolutionize distribution of content, lead to more competition, and potentially lower prices for end consumers.

[Alexander's Horse]

okay, yet another sign I'm getting old and that companies don't care about my demographic, which is watching reruns of Get Smart! on cable or free-to-air

[Egbert]

I couldn't be bothered reading anything in this thread. But I did want to spam it.

[Alexander's Horse]

YOU'RE WELCOME

[Dr Strangelove]

I can't just add HBO to my service, I have to order the whole "premium channel" package which adds all the HBO, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax, etc., etc channels, over 30 additional channels, for an extra $30+ / month. That comes out to nearly $400 / year just to watch Game of Thrones. There is a website that was carrying seasons 1 and 2 for a mere $4 per episode, but I think they had to wait until the entire season had been run and rerun. Netflix just added season 2 about a month ago. Amazingly I managed to get all 5 discs already. I must have been nearly first in line.

[Dr Strangelove]

okay, yet another sign I'm getting old and that companies don't care about my demographic, which is watching reruns of Get Smart! on cable or free-to-air

If you had Netflix you could rent the discs.

[Hauldren Collider]

okay, yet another sign I'm getting old and that companies don't care about my demographic, which is watching reruns of Get Smart! on cable or free-to-air

Get Smart

I used to watch reruns of that show with my dad. Good times.

[snoopy369]

How is this any different than iTunes revolutionizing TV with the same business model (which it did not)?

iTunes certainly had some positive effects, but I think the difference is that HBO is (at this point) primarily a content producer. Their value as an avenue to watch movies is almost zero - NetFlix removed most of that and iTunes/etc. removed the rest. They're well aware that their current marketshare rests in old people who are too dumb to use NetFlix, expensive 'first-to-air' deals that are only going to get more expensive, rich people who just get the whole package because they don't give a ****, and self-produced content.

Only the latter provides significant positive growth potential, so they need to expand their potential revenue stream as much as possible - thus either direct sales (ie, selling subscriptions to HBOgo.com or whatever) or deals with internet/etc. providers where everyone on the network gets access for a fee. Once they figure out how to do so without pissing off the cable companies - which they are likely close to being able to do - they will.

We can only hope that once they do, other companies with significant market power (ESPN/Disney/ABC/...) will do the same. Being able to watch live sports without a cable plan would be an incredible boon to cord-cutting.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The rub in this "news", of course, is that you will likely have to go through a cable internet provider, which signs a deal with HBO to allow for HBO Go with that ISP. However, I would tend to bet that cable internet providers would request that the charge for HBO Go is done through them (and costs more like $20-$25 a month) to offset people not paying for the cable service and the $10 a month HBO.

[The Mad Monk]

Get Smart

I used to watch reruns of that show with my dad. Good times.

That's the second smallest gun I've ever seen!

[Hauldren Collider]

That's the second smallest gun I've ever seen!

Agent 99: Max, you're twice the man Agent 43 was!

[Dinner]

I always did like Smart's Sunbeam Tiger with the built in Gatling gun. They should have opted for the larger version of Ford's V-8 though because why put the 260 in the car when the 289 would have fit?