Game of Thrones premiere sets piracy record

[Red Storm]

Its clear online is viable distribution method, but its more complex than that. I don't think cable companies are directly paying HBO, but there are complex bundling deals going on with all the other channels that time-warner owns. Im not sure that broadband it pervasive enough in the US that they can risk the revenue from those other streams by angering cable companies.

Apparently both netflix and amamzon are trying to start original shows that will be online only. It'll be interesting to see how those take off, as it'll be a far closer model for how something like HBO, SHO, etc can make a move to exclusively digital distribution.

No I'm pretty sure they do pay HBO, and they also handle the billing and customer service and all that so HBO doesn't have to worry about paying for those jobs or doing that work. As a consumer there's no doubt what I would do, but as the head of HBO, there's no reason for them to jump off their money making machine right now, especially since it's easy money. They know they can switch over to a Netflix type model when the need arises. They are making bank on the rise of people who rely on internet and cut the cable cord, they're just making it from the cable companies and not us consumers.

 

[Broheim]

HBO is available as a streaming service here in Scandinavia for a little over $10/month, because well uh, we don't have HBO... the selection is small but extremely up to date, I should probably sign up just for the 8 episodes of continuum with Lexa Doig <3

 

[SheHateMe]

I couldn't find a good file on usenet so I resorted to torrenting...I would gladly pay for hbo if I didn't need to also pay for a shit cable package on top of it. oh well their loss.

O Rly.

 

[akshatp]

HBO with DTV is $17.99/month. Thats too much for one show IMO.

 

[Fingolfin269]

No, what he's saying is that cable has crap value for money the spent.

And that makes stealing it ok?

I really couldn't care less. I'm just trying to understand the mindset, "I don't like the business model, but want to watch the show, so screw your business model I'll just make my own that happens to be one where I get to watch everything for free."

 

[Sonikku]

Hell I'd pay 99 cents an episode. I just don't want the $60 cable package that ends up being $85 after all the hidden fees every month.

 

[Jodell88]

And that makes stealing it ok?

I really couldn't care less. I'm just trying to understand the mindset, "I don't like the business model, but want to watch the show, so screw your business model I'll just make my own that happens to be one where I get to watch everything for free."

Where in my statement did I say pirating is ok?

 

[Insomniator]

And that makes stealing it ok?

I really couldn't care less. I'm just trying to understand the mindset, "I don't like the business model, but want to watch the show, so screw your business model I'll just make my own that happens to be one where I get to watch everything for free."

It does.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Often people pirate shows because they can watch them in order, or because they're not available in their region. I have cable TV and I could watch lot of shows but I rather wait till the full season comes out then download it so I can watch it in order at my own leisure. No money was lost by these companies due to this, since I could have watched it for "free" on TV, or PVRed it etc...

Though TBH I've been thinking of cancelling my cable. I only watch a few channels anyway, just not worth paying $70/mo for a few channels. They really need to change the way it works and adapt, but they're too greedy. TV should work kinda like youtube, have a bunch of live stuff, but stuff like movies/series would be like a channel that you can just go watch at your own leisure. And you'd pay per channel so you only pay for what you actually watch. Of course this is never going to happen.

 

[Balt]

I would gladly pay for hbo if I didn't need to also pay for a shit cable package on top of it. oh well their loss.

Same. There are maybe 5 or 6 cable channels I would like to watch, but I'm not paying $80+/month for all of the other utter shit that is on cable.

 

[Dedpuhl]

I pay an insane amount for cable and internet. I'll probably drop HBO at the end of S3...

 

[ch33zw1z]

Can't afford cable package that includes HBO. I would not mind paying HBO ~$10-15/mnth for access to their product. I just can't budget another $60+/mnth to get it from comcast, insane.

I pirate it, but also get teh seasons from my local library to show usage

 

[ch33zw1z]

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/game_of_thrones

can't believe this was not posted yet.

:| so true.

 

[ch33zw1z]

And that makes stealing it ok?

I really couldn't care less. I'm just trying to understand the mindset, "I don't like the business model, but want to watch the show, so screw your business model I'll just make my own that happens to be one where I get to watch everything for free."

Supply and demand is the mindset, and the business model. There's a demand, and it's being supplied.

 

[RossMAN]

I WANT to legally pay for a streaming only option of HBO but cannot without having cable and a HBO subscription. Since I've "cut the cord", there's no way in hell I'm going to take on the expense of basic cable just so I can then add HBO to then have the access.

Please HBO, wake up and make this an option already!

http://gizmodo.com/5991804/hbos-ceo-says-an-hbo-go-%2B-broadband-internet-package-could-work

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Supply and demand is the mindset, and the business model. There's a demand, and it's being supplied.

It's mindsets like this that I don't mind whatsoever when the MPAA, RIAA, or any other respective organization sends a nasty email notification that people conforming to their own "business model" are being sued and levied with fines.

 

[Childs]

http://gizmodo.com/5991804/hbos-ceo-says-an-hbo-go-%2B-broadband-internet-package-could-work

They are missing out on a lot of money by not providing such a service. The cable companies must subsidize the costs significantly more than the extra $10 or so for an HBO subscription. You would think by now you could bypass the cable companies and go direct to Viacom, Disney, Time Warner, etc, and just pay $10-$15 a month for access to all their channels content. I would rather get a few of these types of packages and watch things when I want to than go the traditional cable route.

 

[SheHateMe]

And that makes stealing it ok?

I really couldn't care less. I'm just trying to understand the mindset, "I don't like the business model, but want to watch the show, so screw your business model I'll just make my own that happens to be one where I get to watch everything for free."

Stealing is a strong word......


And we've gone over this in many threads before.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Stealing is a strong word......


And we've gone over this in many threads before.

What word would you use?

 

[Soundmanred]

What word would you use?

Do you really think I believe you? I am not that stupid.

I am a expert on copyright infringement.

 

[SP33Demon]

Which you can only get if you already have HBO, which you can only get if you already have a $60+ monthly TV service.

I wonder how long it'll take companies to figure out that people are willing to pay a la carte for quality programming. If they put the episodes up for sale at a couple bucks apiece (maybe an extra $1 for HD), they'd make tons of money and piracy would go way down.

Then again, they might also lose some cable subscribers.

But as long as you're looking at $1,000+ a year to legitimately watch a 10-episode TV series when it comes out, there are a lot of people who would never even consider subscribing in the first place.

The music industry has learned this. So has the video game industry. But from where I'm sitting, the best two ways to watch movies are Netflix ($10 a month for all the shitty movies I can stomach) and Redbox ($1.30 for fairly recent releases). It just seems ridiculous that the best way to watch reasonably new releases is to walk over to a vending machine that dispenses physical media.

I bought the regular season 2 DVD on ebay for < $20 shipped (18.99) with all the money I saved from not paying for dumbass cable. I figured if it can keep up its excellence then I'll eventually buy the HD online version (Vudu or Amazon) and resell the regular dvd so I don't have to store the dam things.

 

[rudder]

Which you can only get if you already have HBO, which you can only get if you already have a $60+ monthly TV service.

I wonder how long it'll take companies to figure out that people are willing to pay a la carte for quality programming. If they put the episodes up for sale at a couple bucks apiece (maybe an extra $1 for HD), they'd make tons of money and piracy would go way down.

Then again, they might also lose some cable subscribers.

A la carte would collapse the cable/satellite industry. I only subscribe to directv for few select channels. Every day I consider dropping the service but then the kids would whine and I would miss some sports.

If HBO offered GoT for a few dollars... how many people would drop HBO in a hearbeat. This is their bloated business model and they are sticking to it.

 

[Red Storm]

And that makes stealing it ok?

I really couldn't care less. I'm just trying to understand the mindset, "I don't like the business model, but want to watch the show, so screw your business model I'll just make my own that happens to be one where I get to watch everything for free."

Who said anything about pirating? I simply said paying for cable just to get HBO (which you also pay for) is not worth it.

 

[Ichinisan]

I've seen multiple posts implying that cablecos pay HBO or subsidize it to keep it exclusive.

That's just not how it works. When you subscribe to HBO, both the cableco and HBO make money from you. It's not "subsidized." It's the way cable TV was originally supposed to work: You pay for the channels you want and you don't have to deal with advetisements.

Now, "premium" cable networks are the only ones that work the way cable was originally meant to work. Your expanded / digital lineup have overwhelming commercial advertisements. Movie content is edited-out so they can fit more.

HBO hasn't given people an online-only option; this isn't only because TV service providers wouldn't like that. It's also because HBO would be afraid to piss-off their primary revenue stream. The way their contracts have been negotiated for years and years, back-stabbing the TV MSOs could ruin HBO if they don't do it the right way.

 

[SheHateMe]

What word would you use?

Downloading a copy.

Duh.

You can't steal something if the original owner still has the thing you "stole".

I steal your wife's purse...she doesn't have it anymore.
I make a copy of your wife's purse....she still has her purse.


I pay for HBO anyway. So, in my mind...I can have this download because I paid for it already.