HBO will finally let you watch without having Cable

Terial

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HBO is finally going to let you watch its shows without cable | The Verge



Starting next year, you'll finally be able to watch HBO on the web without a cable subscription. In a dream come true for cord cutters, HBO CEO Richard Plepler has confirmed the company plans to launch a "standalone, over-the-top" HBO Go subscription offering at some point in 2015. This service will be offered in the United States and there are also plans to bring it overseas. "This will be transformative for our company," Plepler said. He didn't delve into specifics or outline whether there will be differences in what's made available to cable customers and internet subscribers. Plepler only said that HBO will "work with current partners and explore models with new partners."
"All in, there are 80 million homes that do not have HBO and we will use all means at our disposal to go after them," he said. Plepler described broadband-only homes as "a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO." Until today's surprise announcement, HBO had long resisted splitting off from its lucrative deals with cable providers. The company clearly doesn't want to anger partners like Comcast; in the same press release revealing its plans for a standalone service, HBO emphasizes there are still "significant growth opportunities inside the pay-TV universe." But the message couldn't be more clear: in 2015, you'll have the option to ditch cable and keep watching HBO's hit shows.
 
Deathwing

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They'll probably do something shitty to please the cable companies. Fox puts its shows online, but you have to wait 8 days after initial airing.

I say just go whole hog and compete with Netflix.
 
Abefroman

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I would expect this to launch right before GoT. Please please please let us binge watch like Netflix.
 
Arative

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I'm sure the cable companies will throttle and restrict access to it if you don't subscribe to their cable services.
 
Adebisi

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HBO should partner with Netflix where you can pay more for HBO stream.

I'd pay that shit.
 
Needless

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Theres no hope in hell they'll allow binge watching like Netflix does, releasing an entire season at once.
Not at all.

Specifically for Game of Thrones.

However, i'll totally sub to this. Only reason i don't is because it requires a shitty television subscription
 
chaos

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It isn't, thus the whole net neutrality debate. The last court ruling ruled in favor of the cable companies and struck down the FCC's rules, and the current head of the FCC is a cable company shill, so it isn't changing anytime soon.
 
iannis

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I'd expect more like Hulu less like Netflix. I'd expect physical cable customers to get a preferred showing. No idea what the delay would be (maybe even just 1 day if they're crafty), but I'd expect there would be a delay on releases.

If that's not perfect -- which it probably won't be -- it's a step in a more sane direction at least.

It'll be in the price points. We'll see. Paying over 100 a month for HBO and the hassle of cable itself... if that's my only option then I'll steal the few shows I care enough about to steal. If they offer me 1 day to 1 week delayed streaming straight into my eyeballs for a reasonable price maybe I stop being a douchebag about it.
 
Lithose

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slippery_sl said:
I'm pretty sure it is. I think Comcast got sued for exactly this.
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Yeah, as Chaos said. Comcast WAS sued for this. However, recently, an appellate court struck down the FCC's ability to label internet providers as common carriers. Common Carriers are forced to give equal service to all forms of product (Given few stipulations). However, now that ISP's aren't under this classification, it's perfectly legal to make "reasonable" adjustments on activity. So far, no one has defined reasonable; but since Netflix is like half of all traffic; I suppose Comcast was pretty confident it would not be considered unreasonable to charge them more.

As for when this will be a problem: You probably won't see throttling in the next 5 years, unless it's a MAJOR site like Netflix (And they can justify it on a PR level).....That's because they won't do it as long as competition can use it against them in their Advertising (IE Comcast throttles you, buy our package). And while there isn't MUCH competition, most areas have at least a duopoly; IE one other major competitor. So it's still a concern for them if they throttle smaller sites...And that is why Comcast, I believe, is choosing to move in now on their purchases.

FirstTime Warnerfor 45 Billion. Once they own enough of a market; with no alternative, then they are going to turn around and start raking the internet for cash. Hey Wal Mart, want to be twice as fast as Amazon? Okay--pay me. Going to be a shit show.
 
Lithose

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As for the actual HBO thing. Good. The more channels that break away from cable and offer services direct to user through the internet, thelessaccustomed people will become to the ridiculous idea that there needs to be a content gatekeeper like the current cable companies. Cable companies are a product of the transition from air-wave media, to line media. There is no reason for them to exist in the market anymore EXCEPT the fact that they are too big to die right away--and they own the "last mile" of the infrastructure. They literally provide no unique service (Beyond what any internet provider does) except for maintaining that last mile. And for that they charge 10 times what other competitive distribution services cost. It's like a store that charges 5-10 times as much for things, but can stay in business because it owns all the roads to your house. (And there is a huge market of people who rely only on cable; not the internet, which is why content producers are terrified of breaking with them).

The quicker the content producers leave; and force this show down, the quicker we will finally know if the Internet is doomed to be like Cable TV forever (IE pay for web site access.) I think the Cable Companies will lose, if only because the opposing side is going to have access to a lot of sympathetic propaganda machines once they are no longer beholden to Cable for access to viewers.
 
Denamian

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Lithose_sl said:
Yeah, as Chaos said. Comcast WAS sued for this. However, recently, an appellate court struck down the FCC's ability to label internet providers as common carriers.
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I had thought the ruling was that the FCC rules at the time were trying to regulate ISPs like common carriers without designating them common carriers. Been a while since I read about it though.

As far as HBO goes, I had thought this would never happen as Time Warner owns HBO and I didn't think they would ever allow it. As someone who hasn't had cable for anything other than internet in 15 years, I'm definitely interested in how this will work. I am thinking they will fuck it up somehow with pricing or odd restrictions.
 
Cybsled

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I imagine part of the reasoning behind this is shit like GoT being the #1 pirated show and you do see some folks saying "I have no other way of watching it without a cable sub". On the one hand, they want to rape wallets as normal. On the other hand, they realize there is a huge demographic that doesn't want to get wallet raped so they need to figure out ways to entice them to give them money. Cable subs are expensive too...so you're gonna pay like $70 or so for the base cable, then another 20-30 bucks for HBO? An HBO online sub that was like 20-30 bucks a month would be a lot more palatable to many folks (at least while GoT is playing lol).
 
Noodleface

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What will be funny is all those people who said they'd pay for HBO if it was offered putting their money where there mouths are. I'm skeptical.
 
Sylas

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I'm still going to steal GoT.

Now if they offered something like pay $100 bucks, get the full 10 episode season of GoT streaming available the same time as it airs on TV, and that $100 also included the dvd/bluray of that season you paid for when it releases (like a year later) then I would pay for it without question.

break it down its basically $40 bucks to watch GoT when it airs (~comparable to 2 months of HBO, but i'm only watching 1 show) and $60 for a physical copy of the season on disc when it releases.

edit: actually, what else is on HBO? True Detective and Silicon Valley? Depending on how much the sub is, and if it's available same as TV then I might sub.
 
Cybsled

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Noodleface_sl said:
What will be funny is all those people who said they'd pay for HBO if it was offered putting their money where there mouths are. I'm skeptical.
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All of them, no. But so long as they don't lose cable subs to online only subs, they will probably declare it a success.
 
Caliane

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Deathwing_sl said:
They'll probably do something shitty to please the cable companies. Fox puts its shows online, but you have to wait 8 days after initial airing.

I say just go whole hog and compete with Netflix.
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yeah. Cautiously excited.
We'll see how the service ends up. 8 days I can handle. 3 months+, like hulu and shit? fuck you.
And of course price point.

Need more details before any real opinion.
 
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