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Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

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Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#71

Post by hiccuphippo »

croon wrote: post #50
close04 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, it's the same "logic" as when calculating losses to torrenting by equating the number of pirated copies with the number of lost sales. Of course they ignore the fact that the vast majority of those pirates would never consider paying even if pirating was absolutely impossible.

I'll venture a guess that a good portion of those downloaders aren't even watching everything they download to begin with. I have bought 10s if not 100s of DVDs and Blurays that to this day are still in plastic wrap, as well as books with uncracked spines. I don't think I'm that weird, and that "tsundoku" [0] is likely a thing with downloaders as well. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsundoku

And gamers with dozens of unplayed games.

Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#72

Post by kranner »

robcohen wrote: post #34
criley2 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The entitlement people feel to steal is always surprising. Especially on this board. I understand a lot of reddit is younger and irresponsible so piracy-as-the-norm is a popular trope, but among the engineers whose livelihoods depend on subscription models, we still promote service theft without so much as a hint of shame? If the economics of a service don't make sense to you, then do not subscribe. But to turn aroun…

I think the issue here is that culture should on some level be free. This is why libraries are free. Personally, I want to financially support media creators, but every time I get a forced prereel commercial, or Hulu inserts ads in a service I pay for, I make a mental note to care a little less. Every time I’m region restricted, I make a mental note. Every time my browser widevine plugin breaks and I can’t watch some…

> I think the issue here is that culture should on some level be free. This is why libraries are free.

Should software be free as well then? It seems to me it should fit the definition of culture, and the economics of e.g. a game seem similar to the economics of making a movie.

Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#73

Post by basch »

SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #35
basch wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the bigger issue than paying for multiple services is duplicate licensing. If I sign up for DirecTV, Amazon Prime, and CBS how many shows am I triple licensing? If all these companies want me to sign up for multiple services, there needs to be a way for them to pass "already licensed" information to each other, and pro-rate their bills accordingly. ATT, Comcast, Disney, CBS already own almost all the historic…

While I see your point, that's never been how media is served up - you're not given license to shows, you're gaining access to what they want you to have from their license. Your cable bill was never reduced because the same show was playing on two channels at once.

A cable bill is a bit like insurance. They dont expect 100% of customers to watch ESPN, 100% of customers pay Disney for access to ESPN, but they pay less than the full cost each. People not watching cover the costs of people watching.

Theres two models of TV. Live and On Demand. In the On Demand world its much more "am I licensed to start this stream" vs "can I tune into this broadcast in progress." Especially if the broadcast is adding any value, like tv hosts interjecting fun making of movie facts at commercial breaks.

Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#74

Post by cvhashim »

criley2 wrote: post #12
magashna wrote: post #9

> “I feel like I’m beating my head against the wall,” Tom Rutledge, the chief executive officer of Charter Communications Inc., said during an earnings call last month. “It’s just too easy to get the product without paying for it.” Boo hoo. All these companies thinking they can split all their content up and get people to pay for every single service are in for a (totally expected) surprise. I'll share my plex server…

The entitlement people feel to steal is always surprising. Especially on this board. I understand a lot of reddit is younger and irresponsible so piracy-as-the-norm is a popular trope, but among the engineers whose livelihoods depend on subscription models, we still promote service theft without so much as a hint of shame? If the economics of a service don't make sense to you, then do not subscribe. But to turn aroun…

Not sure why you're been downvoted. But agreed.

Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#75

Post by basch »

tracker1 wrote: post #67
rayiner wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you feel entitled to get the product of other peoples work for free?

Who says we want it free... There's only so many $8-15 services you can get before it's just too painful to use. I have Hulu+live, Prime, Netflix mainly. I've tried CBS all access and DCU. The later two are the same company. CBS is a pain in a few ways and not worth it in others. Most of it is on Hulu live TV. The fact that DCU is missing so much content it isn't worth it either. Disney+ is in for a shock too. Unless…

DCU is ATT WarnerMedia.

CBSViacom owns Philo and Pluto. Strategically, as CBS and Viacom merge, I see CBS All Access, Philo, Pluto, Paramount, Nickelodeon merging into a family of more related apps, similar to Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+. But itll be a bit for that ship to right its course, Viacom Consumer Products and CBS Interactive wont merge efforts overnight.

Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#76

Post by braindeath »

SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #35
basch wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the bigger issue than paying for multiple services is duplicate licensing. If I sign up for DirecTV, Amazon Prime, and CBS how many shows am I triple licensing? If all these companies want me to sign up for multiple services, there needs to be a way for them to pass "already licensed" information to each other, and pro-rate their bills accordingly. ATT, Comcast, Disney, CBS already own almost all the historic…

While I see your point, that's never been how media is served up - you're not given license to shows, you're gaining access to what they want you to have from their license. Your cable bill was never reduced because the same show was playing on two channels at once.

Idiotic. A few years ago you could say that on demand streaming over the internet was also “never been how media is served up”... engravings on wax cylinders was “never been how media is served up” was also true.

Obviously things are different in this era then they were 30 years ago during peak cable.

What’s your point that meaningfully responds to the gp?

Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#77

Post by alexfromapex »

criley2 wrote: post #25
alexfromapex wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Corporate America has been stealing from us for decades, especially Comcast/Charter.

I forgot that two wrongs make a right, my bad.

What they’re doing isn’t just a “wrong” it’s horrible. These are the people lobbying Congress to ruin the country for their personal gain. Their business model has always been “you have no choice” because it’s either choose them or AT&T which is equally bad so Americans can’t vote with their wallets to get rid of them. They are the ones paying Ajit Pai to ruin net neutrality. They are not just wrong they are pure evil.

Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#78

Post by ImprovedSilence »

rayiner wrote: post #46
basch wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you except for the feedback loop of "make content, sell content, use money from content to buy an extension to copyright law, rinse, repeat." There is a level of assault ON the public's rights happening. They arent completely innocent content creators being robbed, having done nothing wrong. It smells less of entitlement, and more of intentional comeuppance.

Are people downloading things that they believe the copyright should have already expired on? (Under the original copyright act it was 14+14. So stuff older than 1991). Or are they downloading the latest Avengers movie?

Nobody downloads anything anymore, this isn’t 2006. They stream it for free using someone else’s pw, or some sketchy site. OR, bob pays for Netflix, Alice pays for Hulu, and they share with eachother. THAT is the actual use case these companies are complaining about, as if Bob and Alice would buy both accounts themselves. Likey not gonna happen, but some executive calculation says they are losing money in this deal.

Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#79

Post by tracker1 »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #49
rayiner wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like that’s a cop-out. I agree that draconian criminal enforcement of what is a civil tort is unwarranted. But do people really see it as a form of civil disobedience, or do they just feel entitled to stuff for free? And if it’s civil disobedience, why not do it in a principled way? Download and share but don’t watch it. I’d liken it more to the looting and vandalism in response to police brutality. More oppor…

I think comparing it to looting and vandalism is a bit hyperbole. It’s closer to copying a book at the library and taking the copy home. No one is deprived of an object or the content when duplicated, they only miss out on whatever revenue they were attempting to capture.

Even then, imagine not being able to buy any given book at a few different stores. I can get just about any of them on Amazon, B&N and others. Imagine having to go to 6 different stores, with a membership club fee, to check out 6 different books. Vs a single store or library.

Re: Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

#80

Post by ghaff »

koolba wrote: post #68
ghaff wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I’m also surprised they haven’t cracked down on the source IP addresses. It’d be trivial to look at the net bandwidth and see that the usage is at a totally different physical address (and not just a mobile phone). I regularly use these services when I'm traveling. If any of them start restricting me to my home IP (which isn't static anyway) or otherwise start making it harder for me to use their service, I'll be dr…

I’m referring to massive consistent usage from the same IP. Most residential IP addresses are dynamic but remain fixed for weeks or months at a time. It’d be easy to see that the same IP not associated with the actual customer account has streamed every day for the past month. Hell I bet they could go a step further and identify the exact person as well! There’s so little competition that it’s likely the account hold…

Yes. I'm sure it's very "easy" and wouldn't end up making mistakes and generating lots of customer support calls and subscription cancelations.
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