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Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

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Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#141

Post by organsnyder »

exhilaration wrote: post #119
organsnyder wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny. The Roku MLB.tv app blows every other platform out of the water.

MLB has a world-class engineering team [1] so that's not a surprise. You might even say they're in a different league than other content providers. [1] https://www.theverge.com/2015/8/4/9090897/mlb-bam-live-strea...

Ha. Their Roku app is the best non-live viewing experience I've ever experienced for any sporting event: during live games you can jump to specific innings/plays, change audio feeds between TV announcers, radio announcers, and stadium-only... really impressive.

Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#142

Post by aguyfromnb »

jonny_eh wrote: post #47
aguyfromnb wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Instead, they choose Youtube TV which is US-only. I'm an avid PBS Frontline viewer (some of the best documentaries out there). As a Canadian, I can watch most of them on the PBS website, but the odd time an episode will be rights restricted. I assume this is because of footage or music that they are unable to clear the licenses for outside of the US. And really, as a publicly funded broadcaster, why should they car…

Maybe they sold the rights for that particular episode to a broadcaster in Canada, like the CBC?

>Maybe they sold the rights for that particular episode to a broadcaster in Canada, like the CBC?

Also possible, and something I hadn't thought of.

Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#143

Post by aguyfromnb »

II2II wrote: post #71
aguyfromnb wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Instead, they choose Youtube TV which is US-only. I'm an avid PBS Frontline viewer (some of the best documentaries out there). As a Canadian, I can watch most of them on the PBS website, but the odd time an episode will be rights restricted. I assume this is because of footage or music that they are unable to clear the licenses for outside of the US. And really, as a publicly funded broadcaster, why should they car…

I was sifting through the comments hoping to discover that this is available in Canada. It is disappointing that it is not because PBS was available over the air or as part of basic cable service in many Canadian communities. Border stations were quite active in soliciting funds from Canadian viewers, and many Canadians grew up with their programming. I don't know what the current state of affairs is with PBS since I…

>but would be interested in seeing PBS extend its reach into Canada for others to benefit from.

I'm with you. But I think you'd run into the 1-2 combination of the American public not wanting to fund free TV for Canadians (though obviously the marginal cost is ~$0) and the Canadian public not wanting to "pollute" our air waves with American media.

Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#144

Post by Mindwipe »

swebs wrote: post #136
cbhl wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It turns out that licensing doesn't work that way. Worldwide distribution costs more than domestic, and streaming rights cost more than broadcast-only. And PBS doesn't have as much leverage as for-profit broadcasters, so the negotiations for those rights took longer. Here's some prior context: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2018/04/15/w... https://www.techhive.com/article/3338083/why-live-pbs-stream.…

It's their own show though. Who would they have to pay for streaming rights?

They still have to abide by SAG and Writers Guild contracts, they still have to clear stills, and they still have to deal constantly with music rights and existing distribution agreements. PBS also show stacks of shows acquired from elsewhere or which are international co-productions.

The answer is they'd have to pay stacks of people for streaming rights, on a tiny budget. I really pity the poor bastards at PBS who had to try and arrange the underlying copyright clearance for this YouTube deal, which must have been an unholy nightmare given their budget.

Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#145

Post by Mindwipe »

mr__y wrote: post #135
ripdog wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not simple - they have an extensive blacklist of VPN servers too.

this provides an incentive for someone to provide vpn/tunneling service with IP pool large enough to prevent blacklisting to be effective

That doesn't last long.

The BBC use the same provider as a number of Vegas gambling services, and they're very effective because Vegas is willing to spend lots of money on forensic work.

Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#146

Post by Mindwipe »

jillesvangurp wrote: post #132
wnevets wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why would you expect that?

It's a reasonable expectation for original content that they produce themselves. The problems start when you enter into byzantine licensing agreements with third party producers that insist on all sorts of complex agreements that are only valid within certain regions. It gets worse when those producers start delegating to even more subcontractors. It's kind of backwards to be doing business this way. There are plenty…

> This is basically how Netflix works these days

It absolutely isn't.

Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#147

Post by lonelappde »

balls187 wrote: post #117
40four wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up watching Big Bird as the lead character, and I think this analysis is spot on. I don’t have kids of my own yet, so I’m out of touch with how the show is being run these days, but if Elmo is the lead now, this definitely sounds like a step back in quality level. I guess it makes sense from a business perspective for the creators. I’m sure it helps the bottom line. Kids go nuts for Elmo. Regardless, it makes…

> I don’t have kids of my own yet, so I’m out of touch with how the show is being run these days, but if Elmo is the lead now, this definitely sounds like a step back in quality level. My (at the time 2 year old) referred to Seasame Street as "Elmo." The shift in content aligns with the shift that has happened in Early Learning Education in the US--mainly less emphasis in academic subjects, and more emphasis on socia…

That's a strange claim since the primary complaint abut Elmo was the elimination of Big Bird's social-emotional learning.

Sesame Street is for pre-schoolers, which was never academic outside of a cadre of upper class dog-eat-dog New Yorkers

Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#148

Post by auiya »

reaperducer wrote: post #6
larnmar wrote: post #2

Can anyone explain why PBS television stations are local rather than nationwide? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a local program on one, but they seem to have a huge extra layer of bureaucracy in order to broadcast the same programs in a hundred different locations.

Can anyone explain why PBS television stations are local rather than nationwide? The stations are locally-owned. Usually by a college, school district, or local government entity. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a local program on one Almost all PBS stations have local programming, even in small markets. Some of them award-winning programs. And a lot of the "national" shows are actually productions of local stations.…

Georgia Outdoors is an incredible show local to the state of Georgia. http://www.gpb.org/television/shows/georgia-outdoors

Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#149

Post by Jaymoon85 »

electriclove wrote: post #125
droithomme wrote: post #36

So, it's part of tv.youtube.com, which costs $49.99 per month plus tax?

Not sure why you are getting downvoted. PBS has always been free to watch over the air. The article talks about how great it is to have PBS available for streaming on Youtube TV. But it doesn't mention YouTube TV is a subscription only service starting at $50/month. This is similar to a cable provider offering 100+ PBS channels to its $50/month subscription. Call me cheap, but I don't want to pay $50/month to be able…

- PBS Passport : $5/month

- PBS Kids* : $4.99/month

- PBS Masterpiece* : $5.99/month

- PBS Living* : $2.99/month

$19/month for all of these, is still better than $50 for Youtube TV, if all you care about is PBS programming.

* Requires Amazon Prime

Re: Over 100 PBS local stations start streaming on YouTube TV

#150

Post by gburdell3 »

electriclove wrote: post #125
droithomme wrote: post #36

So, it's part of tv.youtube.com, which costs $49.99 per month plus tax?

Not sure why you are getting downvoted. PBS has always been free to watch over the air. The article talks about how great it is to have PBS available for streaming on Youtube TV. But it doesn't mention YouTube TV is a subscription only service starting at $50/month. This is similar to a cable provider offering 100+ PBS channels to its $50/month subscription. Call me cheap, but I don't want to pay $50/month to be able…

You're assuming that people would sign up for YouTube TV just to watch PBS and nothing else. This is great news for people who already subscribe to YTTV or are cross-shopping against Sling, AT&T TV Now, etc.
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