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NBC Offers Live Streams -- If You're a Cable Customer
As part of a broader effort to appeal to would-be cord cutters and join the modern era, Comcast's NBC Universal is preparing to offer live streams of the company's programming. According to the Wall Street Journal, the streams will be available on computer starting next Tuesday, with tablets and smartphones supported sometime next year. The catch? As with all cable industry "TV Everywhere" initiatives, you'll need to prove you're a cable customer and authenticate your credentials before gaining access to the streams. Despite this, the NBC mantra for marketing the new initiative will be "Watch TV Without the TV."
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MDA
Auto Negotiating
Premium Member
join:2013-09-10
Minneapolis, MN
Netgear CM600
Asus RT-AC66U B1

MDA

Premium Member

its also cable "without the cable"

Making the reason for coax as an internet line (with its pricing), just to watch cable pay tv offerings that much meaningless.

With this, NBC (not knowingly?) is telling its parent company that you are irrelevant and holding live stream programming back with the cable pay wall you own us with.

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH
(Software) Sophos UTM Home Edition
Ruckus R310

buzz_4_20

Member

This:

Is CRAP.
It's pointless to offer streaming of a channel that's FOTA to begin with.
While I understand that bandwidth isn't free, aren't the ads on the live shows supposed to be covering that?
OR just a crazy thought here... maybe offer this standalone paid?

Consumers don't want to pay to watch ads... Cable/Satellite need to change with the times.

davidc502
join:2002-03-06
Mount Juliet, TN

1 recommendation

davidc502

Member

Re: This:

said by buzz_4_20:

While I understand that bandwidth isn't free,

It's a big misconception in the computer world... Bandwidth doesn't cost any more than the cost to generate the electrical signals -- which is practically NOTHING......

Example being Comcast -- For data to cross egress costs them on average of less than 1/2 Cent per Gigabyte.

TSWYO
Premium Member
join:2003-05-03
Cheyenne, WY

1 edit

TSWYO

Premium Member

Re: This:

I operate some equipment in a Datacenter, the exact cost to egress 1GB of data for me is $0.0013 and that is with a rather small commit rate.

Just food for thought.
big_e
join:2011-03-05

big_e to davidc502

Member

to davidc502
Oh really. I thought it cost money to lay fiber optic cable for thousands of miles and to purchase all the needed labor and equipment to make use of it. How does Cisco stay in business when they are giving away all their routers to ISPs for free?

NYDude25
join:2007-08-23
Massapequa, NY

NYDude25

Member

Re: This:

This made me laugh.

You're right.

AnonDude
@97.95.147.x

AnonDude to buzz_4_20

Anon

to buzz_4_20
said by buzz_4_20:

Is CRAP.
It's pointless to offer streaming of a channel that's FOTA to begin with.
While I understand that bandwidth isn't free, aren't the ads on the live shows supposed to be covering that?
OR just a crazy thought here... maybe offer this standalone paid?

Consumers don't want to pay to watch ads... Cable/Satellite need to change with the times.

Consumers don't want to pay or watch ads. The feel entitled to everything for free just because they exist. well real life don't work that way.
Kuro
join:2014-10-01

1 recommendation

Kuro

Member

Re: This:

Its not an entitlement. I am already paying for the channel, why should I watch ads that are there to pay for the station/show/whoever when I, the consumer, have already payed them to watch it.
NOVA_UAV_Guy
Premium Member
join:2012-12-14
Purcellville, VA

1 recommendation

NOVA_UAV_Guy to AnonDude

Premium Member

to AnonDude
This is part of the reason why I don't watch *anything* live on TV anymore. If it's on, it either comes through Netflix or off my DVR. This way I either don't have those pesky commercials or can simply skip right over them.

Yes, I even do this with football on Sundays. I start the game a little later (about 45 minutes in to it) and skip over essentially all the crap, finishing up at about the same time as the actual game ends.

I pay a satellite TV bill, that's enough. Commercials neither deserve nor receive my time.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

Re: This:

the best part of that is being able to skip over all the talk at halftime and spoilers[i record all 4 games on sunday and many times 2 games are on at the same time, i dont want to hear the score of the game thats recorded but im not watching]
davidhoffman
Premium Member
join:2009-11-19
Warner Robins, GA

davidhoffman to AnonDude

Premium Member

to AnonDude
For the people wanting to view OTA, the additional charges due to retransmission consent are especially irritating. For the cable/satellite only channels there is some understanding that depending on the channel there will be a mix of per channel fees and advertising. Some cable/satellite only channels are paid for with 99% advertising and 1% per channel charges. Other cable/satellite only channels are paid for with 1% advertising and 99% per channels charges. Commercial for profit OTA was set up to be 100% advertising. Retransmission consent never should have been allowed, it all should have been must carry. As far as live streaming of OTA, that should be treated the same as regular broadcast OTA. I, the viewer, pay for the internet connection. What I can connect to is a WWW stream of live OTA with all the advertising. I need not be a subscriber to cable pay TV or satellite pay TV, as I have to view the commercials that pay for the content. Why is that so difficult for the OTA companies to understand? They get more viewers for the advertising that pays for the content. For decades too many OTA operations have viewed cable and satellite as unethical operations, when what they really do is increase the number of viewers per show. The more viewers, the more you can usually charge per advertising spot. An internet live stream of OTA should be viewed the same as rabbit ear antenna watching. An internet connection should be regarded as an OTA antenna.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

NormanS to AnonDude

MVM

to AnonDude
said by AnonDude :

Consumers don't want to pay or watch ads. The feel entitled to everything for free just because they exist. well real life don't work that way.

True, I don't want to pay for that which I can get FOTA. Hence why I don't have pay TV.

davidc502
join:2002-03-06
Mount Juliet, TN

davidc502

Member

Re: This:

said by NormanS:

True, I don't want to pay for that which I can get FOTA. Hence why I don't have pay TV.

How much longer is it going to last? I'm like you where I watch and record free HD OTA transmissions.... But with ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX beginning to build up internet walls and demanding payment to get in the gates, it makes one wonder how much longer OTA transmissions are going to last.
davidhoffman
Premium Member
join:2009-11-19
Warner Robins, GA

davidhoffman

Premium Member

Re: This:

If the sports teams decide to not use taxpayer money for stadiums there will be less incentive to provide OTA broadcasts of team sports. Big IF there. As far as fiction stories, there is a lot of pressure from writers to go cable/satellite or IPTV only. More freedom to write what you want. There is no way many cable/satellite shows could go on OTA without serious editing and rewrites to make them milder. I expect a lot of fiction to be replaced by game type shows similar to Amazing Race or Wipeout.

NOYB
St. John 3.16
Premium Member
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR

NOYB to buzz_4_20

Premium Member

to buzz_4_20
said by buzz_4_20:

It's pointless to offer streaming of a channel that's FOTA to begin with.


Not so. It can be watched on internet connected devices of all types without a TV antenna and in locations where OTA signals do not reach well or at all.

PamelaTS
Digital Chick
join:2004-04-20
Dallas, TX
Asus RT-AC66
HTC 5G Hub

PamelaTS

Member

worthless

How is this speaking to cord cutters? As soon as you cut the cord this becomes dead. As a cord cutter myself it's useless. Where I would be happy to put up with commercials (provided not to overwhelmed with commercials online to stream content. My objection to hulu plus is 1) it's not free and 2) multiple commercials repeated till they are annoying.

Use some reason and make it free injecting a few commercials you'll get more views making the commercial time more valuable.

jseymour
join:2009-12-11
Waterford, MI

jseymour

Member

Re: worthless

said by PamelaTS:

How is this speaking to cord cutters? As soon as you cut the cord this becomes dead.

"Would-be cord cutters." The idea is to add an incentive to keep them from becoming cord cutters.

They've still got their collective head buried in the sand.

Jim

TSWYO
Premium Member
join:2003-05-03
Cheyenne, WY

1 recommendation

TSWYO

Premium Member

Re: worthless

I hate ads as much as the next guy, but they need to realize they could end up charging more for advertising on live stream because they will be able to prove with hard facts the number of users watching. Traditional TV relies on self reported/machine (nielsen) with some bs'ery numbers to calculate 100 people really equals 1 million people.

PamelaTS
Digital Chick
join:2004-04-20
Dallas, TX
Asus RT-AC66
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PamelaTS

Member

Re: worthless

said by TSWYO:

I hate ads as much as the next guy, but they need to realize they could end up charging more for advertising on live stream because they will be able to prove with hard facts the number of users watching. Traditional TV relies on self reported/machine (nielsen) with some bs'ery numbers to calculate 100 people really equals 1 million people.

Very true streaming video I.e. hulu plus you can't skip commercials.
PamelaTS

PamelaTS to jseymour

Member

to jseymour
- cord cutter here

Fortunately TiVo finally added Android support for the TiVo Stream. So the local broadcast is no problem
quisp65
join:2003-05-03
San Diego, CA

1 edit

quisp65

Member

RT does it best

5 RT stations in 4 different bandwidth selections. I wonder if the state is paying for that bandwidth for propaganda purposes? Just a different angle of propaganda though.
»rt.com/on-air/

I'm starting to collect streaming TV stations in a folder on my browsers favorite list.
»cbsn.cbsnews.com/
»news.sky.com/watch-live

I pay $6 a month to these guys and can put up many news stations in multiview using their app
»www.livestation.com/en

This month I tried FilmOn but I probably won't keep it.

Netflix & PT is the rest of my TV viewing.

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

nonamesleft

Member

is there Anything worth watching on NBC?

I have never seen anything worth watching on NBC, anyone else agree on that? All I can recommend for people, is getting a tv converter and connect it to a dvd recorder, or get a tv card for your computer, I think you can record shows that way too.

NOYB
St. John 3.16
Premium Member
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR

NOYB

Premium Member

Re: is there Anything worth watching on NBC?

said by nonamesleft:

I have never seen anything worth watching on NBC, anyone else agree on that?


How about disagree?

Sunday Night Football

Some local NBA games (Portland Trailblazers) on regional stations.

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

nonamesleft

Member

Re: is there Anything worth watching on NBC?

said by NOYB:

said by nonamesleft:

I have never seen anything worth watching on NBC, anyone else agree on that?


How about disagree?

Sunday Night Football

Some local NBA games (Portland Trailblazers) on regional stations.

I don't watch sports.

NOYB
St. John 3.16
Premium Member
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR

NOYB

Premium Member

Re: is there Anything worth watching on NBC?

said by nonamesleft:

I don't watch sports.


Fortunately for the rest of us neither the industry nor the world revolves around you.

chuch
join:2001-04-11
Tampa, FL

chuch

Member

Re: is there Anything worth watching on NBC?

You're both pretty - now play nice...

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

nonamesleft to NOYB

Member

to NOYB
said by NOYB:

said by nonamesleft:

I don't watch sports.


Fortunately for the rest of us neither the industry nor the world revolves around you.

Right back at you.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536 to nonamesleft

Premium Member

to nonamesleft
only sunday night football and L&O: SVU[when its not reruns]

NOYB
St. John 3.16
Premium Member
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR

NOYB

Premium Member

It's a Start


Want to see them go further. But applaud the step.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

More and more OTA networks. . . . .

Are leaving cord cutters out in the cold.

Flyonthewall
@206.248.154.x

Flyonthewall

Anon

Where's the beef?

This has no meat on it, it's two wet buns and some veggies.