Cable TV provider Comcast have revealed that they have increased their cable TV bills in the city of Boston (USA) for a second time in the space of 12 months (with the changes (an average hike of 2.9%) set to be put into action in February), in a move that they are trying to assure customers will not have an impact on many of them.

Some users in the regions that the hike is set to hit have already expressed their outrage over the rising prices, and claim that Internet TV is now looking like a much more cost-effective and viable alternative to cable’s increasing rates.

Comcast spokesperson Doreen Vigue said of the changes, and explained why they are being made: “The vast majority of our customers won’t [be affected], because they currently receive services as part of a promotional offer. We continue making investments in next-generation technology to add value to our products and improve service, and in just the last year alone we’ve added several channels, and launched new interactive applications and multi-platform content that customers want and value.”

Vigue summarised with how the update will affect customers in the Boston area, stating: “While we’ve worked hard to hold down price adjustments, the average customer bill will increase by 2.9 percent in the Greater Boston Region beginning with the February 2012 billing cycle because of the impact of higher programming costs and increased operating expenses.”

While Boston residents using Comcast might begin to get disillusioned despite what the provider is saying, will there be any large-scale defection to online services in the near future?

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Anyplay brings live cable TV to iPad

The service which was first mentioned last September makes use of the house router, a Xfinity Internet service and a AnyPlay device. After setting up the service will turn the iPad into a mobile TV screen. The option will let 2 different channels play simultaneously, one channel can be watched on the main TV, whilst another can be watched on iPad via the Xfinity TV app.

The live streaming only works while your hooked upo to the home network, once you leave the confines of your home you can only view Comcast’s approx 8,000 hours of video-on-demand content.

Although currently only available to Xfinity Triple Play HD customers, other markets will be covered soon say Comcast said the AnyPlay system will be available on the Motorola Xoom as well.

Comcast have also said that the Xfinity on-demand app that was launched in 2010 for iPad and Android users, will soon be available on the Xbox 360 and Samsung smart TV sets.

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Anyplay service picture courtesy Macrumors

The app which will not be a rebranded Xfinity TV app, but will run alongside it is said to be under construction. The story was broken by macrumors who  the service will let Comcast subscribers watch live cable TV from their iPad with the proviso that the iPad uses a Motorola wifi router supplied by Comcast. The service will not work using alternative Wi-Fi or wireless connections.

Comcast do have an existing iPad and Android Xfinity TV app available which allows users access to On-Demand content, browse TV listings and control the DVR and TV set.

AnyPlay will differ as content does not need to be recorded or watched catch-up style. But can instead be watched live with the cable broadcast. AnyPlay will also be able to show some programming included in a user’s current Xfinity service.

It is said that the Comcast AnyPlay service will allow viewers to register up to 10 tablets (who has 10 iPads??), but only a single device can watch live TV at one time. Launch date is not known, but expect Comcast to make it a limited availability at first.

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A key proponent of this increase in income is thought to be the deal made by Comcast half a year ago to purchase production company NBC Universal, giving themselves a further platform on which to operate. Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts recently said of that deal: “our timing was just right.”

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Skype on Comcast

Subscribers who have the new Comcast service, can make HD video calls on Skype through their television screen. It will mean extra equipment for the job such as webcam and keyboard etc. It is expected the service will be part of Comcast’s subscription payment.

Neil Smit, President of Comcast Cable said, “Our unique relationship with Skype not only will change how our customers interact with their TV, but also will create new and meaningful ways to bring our customers closer to the people they care about.”

He continued, “TV has evolved into a social experience, and Comcast and Skype will be delivering a product that personalizes the TV experience even more, and brings friends and family together through the biggest screen in their homes.”

Microsoft are proposing buying Skype for $8 billion. With the new Comcast-Skype partnership, Microsoft would gain another entry into television and delivering software into people’s living rooms via cloud computing. Currently, Microsoft’s most succesful product for television is its Xbox 360 video game console.

The downside is that it does seem that the service will not allow users to call, or receive from phone numbers, but will be for Skype-to-Skype calls and messaging

The service should also let users jump from TV to mobile phone or tablet using Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile app. It is expected that Comcast will begin tests for the service in the next few months. Costs and availability are still unknown.

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Comcast looking into internet cable TV

Currently Comcast send tv data using digital technology, sending daya to old style set-top boxes using coaxial cable which is not internet enabled. The challenge for Comcast is to try and deliver cable TV via Internet Protocol technology. If that can successfully be achieved then cable could be watched on any internet ready device.

Comcast say they want the system to deliver live TV via connected devices as well as on-demand content and web services. Said  Comcast’s president of converged products Sam Schwartz in an interview, “We want to deliver video everywhere people want to watch it. We have to do a better job getting people to realize what they are paying us for.”

The move is an attempt to compete with the massive growth and popularity of streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu. Comcast have already successfully launched their Xfinity online service which is free for subscribers and delivers around 350 million on demand shows, movies, sports and other content monthly.

If the test comes off, it could be gloves off for cable companies no longer restricted to areas with a cable system. Testing for VoIP delivery will begin this fall in the MIT campus reports The Wall Street Journal.

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Online TV, same stuff but on-demand and cheaper

That’s pretty impressive for a streaming company, but it’s not where the surprise lies. That happens when you look at the current trend, which shows that Netflix gained more than 9 million new subscribers in the last 12 months while Comcast had a loss of 700,000 subscribers.

And though netflix is hardly a premium cable service, when you look at adding a few more online TV options the monthly cost is still amazingly less than a cable subscription. Netflix costs $7.99 monthly, and with DVD by mail thrown in costs just $9.99 monthly. This means you get the older yet massive streaming catalog added to the newer DVD rentals for under ten bucks.

Comcast’s startup costs are $29.99 monthly for the first 12 months, then it rises. The movies offered are a pretty small number that get reshown throughout the month. You do get latest TV show episodes, but then you can get those free from Hulu or buy via Vudu, Amazon or iTunes. And that would be a one off rental charge.

How many time do you hear cable and satellite subscribers moaning that there is nothing to watch? All the time if your like me, and that is where the beauty of online and on-demand kicks in.

It i want to go watch a Harry Potter movie or an old classic, i can find it on one of the online services and watch it today. Compare that to cable where i have to watch what they dish up.

As the online streaming market matures, improves and gets easier to access, more and more pay TV subscribers will follow those of us that have discovered the beauty of online video.

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The Pirate Bay refuses to go down

The Pirate Bay is probably the most popular BitTorrent file sharing site where users can download movies and TV shows. It has previously been blocked by ISP’s in Europe after lawsuits from big music and movie studios. It is a major targets for copyright groups and the site’s owners were imprisoned in a court case in 2009. Could it be that the move was an anti-piracy move?

Nothing so dramatic it seems. PCWorld reported in a post that they had received an email from the CEO of Pirate Bay’s upstream provider, Magma Hindenburg saying:- ”The issue was not Comcast blocking The Pirate Bay,” Hindenburg wrote. “The problem was a routing error at Global Crossing. The problem has been resolved and all customers should be able to reach thepiratebay.org by now. No attempt to block or censor the site as been made.”

So that clears things up then. But no, there is more. As reported in the Inquirer, Comcast were in a flap over the accusation that they would block The Pirate Bay. In fact they decided to try and help out.

According to Torrentfreak, they had a call from the Comcast’s exec director of internet systems engineering, Jason Livingood. Who said, “Please note that we do not block websites and we are NOT blocking The Pirate Bay.”

Nice chap that he is, he also volunteered to send out some engineers to help resolve the problem! All i can say is, “It’s a funny old world.”

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With their new service, Cox is joining a number of operators and programmers that are offering authenticated access to TV on demand and even live content online as well under the name of TV Everywhere.

When launched, Cox Online TV will have around 15000 to 20000 Videos, with the number of videos fluctuating over time as more titles are added.

Previously, Time Warner and Comcast had made it known of their plans for TV Everywhere services nearly two years ago, with the first services being officially launched at the end of 2009.

The HBO Go broadband service at this moment is only available to around half of its cable subscribers, which Time Warner are hoping will jump up to about 70% by the end of the year available to about 80% of HBO subscribers.

Adding HBO Go availability to Cox subscribers is going to boost that percentage With around 5 million customers, it is the fifth-largest pay TV provider in the US, behind Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network and Time Warner Cable.

At the moment, Cox TV Online is available only on PC’s, with networks like HBO being the exception, they have their own multiplatform apps.

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TiVo Premiere users get to watch Xfinity

The news is all good for TiVo owning Comcast subscribers, as they have less boxes and clutter plus the ability to watch all their content from live, recorded and on-demand video from a single set-top box.

Already TiVo owners get a big choice of streaming online services. From Netflix, Amazon and the soon to be enabled, Hulu Plus. Now they get to see the Comcast library of 25,000 plus titles.

The setup does not involve anything more than informing Comcast and a CableCard installed in the TiVo Premiere, and it’s free for now.

Comcast are starting the service in the San Francisco area to begin with, and plan for more areas to follow.

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Streaming needs bandwidth, not data cuts

As more and more streaming services pop up, the data consumption is turning from huge, to ginormous. In reply, providers are starting to introduce capping for customers. AT&T are one big provider that has started limiting how much data can be used by DSL and U-Verse customers, with a limit between 150-250GB per month. Similar measures have also been introduced by Comcast.

It seems that Netflix have thought of a possible solution by dropping the quality (and data useage) of streaming for Canadian users. This may well expand amongst other members in a bid to save on data costs, and if the loss of quality is negligable then it may work.

Will this start a trend amongst other ISP’s and make data capping the norm?

Read more on this story here – TechNewsWorld

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As part of Comcast’s plan to embrace online video, the move will give  customers of the service an even broader selection of pre-recorded content, and the move also sees Comcast become the first-ever pay-TV provider to host shows from all major networks, ABC (owned by Walt Disney Co.) and Fox (owned by News Corp.).

Shows available will include popular ratings winners such as Grey’s Anatomy, Glee, and Family Guy, amonst others, with each series’ four most recent episodes being put on the service tomorrow, with the new content coming at no extra charge to subscribers. Content will also be providing new episodes on the service just a day after they first air on their original host network.

Comcast are entering a tough arena and will be competing against several other cable, online, and satellite providers in the on-demand market, which features some big names like The Dish Network, DirecTV, Hulu, and Netflix, amongst others.

Marcien Jenckes, general manager of video services at Comcast, was pleased with the new deal, stating: “By nearly doubling the number of current TV series from broadcast networks, Xfinity TV On Demand offers our customers a one-of-a-kind experience that can’t be found elsewhere.”

The additions take Comcast’s on-demand offering to almost 600 unique series, with 56 of them coming from the four broadcast networks. Reports have also surfaced at Comcast’s plans to add to this with pre-theatrical window movie content at a high price, as DirecTV have recently announced, but any move into this market is currently at the planning stage.

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DirecTV offering top movies for top prices

The studio’s concocting the deal include Sony, Warner Bros., Universal and 20th Century Fox who will launch the service later this month thro DirecTV and Comcast.

The humungous price which is about 4 months of unlimited Netflix rentals, is down to marketing of the product. The studios are looking at the family cost of a night out to the cinema, and $30 is a lot less than a trip out.

The only saving grace is that the movies will hit the vod service pretty much a few weeks after launching, so will be of interest for some. But every positive move causes an equal negative, and this one comes from theater owners who are not happy that it will keep families at home.

Oh well, nobody said this digital movie business would be easy, did they?

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Cable giant Comcast have launched their second Android app for reasons not quite clear. The original app was called Xfinity Mobile and the new one is called Xfinity TV. So whats the difference?

Cable going mobile?

The new app was announced in a Comcast blog post and allows viewers with Android phones to change channels, look at the on demand library and TV listings, schedule the DVR. The trouble is that the old app did the same things!

The things that the new app does are wait for it. Works as a tv remote, and may be used to play on demand from phone to tv. So if you have an Android and are a Comcast customer then delete the old one and upload this one instead. Why they did not just update the original is a bit of a mystery.

Comcast have previously released a superior app for ios devices last November.

Comcast are planning to add streaming ability to Android and say in their blog post:- “Soon, we plan to add the ability to stream thousands of hours of on-demand video content on Android-powered tablets so customers can watch hit movies and TV shows wherever they are.”

Android users can head over to the Marketplace download the Xfinity TV app for free, right now.

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Comcast like rival streaming companies!

His bravado at the online threat may have been enhanced by the recent Comcast acquisition of NBC Universal in January. Even though they were hit with certain conditions, it will put the company in a very dominant position in the online space, as it gives them part control of Hulu, the catch up tv service partly owned by NBC.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he was asked if his company was in any way concerned about the recent  Netflix CBS content deal. In a thinly veiled insult to his online competitor, he said:- “What used to be called ‘reruns’ on television is now called Netflix,” he said. “We’re not seeing it cut into our core business, but we are glad as a producer of content to see the value of that content rising.”

He also said the Comcast were not interested in an online service for non-subscribers, but wanted to give added value by offering content via the TV Everywhere Xfinity TV service.

More on this story:-

Comcast CEO: Netflix is Web Equivalent of Television Reruns – PC Magazine
What used to be called reruns on television is now called Netflix he said. Were not seeing it cut into our core business but we are glad as a producer of content to see the value of that content rising. Last week Netflix announced a deal to …

Comcast CEO Won’t Offer Internet Video To Non TV Subs – Dslreports

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts gave a post NBC-merger interview with the Wall Street Journal this week in which the CEO again blows off the threat posed by Internet video …

Comcast CEO: We’re Not Launching Netflix Competitor, But We Like Netflix Revenue – TIME

Netflix Instant isnt offering anything that NBC hasnt been offering for years according to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts – but that isnt the reason why Comcast wont be going to go down a similar route …

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Will Hulu CEO stay or go?

The problem? A dramatic difference in the position Hulu should be taking in the tv spectrum. Hulu want to be a real alternative to cable tv and bring thousands of cord cutters over to the online digital tv ‘other side’, but the new bosses of Hulu – Comcast NBC Universal want the catch up tv service to simply compliment the main deal and revenue generating service.

There is definately a conflict of interests between Hulu and the content providers, and now that cable giant Comcast have a majority share, Hulu will not be let of it’s leash, certainly not in a way that could harm the revenue or subscriber numbers of it’s rulers.

Hulu’s ceo Jason Kilar has visions of Hulu having a free model that is ad supported and a subscription service that can take over from traditional pay tv services.

In a blog post he argued that online advertising is much more effective than standard tv, and that tv in general has too many ads. His paymasters make their money from these ads that run on their channels so will not be too happy with the comments. Kilar said in his blog:- “A number of you that are reading this might be thinking that we’d have to be crazy to think that our small team can actually re-invent television and compete effectively against a landscape of distribution giants like cable companies, satellite companies, and huge online companies. We are crazy. All entrepreneurs need to be”

NBC are at odds with Kilar’s vision of being an alternative to cable. He is being too disruptive and will likely be replaced by a person ready to make Hulu what the networks want. An online advertisment for turning on the big screen tv and watching cable.

You could see this coming when Hulu so ruthlessly cut off it’s streaming content from many devices including Google TV. The subscription based Hulu Plus is seen as being too little for the cost. Everybody can see that rival Netflix is a much superior service.

Although the powers that be know Hulu needs restructuring, Kilar wants Hulu to be free and ad supported, unfortunately his bosses want anything but this.

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Watch cable tv and more anywhere

The streaming arm of cable tv giant Comcast, Xfinity is beefing up it’s range of content to include Time Warner tv shows and movies and even live tv streaming. Subscribers of Comcast will be able to view the streaming content both online and via the cable video-on-demand service. Viewers will now be able to access tv shows and movies from the Turner network of stations including Cartoon Network, TNT, Adult Swim, CNN, TBS, Turner Classic Movies and more.

The deal which comes under the Comcast TV Everywhere service. Which then confusingly became Xfinity, will also bring live internet streaming of selected Turner channels sometime this year, although details are a little thin on the ground regarding this matter. Recently Comcast announced that tablet pc owners who subscribe to Xfinity could have access to around 3000 hours of tv-on-demand content.

The Comcast Xfinity TV streaming service currently gives subscribers access to cable content wherever they have an internet connection using any enabled device. In allowing this Comcast hope to divert subscribers ayttention awaty from low cost tv and movie on demand services such as Netflix or Apple.

The agreement comes shortly after Comcast gained approval to buy a majority stake in NBC on the understanding they would allow competitors to show NBC programming both online and offline.

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Merger from heaven, or hell?

The long ongoing merger between NBC and Comcast has finally got the green light from the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice. The merger between the two giants will create an entertainment monolith that could sweep all competition aside, such would be their dominance in the tv market.

Comcast who are the biggest US cable operator are staking $14 billion to aquire a controlling share of NBC Universal, which seems to have been approved with little in the way of conditions which may surprise it’s online video rivals. Although it has some regulatory requirments there seems little to stop the company crushing any rival it wants especially in the online tv area.

Comcast were hit with certain conditions to clinch the deal, including keeping NBC programming free across terestrial channels and must not abuse its market share. However many are surprised that the merger has happened as previously a broadcast network has not been allowed to own a cable network.

Comcast already have a mammoth number of subscribers (22 million and rising) will now control NBC who in turn own Universal Motion Pictures, MSNBC, CNBC, SyFy, Weather Channel and  Bravo, amongst others. There is no doubt that the merger will mean a single entity controls a a mass of media, communications and entertainment companies. Comcast are not taking a seat on the board of Hulu and therfore say they will have no say in decision making, hard to believe as that may be.

The deal is expected to complete at the end of January and will result in Comcast owning a controlling 51% share. Although Federal regulators are imposing conditions to stop Comcast from discriminating against competition in television and online content, many still feel the company is way too powerful.

The FCC are insisting that NBC Universal and Comcast allow all programming to be made available to distributors, “at fair market value and non-discriminatory prices, terms, and conditions, any affiliated content that Comcast makes available online to its own subscribers or to other MVPD subscribers.”

We will soon see if the fears of a super merger such as this now come true, including lowering choice and raising prices for TV and internet services. As Comcast now have the power to crush any rival, can they resist?

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Cable TV on the Go

All this is expected to arrive in a few weeks, as an update to Comcast’s universal Xfinity TV app for the iOS, as well as for Android devices at some later date this year.

The feature will be called “Play Now”, for the time being though, Comcast are not  revealing any details on what programming will be made available beyond “live news, movies, and hit TV shows.” It also does not specify whether content will stream over 3G or only WiFi. However, due to the limitations of 3G it will probably be WiFi.

Additional features planned for future Xfinity TV app releases include the usual social network integration, so links to what you’re watching can be shared with friends. Assuming you trust your friends’ taste in movies and TV, a MyTV feature will also let you send and receive personal content recommendations.

The service is for subscribers only though, and you will need to have a Comcast TV subscription in order to stream live and on demand content with the Xfinity TV app, which itself is free. The move is thought to be a response to the ever growing cord cutting threat, and to try and tap into the tablet pc market. The update will be here sometime later in the year, details to be confirmed.

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The contracts with Dish, which expire at the end of 2010 (midnight tonight), mean that an inability to renew them from the channels will result in a ’blackouts’ for these specific stations. The channels themselves seem braced for the worst, as Comcast issued a statement on behalf of the stations warning its viewers on the Dish Network that they may be left with a dark screen if they attempt to tune in or already are on the channel, past the stated deadline.

A statement from the two channels said: ”We are in active negotiations with DISH Network.  We are trying to reach a fair agreement, however, it is our belief they will once again turn their backs on their subscribers by dropping the networks and holding E! and Style fans hostage. In actively choosing to discontinue these two networks, Dish is denying their subscribers E!, the ultimate network for entertainment fans with marquee January events from exclusive coverage of Red Carpet season to the premiere of the new season of the Kardashian show Kourtney & Kim Take NY, and Style, the home of transformations, from fashion, to beauty to home, featuring all-new seasons of Kimora and Jerseylicious.”

E! and Style seem to just be the most high-profile victims of not being able to reach agreements with their broadcaster, as another satellite TV provider,DirecTV, will drop the Golf Channel (another Comcast-owned station) under similar circumstances. Other deals in jeopardy at midnight might be more in bulk, as Sinclair’s 33 stations are in ‘retransmission consent fee’ dispute with Time Warner Cable systems. It is not a complete story of loss for the channels today, though, as the Hearst family of stations (29 channels), recently made a last-minute agreement with carrier DirecTV ensuring that they will run into the new year, meaning that they will not be dealing with an impromptu blackout.

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The Comcast NBC deal rolls on..and on

Cable TV giant Comcast have confirmed that their planned merger with production company NBC Universal will, as many have predicted, not be finalised by the end of this year as originally hoped, due mainly to a delay in the mandatory approval process.

Comcast’s vice-president of government communications, Sena Fitzmaurice, stated: “We believe the FCC and the DOJ continue to make substantial process toward approval of our transaction. However because of the lead time required to prepare for a close, it now appears that we will not be able to close the transaction with GE relating to NBC Universal by year-end. We have notified our transition teams that there will not be a December 31 closing. We believe the regulatory review puts us on track for a closing in January 2011. We are appreciative of the hard work by the FCC and DOJ staff and by our own transition teams, and look forward to completing the process early next year.”

The Comcast-NBCU deal had previously drawn high levels of scrutiny, with the WGAW describing it as ”the most immediate threat to the future of media.” A statement from the guild added: ”This merger must not be approved without strong conditions that protect competition, diversity, and independence.”

The deal, which is now likely to take place in January, would see Comcast take a crucial majority controlling interest in NBCU (who organise NBC’s overseas range of channels, as well as channels on NBC Universal Cable such as SyFy), but it would still be likely to retain their separate names. Robert Greenblatt has been named as the post-merger chairman of NBCU.

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Comcast’s device is being tested in, of all places Augusta, Georgia and reportedly consists of a set top box that combines internet tv features mixed with the features of a DVR.

Users are able to watch and search a selection of Web video through their TVs and search across live, on-demand and recorded programming.

The service which is known to participants as “Spectrum” and was internally known as “Xcalibur” doesn’t let participants freely browse the Web, though they do have some basic connections to social networks to allow them to comment on TV shows, the people familiar with the device said.

While the test is small, it marks a significant step in the efforts of the largest TV distributor in the USA to adapt to the rise of Internet programming and the cohort of devices—such as Roku boxes and Apple TV—that make it easier and more convenient to watch. To date, Comcast’s set top boxes have not been able to receive Web content.

“We are testing many technological approaches to understand how best to meet consumer interests, and this small trial is one of those experiments,” a spokeswoman for Comcast said in an emailed statement.

The selection of Internet content available through the test is limited, but Comcast could expand it over time, according to people familiar with the subject. One of these people said “a decision whether to launch the service hasn’t been made, however, and the company hasn’t determined how it would price it if it proceeds.”

The move is in part defensive. The cord cutting decision by customers to cut their cable service has become a reality for cable operators for several reasons, including the weak economy as well as the ease and lower cost of products and services from new companies delivering premium video online and through Internet connected TV‘s and hardware.

This is Comcast’s first effort to gain a foothold in the intense challenge being posed by internet, set top boxes such as the Roku, Boxee Box, Apple and Google TV amongst others. This testing region is small, but it shows that Comcast is aware of the threat posed by it’s internet based competitors.

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Xfinity app for iPad and iPhone

Comcast has, the US cable giant has unveiled a new Xfinity TV app for iPad and iPhone users enabling customers to view TV streams and movies on their tablet and mobile devices. It also works as a tv remote, allowing viewers to change TV channels on their cable box and search listings TV.

The app is free for Comcast digital subscribers, and lets users control their DVR’s to record content. Also advanced search features allow users to sort listings by different categories, HD content, A-Z listings and search for On Demand content. Plus the all important option to watch the shows on your portable device. Also coming is a personalised ‘MyTV’ option feature to create favorites and use social networking features to share opinions.

To begin with, Comcast will be offering just premium content, but will be expanding the selection and functionality in coming weeks. There are also plans for Android, Blackberry and tablet apps in the future. The Xfinity app can be downloaded from the iTunes store.

Incoming TV searches:

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Google TV viewers get no more Fancast

Anyone buying Google TV for it’s streaming abilities may want to start crying into their impressive looking tv remote. Fancast have become the latest company to block streaming tv from Google devices.

Fancast owned by Comcast streams hit tv shows such as CSI Miami, Gilligan’s Island and NCIS amongst more than 10,000 hours of tv shows and movie streams, aggregating content from NBC and Fox networks amongst others.

The tv networks are determined to keep streaming tv off viewers big screen televisions, for now at least. The news follows on from the big tv networks banning Google from streaming their catch up websites. Hulu also blocked streaming from Google TV, and a hack was quickly closed down. The final place users could watch streaming from was Fancast, now that is gone users do not have many options left.

Of course, Google TV is more than just a streaming service, but buyers will be dissapointed to find only Youtube available to watch on the big screen for now. The problem is that the networks want to keep the existing advertiser revenue intact. Online advertising brings in a much lower return. So losing traditional viewers to online streaming is a bad move from the networks perspective.

The cable companies are also increasingly touchy about paying networks big bucks for content users may find online for free. On the one hand is the Google free model against the networks who want everything behind a paywall. Who will end up winning is unknown, however Google are in discussions with the content providers. They are also positioning themselves as a complimentary service that goes hand in hand with the pay tv service.

Incoming TV searches:

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