Android News
Google says GTV won’t replace networks, FOX blocks GTV anyway
November 11, 2010 | by Andrew Kameka
Google, Google TV
Google TV product lead Rishi Chandra says Google TV is not enough for consumers to terminate their cable or satellite contracts. But that didn’t stop FOX from joining the growing list of networks blocking its video from being displayed on the Logitech Revue or Sony Internet TV line of products.
FOX.com videos were previously accessible on GTV devices, but FOX has joined ABC, CBS, and NBC in closing off its content. While the major networks are content to let customers view full episodes on laptops, they refuse to let consumers watch on large screen televisions. This is seen as a move to protect the traditional advertising model and cable carriage fees, so networks are not keen on supporting a product that may decrease the number of cable customers or viewers to add to its ratings chart.
Not so, says Rishi Chandra. At the NewTeeVee conference yesterday, Chandra said in an on-stage interview that,
“Our point of view is that cord cutting is not happening. We think the cable industry does a pretty good job of delivering content to users…so we don’t think that all of a sudden users are going to shut off all that content.”
Google sees GTV as a complementary device, not a supplementary one. It brings content traditionally unavailable video to the television, makes it easier to locate videos, and change the web experience.
However, broadcasters definitely view GTV more as a threat than an add-on. The profit margins on television broadcast online are far too small to match the money earned on television broadcasts. Unless Google pays networks a fee or Hulu Plus arrives soon, you’ll be watching Community when it broadcasts or on a computer.
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So the networks want to give me yet another reason to hate them and look for alternatives…Fine. They are only shooting themselves in the foot.
i already cut the cord over a year ago and haven't looked back. the networks way over value their content. it's the cable and satellite companies. the advertising business model is still fully intact. any network shows that turn out to be good i watch on netflix later without commercial.
the biggest thing i notice now when watching regular tv is how incredibly annoying commercials are. i don't feel i'm missing anything. they should be more worried about people getting a google tv and then realizing when they can't access some show that they just don't give a shit about that show and watch something else like people getting hit in the balls on youtube. the next stage of the digital divide is people who watch tv and people who watch entertainment on the internet.
Well said
I cut the cable cord back in 2008, The whole "reality show" crap did it for me. Now I download what i want watch less TV, which is a good thing and i'm smarter for it. Its funny you never realize how many commercials we watch in a given day its ridiculou, Its almost brain watching.
I'm convinced that "traditional" tv (no dvr, watching full commercials etc) is only watched by the poorest segment out there, thus why they have to keep longer and more ads in to try to squeeze pennies from them.. but in the process, furhter alienating anyone who can afford an alternative. If ads were not such an obnoxious pain, fewer people might be trying to avoid them.
That, and ads are so mistargeted on tv. What a waste of both my and the advertiser's time to feed fem hygeine ads to me… and then to even repeat this several times in one evening.