Posted on 04/22/2014 8:55:23 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Aereo, a service that lets you stream live broadcast networks like NBC, CBS, and ABC, is the focus of a big Supreme Court case today that could determine the future of TV.
The networks are suing Aereo, claiming it violates copyright laws. If the networks win the case, Aereo will likely have to shut down.
What is Aereo and how does it work?
The company assigns each subscriber an antenna that can access programming broadcast for free over the air.
The antennas look like this. They're stored in Aereo's server centers in the local markets Aereo serves:
AP
Aereo then streams that content to your device over the Internet. Aereo costs $8 a month but is available only in a handful of U.S. cities right now.
Here's what it looks like when watching live TV:
Screenshot
You can also record shows in a virtual DVR and stream them later. Aereo gives you a limited amount of storage, but you can pay for more if you want to store a lot of video.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
If they are streaming the commercials too, what is the big deal?
This is different from a portable T.V. how?
Anyway, the broadcast guys want a kickback, that's all this is about.
Portable teevee just receives the content and shows it. The networks want a piece of Aero's income stream.
why would any one want to take ABC CBS NBC with them anywhere?
The networks charge cable companies and the like billions of dollars in retransmission fees (the cable company uses one antenna to receive, and then retransmits to millions of consumers). Those fees are becoming a significant portion of the network’s revenue stream.
If Aereo wins, there is nothing to stop the cable companies and the like from do exactly as Aereo is doing in order to get around paying those billions.
Personally, I’m okay with the networks loosing that revenue stream, and I’m also okay with the cable companies getting a new, far cheaper competitor.
I’m sure they just want a cut of that $8 per user per month. But they should be thrilled that more people are seeing their commercials.
I look at it like this. In the pre-cable days (for me, prior to 1988), I spent years fussing with my TV antennas trying to get a decent signal. And I didn't live in the boondocks either. You could see the skyline of Boston from my attic window yet I had to constantly get up and adjust the rabbit ears (for UHF) and the rooftop antenna (for the main channels). It was maddening. If you touched the antenna you would get a perfect signal but as soon as you moved away, the picture would start getting fuzzy again. Rubber bands and string had to get involved to hold the antenna in the "perfect" spot and even then, it would only last a little while.
So for all those years of aggravation, I am grateful to have access to a clean signal at a reasonable price.
No different than using an aerial or digital tv antenna. Aereo seems to be doing nothing wrong in my view.
I agree. If you can get these stations for free on a home antenna, what’s the difference?
Technically it is different. But as long as broadcasts are sent out for antennas to receive how can networks claim damages in this case?
I use Aereo at my house. We have had it for over a year and love it.
My sons want me to get Comcast or Verizon so that they can play their video games, but I will not feed that beast.
Don’t know how the case will go, but ethically, they are in the wrong IMHO.
You need to wear a tinfoil hat to get the best reception.
When I put my tin hat on I can hear voices others cannot. After I drink a bit I can imagine things others cannot.
Realizing somebody is making money on your product without giving you a cut and wanting to fix it isn’t fear, it’s good business.
Your antenna doesn’t charge you $8 a month to rebroadcast the shows. That’s the meat right there, they’re charging for access to something that isn’t theirs and people who own it want a cut.
This is a company redistributing copyrighted material without permission.
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