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News & ArtsFriday, March 22, 2013
TV / Teh Internets HBO Might One Day Allow Me to Purchase a Subscription to HBO
Posted by Goldy on Fri, Mar 22, 2013 at 1:07 PM
There's potential good news for people like me who'd consider subscribing to HBO, if HBO would only let us:
HBO could widen access to its HBO GO online streaming service by teaming up with broadband Internet providers for customers who do not subscribe to a cable TV service, according to HBO's Chief Executive Richard Plepler.
HBO has a lot of great content, and I'd seriously consider ponying up 10 to 15 bucks a month for a subscription. But what I won't do is pay $50 a month* for a hundred channels of basic cable I don't want, all for the privilege of spending another $10 to $15 for HBO. And while millions of other Americans are happily streaming HBO programming through various devices, HBO currently doesn't offer that option to those of us in the non-cable ghetto.
I understand there's a business model thing. The cable companies currently pay billions to Time Warner for the privilege of just carrying HBO, separate from the monthly per-customer subscription charges. (Which means that all you chumps subscribing to basic cable but not HBO are subsidizing the viewing habits of HBO subscribers.) But when technology enables something that business models block, it's the business model that is usually forced to bend.
There's no good reason why the networks can't sell their content à la carte. And if they don't eventually reach out to potential customers like me, somebody else will lock up our business.
* I don't really know what basic cable costs, and Comcast won't tell me. As a new subscriber Comcast says it will sell me their 80-channel "starter" packager for $29.99/month for the first 12 months of a two-year contract, and $49.99/month for months 13-24. After that "regular charges" of $55 to $70 a month apply. HBO is free for the first three months, then $10 for months 4-12, then $13.95 to $23.95 a month thereafter, "depending on area." Oh, and then there are unspecified "equipment, installation, taxes and franchise fees." That's a bullshit way of doing business.
1
well they should do it soon. Game of Thrones is about to start and its not like I can wait months for the DVD to come out.
I feel like Netflix is eventually going to destroy everyone.
I feel like Netflix is eventually going to destroy everyone.
3
Digital Preferred (which includes AMC and other good cable networks) and HBO will run you about $85/month plus tax. HBO itself is just $20 of that. I pay way too much for my television habits, btw.
4
I'm with you, but you actually state the good reason the paragraph before you say "There's no good reason." You want to cut out the cable companies and they don't want to be cut out. Right now HBO has made the calculation that getting billions from just a few customers, such as Time Warner and Dish TV, is easier than getting billions from millions of customers.
5
There seems to be a catch: you'll have to be a cable internet subscriber. DSL users can go fuck ourselves, apparently. I refuse to throw a dime toward Time-Warner.
6
This is, panel for panel, the process that I have gone through over the past two years.
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/game_of_thr…
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/game_of_thr…
7
Throw out your TV, or at least turn it off, watch movies in theaters, drink more Whiskey, and never for any reason watch the movie made from ‘On The Road’
8
CenturyLink's 40Mb/20Mb service, which by the way is best utilized with your own wireless router attached to the dsl modem, with a Roku Box connected is the best way to go. Netflix and Hulu subscriptions are the best threats to the cable subscription model. I predict in three years the government will step and rule Comcast a monopoly and order them to break up like they forced MaBell to break up in the 80s
9
Uh. When all is said and done try $100-130 month for Comcast cable and internet. We canceled years ago, so it's likely more than that now.
But a la carte cable or divided internet content will never happen as long as companies like Comcast have a stranglehold on the delivery method.
That. And. The internet model sucks. You have these competing technologies in the hardware, browsers, the OS, and the plug-in systems not to mention all the licensing bullshit for the content.
For fuck sake I can't watch Show X because they encode using Microsoft Sivlerlight that demands to be upgraded every three days and suddenly it won't run on such-and-such a browser on the Mac, and needs a new OS, but that OS won't run on that hardware.
So just to watch Walking Dead or whatever I have to buy a new fucking laptop?
Fuck. I just want to turn on a TV and have some kind of decent thing to watch that won't cost me $3000 a year. DVDs. That's what I use. And of course THAT's going away.
But a la carte cable or divided internet content will never happen as long as companies like Comcast have a stranglehold on the delivery method.
That. And. The internet model sucks. You have these competing technologies in the hardware, browsers, the OS, and the plug-in systems not to mention all the licensing bullshit for the content.
For fuck sake I can't watch Show X because they encode using Microsoft Sivlerlight that demands to be upgraded every three days and suddenly it won't run on such-and-such a browser on the Mac, and needs a new OS, but that OS won't run on that hardware.
So just to watch Walking Dead or whatever I have to buy a new fucking laptop?
Fuck. I just want to turn on a TV and have some kind of decent thing to watch that won't cost me $3000 a year. DVDs. That's what I use. And of course THAT's going away.
10
Yeah, I'm paying $155 a month for Comcast internet, cable and HBO! Yeah, I am a fool, but I bought a 42" HD TV and I like my local sports in high def. Yes, I hate the fact that I am paying for tons of basic and digital crap that I hate and will never watch. But, I love me some Boardwalk Empire and Bill Maher.
11
@6,
It's really amazing that HBO won't even let you buy a season pass. There are many shows I heard are great, but I ultimately forget they exist because I have to wait nearly two years to rent or buy them on DVD. I only got hooked on Game of Thrones because I happened to see a few episodes on On Demand when I was pet sitting.
Another thing that networks would be smart to do: let you buy a season pass while also simultaneously pre-ordering the DVDs. My boyfriend is already planning on getting season access to Venture Brothers, and he'll definitely be buying the DVD too. It would make sense if he could buy that all-in-one with a slight discount.
It's really amazing that HBO won't even let you buy a season pass. There are many shows I heard are great, but I ultimately forget they exist because I have to wait nearly two years to rent or buy them on DVD. I only got hooked on Game of Thrones because I happened to see a few episodes on On Demand when I was pet sitting.
Another thing that networks would be smart to do: let you buy a season pass while also simultaneously pre-ordering the DVDs. My boyfriend is already planning on getting season access to Venture Brothers, and he'll definitely be buying the DVD too. It would make sense if he could buy that all-in-one with a slight discount.
12
Also, never trust a company that won't tell you the prices upfront. This is one reason why I hate medical clinics and hospitals in this country. Getting a price estimate, whether you're insured or not, is usually impossible.
13
See also the bullcrap CBS and Turner are pulling with the NCAA Basketball Tournament. You have to have a cable subscription to watch online, but they'll let you have a four-hour "preview" for free...that's not even two games. CBS games are free, they say, but not the ones on the Turner channels.
Last year, they let people buy a subscription to watch the tournament online, and that worked pretty well compared to everything else they've ever tried. This year, people are literally begging them to take their money, and CBS + Turner look down from above, shake their heads, and say "no".
Every year, they find a new way to fuck up the tournament coverage.
Last year, they let people buy a subscription to watch the tournament online, and that worked pretty well compared to everything else they've ever tried. This year, people are literally begging them to take their money, and CBS + Turner look down from above, shake their heads, and say "no".
Every year, they find a new way to fuck up the tournament coverage.
14
It takes a lot of dealing with bullshit to find this out, but Comcast's most basic cable is $13 a month.
15
Related issue: I would totally pay twice as much - THRICE as much!- for my Netflix streaming if they had more premium content. I just don't like the Amazon and Apple pay-per model very much.
16
@10 is me in an alternate universe.
Mind you, I get my home telephone and wireless broadband in the house from them too.
Mind you, I get my home telephone and wireless broadband in the house from them too.
18
I'm surprised HBO didn't do this earlier.
For example, cable companies currently pay the MLB millions to offer their premium packages, but that doesn't stop the MLB from selling their subscription a-la-carte via the Internet, and for much cheaper.
For example, DirectV charges $200 for the season, and the MLB charges $130. And you actually get a far better TV experience with the latter - if you have an XBox, at least.
I mean, what are cable companies going to do? Drop HBO in protest?
For example, cable companies currently pay the MLB millions to offer their premium packages, but that doesn't stop the MLB from selling their subscription a-la-carte via the Internet, and for much cheaper.
For example, DirectV charges $200 for the season, and the MLB charges $130. And you actually get a far better TV experience with the latter - if you have an XBox, at least.
I mean, what are cable companies going to do? Drop HBO in protest?
19
@9 - Get an XBox 360. I have one, and I've yet to play a game on it. I got it for watching TV shows on the internet.
It has a great HBO2Go app. I use it instead of cable even though I have HBO, mainly because the on-demand user interface is fantastic. Its Netflix app is also a great experience (as is the MLB app, as I mentioned above).
I don't have Hulu, so I haven't used it, but they have an app for that as well.
Plus, it's all HD and hooked up to your TV, so none of this watching-TV-on-a-laptop bullshit.
You can get a refurb at Game Stop for $150. Cheaper than a a laptop, anyway.
It has a great HBO2Go app. I use it instead of cable even though I have HBO, mainly because the on-demand user interface is fantastic. Its Netflix app is also a great experience (as is the MLB app, as I mentioned above).
I don't have Hulu, so I haven't used it, but they have an app for that as well.
Plus, it's all HD and hooked up to your TV, so none of this watching-TV-on-a-laptop bullshit.
You can get a refurb at Game Stop for $150. Cheaper than a a laptop, anyway.
20
@18- When Dish network dropped AMC, one of the reasons that was cited was AMC "devaluing" their content by offering downloads of their popular programs on Itunes or Amazon. The more widespread a la carte channel and show purchasing becomes, the more you're going to hear the bundlers bitch and moan.
I'm more than happy to pay for content that I want. I'm sure AMC is getting more from me, as an individual, now when I buy episodes than they got when I was a cable subscriber. A la carte strikes me as an awesome way to support more high quality entertainment. Having 80 or 100 channels is meaningless if there's nothing good on to watch.
I'm more than happy to pay for content that I want. I'm sure AMC is getting more from me, as an individual, now when I buy episodes than they got when I was a cable subscriber. A la carte strikes me as an awesome way to support more high quality entertainment. Having 80 or 100 channels is meaningless if there's nothing good on to watch.
21
I went to the Game of Thrones premiere last night, the exec in attendance (COO?) put in a good effort to thank the people at Amazon and Microsoft for their efforts with making HBO2Go a success. Maybe I'm looking too much into it, but hopefully the timing adds credence to this plan.
22
Project Free TV is even cheaper. I never miss any show I want to see, and it costs the price of having my wireless.
23
@13. I am in the same boat. I had permission from my wife to blow a few bucks to get streaming basketball, but CBS & Turner won't take my money. Ahh the free market, where you can buy whatever you want! Oh, wait.
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