The end of the Beginning

Our choices for using our TV to view movies, documentaries, etc over the internet are showing signs of being limited from what we have been able to examine in the following articles:

In one view we look at subscription only

Some Online Shows Could Go Subscription-Only

" In the last couple of years, the television industry has made a big push onto the Web, giving viewers hope that they might one day reach nirvana: every show ever made, available online for immediate free viewing.

In Milwaukee, HBO is experimenting with letting its paid subscribers watch shows online. But many in the industry are now questioning whether free is a sustainable model. And some are trying to make sure people have a reason to keep paying hefty cable bills."

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Another view:

Don’t Count Out Cable Online

February 20, 2009, 7:40 pm
By Saul Hansell

"What’s going on is that the cable companies are looking to rethink their business. Instead of simply offering a bundle of programming you can only watch over their wires in your family room, they’d sell a bundle of programming you can watch anywhere, at home on the TV, at the office on your computer, or while traveling the road on yourcellphone.

Comcast plans to call this service OnDemand Online. The exact business model is still being determined. It might be free with your cable subscription or it could be an extra-fee add on."...

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CABLE TELEVISION
Cable industry confronts the Internet: friend or foe?
By Dawn C. Chmielewski and Meg James
LOS ANGELES TIMES

Sunday, April 05, 2009

"It wasn't too long ago that the idea of people turning to their computers to catch episodes of such series as "The Office" or "Wizards of Waverly Place" wasn't considered a serious threat to the broadcast and cable networks.

Allowing free viewing of marquee prime-time shows on the Internet is causing anxiety among some in the media industry, who say that the practice mirrors the error that newspapers made by not charging for online editions, thereby losing profitable print subscribers with little to show for in return."

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The end of the beginning;

INTERNET
Time Warner: Dominate the bandwidth? It'll cost more
Company plans to bill users based on amount consumed.
By Tim Eaton , Dan Zehr
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, April 02, 2009

"Time Warner Cable will begin charging Austin-area broadband customers by the amount of bandwidth they consume, a decision that has angered some users but one that the company says is necessary to keep the network from slowing down."

This article continues with comments on AT&T intention to charge $1 for each GB beyond 150-gb cap. Grenade Communications does not engage in bandwidth metering having fewer bandwidth constraints then other providers. Cox Com Inc. is not undergoing pricing trials but does not
offer service in central Texas

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The writing is on the wall and may be the beginning of the end for viewing free movies on line. This is not happy news for those who use hulu or other fancast.com or download Netflex videos. So for now this blog is in limbo until we overcome our depression on a subject which prompted us to consider the internet as a better option for viewing other than TV channels.