Time Warner, Comcast Bring Cable TV to Net
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Time, Warner, Comcast, TV | Themes: Digital Entertainment
Next month Comcast will test the Internet TV waters with TNT and TBS.
This afternoon, Time Warner and Comcast Corp. jointly announced that the latter cable operator will provide television shows on the Internet for its paying subscribers. The initial testing will commence next month, spanning 5,000 Comcast subscribers who will have access to the TNT and TBS networks, both owned by Time Warner through Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Unfortunately, Time Warner Cable will not be a part of the tests, as the cable operator branched away from its parent company, according to the Associated Press.
"It's clearly something demanded by consumers," said Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, at a press conference in New York. "If this approach gets adopted ... it will go past broadcast viewing (online), which is basically three networks on Hulu."
Although no technical specifics were provided, Comcast will test a "technology" that will authenticate the viewer as a subscriber, keeping the cable content secure online. Users will log in using a name and password, and their online accounts will be linked to the cable subscription accounts. Like video on demand, television shows will become available online once they air as scheduled on cable. Subscribers will not be required to fork over extra fees for the online content, however both Comcast and Time Warner said that programmers would be welcome to experiment with the business model sometime in the future.
In addition to TNT and TBS, Comcast is expecting other networks to jump on board with the trial in the near future, although no additional networks were disclosed in the announcement. "We want to be able to have all our shows on demand and on the Internet," said Comcast CEO Brian Roberts at the same press conference. "This marks the very logical next evolution of where cable television has come from." If successful, the move could hurt online video content providers such as Hulu and many others.
Outside its current deal with Comcast, Time Warner is shopping TNT and TBS to other "pay-TV" operators, claiming that several cable TV providers--as well as satellite TV and phone companies--have already expressed interest.
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What about the download caps?
Had to laugh at: "This marks the very logical next evolution of where cable television has come from."
I'm not saying I disagree, but this from a company that scant weeks ago wanted to impose caps for its internet subscribers to combat exactly this sort of thing. So, they got a taste of how well that notion was going to set with the paying customers, and jumped tracks? Don't feed me a line about "experimenting with business models"... Of course they will end up charging a fee for this "service", they are still sour over the idea of losing revenue from cableTV subscribers as said subscribers systematically discover they can watch their favorite shows (commercial free, no less, which is personally the primary reason I refuse to watch live television) through sources like Netflix or DVD rips on torrent.
Nice try TW, you might be on the right track, but you still don't quite have your finger on the pulse of your subscribers. Basic rule of business: Offer what they want (not what you want to force on them) and they will flock to you willingly.
Time Warner and Comcast Corp. are assholes who wil do anything to milk us of our money while they cap our net accounts with consumption billing.
and they post this thing............
i am beginnning to see the light.
(2 days after watching slime warner i used up my cap) and now i am paying a dollar a gig for the rest of the month
Combine this with the proposed download caps and it sounds like a win-win situation for the cable companies. Unfortunately, on the flip side, it's a lose-lose for the consumer.
What about the download caps?
This is so that they make sure you are over the caps. Just another way to pry money out of customers hands.
I think this is a good way for the cable providers to compete with satellite TV companies. Many in the USA have Dish or Direct TV and high speed internet. When I can get some good programming through the computer I may want to drop satellite.
I hate Comcast WOW! (WideOpenWest) ftw. Can't say anything about Time Warner they aren't around my area.
Great, my neighbor is already pissed. I'm afraid of what he is going to be like when I start watching TV online.
Yep it is a nice way to charge you twice for watching that show on "TV". First you pay for watching the Channel and then you pay for watching it to long.
Yep it is a nice way to charge you twice for watching that show on "TV". First you pay for watching the Channel and then you pay for watching it to long.
This is what surprised me, they're only offering it to current subscribers.
What are you doing offering internet broadcasts to subscribers? Its the non-subscribers that want to catch the channel online so they don't have to pay for a subscription. Add banner ads or an extra minute of ads (since you're not limited to a 30 minute window for a show on the internet) and offer it for free... then you'll get a lot attention for it.