Netflix Pursues Cable-TV Deals

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Netflix Pursues Cable-TV Deals

Posted by samzenpus on Sunday October 13, 2013 @06:05PM from the on-demand dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Netflix is making a push to make its online video service available as an app on set-top boxes. 'A deal would mark the online video service's first such tie-up with a U.S. cable provider and would come after a similar agreement it recently announced with U.K. cable operator Virgin Media Inc. The talks are in early stages and no deal is imminent, the people cautioned. Netflix and U.S. pay-TV companies are rivals in some key respects. Netflix's subscription video offering is an attractive alternative for some consumers who are frustrated with costly cable bills. And both sides want to be the go-to destination for consumers to find on-demand TV programming.'"

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Um... by zippo01 · 2013-10-13 18:10 · Score: 4, Insightful

Most people get cable TV from their internet provider (comcast, centrylink, FIOS, etc). If the the provider starts to loose money on the TV end they will just raise the price for internet.
1. Re:Um... by Decker-Mage · 2013-10-13 21:31 · Score: 2
  
  Provided other firms are even allowed to enter the market. One major characteristic of the way the cable and DSL-based internet was that only one or two entrants were even allowed to obtain a business license and the necessary building/installation permits. The politicians got to pocket, both individually and the local government entities, several tons of money. They still are contributing, via your cable/telephone bill. Just those little charges tacked on the end that go to special interests. You really don't need to read the bill that far, just pay it. /sarcasm. No other entrants (competitors), the situation will not behave properly as we all will see when this plays out.
  
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  "[I]t is a wise man who admits the limits of his knowledge or skill, and that pretending either causes harm." --Terry Go
2. Re:Um... by TWiTfan · 2013-10-14 00:35 · Score: 2
  
  That's fine, there are alternatives.
  In most of the U.S., no there aren't. Most of us have one Cable and one DSL option at the most, and the DSL usually sucks.
  
  --
  The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
It'll never work. by FSWKU · 2013-10-13 18:23 · Score: 3, Funny

At least not on Comcast. The crappy Motorola boxes they use are barely capable of running the 1980's style GUI they have now. Adding in anything more complex than a calculator (and I'm not so sure about that) will cause the damn things to fry themselves. How they manage to decode HD streams has to be some form of witchcraft, because splurging on good MPEG decoders would mean eating into the corporate yacht funds.

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"So after all this, you make my case for me. To end this stalemate, you must die..."
1. Re:It'll never work. by flimflammer · 2013-10-13 23:12 · Score: 2
  
  No kidding. The boxes Time Warner gives its customers are the purest grade of crap. They can barely handle their own OSD without the damn things overheating and lagging to hell.
who cares? by YesIAmAScript · 2013-10-13 18:32 · Score: 2

All this means is if I already have cable I can watch Netflix on my TV without having to own a computer, Apple TV, Roku, TiVo, Smart TV, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, or Android device.
If I already have cable, I can pick up an Apple TV for about one month's cable bill.
So who cares?

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http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
1. Re:who cares? by SeaFox · 2013-10-13 20:21 · Score: 2
  
  Don't forget regular stand-alone blu-ray players, too.
  I'd say the vast majority of people interested in using Netflix already own one of these devices and don't need to have it added to their cable box.
  Maybe that's Netflix's whole game. They're reaching a market saturation and need to find a way to continue that "neverending growth" bullshit Wall Street expects now.
People Still Use Cable? by rueger · 2013-10-13 20:20 · Score: 3, Insightful

Don't care about sports. Don't care about seeing "this week's" new episode of some series. Get news off of the 'net.

At that point cable very quickly becomes pointless. Netflix delivers more than enough great content to fill our idle hours, and costs us roughly $75 a month less. I can't count how many TV series we've plowed through (Currently working on Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and how we don't care if they were originally broadcast a few years ago.

In all seriousness, the business model for cable is looking more and more like the business model for the music industry.

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Three Squirrels
1. Re:People Still Use Cable? by flimflammer · 2013-10-13 23:34 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  So you ask a really dumb question in the subject and then you preface the message by listing basically all the things that people traditionally use the service for as something you don't care about.
  Why do people do that? It's great you have no use for the service but your needs are not the needs of everyone.
  People still use barbers? Don't care about fancy shampoos and conditioners. Don't care about different hairstyles. Cut my own hair in front of the mirror. At that point, barbers very quickly become pointless... etc.
Piracy is still the best option by metrix007 · 2013-10-13 20:31 · Score: 3, Insightful

Piracy is still the best, or in some cases the only option until companies wake up.
Lets see
- If I want a particular show, not the entire channel or package that requires that channel
- If I don't want to wait months (or years if in a different country) after it has aired to watch it
- If I want to have it in a standard format that doesn't require proprietary crap (e.g. mkv, avi, mp4)
- If I want to watch it ad free
- If I want to watch something that isn't otherwise released to Netflix or whatever...
Oh, and for the anti-piracy whingers:
- It's not stealing, it's copying. You may think the activity morally wrong, but that doesn't make it stealing
- Every download is not a lost sale. A bunch of stuff I wouldn't pay for in the first place.
- It has nothing to do with entitlement. It's about opportunity and choice.
I would Gladly pay $5/episode for something like Breaking Bad, a show I enjoyed greatly.
I had to download it, as I'm not going to pay for an entire package of channels just to watch one show, and there is no way to watch it the night it airs in a way I can play on mplayer with Linux or stream to my TV using DLNA.
Your loss media companies....

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If you ignore ACs because they are anonymous - you're an idiot.
1. Re: Piracy is still the best option by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-13 21:02 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Breaking Bad was able to be purchased through iTunes by the episode or as a season.
  So, horseshit you would have paid for it. You are just trying to justify your piracy when it is not justifiable.
2. Re:Piracy is still the best option by flimflammer · 2013-10-13 23:39 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Your bullshit is readily apparent here. Breaking Bad was sold per episode and season online almost instantly after initial broadcast. You probably didn't even look before you whipped out your favorite torrent site. Not surprising at all, really.
3. Re:Piracy is still the best option by drinkypoo · 2013-10-14 00:48 · Score: 2
  
  Breaking Bad was sold per episode and season online almost instantly after initial broadcast.
  It was licensed, not sold. Show me the DRM-free download.
  
  --
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Re:Netflix wants to DRM the web by liamevo · 2013-10-13 20:59 · Score: 3, Insightful

The same way DRM destroyed the open computer? I dunno about you but I can still do whatever the hell I want on my computer, and can circumvent DRM if needed.
I'm no fan of DRM, but it's a compromise I'd be willing to make to bring the movie and tv studios inline with the music industry, and if history is any guide, after a few years the tv and movie people will agree to drm-free releases as did the music industry. Play the long game, not the reactionary steadfast to ideology game.
Re:Turn off cookies. by Mike+Frett · 2013-10-13 21:33 · Score: 2

People are mobile now, walking around, getting more exercise. yet still having weight issues, even more than before. I think it's time to drop the old way of thinking, the senseless ideas of sitting on the Couch or Desktop Computer makes you overweight. It's clearly wrong.
But can they agree? by Mr+D+from+63 · 2013-10-13 23:39 · Score: 2

Any deal to put NF on cable boxes will come with some type of agreement that keeps NF from streaming live content, which is something that scares the cable guy big time. Other agreements that keep NF infringing on their territory might be included as well. This is why NF on cable boxes might not happen any time soon.
Re:Or just use Google: show/movie site:eu OR site: by RaceProUK · 2013-10-13 23:40 · Score: 3, Informative

I'm amazed at how much work people go through to get content.
If spending two minutes setting up an automatically recurring payment is too much work, then installing Firebug and searching for streams will feel like 24-hour slavery.

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No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
Re:Turn off cookies. by mjr167 · 2013-10-14 00:03 · Score: 2

You mean to tell me that I can't just pick up the solution to my problems by doing whatever the super hot model on TV tells me? My problems might be unique to me and require my own, tailored solution?
How dare you contradict the super hot model! She told me that for 5 easy payments of $9.99, I could look just like her and if it fails then it obviously isn't that her solution isn't right but that I am doing it wrong and must be lazy...
Just wondering... by fellip_nectar · 2013-10-14 01:05 · Score: 2

Will they be giving all their employees shirts with nipple flaps, then?

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