By Looks like the Big Three are knocking their knees together when it comes to Google TV. Gizmodo is reporting that ABC, CBS and NBC is blocking access from Google TV, and Fox may not be far behind. That’s right, they’re pulling a Hulu on your new $1,400 TV. And when it boils down, it’s all about the ad revenue and fears that Google TV will cut into it with their ads. Not only that, but web advertisements are worth a lot less dinero than their traditionally broadcasted counterparts.
Yeah, we should have seen hiccups coming and knew that not everyone was going to enjoy what Google was trying to accomplish. But, damn.
And from the Reuters end of the web: Google is wasting no time in getting peace talks underway. Hopefully they’ll be able to convince the Big Four that Google isn’t trying to pee in their pool, just make a few more canals for the fishies to swim in.
In the interim, let’s all pray to the Google FSM that this is resolved quickly and relatively painlessly.
Edit: I couldn’t figure out a way to finesse this into the post cleanly, so I’ll clarify here. This block only affects the web broadcasts, and not the standard broadcasts.
just to clarify, they are blocking their web-based episodes on their respective websites.
^ Thanks, boss.
They can’t control what screen I watch Internet content on. There’s nothing to stop me from plugging my computer into my TV. They need to suck it up and find ways to make up the difference between Internet ad revenue and TV ad revenue.
Tyler, I was curious if your reference to the FSM was just a personal quibb, or if it implies anyone from google/android are atheist? As an avid pastafarian that piqued my curiousity greatly. Maybe I missed what it was in reference to (possibly another article?) But I read the site daily.
This is the 5th article I’ve seen about Google TV not working on ABC, CBS and NBC, but you morons in the media never give out the simple solution to this problem. JUST CHANGE THE USER AGENT AND IT WORKS PERFECTLY!!! DUHH!
You mean they need to change their attitude towards technology companies first.
thank you for clarifying, i already had someone come to me telling me a new york times article claimed google tv was going to be blocked by networks.. i was like wtf? they cant block what is being broadcasted.. which they cant the article meant web content but never specified so i am glad you are pointing that out before idiotic rumors spread.
btw if you have a DVR who the hell cares about watching episodes on those networks websites.. they dont want to work with google then hopefully they get left in the dust..
That’s why you be smart and just hook up your pc/laptop via HDMI and save $300/$1000.
Still, progress is being massively inhibited by money these days. LTE/4g with data caps = useless. Google TV (while technically moderately useless) being raped by access being blocked. I feel sad while I watch CSI on my 40inch 1080p and type this.
Haha you said flying spaghetti monster. His noodly appendage strikes again!
Let google blind side the networks. They have held sway with content long enough
I don’t believe they use anything other than user agent blocking which can be easily changed to desktop so I believe this is a non-issue
I suggest CSI stop sharing it’s ad revenue with these greedy good for less and less networks. I would be more than happy to watch CSI on you tube or as a podcast.
Maybe Google should go around the networks directly to the content creators. Stream the shows on you tube through Google TV. Let’s get these greedy networks out of the way. Why do we need them anyway?
It’s always the stupid networks and related entities (MAFFIA?) holding up progress…. They refuse and reluctantly adapt to emerging technologies which forces some people to circumvent their methods of obstruction. May they die a slow painful death; they’ve worked hard to earn it.
ok here is the dealeo.. While they might be able to block it from there site. They can not block it from sites like justintv or channelsurfing.net…
I really don’t get it. They allow you to freely access the content from any desktop browser but block non-desktop browsers. Who came up with this idea, and who thought it was such a great idea that it should be approved? If the networks don’t want people viewing this content, why do they put it out there at all? ::confused::
Do we really have to have the HUGE bing add? It is a painful sore in my eye everytime I come to read these articles. I may just take this page sadly away from my to read list.
@clueless moron: You really picked a proper name, didn’t you? Sorry to say but they’ve shut down that loophole allowing you to change your user agent, same way Hulu shut it down.
if they don’t let google tv run their programming off of their website, then i’ll just go to a different website. there are plenty of sites that stream content.
They access the same damn internet. Media companies need to get their S#@$ together.
changing the user agent doesnt work……… try visiting http://www.hulu.com on your flash-enabled Nexus One
IT DOESN’T WORK
even using a desktop version of the dolphin browser, even changing the user agent.
they’ve figured out a way to block android cellphones from accessing flash tv shows on hulu.com
abc.com has also blocked mobile phones even with the user agent changed.
they are just greedy, that’s all !
The server detects the OS
@Craignow they check flash player version. If we had an opensource flashplayer that would not be an issue. Until then, do what I do, build an HTPC and hook it to your tv with an hdmi cable. As far as they know it is just a normal PC.
fuck ’em all…one day they will all die a fiery death. Then, all this bullshit will be free! Grrr, It’s frustrating having to pay such an absurd amount each month for the limited (time spent) content already! Any developers working on Pay-Per-Use or specific channels? That would be nice. Lets say I have 5-10 specific channels which I frequently watch, I am more than willing to pay for those channels being that I do not watch the other 250 channels they tend to bundle and yet I never watch them anyway! But, then again, streaming the content will be better so I’m not tied down to 5-10 specific channels and/or content.
^Exactly! The current tele-viewing experience pushed by big networks is so primitive: it does not allow for the kind of control that an interactive media-device should enable. Tell me: what kind of a person wants to be “force-fed” content that he’s not interested in?—and denied access, to the content that he is? Bah! To hell with the whole thing! I’ll watch what I want, thanks, and you and your insulting, psychologically-invasive advertisements can go on, and melt-away into nothingness
The way I honestly look at this is they are scared and they should be, google is offering web tv and soon a android market. That’s awesome and frightening for other people and yes they will lose money. But from this eventually they will lose fans. Google tv is the future of tv
Who would win?
1. The US Army
2. The Flying Spaghetti Monster
3. Or Da Bears?