By 
Hot on the heels of the SyFy.com block, and now joining the other three networks; Fox has joined the .com block for Google TV, where previously they were only teetering on the idea. Quite disappointing, but hopefully it will light a match under Google’s butt to get some sort of resolution that benefits all three parties: Networks, Google and us.
[via GTV Hub]
Problem is when does it stop, your virtually now saying any site could be blocked so they can get a lucrative deal for what essentially is a free web page. If google backs down now they’ll just open the floodgates.
Google should just say they think its unfair they are being blocked and targeted, if it continues they’ll have no choice but to block all search content from these companies and their subsidiaries.
If I was google, I would give them the finger by updating the browser to mimic the desktop chrome browser, if technically possible. The networks have lost my respect.
I TOTALLY AGREE! Net neutrality!
I love their tv shows, hate their news, and business units. Like a hot girl who’s a gold digger.
I like how the message says it’s not compatible. . . instead of the truth, “We are blocking you from viewing the content!”
Classic!
Just another reason Google needs to make gTV have a full Chrome browser indistinguishable from all other Chrome browsers. . .
I like these ideas. Simply block those companies and there subsidiaries from showing up in there search engine. Love it!!!!
Thank God I didn’t act on impulse and buy into this.
@Juan Seriously, Google should just mimic the desktop browser if thats possible, and let these networks sue. No way they could win that, right?
And they wonder why people pirate stuff….
What micah said. It’s retarded. I don’t even watch commercials let alone network television anymore!
I can’t wait to see how Google gets around this. I really think that we are seeing a transition in the way that people view content. TV will go the way of music: on demand. I can’t wait. :)
Fox are a bunch of bias bureaucrats!
Fuck Fox! I have no problems with banning fox in my house altogether. I can’t stand those annoying women they have on in the morning. That one bitch that’s just a wannabe joan rivers(whom i can’t stand either) and that lame as jillian barberie who really needs to stop shopping at forever 21.
WOW this sux i just brought google tv 2 weeks ago, and i really love this thing, but all these networks blocking it makes no sense, when all their content is free to watch online.
HOW LONG IS GOOGLE GONNA SIT BACK AND LET THESE NETWORKS BULLY THEM? IT’S TIME GOOGLE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
Guys, the browser already has that ability built in, you can change the user agent to “Generic.” Problem is, that workaround was already blocked, they are now checking the Flash Player’s ID, which is not readily available to modify, and Google can’t give you that, Adobe would have to.
Second, I really hope Google doesn’t use any money to get this fixed, because Google TV is just a platform, a custom Linux OS with a web browser and flash player, meets all of the networks’ requirements. What Google needs, is all of us to take the stand against the networks for discriminating based on Operating System and Machine Form Factor.
Essentially, we need a Class Action Law Suit, anyone have the means to get us started?
How blocking Fox a bad thing?
Didn’t Apple boycott News and Glenn Beck
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/29/apple-boycotts-fox-news-because-of-glenn-beck/
Your right: Blocking fox is a feature.
@otdragons
class action lawsuit over viewing a website? really? REALLY?
Now i have seen everything. net Neutrality does not come into play. Fox is not an internet provider, net neutrality applies to internet providers. c’mon get a grip. It is their website and they can block access to anyone they want, even if the website is free. People watch too much tv anyway. read a book, go outside, get a hobby…good gosh…
I thought Google already posted a workaround way back when in regards to the Hulu limitations. There was an option that you can set the user agent, yeh?? ((click on “More” and then “Advanced”. Set “Generic” as your user agent. Has to be done for each visit to the site.”))
Are the sites zooming in on other google TV settings/plugins now?
I agree it sucks that they are blocking so much content. Next step they will be charging to view their website on a computer.
-oldsk00lz
I really don’t see why this is a problem. Google TV is connected to my television. My television gets Fox. If I want to watch something, I record it on my DVR. Why visit their site on my television?
so basically what your saying is all the poor dumbasses who bought one of these tvs is fucked cuz nothing can be played on the damn things LOL
forget about playing nice, when searches come up, highlight the ones that are pirating the TV station products vice highlighting the TV stations themselves…don’t get mad, get even (evil laugh)
here is what i don’t understand, if they are so eager to NOT allow people to watch there content ONLINE, then WHY DO THEY HOST IT ON THEIR OWN DAMN WEBSITE!!!!! if they block google tv and people still wanted to watch in online on their TV they would just hook up their computer. this is so stupid… it’s like they host it for the purpose of blocking users…. pointless
Another antitrust law suit perhaps?
oh no, how now will i get my propoganda?
The stupidst thing is hulu doesn’t even have a tv station. What are they out to prove? idiots. Seriously, they make all their money from internet adds anyway. Gtv means more traffic and more money. I am simply baffled by their stupidity…
As far as the others, fuck em. Users should boycott them anyway just for their own sanity and the improvement of their quality of life. Let the networks realise, if we want to keep pumping them with our shit we had net better make outrselves visible while they still care.
But who the hell cares about Fox?
Honestly, did Google go over this at all with the Networks before they released GTV? I don’t want to sound like Im bashing Google, far from it, but while I expect that they just assumed it wouldn’t get blocked, was there any discussion at all with the networks about GTV? If so, they should have seen this comming and delayed release because as much as I still do want a GTV for my set, it almost seems pointless now and I hate that thought.
Why should google have to talk to networks about google tv? It’s basically an arm-based computer you hookup to your TV. People w/ x86 computers can hook ’em up to their TVs if they want, it’s not like HP calls up Fox and says “hey we’re makin’ some computers w/ VGA and HDMI outputs that people might hook up to their TVs, don’t block ’em, ok?”
This is completely asinine on the part of content providers, but the real losers here are the people who bought google tvs (and want to watch fox or nbc) and Sony and Logitech, who have to be royally pissed. I doubt Google’s going to fork any cash out, but I could see Sony forking some cash out to try and minimize this cluster(#$@
+1 for blocking their results in the search engine. While I don’t condone censored search results in any way, google should throw some weight around. (and this sort of “device discrimination” should be illegal)
Awesome now you can simulate being European with a Googlers TV.
Google*
The TV Networks, Cable Companies and Google need to come up with a fair way to split revenue otherwise everyone ends up losers … especially Consumers.
All my software development company wants to do is to create Google TV apps.
Brett Miller
http://www.customsoftwarebypreston.com
Glad I stuck with my old “reclaimed PC and wireless kb/mouse” solution for now. Like Hulu, these services are blocked because content owners want absolute control over when and where you can watch their programming. Free streaming on the TV means less viewers on cable/dish. Less viewers on cable/dish means less money from those carriers when negotiating deals. This doesn’t even take into account how they want people to buy DVDs/Blu-rays in order to watch on demand on the living room TV.
The sad thing is that this is their right. Just like with music, if the big old guys don’t want to play nice, you always have the option of going with independent or user-generated or lesser known content. The problem is that you need the established programming to sell a platform first. True IPTV would be a great step toward the democratization of the medium but people won’t buy it initially unless it can get the content they are used to. I’ve been listening to and streaming excellent *human-programmed* radio via Shoutcast since the mid/late 90’s and I got my first Palm Treo so I could plug into my car stereo and have that all over town. Even today with near-ubiquitous 3g data, people won’t ditch pay satellite radio because Shoutcast doesn’t carry Stern or whatever.
Same thing with this. Until people are willing to go elsewhere, the big established content owners have no incentive to compromise.
Sweet, now I don’t have to worry about accidentally being subjected to Faux Noise. This is an improvement for sure!
Seriously, can the people who watch Faux actually figure out how to run one of these things? No doubt they thing it is some sort of communist conspiracy from that libruull (sic) Google company.
This doesn’t make much sense. If they are going to block GoogleTV users from watching their shows on their website, then why can they still be watched using my computer? In my opinion, there isn’t any difference other than using my TV instead my computer.
This issue, and the price, is going to kill Google TV.
google shouldn’t block the sites in a sear, but it could put anti-network sites above the network should someone search for it…
google did the same to some streamers thet have the ability to watch youtube
Remember, Google’s goal is to sell advertising. Not do no evil or any of that other crap. Once they figure out how to make a lucrative deal for both sides, we will see content unlocked.
No, seriously, this is complete BS. Google TV IS a computer, and should be equivalent to a computer. But they want to treat it as a “TV”. Basically some marketing genius is still making the TV distinction. In effect some A-hole is keeping innovation from moving forward. Humanity and capitalism strike again!
-B
I just have a basic PC box hooked up to my TV. It circumvents all of this ridiculous madness.
Dear Fox,
You can block content on GoogleTV all you want, but it won’t make me watch a broadcast with 20 minutes of commercials per hour.
P.S. Most of your shows suck anyway. I mean who gives a shit about Gordon Ramsay anymore?
@Bob – hey, I like watching Gordon Ramsay….
The TV networks are just old stogy, greedy idiots. They have commercials in the online shows that you CANNOT skip, so they should LOVE Google TV as it will give them a MASSIVE up-tick in their ad revenues, but no – they want Google to pay them to access their sites also – TOTAL BS!!!
Google needs to just build in DVR capabilities into the software so they can just take over the industry, then they will not be as dependent on these network types and more people will pick up Google TVs for the added functionality.
This whole network thing is getting ridiculous. This is one of the reasons why I got rid of my cable back in April. If there is a show I want to watch, I find it on hulu, ect, and use my HDMI out to my tv.
The networks need to realize the way people watch/want to watch TV is changing. Google has the right idea, the networks need to get with the program.
Death to the networks that don’t embrace the Android!
Basically it boils down to this. Fox wants Google to pay them. They don’t care if it doesn’t make sense that you can view their content on a general purpose computer but can’t on a specific purpose computer called “Google TV”. They think people will get PO’d at Google, Google will cave and pay, and Fox will have another revenue stream.
What Google should do is attach a text headline on every search that returns a link to a fox property explaining the situation with an email address for Fox’s president.
P.S. This whole pissing match has nothing to do with network neutrality. The endpoints (or at least one endpoint) is making the decision, not the cable provider. I think Fox’s action is complete BS – but its a different kind of BS.
@OTDragons I agree we should start a lawsuit against these corps we need to take the stance here not google. The consumers need to start voicing there opionins and the only way these corps or goverments listen is through court. Google tv is just another computer so there must be some kind of discrimnation lawsuit we can do.
Has the recent uprising of broadcast TV against the cable industry shown you anything!? All these so called free stations want to get paid for their programing. Why do you think that Apple TV doesn’t have these problems? Net Neutrality be damned, the FCC should step in and demand that these stations not be blocked using the same theory that if you already own the movie/video game etc, you’re entitled to have a copy of it. The Internet being the digital copy, bonus if you decide to record it. Actually, now that I think about it, why should we pay for content twice, isn’t it us that should be after the networks?
Any lawyers here wanting to start a lawsuit. I am sure these networks won’t want the bad publicity.
Google should block these networks from adding stuff on You Tube saying these networks are incompatible with consumers.
I think most of the blame here should be put not on the networks but on the companies that provide the content to the customers (Directv, Dish, Cable Companies). I would bet that they are the ones forcing the networks hand in blocking the sites because they would be the biggest losers. The networks can still get their revenue from ads by forcing them during streaming so the real losers are the companies that are just content conduits. If I could watch everything on my TV with just a Hi-Speed network connection, why would I need Directv?
Google should sit back and let the FCC sort this out. That screen shot is the perfect advertisement in support of net neutrality.
Here we have not a reason but just an acceleration of the death of Google TV. It already had no appeal beyond the geek community, and is way too dependent on robust high speed internet which is not as wide spread as some would have you believe. Even if nothing was blocked the product is not mainstream enough to ever catch on.
On the contrary, MJR: millions of households across the US and around the world already have computers hooked up to their TV’s, in the form of video game consoles.
The actual Google TV box may fail, but the TV and web experience ARE converging. It won’t be much longer before the two are indistinguishable. You’ll go to the web to watch your TV shows, and you’ll fire up your TV to browse the web.
Back in the 90’s, the telephone networks had a similar shakeup, when IP-based long-distance providers started showing up; now, we take it for granted that one flat-rate phone bill gives you coverage all around the country.
Fox and the other networks can moan and groan all they want, but the same thing is going to happen: network television is losing its dominance over the family room, and all the content-blocking in the world isn’t going to fix it. What WILL fix it is embracing the technology and being the first to give the consumers a better product…
Not to bring this nightmare back up…but I think everyone should take a closer look at Comcast. They have swallowed up NBC, and I think that was one of the first to block content. Could the Crapcast monopoly have something to do with this? It was just announced on Engadget.com that they are coming out with a web searching dvr box. It doesn’t have a browser, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they included one when it gets shown at CES! My thoughts are that this is also the reason why Comcast hasn’t pushed out the firmware update to the Motorola boxes to allow full Google TV integration. They are ripping off consumers and telling lies. Thoughts?
You dont even need to be fully integrated. I have my gtv integrated with my direct tv box which is not hdmi by sendind the signal from my dvd recorder/player so when I search using the gtv box it gives me direct tv programming simply because I told it I am a dtv subscriber.