On Demand Online and TV Everywhere
I watch video on the web all the time, but there’s something missing: all those great television shows from cable networks. Our plan is to give our video customers free online access to their favorite cable television that they are already paying to watch on TV. We have partnered with Time Warner, Inc to create a simple set of principles to help this process, and to essentially bring more TV online (that has not yet been available).
Here are the principles in a nutshell:
- Bring more TV content, more easily to more people across platforms.
- Video subscribers can watch programming from their favorite TV cable networks online for no additional charge.
- Video subscribers can access this content using any broadband connection.
- Programmers should make their best and highest-rated programming available online.
- Both networks and video distributors should provide high-quality, consumer-friendly sites for viewing broadband content with easy authentication.
- A new process should be created to measure ratings for online viewing. The goal should be to extend the current viewer measurement system to include advertiser ratings for TV content viewed on all platforms.
- TV Everywhere is open and non-exclusive; cable, satellite or telco video distributors can enter into similar agreements with other programmers.
What does this mean for you? Basically when we launch On Demand Online, you’ll be able to watch Turner Broadcasting’s entertainment networks free online and On Demand if you’re a Comcast video subscriber. Sounds good, but when will you be able to do it?
For now, we’re calling this effort On Demand Online, and we’ll be launching a national technical trial with 5,000 customers soon to help us test authentication technology that will enable secured access to content and make sure that the viewing experience is up to snuff. We expect other cable networks to participate in the On Demand Online trial adding more and more content.
We’ll be posting more about On Demand Online in the coming days and weeks.
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Comments (22)
We live in a rural area where comcast is not available. We watch about 75% of our tv viewing via internet connection through our HDTV. We're not interested in signing contracts with a satellite tv company. It would be fantastic if comcast offered an online only service, hopefully without a contract obligation but month to month service. No company that I am aware of offers access to channels normally viewed with cable or satellite. With new wi-fi tvs this is an area that someone will tap into eventually. No equipment would be required on comcast's end, only paid access via the internet. Extra revenue for comcast and more options for online only viewers... It is a win-win!
Hi Sarah,
Exercise TV does offer some workout videos on their Web site: http://www.exercisetv.tv/
We are working on adding more and more content to Fancast XFinity TV in the future, so keep your eye on fancast.com.
I have digital cable, so the on demand is free. I am wondering if I can watch the exercise TV shows online, instead of our TV??? I'd love to do the jillian michaels stuff in our office, instead of living room..
Hi Meagan, On Demand is included with your service, though not all movies/shows are free On Demand. The ones that aren't free have their prices clearly displayed.
If I have Comcast cable does that mean that I can automatically have on Demand free of charge? I have been watching shos on OnDemand and they say "free" but wasnt sure if on demand in its self was free.
Hi Ed, for the beta we are requiring folks have both Comcast as their ISP and as their video provider, however, we are working on allowing access to people who are only video subscribers (like yourself!).
Look for it sometime in 2010.
I am a Comcast Cable TV subscriber at a home I am almost never at. It is part of my condo benefits; the cost is included in my monthly fee. I do not have internet service at that address. I live almost full-time out of the country, Mexico to be exact. I have internet service at this location. Comcast is, of course, not an option in Mexico.
Please explain why I cannot receive TV Everywhere at this location. Other than imposing another cost, is there any other reason for requiring internet service?
I definitely like this blog about paying or not paying for TV Everywhere, etc. I think that Comcast is missing the crucial point in this project. Mr. Strauss, please think again. Forcing people to be a Comcast subscriber in order to have the right to watch their favorite programs on internet is taking away customers instead of attracting them. I give you an example that I've been experiencing very recently: I am a Czech-American doctor traveling a lot between my 2 countries, Czech Republic and USA. There is a young french news channel that is transmitting from Paris in English, French and Arabic, (ready for this?) Simultaneously! and live in 3 languages on TV and internet. So I don't have to be a subscriber to watch my news everywhere I am, on my computer, or my iPhone when I am in the US or comfortably seated in front of my TV when I am in Prague. Unfortunately this channel is not available in the cable or satellite services in the US.
Statistically, for every person who see TV content on internet, there are 3 that prefer to have it on their TV, so this new french news channel that I am talking about it is receiving in the United States only (ready for this one too?) 4.5 Million hits a week on internet!! Can you imagine that we have only in the USA, 13.5 millions of potential TV subscribers that will prefer to watch this channel in their living room?
My point is that Comcast can take huge advantage of offering TV Everywhere free, really free to everyone and for every people who watch TV Everywhere Comcast will have 3 potential Comcast customers that will prefer to have it on TV at home!!
It is not the sense of "You get for what your paying for", anymore Mr. Strauss, now it is the sense of "You are covering my needs" EVERYWHERE I AM. "Comcast guarantees that I can watch my favorite show even if I am traveling", "Even if I have not money", "Even if I have not job" "Even if I cannot pay for my subscription at this time, so I will watch it on my computer by now" But I am watching NOT TV Everywhere, but COMCAST TO EVERYONE! Tons of loyal customers will be more than grateful that have Comcast to Everyone. Instead of forcing customers to follow Comcast with a pay subscription in order to have the right to watch their favorite show on internet you will follow customers anywhere they are with your Comcast to Everyone. They already are a Comcast customers with their subscriptions. More people will like to join this club if they have the opportunity to watch a program on internet freely. Comcast will became Global instead of local. Think about it.
I am sorry for the extension of my comments and my European way of thinking but my heart is an American one too.
Thank you
Al Havel, PhD.
As in any business test model, the decision to make exclusive programming available to existing customers online is a smart move for MSO's. Why let your video product be cannabilized by others when the cost of programming has continued to increase dramatically in recent years? It is not only a priority to the "cable condiut industry", to preserve and grow customers in an ever increasing competitive environment, but to offer those customers a premium for being a customer. That is a competitive business spirit in an ever changing telecommunications market. Sufficed to say, teaming with partners to offer exclusive programming to existing customers, while solidifying programming investments, is not only prudent, but an obligation to customers and shareholders alike.
The ramifications to customers and therefore potential customers will be decided by competitive market conditions, including the increased demand for bandwidth to offer "TV Anywhere."
Craig, this is about bringing programming that isn't online now, online so that our video customers can watch it where ever and whenever they want. On Demand Online (and TV Everywhere) is voluntary so if a programer wants to participate they can.
Also, and this is the important part for your concerns, this agreement is non-exclusive. So content can show up on our On Demand Online service as well as other services.
We aren't trying to take anything away from people, we want to give our customers the ability to watch the content they already pay for in a new way.
I dont understand, I can find almost all of the shows I watch online right now. Why would anyone pay the cable company for a service they can get online already? It does not make any sense they only way that this will work is if the Cable providers try and strong arm content providers into using their online video services and removing stuff they currently have available.
In short; I see no added value of this proposal and the only way to make it work is shady at best and borderline illegal at best.
I would also like to see the ability to watch live TV, or my DVR's recorded programs using "TV Everywhere". Full Slingbox like ability would be really cool! Then I could even program my DVR from work! Please consider this.
Hey Brion, Comcast's network is more than able to handle lots of folks watching video online (people are already doing it!). I wouldn't worry about any sort of slowdown because of this service with your Comcast Highspeed Internet.
MMiller, you're right that some of the TBS/TNT shows mentioned in the post are available online the whole idea behind On Demand Online and TV Everywhere is that we'll be bringing long form cable content online that isn't available as of yet. We'll be talking more about this in the coming days.
And it is free with a video subscription. You will be able to access it using both Comcast and other ISPs (if you so choose) as long as you are a Comcast video subscriber.
That's the point of the argument of the article though, in the first sentence, that the content isn't available, while in reality a majority of the more popular shows are available. A quick Google search found the Closer videos in a matter of seconds.
So will these ON Demand versions have commercials. If so I'd be paying to watch the commercials in multiple ways. Once for the GB usage, again for the "free" Cable access fee, and yet again for my time waiting for the commercial to end. This also means that even if there aren't commercials, it really isn't free, since I would be charged for watching a show per my GB usage.
I didn't mean my connection would be slowed simply because I'm not a cable subscriber, but rather because it's "clogged" with all the cable subscribers watching these videos in my neighborhood.
Also, I'm not convinced that the Internet brownouts are even possible, but one one hand parts of the cable industry is saying that they will occur and online video is to blame then on the other hand we have On Demand Online and TV Everywhere which is produced by these same cable companies who don't seem concerned about the brownouts anymore.
I'm just trying to figure out what they think the impact would be on my regular Internet service in a cable Internet scenario (shared bandwidth vs. DSL).
Hey MMiller, On Demand Online is all about bringing more content online, not taking it off line. And yes, viewing shows On Demand Online does count towards the 250 gig monthly data usage threshold. No fine print, it is just fact.
So, Hulu will still be there (and you can continue to watch whatever programmers decide to put up there for free)... On Demand Online and TV Everywhere is totally opt in from the programmers side (and it is non-exclusive too).
Brion, has Time Warner Cable, or any other company for that matter, provided any real data for the so-called "exa-flood". They keep saying this is true and going to happen but skim on any tangible information. Don't believe them just because they say it is true!
Why would your internet connection be slower for accessing the same site (as a non-cable subscriber), unless the provider was forcibly doing so? (Seems a bit heavy-handed if such a thing were to happen.)
I can already watch many cable shows online including the Closer, which is featured as the picture to this article, why should I have to pay extra by being forced to be a cable subscriber to watch it. I missed a couple episodes of Battlestar Galactica a few months ago, guess what, I fired up Hulu and watched them whenever I felt like it.
Does the extra content (behind-the-scenes, interviews) on the networks site count in this subscription scheme?
What if my particular Cable provider (not that I get cable at the moment) doesn't carry a specific channel that a show I like is on. Am I banned from watching it online unless I pay some extra fee to a cable provider that does?
The ratings system is such a sham, how are you going to know if it's one guy sitting alone in a room or a group of friends at a party are watching a show online. I don't think many would voluntarily give this information.
And don't forget to mention that your On Demand Online will still count against any internet download caps. (I'm sure you'll have that buried somewhere deep in the fine print.)
At this point, I'm skipping the entire cable schema and buying the DVDs directly.
If (as cable Internet providers like Time Warner Cable have stated) part of the impending Internet brownout problem is increased streaming video usage, isn't this simply going to cause my Internet access (if I'm not a cable subscriber) to be even slower and more congested or possibly not work at all when I need it to?
Dear Reader:
This new service would be great if I'm not at home and receive it on my laptop. However, my television set at home provides me with a far better visual experience than my laptop does.
This is neat news! -but may it be prioritized as #2 to Project Cavalry! :-)