Siteseeing: Bits and Pieces

There are a few tech-related stories I’ve been wanting to share but have put on the back-burner lately.

Hulu model in flux

It appears that there is talk of changing Hulu’s current model. Instead of free-for-all streaming of content, they may be moving toward having viewers use their cable subscription credentials for authentication. In other words, Hulu will still be free if you have a cable subscription.

This is an obvious swipe at cord cutters, who immediately reference Hulu and Netflix when discussing how they get occasional television content. The idea is that by withholding Hulu from those who are not paying for cable, it will discourage future cord cutters and possibly persuade previous cord cutters to return to the fold. It’s not a bad plan in the long run. Without Hulu, how else are cord cutters going to watch Community? That’s what NBC Universal, owned by Comcast, is expecting.

Consoles may become a thing of the past

Check out this article on ITProPortal: http://www.itproportal.com/2012/03/13/the-consoles-are-dying-says-developer/

Looking at the current trend, it’s hard to disagree. The mainstream consumer is definitely less likely to pick up an Xbox 360, PS3, Wii or (3)DS for casual gaming if Angry Birds or Plants vs. Zombies can be downloaded onto a device that has functionality beyond gaming. Not to mention the fact that the games each cost less than the average console title and will likely be supported over the course of several device upgrades. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo cannot boast that sort of longevity for their $50+ games.

Watch out for the entertainment industry’s future protective acts in the name of copyright

The least honest, most selfish, things a person can say these days are that information “wants” to be free and that online piracy does more good than harm as it concerns copyrighted material. These are items we most definitely want to believe are true but exist just outside that realm of possibility. Information in and of itself has aims that are as clear and discernible as the aims rocks have, and the biggest contribution of online piracy is the option of bringing to awareness, through experience, a consumer’s actual opinion of a copyrighted item – which, mind you, does not necessarily translate into sales.

It is time to stop romanticizing our free love for free access to products and look at this more objectively. Consumers who pirate copyrighted goods are not bastions of a future free world. By and large they are parasites on the system of consumer goods. This is a horrible position to be in because these are entertainment goods, far from necessities. The drive to obtain these items is based on want. That want is actually created by the entertainment industry itself through their marketing departments.

It is no wonder that the entertainment industry is so upset by the state of digital piracy today. It’s no wonder that they created SOPA and PIPA to tighten the reigns on what can be posted online. Granted, their response to the situation is pretty horrible. Claiming that the bills were shot down as a result of a grassroots misinformation from the “copyleft” is a far cry from the reality – a strong reaction to a bill that gave an already powerful industry more control in the ill-defined but currently open world of the internet.

To an extent, though, the entertainment industry is right.

There’s money to be made from headphones now

iPod users drop tiny earbuds for better sounding headphones | Detroit Free Press | freep.com.

The main point of this article is right here:

“Not only did we want to have the best sound, we wanted to have the best-looking earbud, and we want it to come in flavors,” [P. Diddy] said when his line came out.

Louis CK takes matters into his own hands

What Louis CK knows that most media companies don’t — Tech News and Analysis.

This is the opening salvo for which I’ve been waiting. The war on traditional media distribution has begun, and content creators finally have someone to prop up as an example of success. By the time this post is released, Louis CK has made over $500,000 on his stand up act. It must be noted that he offered it to consumers for $5 in a DRM-free digital format. He has claimed over $200,000 of that for himself. The rest goes to the website, production, etc. The whole venture was a gamble that paid off.

Netflix Wants All of Your Friends to Know Everything You’re Watching

Netflix Wants All of Your Friends to Know Everything You’re Watching.

It’s not about social networking, like everyone thinks. Spotify doesn’t share what you’re listening to because sharing information is inherently good. No, it’s because the user becomes a commercial for the kind of content provided by the service. A friend of the user might see the update and say, “Oh, I didn’t know Spotify had [insert band/artist here]! I think I’ll have to check that out.” Netflix wants to get into that same racket and would greatly benefit from it. The primary statement throughout the whole ordeal with pricing and service splitting was, “There’s nothing worth watching in their streaming catalog!” The best way to prove otherwise is to let users know what other users are finding. It’s a great business strategy in this social media world.

Microsoft joins list of companies opting consumers out of suing them

Stop Suing the Game Companies Because They Said So | GamePolitics.

Microsoft joins the list of companies that puts into its terms of service that you cannot join class action suits against them. In this special case, if you go through the measures necessary to opt out of waiving your right to sue, you cannot use Xbox Live. That’s pretty horrible.

This really shouldn’t have become a thing to do. It’s clear why companies would want to cover their asses with such legalese, especially since the Sony Network and Xbox Live have histories of going down and hacks. However, how is this legal? This is a ridiculous legal precedent that I’m surprised hasn’t yet been fought.

Sony Will Make “Moneyball” Downloadable Before Offering It On Disc

Sony Will Make “Moneyball” Downloadable Before Offering It On Disc – The Consumerist.

I find this practice questionable. Even though it’s sure to be an item streamed from the UltraViolet Digital Locker, it looks like Sony is trying to put itself out of the disc-slinging business just after pushing BluRay to the moon. The question is: If movies are showing up earlier (and probably cheaper) via instantly gratifying download/stream, how will this affect disc sales? Follow-up question: What real benefit is will the average viewing public perceive in a physical copy?

Ultraviolet concerns

UltraViolet was mentioned here well over a year ago before it seemingly became a non-entity. In all honesty, I thought the idea had been dropped due to all sorts of concerns that should have been raised by consumer groups. Color me surprised to find that the service has launched with the releases of The Green Lantern and Horrible Bosses to home media. An additional surprise is that they launched the service with two movies that were generally dismissed by critics and failed to find a strong audience. I’m sure this bodes well for the service.

To clarify, I was being completely sarcastic.