HBO to Compete with Netflix

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/hbo_tells_netflix_take_hike' target='_blank'>http://www.maximumpc.com/article/ne...tflix_take_hike</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"HBO has plans to launch a streaming service of thier own called HBO Go in the next six months. A Netflix spokesperson expressed their desire to work with HBO saying, "Compete with us or collaborate with us, but we would much rather work with them.&rdquo; It seems HBO feels they can adequately compete with Netflix, having already secured content deals for their online service with Comcast and Verizon."</em></p><p>Gutsy, sure. &nbsp;Smart, not so much. &nbsp;I see HBO's point that their content is viewed as being exclusive, so putting it on Netflix makes it seem less such, but exclusive also means limiting your market. &nbsp;Netflix has tons of content, so tons of eyeballs. &nbsp;Plus Netflix is widely available on devices that easily hook up to consumers televisions and will be making the push to mobile devices. &nbsp;At best, I think any independent offering from HBO will remain a niche product at best.</p>

[ptyork]

It's hard to blame them since I'm sure the revenue model from Netflix has to be pretty minuscule (I mean, $8.95/mo for unlimited streaming and no ads really can't support much). But I agree with you that it'll be difficult for them to compete with so many TV's, Blu-Ray Players, and streamers with embedded Netflix viewing. I know I for one won't be paying HBO extra just to view content on my PC, and I really doubt that they'll be getting their proprietary client onto a bazillion devices.

That said, if they don't somehow disable PlayOn support, perhaps I'll consider it. HBO does have good content, and though I get it legally (live) now, I still feel a bit slimy when I torrent True Blood so that I can watch it at my leisure.

FWIW, I expect that soon Netflix will begin charging separately for premium streaming content. I could easily see (and grudgingly support) a world with $4.99/mo add-on "channels" for Showtime and such. Honestly, I'm surprised that Starz is currently included in the base fee.

[Chris Gohlke]

I absolutely see Netflix and Hulu going this way. I think consumers will go for it as it will allow for a la cart pricing for just the channels you want.

[Jason Dunn]

...and though I get it legally (live) now, I still feel a bit slimy when I torrent True Blood so that I can watch it at my leisure.

No PVR? :eek:

[ptyork]

No PVR? :eek:

Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? Actually we just disconnected ours last month. It just didn't make sense for us. We had it connected in our family room, but found that we watched most of OUR TV in the bedroom. BUT, we couldn't move it up there because we used it almost entirely for recording and showing shows to our 3-year-old. There were other logical answers, but since almost everything we cared about watching was on Hulu or Netflix (including the kiddie shows) and the VERY few others could easily be quasi-PVR'd using uTorrent, well, why waste the electricity having the PVR connected. We went cold-turkey. It actually has worked out better, and this coming from a guy who swore by the PVR (and needed a bumper sticker talking about prying it from my dead hands) just a couple years ago.

[Jason Dunn]

We had it connected in our family room, but found that we watched most of OUR TV in the bedroom. BUT, we couldn't move it up there because we used it almost entirely for recording and showing shows to our 3-year-old. There were other logical answers, but since almost everything we cared about watching was on Hulu or Netflix (including the kiddie shows) and the VERY few others could easily be quasi-PVR'd using uTorrent, well, why waste the electricity having the PVR connected.

Interesting. I guess it shows that streaming media sources are starting to become viable for people living in the US; we have none of that up here (though Netflix *is* coming), so if that were my problem, I'd have just purchased a secondary PVR (I have two in my house now). I don't think I'll ever have this exact problem though, because I never, ever want to have a TV in my bedroom.