[mythtv-users] No more hulu for Boxee

jedi jedi at mishnet.org
Fri Feb 20 13:41:03 UTC 2009


On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 09:14:49PM -0800, Allen Edwards wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 8:45 PM, Kevin Kuphal <kkuphal at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 4:55 PM, David Brodbeck <gull at gull.us> wrote:
> >
> >> On Thu, February 19, 2009 12:42 pm, Eric Mesa wrote:
> >> > Sorry if this is a repeat, I didn't see it in my previous scans through
> >> > the
> >> > mailing list, but, as my wife can testify, I can easily miss things.
> >> >
> >> > Hulu has asked Boxee to stop showing Hulu through their interface see:
> >> > http://blog.boxee.tv/2009/02/18/the-hulu-situation/
> >> > and
> >> > http://blog.hulu.com/2009/2/18/doing-hard-things
> >>
> >> That's too bad.  It makes me unlikely to use both Boxee and Hulu, since
> >> the main attraction for me was being able to watch Hulu content without
> >> the awkwardness of trying to use a web browser on a television.
> >>
> >> I find it odd that content providers are fighting convergence.  I suppose
> >> they want to protect their own narrow channels, but it doesn't seem like a
> >> good idea if the goal is to reach more eyeballs.
> >
> >
> > Even worse, it probably isn't Hulu themselves making the decision.
> > Probably also why we don't have a Hulu branded STB
> >
> > Kevin
> >
> 
> 
> >From a business standpoint, Hulu is a good thing for the networks to do
> because it is very good, has a huge amount of content, and therefore keeps
> anyone else from doing it.  Ever wonder why Netflix offers free download of
> movies?  Keeps anyone else from starting a business that could put them out
> of business.  Very smart strategies.   Netflix offers enough content to keep
> online competitors away and yet not enough to kill their own business.  That
> said, Hulu's strategy is clearly not to compete with TV.

    True, however the difference between interfacing with a real monitor
and a TV at this point is a purely artifical distiction. It's just a quirk
of the market and the evolution of PCs that the living room TV is somewhat
of an alien place to put your home computer. I expect that to change in the
near future as the capabilities of the two devices aren't that distinct
anymore and more people discover this.

    With good remote support (xine, mplayer) ANY desktop app is also a 
"media center" app.

[deletia]

    Hulu may have accidentally opened Pandora's box.


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