Read and discuss!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...795847 2.html

I've got an obvious remark:

How can these companies even think about starting to charge customers (be it subscription, or pay-per-view, or whatever model) when internet service providers are ramping up to charge us for data. We can't possibly continue watching TV online with these companies if ISP's start charging us. So why would anyone pay to watch something that they're going to pay the consequences for watching? I'm not going to subscribe to something that's going to give me overage fees from my service provider.

And someone's comment will be "Hulu is in the U.S. where there is no bill-by-usage policy yet", but it's coming. According to the TekSavvy consumer news, Canadian ISP's aren't the only one looking to implement these charges now: The major U.S. ISP's will join soon.

Originally Posted by mike_302

I've got an obvious remark:

How can these companies even think about starting to charge customers (be it subscription, or pay-per-view, or whatever model) when internet service providers are ramping up to charge us for data. We can't possibly continue watching TV online with these companies if ISP's start charging us. So why would anyone pay to watch something that they're going to pay the consequences for watching? I'm not going to subscribe to something that's going to give me overage fees from my service provider.

And someone's comment will be "Hulu is in the U.S. where there is no bill-by-usage policy yet", but it's coming. According to the TekSavvy consumer news, Canadian ISP's aren't the only one looking to implement these charges now: The major U.S. ISP's will join soon.

To be honest, I'm more surprised at the fact that people are paying for shit like Hulu, Netflix (Netflix I can see, MAYBE... Who wants to watch a 2 hour movie in probably bad quality)

Let's face it, this shit is geared to old farts who don't know how to find stuff online.

Sorry if people disagree, but free entertainment is the way of the future.

I believe you can get decent quality from those sites though. I'd pay $10/mth for DVD-quality viewing with my 24".......... Computer monitor.
Remember, there are still people out there who download stuff like cam or telesync copies of movies, when DVD Screeners, or DVD/Blu-ray copies come out about a month later.

Originally Posted by mike_302

I've got an obvious remark:

How can these companies even think about starting to charge customers (be it subscription, or pay-per-view, or whatever model) when internet service providers are ramping up to charge us for data. We can't possibly continue watching TV online with these companies if ISP's start charging us. So why would anyone pay to watch something that they're going to pay the consequences for watching? I'm not going to subscribe to something that's going to give me overage fees from my service provider.

And someone's comment will be "Hulu is in the U.S. where there is no bill-by-usage policy yet", but it's coming. According to the TekSavvy consumer news, Canadian ISP's aren't the only one looking to implement these charges now: The major U.S. ISP's will join soon.

Its my understanding that the per-data rates are very low and only geared at people who down unbelievably large amounts of media..

Either way, it can be tedious to try to find what you want to watch online, and the more there is a push for organized legal tv viewing, the better it is for me

Netflix, in the US anyway, mails Blu-rays to my brother within a day. Then he just returns them after he watches them (they give you an envelope with the postage and address already done, or something like that).

I'm not sure if it's like that in Canada, but if it were I would probably pay for it just because it's easier/faster than downloading 13GB movies.

Originally Posted by RyanC

Its my understanding that the per-data rates are very low and only geared at people who down unbelievably large amounts of media..

Either way, it can be tedious to try to find what you want to watch online, and the more there is a push for organized legal tv viewing, the better it is for me

Eh, 60 GB, or even 95 GB, is not a very high cap. I don't download much anymore, but I've hit over 120 GB in a month before. And they charge ridiculous rates if you go past the limit.

Originally Posted by Alchemist11

Netflix, in the US anyway, mails Blu-rays to my brother within a day. Then he just returns them after he watches them (they give you an envelope with the postage and address already done, or something like that).

I'm not sure if it's like that in Canada, but if it were I would probably pay for it just because it's easier/faster than downloading 13GB movies.

13GB movies? What the hell.. blu rays arn't even that amazing..

I was talking about people who download copious amounts of music/****, not people who are ineffiecent with their data usage

What are you downloading?

Originally Posted by lawleypop

Sorry if people disagree, but free entertainment is the way of the future.

That would be true, if we live in a world where there are no costs in production, nor is there a drive for profit. The closest to free entertainment I can imagine would have to be entertainment that contains heavy (to the point where it is almost, if not completely excessive) amounts of advertising and product placement. Someone has to pay for the production costs, as well as the profits for those who create the entertainment. Right now, those who pay are advertisers in various networks and movie theatres, and those using product placement, as well as, of course, us, as the viewers, paying for access to entertainment.

I digress, however, because as much as that is the reality we live in, I just wish it were as you said.

Originally Posted by RyanC

13GB movies? What the hell.. blu rays arn't even that amazing..

I was talking about people who download copious amounts of music/****, not people who are ineffiecent with their data usage

What are you downloading?

Lol I don't know, I can differentiate when something is merely DVD quality (4.5 GB) vs a blu ray (25 GB or more). I'm used to watching things in either 720p for TV or blu-ray/blu-ray rips for movies.

And I don't know, I downloaded lots of stuff haha. TV/movies/music mainly.

Originally Posted by justinsftw

That would be true, if we live in a world where there are no costs in production, nor is there a drive for profit. The closest to free entertainment I can imagine would have to be entertainment that contains heavy (to the point where it is almost, if not completely excessive) amounts of advertising and product placement. Someone has to pay for the production costs, as well as the profits for those who create the entertainment. Right now, those who pay are advertisers in various networks and movie theatres, and those using product placement, as well as, of course, us, as the viewers, paying for access to entertainment.

I digress, however, because as much as that is the reality we live in, I just wish it were as you said.

Let me elaborate, I realize my wording may have been off. I mean free for the consumer, in the sense that we're expecting more and more for free or EXTREMELY cheap.

It will never be free on the supplier's/manufacturer's/producer's end, of course. The fact is, Hollywood is still producing movies but we just aren't as willing to pay for "cheap" entertainment like we used to be. Look at theatre ticket sales. Only movies like Transformers, etc, are expected to do amazingly well because let's face it, we all want the big screen and surround sound for explosions and etc.

Anyone who says finding movies/shows online is a "hassle" doesn't know how to do it correctly. It was annoying for like a month in the summer because one of the big sites got shut down by US Immigration, but there's TONS of replacement sites already and I'm back to being able to find a movie online within 2 days of it's theater release.

@mike_302: That's what I meant. The only reason why I could personally justify getting Netflix is because I would want better quality. But that isn't to say that streaming movies is always bad quality. If you want to see a movie on your computer that's just been released the same day, then yea, you'll get the snuck-a-recorder-into-a-theater quality. But if you're getting Netflix, that means you're getting movies that are ALREADY released on DVD/bluray (correct me if I'm wrong), which can EASILY be found online at the same quality.

Netflix isn't more me... And I'll continually find it surprising if and when the internet generation continues to fall for their marketing.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

Let me elaborate, I realize my wording may have been off. I mean free for the consumer, in the sense that we're expecting more and more for free or EXTREMELY cheap.

It will never be free on the supplier's/manufacturer's/producer's end, of course. The fact is, Hollywood is still producing movies but we just aren't as willing to pay for "cheap" entertainment like we used to be. Look at theatre ticket sales. Only movies like Transformers, etc, are expected to do amazingly well because let's face it, we all want the big screen and surround sound for explosions and etc.

Anyone who says finding movies/shows online is a "hassle" doesn't know how to do it correctly. It was annoying for like a month in the summer because one of the big sites got shut down by US Immigration, but there's TONS of replacement sites already and I'm back to being able to find a movie online within 2 days of it's theater release.

In that case, you're right, and you didn't need me to tell you that.

Originally Posted by RyanC

Its my understanding that the per-data rates are very low and only geared at people who down unbelievably large amounts of media..

Are you talking about the new Usage Base Billing (UBB)? If that is so, its 25GB to start off. At least in Ontario, Bell is pushing hard for that.

Does not seems like it is geared toward people that download unbelievably large amount of data, does it?

Originally Posted by PHLN

Are you talking about the new Usage Base Billing (UBB)? If that is so, its 25GB to start off. At least in Ontario, Bell is pushing hard for that.

Does not seems like it is geared toward people that download unbelievably large amount of data, does it?

LMAO, 25 gigabytes. That's actually PATHETIC.

Because you know, the internet is reserved for checking your e-mail and paying your bills... >_>

Originally Posted by lawleypop

LMAO, 25 gigabytes. That's actually PATHETIC.

Because you know, the internet is reserved for checking your e-mail and paying your bills... >_>

The real concern is the fact that this is being enforced throughout all 3rd-party ISPs.

With no discernible difference in term of pricing structure, 3rd-party ISPs eventually will go belly up.

And that is how Bell regain its monopoly.

There is no competitions in Canada.