I had a chance to visit the zoo today and feed some animals. On display were some dinosaurs from the world of Network TV. Big ugly fellas. Grunting, Waddling around, pigging out on whatever nasty looking meat or meat by-products they could get their hands on.
Okay, I'll stop. I met up with two Executive VPs from a couple of the major TV networks in the US who happened to be in Toronto. I promise, you are about to shake your head in amazement or as Dragnet's Jack Webb would say, the story is true, only the names have been changed to protect the dorky.. Or something close to that.
These guys were bragging about the ability to start showing TV shows online. If, for example, you go to ABC's website, you can watch episodes of certain shows pretty much a day or so after they air on TV.
They were proud of these two key points.
They had 'locked down' the content. Their words, not mine.
They had 'locked out' the rest of the world outside the US. Their words, not mine.
Me: "Yer kidding, right?"
Them: "Not at all. We got this baby right. We'd show you but since we are in Canada, you can't see the stuff."
Me: <sigh>
I crank up the laptop and fire up the abc.come website and we verify that I get the evil, only those in the US can see this, message.
Me: Pay attention, boyz.
Step one: Google: ip spoofer software
Step two: grab one, install it.
Step three: watch Ugly Betty.
Them: Nobody is going to know how to do that. Besides, if you were to tell people, we'd sue for damages.
Me: So, if I told the world that in order to get around websites that restrict access by IP, you could change the IP address via a zillion pieces of software freely available on the Internet, you'd sue me? Really? Like as in, say a blog entry? Can I get that in writing? As a promise?
Them: <blank stares>
Me: If you liked that, watch this trick, guys.
Step one: Google: video screen capture
Step two: grab one, install it.
Step three: grab Ugly Betty.
Them: OMFG! That means some ass hole in a Banana Republic can grab this and put it out on the Internet or sell phreaking DVDs! Jezzus, why the hell are we paying these geeks. How does Sony do it?
Me: By destroying the customer's equipment with worms and evil software.
I paid for lunch so it wasn't a total bust. Plus, I showed them where the Hockey Hall of Fame is located.
Dinosaurs, mmmmm, yummy, tastes like chicken.
Notes:
1. I did not meet with ABC people, it was just the first site that came to mind when I went to show -n- tell mode.
2. I really did pick up the check.
Surely they have a case for emotional trauma after you have burst there oh-so rose-tinted bubble that everything is safe and cosy in their world ;-)
Posted by: RachelC | April 27, 2007 at 21:13
We are seeing more and more free "things" on the internet like youtube or video.google.ca who charges their users nothing. So in your opinion, Rick, what do you think will this do for e-commerce in the future? Are consumers going to expect to get everything for free or at least for the small "price" of having to watch an ad? In the near future, are we going to be able to just download the software for the fabrication of almost anything like dish ware, tools, computer parts? ( see http://www.fabathome.org/wiki/index.php ).
Posted by: Keith Glover | April 28, 2007 at 01:21
have a look at channel 4 on demand http://www.channel4.com/4od/
Posted by: Stewart | April 29, 2007 at 18:45
Rick,
I found that funny n sad.
I often talk with startups that REALLY think they have this amazing technology/product and nobody else could have anything like it.
Normally it takes me 1 min if I have my list of bookmarks and <5-10 mins 2 show someone like them.
Why can't they do some due diligence.
duh!
Lal
Posted by: Brendan Lally | May 04, 2007 at 22:13