I’ve already waxed on the demise of the television I grew up with.
So long.
I just finished watching a funny episode of the Simpsons, but my TV is still off (actually it gets no reception); I watched Mypods and Boomsticks on Hulu which in true form, poked some fun at “Mapple”, it’s “MyPods” and CEO (using an underwater Jeff Han-like interface) Steve Mobs:
This is hardly new, as hulu has been around a while, and there are plenty of sites to watch full shows, etc. But can you imagine the inner panic at the network television empires? Their era is gone. Over. Kaput. Adios.
Yes, I know hulu cannot be seen out of the USA (I experienced that black screen in Iceland).
And the AT&T ads are super cheesy annoying, but they are only 15 seconds. Maybe there is a Greasemonkey Tivo.
But as far as I am concerned, the control of television networks is gone. I do not even need their devices. This is not to say I will start watching a lot of content, but I am intrigued as the disruptive nature of the net ripples seismically through the establishment.
This is just the beginning.
If you want to watch, below the fold is the embed (you cannot do that with your television set, eh?)
As you know, the embed doesn’t work outside the U.S.
So – why embed it? It just annoys people.
@Stephen Downes: Why embed it? So I can annoy you.
Why not? After all, you are not the only person on the internet. And maybe one day Hulu will change the policy (that might be the day after hell freezes over when TV networks come into the current century) and my content will be ready. Or maybe to make a point at how stupid in a supposed flat world it is to put fences around content.
Nope. I only embed to annoy you.
Yep.
I’m outside the US so couldn’t watch the embedded video, but I did get a link to information on Hulu’s future international availability. I wasn’t annoyed.
Thanks for the information on hulu. I did not know about it.
http://debrennersmith.blogspot.com/
Just catching up Alan, and a bit behind! As you point out, Hulu isn’t unique, but it is an attempt to legalize what was otherwise a leaking bucket on the Internet. Without doing this, the content would become much like music trading is online, or the “10 over” rule on our highways – just make sure you don’t rise to the level of getting caught.
Stephen’s post isn’t anything unique to content not being available outside the US – here in the US I can not watch BBC or Deutsche Welle programs anymore either. While we used to watch HD video over the Internet from Australia, because many of those shows are syndicated from the US, that door has been closed as well.
There is a greater issue of “how much is enough?” Alan Levine’s comments are obviously worth far less because they are available freely over the Internet – but if somehow you could only CHARGE for them, well – then someone might care enough to STEAL your thoughts! We empowered the media giants to speak for us – and now they forget exactly how they got to be what they are today.
Perhaps they are smarter or more beautiful than we are?
Hulu won’t be the end of broadcast television – the self-publishing revolution, syndication & aggregation (yeah feed2js!), and what YouTube may eventually become will hopefully be the end of the media giants. In the meantime, expect them to try and do a lot of fly swatting as they attempt to retain their fat wallets, profit margins and celebrity status.
I kind of enjoy the frequent ramblings of a whacked out Alan Levine and others like him (or just watching the Obama Girl – I haven’t decided).
“TV: Its just so… Retro.”
Much peace & happiness my friend! Keep up the gospel!