Browse > Home / Advertising Agency News / Hulu responds to Boxee / Skyfire / PS3 Ban

Hulu responds to Boxee / Skyfire / PS3 Ban

August 11, 2009

Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:37:31 -0700 [17:37:31 EDT]

Hi Roger,

Thanks for writing. To answer your question, I thought some context might be helpful.

For decades, the TV/movie industry has built its business model on a windowing
strategy. Content rights are granted for limited time periods across specific
distribution channels. For example, a movie starts in theaters, then moves to
pay-per-view and DVD, then to pay-cable channels, later to broadcast, and so on
down the line. Similarly, TV shows are available on TV first, then in repeats,
then to DVD and possibly syndication, etc.

Distribution availability across platforms — theaters vs. TV vs. recorded media
like DVDs vs. online streaming vs. mobile phones — was always implicitly or
explicitly controlled in that world. But a few factors have made the barriers
between those platforms more permeable: the rise of the web, increased broadband
availability, the ease of digitizing video, and the increase in the computing
power of devices like gaming consoles, set-top boxes, and mobile phones.

However, in the near-term, the windowing strategy is still dominant in the
business. Billions of dollars flow in across these different windows, and entire
companies are organized around them. Nothing productive comes from flouting that
reality (except to law firms who work on the occasional lawsuit).

We do, however, expect these windows to converge over time. There’s no way around
that, and we’re working hard with all of our partners to guide and participate in
this important transition in the business. Everything we do is with an eye toward
achieving our long-term goal of maximizing the content you can access as
conveniently as possible in a way that “works” for the content owner. In the
short-term that may require us to make some tough decisions, but we only do so
when we believe it improves our long-term prospects to build a more enduring,
legal solution to that same problem.

We hear your frustration, and solving it remains our full-time job.

Cheers,
Rebecca
Hulu

07/10/2009 19:20 – Roger XXXXX wrote:

I have been using Skyfire on a Microsoft Windows Mobile device to watch
Hulu when traveling, however there appears to be an error that recently
showed up. I am somewhat confused on why this is happening as it
worked perfectly in the past.

If Skyfire is not supported, then what browser may I use on a Windows
Mobile device to view the TV and movies?

hulu-logo

Written by TheFounder · Filed Under Advertising Agency News 


Comments

  • LOL
    That is quite a bullshit response from Hulu. They should run for a political office.
  • Brandon
    Hulu used to be the best thing that hit the web in a long long time. Now they have become just like every other piece of crap company out there. I know it makes it easier to get content when you are owned by the content distributors but it also makes it easier to use Hulu to further old world out-dated business practices. Rebecca mentions "windows" and trying to converge them. This is the worst line of BS that I have heard. Hulu and its stakeholders are only interested in making money. For example you can't watch a lot of current full season worth of shows because that would get into their DVD sales of the seasons. The only good one I have seen is Stargate SG-1 which they are putting up all 10 seasons, BUT only till May of next year.
    You tell people "this show is so good you can't miss an episode" but you only show the last 4 or 5 episodes and the season is already on episode 8 so now you can't see how it all started.
    I am more than willing to sit through a couple more ads per episode to be able to watch a full season of something and have it available all the time to me. The ability to watch it on my schedule outweighs the extra couple minutes I would spend watching a couple extra minutes of ads.
  • I am completely in agreement with you.... ESPECIALLY with the Stargate SG-1 issue... don't even bother going to see Stargate Atlantis... you get to see like 5 episodes total... with no idea how they even got there...

    My problem however is I don't think this is Hulu's fault... I think the content owners came down on them like a doom hammer... and that is why they had to ban the browsers... the blame needs to go to the MPAA and company...
  • Marvin
    Hulu really squandered the chance to be "full and first" on this. When will the industry schmucks realize that their business model was state-of-the-art in 1966? For full and completely unfettered (and un-COMPLICATED) access to television episodes, etc., on my mobile I am even willing to *pay* a small monthly amount (perhaps through my cable company or satellite television provider?).

    Oh well... Coulda been a contender...
  • Name
    Our pocket pc's are an extension of our home computers nowaday's, especially with todays technology. So to allow access one day, then deny access based on the fact that my internet conection is mobile is frankly an insult and discriminatory.
  • Name
    thats not a answer its nice tapdancing though .....
  • Jeremy
    if by improving your long term prospects you mean causing me to no longer use hulu and vow to never ever use hulu again, then you have achieved success.
  • Name
    what a colossal dodge of the question. How about, "we're launching our own pay service, so we're flicking Skyfire." Even if this weren't true, my dear Rebecca, you've done nothing to endear yourself or Hulu to viewers with this response. I think that Roger just wanted you to answer his question. It is likely that Hulu will soon overreach its bounds with a pay service that very few will use. Bad idea with the money grab. You had revenue from ads. Should've left it at that...
  • TheFounder
    It's completely unacceptable for Hulu and the content providers to treat
    one Internet device different than another.

    Netbook = good
    Smartphone = bad
    Desktop = good
    Desktop with TV monitor = bad

    I completely surrender.
  • lollol2
    I suggest that hulu should pay more attention to "Adobe RTMPE streaming protection" than "Blocking access from outside of U.S".
blog comments powered by Disqus