back to article TV networks peck at sun-bleached skeleton of Aereo, come away with $950,000

The skeletal remains of ill-fated TV streaming startup Aereo will pay out $950,000 in a copyright infringement settlement, putting to rest a lawsuit filed by US broadcasters that has already sent it into bankruptcy. For a couple of years, Aereo operated an online video service that captured live television broadcasts, recorded …

  1. Tac Eht Xilef

    Exodus 22:18 - 20 (Authorised Media Version)

    18: Thou shalt not suffer a competitor to live.

    19: Whosoever recordeth with non-approved DVRs shall surely be put to death.

    20: He that shareth by any means, save the NTWRKS only, he shall be utterly destroyed.

    1. Thorne

      Re: Exodus 22:18 - 20 (Authorised Media Version)

      The problem is that Aereo wasn't really a competitor. They retransmitted via another medium which is reality only extended the audience of the original media companies.

      To kill another company that was in a symbiotic position for no reason that to maintain ruthless control is so f#$king retarded it's not funny. Sure they made money retransmitting what you gave for free and didn't pay you for it but killing them off shrunk your audience and didn't earn you a single cent extra.

      Morons.....

  2. Uncle Ron

    Too Far

    My understanding is that what the 'broadcasters' won on was the recording aspect. I would have bought the service -without- the DVR capability. Just to be able to get local stations--and the few other goodies, like a weather channel and a real cheap/old movie channel, and Bloomberg Business, would have been worth the ten bucks to me. And they might have been able to get away with that. I think Aereo just went too far...

  3. Michael Habel

    Anyone else here ever heard of USTV Now?!

    I'm not sure exactly WHAT the difference is... But, it streams live OTA/FTA Channels (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC PBS & The CW - Outta Harrisburg PA), in real time. Generally at no cost. You can pay then a modest Monthly Fee.. IIIRC the jacked to $29.00(USD) a Month now, and receive other Channels such as A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, Bravo, Cartoon Net., CNBC (US), CNN (US), Comedy Central, Discovery, Fox News, FX, History, Nat. Geo., Nick, Spike, Syfy, TBS, TNT & USA. For $10.00(USD), more you get the same channels, but also unlimited recording of said Channels.

    Surly this is not so unlike Aereo then or?

    1. Caustic tWit

      Re: Anyone else here ever heard of USTV Now?!

      I have, and I use it when I'm overseas, like outside the Good Ol' USA. Lovely service, and reasonably priced as such things go. But it doesn't work INSIDE the USA (unless you do the VPN thing, I guess), and if you don't pay them anything you get just a low res picture, and only 6 (?) stations, and no time shifting.

      But why oh why from Harrisburg PA?

      1. Michael Habel

        Re: Anyone else here ever heard of USTV Now?!

        Well if your paying for it... They do suggest you take the Chicago region, which has more Channels, then the standard Harrisburg One. But, being from Baltimore, just to the South from there, I'm plesed as punch come Football Season! CAWWW!!

        But, as to why? I guess I'd just assumed that was where they were located, or somehow cut, a deal with some other Operator. Comcast?! I really don't know either.

        As for Low-res... I thought 720p was standard Broadcast theses days? Yeah I know is it really a 720p Stream though... At least this is what XBMC/Kodi is reporting it to be... And for the most part I don't find it to be an Eyesore. If you ever had the misfortune to ever use an AFN Decoder though.... That's an eyebleedingly bad eyesore... Poor color, sh-- resolutions that would have made SD look like freaking 4k! So perhaps I'ma tad biased.

        1. Caustic tWit

          Re: Anyone else here ever heard of USTV Now?!

          Ah... Wasn't aware that there was a Chicago option. And indeed 720p is what you get when you pay. But IME you get SD only, for free. And I omitted above that you must both be overseas and have a US billing address (haven't figured out how to edit).

          1. Michael Habel

            Re: Anyone else here ever heard of USTV Now?!

            How do you watch it then? I use XBMC / Kodi, and 720p @ 1024kbps rtmp is the default, and where it is SD like on PBS. The difference is very noticeable. As opposed to the normal Broadcast Channels which are in 720p. On XBMC / Kodi at least.

            1. Caustic tWit

              Re: Anyone else here ever heard of USTV Now?!

              @Michael, I use either a browser (usually Chrome), or a Roku app. As I said, it only works if I'm out of the country.

              1. Michael Habel

                Re: Anyone else here ever heard of USTV Now?!

                @ Caustic, NP: I thought it might have explained the discrepancy of SD to 720p is all.. Anyway I use this mostly to watch NCIS (New Orleans), and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. along with such other favorites as The Price is Right, and Jeopardy. Along with the occasional Ravens NFL Game. As a free Service its not bad... Even if I don't have recording functions.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hmmm

    Hi Periscope, Meet your relative Aereo.... You may be meeting him again very soon.....

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