back to article Content convenience squeezes freetards: Swinburne Uni

The success of the ABC’s decision to offer an iView stream of the new Dr Who in step with its broadcast in the UK suggests how content owners could squeeze out P2P – and it comes at a time when new research suggests that P2P usage is already starting to decline in Australia. Australians may well be on their way to …

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  1. Andrew Moore

    Now...

    ...if AMC could get that in place before the premier of series 3 of The Walking Dead, I'd be happy.

  2. Term
    Mushroom

    Now, if only...

    the content, like Doctor Who, was in HD then even less people would use P2P.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    No shit

    It’s at least feasible, then, that content industries’ willingness to provide legal alternatives is finally having an effect.

    So the freetards were correct all along and Big Media was unsurprisingly wrong.

    cf The customer is always right.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: No shit

      "78 percent of the study’s 1,001 respondents said the ability to get content for free was important or very important in their use of P2P"

      Most of them aren't customers and don't want to be. They just want free content.

      1. Thorne

        Re: No shit

        "Most of them aren't customers and don't want to be. They just want free content."

        You can still make money from free content. Ok maybe not the $50 the bastards charge for a DVD but still plenty.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: No shit

        They just want free content.

        The Doctor Who episode is free to watch on TV but people wanted see it before the news media, blogs and their Twitter timelines were full of spoilers. The ABC and the BBC are to be congratulated for making this possible.

  4. This post has been deleted by its author

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    cause and effect

    "Australians may well be on their way to relinquishing our crown as “world’s worst freetards”..."

    Well - when you live at the end of a very thin distribution pipeline, people do tend to get rather sick and tired of waiting months for shows to (maybe) air, usually an entire series or more behind - and the majority of decent TV series are never aired at all. Perhaps the reason that Euro and US aren't as high up the freetard list are that they can actually get legitimate access to content that is simply not available here any other way ....

    1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
      FAIL

      Re: cause and effect

      ".....legitimate access to content that is simply not available here any other way ...." Netflix, or any number of clones? Oh, but then you do have to PAY a small amount for those services.

      1. Goat Jam
        Mushroom

        Re: cause and effect

        Matt, as always you demonstrate what an ignorant blowhard you are.

        Netflix is GeoIP blocked to Australia. You can't use it or any of its alternatives here.

        1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
          Boffin

          Re: cause and effect

          "....Netflix is GeoIP blocked to Australia...." I wasn't aware we were discussing Australian options only, but your point simply makes the larger point that removing the blocks would reduce the levels of piracy in Australia as it has done elsewhere.

          Indeed, if I was being threatened with the Proms I'd be campaigning day and night to get something better available over the Net.

          1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Re: cause and effect

      Yes... your right.... I have ALL the stats on this... and while a case is pending... off the top of my head there is something like only 10 or 15% of all content made in the USA ever gets here, and far less of the material from Europe.

      Add in that scummy marketing ploy by the Merekens to regionally control all content and it's distribution - and PRICING.

      Fuck them - they deserve to be kicked in the balls for their corporate moron bullshit.

      I think it's a simple equation - It's the ratio between availability, pricing and the amount of fucking bullshit served up in the process, v.s. the "Fuck You - I'll get it anyway" factor.

      Watch a video on Youtube about something or other - [MESSAGE] "Sorry due to the copyright terms from SONY (etc) that is not available in Australia due to licensing restrictions".

      Ohhh you mean the home made video of Regurgitator, playing a gig at a friends party, at a house 25 years ago, in Australia, is not available for viewing in Australia, from the USA servers, because of Sony?

      Ummmm do the words "Fuck Off Idiot" mean anything to you.

      Turns on late night TV., gets the whole series of vids on the PVR... and says, "Ok you want to restrict your content, with all the NAZI DRM and copyright, and regional distribution restrictions, price gouging on online contnet and DVD's etc.. - fine; I'll go else where."

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This was always what it was all about.

    Cost just isn't the biggest issue for the average punter.

    Downloading torrents really isn't all that convenient. Most people go this route because it is the only option available to get a particular show or film.

    With Netflix and the like making it practically effortless to watch stuff for a modest amount it's hardly worth the bother with the free stuff.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: This was always what it was all about.

      ...except that the state of the catalogs provided by those online services such as Netlfix really is dire and I'm wondering whether to cancel my subscription as a result.

      Most of the blockbusters aren't there, and a large chunk of them that are remain limited to US users. Farscape, Star Trek (even the 50+ year old series) and surprisingly even some BBC programs are not available if you're in the UK and trying to use Netflix. Midsomer Murders is another good one that's only available to US users. Personally I wouldn't be interested in that one, but I still think it's odd how British programs are not available to British users of these systems.

      Things are getting better slowly but surely, but I do have one issue with the article: since when has 'willingness' been the same as 'being dragged kicking and screaming'? Has everybody forgotten how long it took for Netflix in particular to come to the UK and how the Lovefilm online viewing only really started at roughly the same time as Netflix arriving in the UK?

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As one of the 65% who look for...

    ...'Hard-to-get' material (read 'never shown here'), I'll continue to download stuff that I can't get any other way.

    I'm an afficionado of classical music and buy my share of CD/DVDs, but there's no way that, for example, the ABC is going to show the 10~15 or so BBC Proms Concerts that get televised in the UK every year. If we're lucky, we get the Last Night of the Proms sometime around Christmas or New Year (ie 4 months late) and that's it.

    Beeb documentaries also fall into this category, although Aunty ABC is getting better.

    As a closing remark, I'd like to know who I'm ripping off here. The items I download are generally never released on DVD so the BBC isn't losing sales.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

      You aren't contributing to their production either - unless you're buying a UK TV licence

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

        "unless you're buying a UK TV licence"

        A bit hard if you're in Australia?

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Goat Jam
        Pirate

        Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

        Australians do contribute to Doctor Who production. Every single Australian does.

        The ABC is fully taxpayer funded and they pay the BBC for a licence to show Dr Who in Australia.

        At least Brits get some sort of a choice as to whether to financially contribute to the production of programs of dubious value (Dr Who does not necessarily fit this category but many others do).

        We Australians have no such choice and are forced through taxation to fund the production of a seemingly endless series of politically correct propaganda crap programming that is designed to promote the agendas of the army of leftards of various stripes that staff "Our ABC".

    2. Matt Bryant Silver badge
      Thumb Down

      Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

      "....but there's no way that, for example, the ABC is going to show the 10~15 or so BBC Proms Concerts that get televised in the UK every year...." The vast majority of Aussies probably don't give a dingo's fart about missing the Proms, and the vast majority of us in the UK would also be quite happy to stop seeing out TV licence money wasted on such elitist junk. In fact, I'd be happy for the BBC to move all the "arts" such as opera onto a pay-per-view channel and sell it to the World, and use the licence money for more popular programs.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

        Lowest common dominator huh... perhaps all these reality shows could be put on pay-per-view and free up the schedules for some decent programs.

        BTW How exactly is the Proms elitist if its on free to view channels?

        1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

          "Lowest common dominator huh... perhaps all these reality shows could be put on pay-per-view...." Go ahead, I wouldn't miss those either.

      2. Subtilior

        Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

        The whole point of having the BBC in the first place was to bring culture to the proles. If they just use the license money for popular stuff, why not just have commercial broadcasters instead?

      3. BoldMan
        Thumb Down

        Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

        So just because you don't like it, its a waste of licence payers money? Well this licence payer enjoys watching The Proms, documentaries and other "elitist" junk. You can carry on slumming watching your Eastenders, Strictly and Casualty and let the rest of us intellectual elites get on with our thing on the other channels.

        1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
          FAIL

          Re: Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

          "....You can carry on slumming watching your Eastenders, Strictly and Casualty ...." Don't watch any of those, thanks, but don't let that get in the way of your narrow-minded stereotyping.

          ".....the rest of us intellectual elites...." <Yawn> I can bet with reasonable certainty your wanabe, ivory-tower "intellectualism" is the usual one of admiring the works of others that you have been TOLD are "intellectual", rather than actually producing anything or making any assessment of worth yourself.

          1. Magani
            FAIL

            Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

            @Matt Bryant : 120912-1627

            "<Yawn> I can bet with reasonable certainty your wanabe, ivory-tower "intellectualism" is the usual one of admiring the works of others that you have been TOLD are "intellectual", rather than actually producing anything or making any assessment of worth yourself."

            Sorry Matt, you lose. Like some of those above, I also listen / watch classical music and I'm buggered if anyone tells me what I should enjoy watching. It may come as a surprise to you, but not everyone likes what you like.

            Seeing you seem to enjoy decrying others' 'intellectualism', I'm surprised you bother to frequent such a place as El Reg' given the wealth of knowledge that surfaces here.

            1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
              FAIL

              Re: Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

              "....Like some of those above, I also listen / watch classical music...." You're only making my point in that your choice, classical music, is not the popular one. As I said, you can watch whatever minority interest you like, just don't ask me as part of the majority to pay for it.

              "....It may come as a surprise to you, but not everyone likes what you like....." The only surprise is that you somehow think others should pay for your minority preferences. Would you be so happy to have, for example, the next Pussy Riot concert aired on BBC primetime, at licence-payer's expense? I bet not, but then I wouldn't either. By your argument we would both be in the wrong just in case there are five BBC viewers that do want to watch Pussy Riot "sing".

              ".....Seeing you seem to enjoy decrying others' 'intellectualism', I'm surprised you bother to frequent such a place as El Reg...." Yes, please do show me the El Reg section on classic music. D'uh!

              1. Magani
                Facepalm

                Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

                "please do show me the El Reg section on classic music"

                Probably in boot notes?

                Note to self: Must.stop.feeding.the.trolls.

              2. DavCrav

                Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

                ""....Like some of those above, I also listen / watch classical music...." You're only making my point in that your choice, classical music, is not the popular one. As I said, you can watch whatever minority interest you like, just don't ask me as part of the majority to pay for it."

                Name those shows that are watched by more than 30 million people.

    3. Faceless Man

      Re: As one of the 65% who look for...

      "I'm an afficionado of classical music and buy my share of CD/DVDs, but there's no way that, for example, the ABC is going to show the 10~15 or so BBC Proms Concerts that get televised in the UK every year. If we're lucky, we get the Last Night of the Proms sometime around Christmas or New Year (ie 4 months late) and that's it."

      The Proms are available in Australia, direct from the BBC, via the Global iPlayer App for an annual fee.

      Likewise a number of BBC documentaries. (Unfortunately, for some reason best known to the Beeb itself, not their radio programmes, which are available free on the web, but can't be played on mobile devices outside the UK.)

      Things that aren't available are current release BBC productions, presumably due to broadcast rights issues. Unfortunately this means programmes that might be only available on our ridiculously overpriced Pay TV options, or shown on Freeview two years from now at one am.

  8. jubtastic1
    WTF?

    Isn't this a 'bear shits in woods' story?

    Pirating dropped when the content was made available for free, was that really surprising?

    That's fine for stuff that was going to be essentially free anyway (broadcast), but was scheduled for different times in different regions, it's how it should have been from the start but I don't see what relevence this has to the more traditional piracy of media that needs to be sold.

    Personally I feel the modern 'Cinema Experience' is responsible for a lot of piracy, Saw the remake of Total Recall* recently, £18 a ticket for the cheap seats, turns out that's just the first two rows of the centre section and the sides, the rest was 'Premier' and 'Gallery', needless to say the cinema was almost empty. The feeling of being robbed wasn't helped by what was in my opinion easily the worst film I've ever watched.

    1. Intractable Potsherd

      Re: Isn't this a 'bear shits in woods' story?

      £18 a seat?????/ Bloody hell - I thought cinema was an expensive outing round here at ~ £8 a seat!!

  9. Gumby1
    Joke

    ZOMG

    P2P Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

  10. Christian Berger

    Now do that and drop DRM

    And piracy won't be a problem anymore, since everyone who _wants_ to pay can do so.

    Give the customer what they want, and they will give you their money.

  11. 4ecks

    Flashback to Flashforward

    So how many times were episodes of Flashforward or Heroes downloaded in the UK ? I would guess very few times compared to Stargate, Dexter, Eureka or Warehouse 13. Not because they weren't popular, but because they were aired so shortly after their US showing that there wasn't much point in using p2p.

    I can understand that TV companies can be wary of buying shows with no track record of viewing figures, or as is the case with many programmes, no second series because the Nielsen ratings were poor - but as a viewer/consumer/customer, I don't want to wait for a year or more.

  12. Tim Roberts 1

    at the risk of repeating myself,

    and I'm doing just that. I'll wager a pound to a pinch of pigshit that if content is universally available at a reasonable price then piracy will plummet. Take "Game of Thrones" for example, Not available in OZ at any price - except free - when it screens in the US. As a teacher I have heard all the gory details of the series even though I have no interest in it myself. So where are my students getting it from - hey has anybody heard of the internet? Now I ask the idiots who restrict access to this popular series, do you want nothing (money) or do you want something for the downloads? Sure, not everyone will pay, but surely some income is better than none?

    Oh sorry I forgot, It's better and more lucrative to sue (fuck you yanks for making that the only way) than to create a better business model.

    Hey, I want to watch Game of Thrones - will I download for free or wait a year for the DVD set ....... lemme think about that for a couple of microseconds.

    Jeez, its a fucking no brainer !

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