"There is value in exclusivity... [Consumers] are willing to pay a premium for high quality, exclusive content." There is something to HBO Co-President Eric Kessler's words that ring true with his company's goals, and unfortunately for
Netflix enthusiasts, that subscription service isn't part and parcel with his philosophy. In an interview with
Bloomberg, Kessler reportedly offered the previous statement as an explanation to why the two companies would likely not make a deal together, despite Netflix's best efforts. That's par for the course, so far, but what
is new and exciting from the interview is an off-hand comment that in six month's time,
HBO Go would be available "through all major cable systems, on Apple Inc.'s
iPad, on mobile devices and elsewhere," free for those already signed up to HBO. We've seen the former option, but portable? Consider our interests very piqued. While far from official, we also think it's worth listening to a co-president on his own company's dealings -- at least a little bit. Hey, we're all for going the
Hulu route if it's implemented well enough, but it looks like we won't be canceling our cable subscription in favor of going steady with Ol' Red Envelopes anytime soon.
posted August 17th 2010 9:54PM
Come on, HBO. How about some Netflix love, huh?
@aubreyq
I guess they think they can charge $5/month for an iPad HBO subscription, when they would likely get much less out of Netflix.
Ugh.. screw the iPad.
"Watch how fast I type motherfucker." - Franklin
@aubreyq
I would love for them to partner. Depending on the subscription price and content I may consider getting HBO on my iPad, but it would definitely have to be worth every penny.
@aubreyq
ooooh....old engadget!
@aubreyq Think about it from HBO's point. If you could get their shows from Netflix instantaneously and without being beholden to their programming schedule, would you pay your cable company for the HBO package?
@aubreyq Agreed.
I've already cut the cable cord and have no intention of ever getting cable again. But I also like the idea of supporting great shows like this because I know they are expensive to make.
In fact, I don't even have a problem with the idea of paying a bit more on my Netflix subscription to gain access to HBO programming through Netflix. But I damned sure am not going to buy an iPad just to get HBO. That's about as crazy as getting cable just to watch HBO.
sick
True Blood on the iPad? WIN
Let the haters hate....
@BrookLynnsFinest Nice avatar!
@iPhone 4
Lol thanks you too!
@BrookLynnsFinest C-C-C-Combo Breaker
@Brt312
No. Just no...
@BrookLynnsFinest
I think you meant to say Entourage and Curb
@BrookLynnsFinest
I can already have True Blood on my Archos.
That's without the HBO cable subscription.
The problem with this offering is that it is tied to their conventional TV channel and a lot of us have already decided to not bother with it. If I were willing to subscribe to their channel, I could already record any of their shows and put them on any device of my choosing.
Shit just got real on True Blood. :)
@Bervick Time to clear my browsing history...
Did HBO miss the stories about how no one is paying for subscriptions services on iPad? No? Guess they'll learn soon enough.
@sweet greggo part deux Did you miss what the story is suggesting maybe? That Comcast/Time Warner CUSTOMERS who subscribe to HBO ALREADY will be able to watch HBO on demand on the iPad? Just like Comcast and Time Warner have been suggesting for some time now?
Tru blood in hidef! iPad. Where do I sign up...?
@Agree Wow!
Droid doesnt
Needs to be on xbox live iPad is nice but my tv is better.
@Robhimself
Perhaps you didn't hear, but cable service goes straight to TVs these days... :p
@punk79 LOL, I was thinkin' the same thing after reading that comment.
@Robhimself
LOL!!!!!!!!!!
@punk79 True but distancing myself further from TWC and their slow cable box and SD streaming is higher on my list. Paying a premium isn't my concern but when I am paying 140 a month for cable and internet I would at least like a cable box that doesn't lock up, or have a million artifacts or just decide to stop recoding a program with only 30% of the HDD used.
HBO has some good shows on it but it's way overpriced. Sorry guys, I'm not buying.
did the bezel on that thing get bigger?
@Vman
Looks like the same person who photoshopped Star Trek onto the iPad also crudely cropped this in as well. Watching widescreen video in a 4:3 aspect ratio with the sad black levels of an IPS LCD = fail.
"There is value in exclusivity... [Consumers] are willing to pay a premium for high quality, exclusive content."
Wow, that's a big fat joke on consumers, because it's the other way around; we don't like being nickeled and dimed. That's why I'm with Netflix, and HBO can go straight to hell.
did no one care to comment on the photo on the iPad it's quite brilliant if I do say so myself, it's Vincent Chase from entourage after years of vicodin abuse he eventually turns in to HOUSE!
Franklin!
How about a way to subscribe to HBO a la carte? I currently have the cheepest package that Time Warner Cable offers. I believe it is called basic. There is no way to get just HBO. I have to upgrade to a "Digital tier" or some such nonsense. I thought all tiers were digital. It't essentially extortion. To qualify to subscribe to HBO, I have to be willing to pay for 100 other channels that I have no interest in and suddenly HBO is $100.00 a month. No thank you. I pay $8.00 a month for Netflix and have no interest in HBO unless they can compete on that level. Frankly, I don't think that they have enough original content to pull it off. Don't get me wrong, I love their OC and have in the past bended to Time Warners will to see a show. The days of getting abused by these guys are over.
@aaronharmon That's the right answer. I only have to pay $15 a month for HBO and with the stuff they've got on now, I'm not paying them anymore. It all comes down to whether they provide enough return for your money.
As far as the whole thing where TW forces you to buy digital or whatever to have the option to pay for HBO, well that's not HBO's fault really. It's Time Warners. So don't. Be happy. Lots of other ways to get shows a la carte these days anyway. If you can wait a year anything decent shows up on DVD. Often on iTunes and presumably XBox et al too.
@Fanfoot
To be honest, I cant believe that the HBO (or FCC for that matter) lets TW get away with that in this day and age. If I were HBO, I would be raising hell about this. They would have a lot more customers if anyone and everyone could get their product al a carte for a reasonable price.
I have been simply picking up used DVDs of the shows I like. Its a hell of a lot cheaper than paying TWs insane prices. BTW they are the only cable provider in my market and having full service and internet and easily run $150.00 to $200.00 a month .
Is that normal?
@aubreyq Good point. Considering Apple's anti-porn stance, this may be a big issue. While the Andriod app (if they release it? why not?) would be fine.
Don't worry, HP is going to own this shit.
Ttjey must have tons of pressure from all cable companies. This would destroy te cable industry. But I'm all for it.
@Kinglayus Read the article. They're only going to offer it to people who already pay for cable HBO. Seriously, pay attention before you comment.
I can't remember when I last paid for HBO. It seems just as my free three months is up they offer the same promo again.
FutureMedia..I don't quite understand this either, I already have Netflix streaming app on iPad; Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox and Universal films already stream from it. I certainly have no interest at all with any subscription-based ANYTHING with HBO.
What's more, more free top ipad apps for you: http://www.ifunia.com/ipad-column/top-10-best-free-ipad-apps.html
In our home HBO lost out quickly to NetFlix. $9 for Netflix gets us thousands of movies and all of the series from HBO, Showtime, etc. or $13 for HBO and its countless reruns of Three Amigos, Breast Men, etc.
I won't pay $5/month to have it on an iPad either.
@KenEsq
movies on hbo are not worth it, it's the original series that are the real draw. And to that end, at least while those series that are really good are running like True Blood, HBO should be paid for to support their expenses.
If watering down the revenue for companies like HBO means no more shows like True Blood, then we need to think very hard before we shrug off ever paying any money.
In fact, with so many narrow interest channels, the best model may be to have people subsidize the content they have no interest in, because it also means there is a subsidy for the more narrow content YOU are interest in.
MORE SHARKTOPUS !!!!!!!
@tybert7
True Blood is dull...tried watching season 1 (DVDs from NetFlix) and gave up after a few shows....I see no reason to subsidize it.
As long as their is Bittorrent HBO can kiss my ass.
People still subscribe to hbo?
@Bervick Comcast's Netfinity app is just HTML5 video, so the answer would be yes. Apple will have no say in the matter, at least on Comcast. I assume the recent Time Warner demo was similar. Its just another browser page.
screw HBO!
Unless you're interested in HBO branded content this really isn't anything,imho, to cheer about. There was a time when HBO had almost nothing but movies with a few exception like Fragel Rock and NNTN. But who gives a shit. You can get movies anywhere.
HBO can go shove it!
Why would it go to the #2 sellling OS?
@butcherchop
*points at 130 million iPod touch/iPad/iPhones..
you're insane