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05-29-2013, 08:06 AM | #1 |
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Aereo
I just received an invitation to join an interesting service called Aereo. It lets you watch all broadcast channels in an area through the internet. Right now they are only offering the NYC and Boston areas. Boston was just added. You can watch all the broadcast channels for your area anywhere on the internet.
What I thought was interesting is that they provide a small antenna for every user and just transmit the signals directly to you over the internet with DVR service. Having an antenna for each user lets them avoid fees since it is a free over-the-air broadcast and they are just passing it to you through the internet instead of a wire. This does not provide cable channels but is an interesting new option for people in areas of poor reception. |
05-29-2013, 08:22 AM | #2 |
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Aereo has been decribed as a potential "disruptive technology" in that it could substantially change the future of video broadcasts, cable, networks, etc.
However, there have been, and most likely will continue to be, many court battles over their business model. It'll be interesting to watch (pun intended) For some who may not be aware, if you have purchased a "Smart" TV over the past few years, you essentially have Roku-like capabilities already in your set. Namely, you can stream Netflicks, Hulu, Amazon, etc to your TV if it is connected to the internet. |
05-29-2013, 08:48 AM | #3 | |
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05-29-2013, 12:36 PM | #4 |
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Aereo Information
I inquired about Aereo and got the following answers:
1. Aereo technology can be compared to the HD antenna you would buy and set up in your home. As with your home antenna you would need to to be in the market area to watch the channels available in that area. (In other words you couldn't take the box to Florida and watch the Boston stations) 2. Our membership plans are month to month and there’s no long-term commitment required. 3. You can watch Live TV unlimited, anytime with either memberships, the only difference is the Cloud DVR storage space. 4. Our video streams 720p at its highest quality. I hope this helps anyone trying to decide if they would like it. |
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05-30-2013, 08:13 AM | #5 | |
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I love FREE TV. Most people do not realize that over-the-air (OTA) TV is hi-def. The only caveat is sports. If you love to watch professional sports (and I don't), you only get Sunday network football and other sports playoff games. If you like watching the Bruins, Celtics, RedSox regular season games, they're not OTA. |
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05-30-2013, 08:56 AM | #6 | |
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05-30-2013, 09:06 AM | #7 | |
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It's really just legal trickery. They are not connecting you to the TV stations. They are connecting you to your own personal antenna so you can get the signal. A cute way around the FCC. |
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05-30-2013, 10:44 AM | #8 | |
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It didn't end well for them in court, as I (unfortunately) suspect it won't for Aereo. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...8m-shuts-down/ |
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05-30-2013, 01:52 PM | #9 | |
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It will be interesting to follow the legal sparring. They have apparently won some and lost some. They were blocked in LA but not in NYC. This is from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals April 2013 decision which affirmed a lower court decision denying the major networks' motion for a preliminary injunction barring Aereo from transmitting recorded broadcast television programs to its subscribers:
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05-30-2013, 03:18 PM | #10 | |
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This is one of those 'if they were smart' situations. If they embraced the change, they could influence it and benefit from it. Instead, they'll go kicking and screaming to bankruptcy court. |
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05-30-2013, 07:47 PM | #11 | |
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05-30-2013, 08:06 PM | #12 |
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Antenna
I'm really confused, I suppose I should use Google (I prefer personal knowledge than someone surfing for answers), but maybe there is someone here with personal knowledge. Is the the stated "antenna" something physically you mount on your house, or is it a "virtual" antenna fed by the internet ?
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05-31-2013, 09:58 AM | #13 | |
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There is a real antenna but it is not at your house. Picture hundreds of thumbnail size antenna on a circuit board. Then picture hundreds or thousands of these circuit boards in a room that is in a good location to pick up a strong signal. They could have a million of the tiny antenna in that room. You pay them to connect you to just one of those antenna and you pick up the signal over the internet. The FCC will not allow them to connect you to the TV stations signal without the permission of the station. However they are not connecting you to the TV station they are connecting you to a tiny antenna perfectly placed to pick up the TV stations signal off air. Essentially they are only renting your own personal remote antenna. At least that is their legal theory. |
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05-31-2013, 11:31 AM | #14 |
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How does that disclaimer you often hear during a Red Sox game, i.e. "Any use, rebroadcast of the game can not be done without the express permission, etc. etc.", figure into "rebroadcasting from the antennae?
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05-31-2013, 12:04 PM | #15 | |
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As example, say my house is close to a TV transmitter tower. I put an antenna on my roof and run a long cable to your house. Now say instead of the long cable I video stream it between our houses over the internet. As far as I am aware there is no FCC violation in doing this. The FCC may have a different opinion however. |
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05-31-2013, 12:47 PM | #16 | |
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05-31-2013, 08:08 PM | #17 | |
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With Aereo, the "source" is an antenna, in a location that is not your "home" in any way. Additionally, there are significant technical issues over whether or not those little antennas are *actually* picking up a signal, or just there as a theoretical item to base their claims and business model off of. Alongside this, we're seeing more talk again about ala carte CATV programming options. I think the next 10 years are going to be fairly disruptive to the entrenched broadcast media businesses.
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05-30-2013, 09:25 PM | #18 |
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They're not like that now, but you can bet the signal originators are worried about that in the future, and want to nip this in the bud. Tivo let you skip commercials...originally there was no modification, but now it puts up ones of its own as you FF past them.
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05-29-2013, 05:06 PM | #19 |
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We signed up for the free month of Aereo and used it over the past weekend through our ROKU-we have had ROKU for a few years now. We have Direct TV and have been happy with them but my husband is one who always wants to try out new tech things. You basically get whatever they can pull in from their antennae in Boston(so NO WMUR if that is important to you). The only extra is the Bloomberg cable channel because they have a contract with Aereo. I have read articles that they are in talks with other cable channels to perhaps enter into a contract but no specific channels were named.
So far we have recorded and watched recordings as well as watching live television. we enjoy it. We are going to use it for a while and decide it we keep it or not. At this point in time, it would not be a replacement for DIRECTV but an addition to it. I think the Aereo officially launches tomorrow, we signed up a few months ago for the early invite. |
05-30-2013, 07:57 AM | #20 |
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Review of Aero in today's Boston Globe, including indications of the legal battles to come.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/...amp=newsletter |
11-26-2014, 08:08 AM | #21 |
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I know that this link is a bit old but here is bad news for...
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