Why Cable TV is Obsolete.

Well then people will start using encryption, bounce through hosts in countries with no data retention laws etc.. the point is that it's impossible to stop if there isn't a local monitoring device in every single computer out there. The content providers should rather embrace new technologies and get paid for what they provide instead of being scared and try to get it blocked with laws.

I don't download tv-shows because I'm too cheap to pay for cable, I do it because I get a surperior product, when I want it.

 

sometimes it's just nice to get off the computer,
kick back and watch some Discovery Channel or movies in high def.

Probably old news, but the Cable company here is getting in to providing digital phone service, while the Telco company is getting in to providing TV service.
Eventually it'll all converge to watching your computer on tv.

 

Maybe not...

In the UK if you are in possesion of an encrypted file, and the police come knocking, you must either hand over the crypto keys, or go directly to jail (do not even think of collecting £200 on your way through!)

 

Cable TV will adapt. They already have on-demand channels (I have 20 of them) where you call call up a movie or show at will (free, of course). Then there are the channel flippers, people who are never happy with what's on, short attention span. Cable Tv has already had to deal with Satellite, and is winning that battle (at least in my area) with on-demand services (satellite can't do that, at least not yet) The only thing I download is something that is new, and not available yet, or is not available at all. And, the cable companies can offer discounted internet and phone service on one bill to keep you as a customer.. these people are always testing the market to keep themselves in the game.. Oh, and our local phone company is now offering directv without a dish, over your phone line (how'd they do that?)

-RonMo

 

Exactly what I've been trying to tell people. Not only are they more controlling, they'll do anything to get MORE control continually.

 

Sure.. we just all download any show that we want to see and hope that the television companies will magically come up with funds to make new shows. Sounds a bit far fetched doesn't it?

 

Like drugs, I think people will always be able to get free stuff online underground. The MPAA, RIAA, and cable companies will continue to make money because as others in this thread have said, people will go out and initially purchase the product before cracking it and distributing it on a network.

The companies will still generate money of the initial sales, but its the long term sales that may hurt a little.

 

There will always be a small percentage that get it illegally, but with pressure in the right places prosecutions will stay at a high enough level to keep that percentage low.

 

I dont think tv will go away. Live programming via a box will always be around. Heck even in scifi films it exists.

 

- If you mask your connect by going thru other hosts, its realisticly impossible to trace down the person. It's just too much work and every chasing every individual is impossible.

- Where is this budget going to come from? Who is going to be funding these things to go into every person who is a suspect.

- In Canada you are allowed to file-share and ISPs dont have to give information out regarding such cases.

- It's impossible to stop anything online because of offshore countries. Take spamming for one, You think the CANSPAM act had any effect on the medium-large timers. Most of them are located in the united states, but their servers are offshore.

- They dont even have the budget to raise awareness to University high-jacked computers. Most of IRC xdcc bots are those and there are over million of them. Which isnt even a big factor in file sharing.

 

The copyright holders have plenty of money!

And they only need to track down 5%-10% of the criminals - almost all the rest will get too scared when they see the number of people getting huge fines or going to jail!

At the moment there is not enough P2P to really cause any harm, but if it does grow to the point where it threatens the existence of major companies then you will find they fight hard and fight dirty.

Oh, and spam is a very different thing - spam has one offender that can be anywhere, and a whole bunch of victims that would love to stop it. If the offender is in Thingystan or somewhere else that doesn't want to stop them then there isn't a huge amount that can be done. However P2P needs an offender at each end, one of whom will, almost certainly, be in a country that does care about stopping it. You can go to lots of effort to hide, but someone with enough desire can always track you down. Just look at how quickly they track down the communications paths used by terrorists or virus launchers! All you can hope to do by hiding is hope that you hide better than the next guy - and that once they get him they forget about you.

 

I wont even argue with you anymore obviously you just proved to be a victim of media brainwash with no first hand expirience on the subject to provide a valid statement other then the information you read about somewhere.

 

I'm not your average P2P user, I once owned 20,000 songs.

I don't think anything will replace TV. It's an experience. I watch TV with family, I watch the news, movies, soaps, documentries with family - it wouldn't be the same if we watched a computer screen.

Secondly, effort. I can easily download the whole of season 2 of Lost, but I honestly can't be bothered. I can't be bothered to type it into the little box and leave my computer on overnight. I like waiting every Wednesday before I'm allowed to watch it, it gives me something to look forward to.

Not to mention that the only station which would survive would be BBC (maybe CBC?). Which is a good station, but would lead to the end of about 75% of the TV programmes I watch.

 

sattellite or just use itunes for tv shows lol

 

And then you have people like me, living in countries where the shows are broadcasted years after they are made, if at all - on the other hand I do have a 100Mbit Internet connection...