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View Full Version : Why don't TV stations stream through Internet?



Bou
August 21st, 2008, 10:48 AM
My questions applies to radio stations as well. I mean, some of my country's TV stations seem to broadcast news over the Internet using the MMS protocol (here (mms://a1112.l2787656766.c27876.e.lm.akamaistream.net/D/1112/27876/v0001/reflector:56766)'s an example) but none of the main channels stream their usual programs, real-time.

Same happens with radio stations: most let you listen to them through their homepage, using flash. but very few give a valid MMS stream that you can use straight from your media player.

What's the reason for this? Since it's in their best interest to get the widest possible audience, wouldn't it be a good idea to offer live streams? P2PTV programs exist too, so bandwidth shouldn't be a problem either. Why isn't this being widely used already?

Archmage
August 21st, 2008, 10:58 AM
Because of the Copyrights (or the lack of it). Why should watch people a movie in the cinema, when they can watch it for free in the internet? (Because movies come out at different times and sometimes they show it in tv already in one country, why it is still coming in an other country).

Mateo
August 21st, 2008, 11:44 AM
Streaming video is expensive due to bandwith costs.

Bou
August 21st, 2008, 12:07 PM
Because of the Copyrights (or the lack of it). Why should watch people a movie in the cinema, when they can watch it for free in the internet? (Because movies come out at different times and sometimes they show it in tv already in one country, why it is still coming in an other country).

That kinda makes sense. Does anyone know if that's legally true, though? Do TV stations have a geographical limit for they broadcasts, or are they legally entitled to broadcast a specific movie only in a certain area when they purchase the broadcast rights?


Streaming video is expensive due to bandwith costs.

True, but that problem is easy to overcome through P2PTV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P2PTV) and shouldn't be a problem.

Archmage
August 21st, 2008, 12:13 PM
That kinda makes sense. Does anyone know if that's legally true, though? Do TV stations have a geographical limit for they broadcasts, or are they legally entitled to broadcast a specific movie only in a certain area when they purchase the broadcast rights?

At least in my country they did only buy for broadcasting in my country. If you have an IP outside the country that you can't see it.

Did you ever try to watch an episode from CBS outside of the US or from BBC if you are outside the UK?

Bou
August 21st, 2008, 12:20 PM
Did you ever try to watch an episode from CBS outside of the US or from BBC if you are outside the UK?

Not really, how could I try? Just curious.

AndyCooll
August 21st, 2008, 12:28 PM
Well if you go to BBC's Live Olympics page (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/live_action/7573668.stm) right now, if you're in the UK you can watch a live streaming broadcast of the programme that's also being simultaneously broadcast on the tv channel.

If you're not in the UK you're unlikely to be able to watch this.

It shows that live streaming can be done and controlled (to an extent). I think there are all sorts of legal and copyright issues in obtaining the rights to stream material. Streaming one event is one thing, continuously streaming a channel and obtaining legal permissions for each and every programme is something else.

:cool:

Bou
August 21st, 2008, 12:42 PM
Well if you go to BBC's Live Olympics page (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/live_action/7573668.stm) right now, if you're in the UK you can watch a live streaming broadcast of the programme that's also being simultaneously broadcast on the tv channel.

If you're not in the UK you're unlikely to be able to watch this.

That's right, I can't see it.


It shows that live streaming can be done and controlled (to an extent). I think there are all sorts of legal and copyright issues in obtaining the rights to stream material. Streaming one event is one thing, continuously streaming a channel and obtaining legal permissions for each and every programme is something else.

That's probably right. Being able to get to those people who don't even have a TV in front of them should still be quite attractive, though. Especially if those people will be able to watch their programs later anyway, minus the ads. If they can, in fact, control who gets to watch their shows, one would think it should be worth the hassle.

mips
August 21st, 2008, 01:21 PM
Not really, how could I try? Just curious.

Use a proxy server situated in the country the stream is from.

Chessmaster
August 21st, 2008, 01:40 PM
Use a proxy server situated in the country the stream is from.

What is the best way to do that? I would love to watch some of the BBC programs but can't as I don't live in the UK.

mips
August 21st, 2008, 02:07 PM
What is the best way to do that? I would love to watch some of the BBC programs but can't as I don't live in the UK.


If you want to watch something from a UK stream just google 'UK proxy server' and you should get a list of available proxy servers in that country, use the one with the lowest latency . Take the IP address & port of the proxy server and et your browser to use them as a proxy server. You will find it in your browsers settings somewhere.

I have not tried this but is should work.

adamogardner
August 21st, 2008, 02:21 PM
here, watch any tv you choose by placeing a slngbox next to your set. the box then transmits to your computer. I don't think you need the tv on, and I think people can use the tv while your watchiong a different program through the sling box. The best way though is select to use a tv with the most premium chnannels. Let me know if I'm wrong about any of this. here's the link. enjoy" http://www.slingmedia.com/

sweeney276
August 21st, 2008, 02:41 PM
Because of the Copyrights (or the lack of it). Why should watch people a movie in the cinema, when they can watch it for free in the internet? (Because movies come out at different times and sometimes they show it in tv already in one country, why it is still coming in an other country).

Copyright has nothing to do with it: copyright infringement is only applicable when the item is copied, and even then its OK for personal use. The problem is the licensing.

Broacasters like the BBC with their iPlayer, like to have control over how the broadcast is used, and in this example restricted the formats that it can be disseminated. In the UK, the BBC have in its charter a commitment to making its programmes available to all: This where more pressure might be applied. But the commitment of the BBC is to its licence-payers only, so if you do not have a TV licence in the UK, you will be fined if you try to receive TV on your computer without a licence....

adamogardner
August 21st, 2008, 03:09 PM
But the commitment of the BBC is to its licence-payers only, so if you do not have a TV licence in the UK, you will be fined if you try to receive TV on your computer without a licence....

You can get bbc as it airs right from a slingbox

ssam
August 21st, 2008, 03:26 PM
its a waste of bandwidth. it gets even worse if you use peer to peer (you just spread the problem out).

the ideal solution to getting a high bandwidth stream from one place to many places is by radiowaves.

Chessmaster
August 21st, 2008, 04:02 PM
its a waste of bandwidth. it gets even worse if you use peer to peer (you just spread the problem out).

the ideal solution to getting a high bandwidth stream from one place to many places is by radiowaves.

Hasn't google been buy up radio frequencies no longer used by TV Stations in the US (as TV moves to satellite/cable) to do just that in the future. One would download via radiowaves and upload over a normal internet connection. I am pretty sure I read it somewhere.

Not a bad idea anyway. So if you see some radio frequencies available cheap, buy them up asap..they could earn you a fortune one day ;)

smartboyathome
August 21st, 2008, 04:44 PM
If you want to watch something from a UK stream just google 'UK proxy server' and you should get a list of available proxy servers in that country, use the one with the lowest latency . Take the IP address & port of the proxy server and et your browser to use them as a proxy server. You will find it in your browsers settings somewhere.

I have not tried this but is should work.

Cool, tried it in Firefox, it works. Just go to Preferences > Advanced > Network > Settings. I found UK proxies here (http://www.xroxy.com/proxy-country-GB.htm). One question, though: Is this legal? I turned the proxy off, but I want to make sure that I'm not doing anything that could get me in trouble.

swoll1980
August 21st, 2008, 05:19 PM
In the US it's because of local advertisers. Any time something threatens the ability of small businesses to get local air time, the lawyers start crawling out of the wood work.

mips
August 21st, 2008, 07:55 PM
Cool, tried it in Firefox, it works. Just go to Preferences > Advanced > Network > Settings. I found UK proxies here (http://www.xroxy.com/proxy-country-GB.htm). One question, though: Is this legal? I turned the proxy off, but I want to make sure that I'm not doing anything that could get me in trouble.

Probably not legal but I don't see anyone getting in trouble either. For all intense purposes they think they are streaming to an IP address in the UK which they are, it just gets relayed to you though. They can't see what is happening beyond the proxy server. The world is full of proxy servers. Do what your consience tells you.

kflorek
August 21st, 2008, 09:17 PM
The US is all I know. The networks are just trying to get the largest amount of viewers they can, and they figure that is by going through local station. (And cable companies cannot, by law, use the local's signal in a way contrary to whatever the local chooses, or use a another areas signal of the same network.)

Networks guarantee to their locals an exclusive in their area (to the extent of radio propagation), so that locals will carry the programming. The locals are paid to carry the networks programs, and also get in-kind payment by way of some amount of time for their local commercials.

If the networks were to put the show on the internet, they would be bypassing the locals, and the networks do what the locals prefer because this still gives the largest audience. The network does not like to let locals put their shows on the internet because then other areas could get the show bypassing another local. Yes locals would like to put the show on their internet website to expand their viewer-ship, but that could be by cutting into some one else's. Sometimes you can get the shows after the original broadcast time.