Okay, this isn’t calm, collected, or PC…but,
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THE CONTENT PROVIDERS IN THIS WORLD???
Okay, stepping back. Hulu is removing the ability of Boxee to display any Hulu content. If we take them at their word, this is by request of the content providers. I really have just about had it with the TV, movies, and music industries. These events are likely not new to most readers of this blog, but I just find it absurd. We have spent YEARS educating the recording industry that the ways of the past are a failing concept and that they must embrace the new age where consumers want their content when they want it and where they want it. Now, after all of that fighting, we have services like Amazon’s MP3 Store and an iTunes store moving towards a DRM-free music model (I still always buy from the former nowadays).
If you make your content available in a way that consumers can absorb easily, at their discretion, and at an affordable price then piracy diminishes. If not, it thrives. This has been shown time and time again. I used to buy DVD sets of TV shows I liked. For the most part, I don’t do this any longer. I prefer high-definition content (where it makes sense) and I now understand that most of the content won’t be watched over and over. Therefore, I would purchase in Blu-ray or something like the iTunes TV store for shows I truly love. However, even that is a rarity as I think Blu-ray TV and the iTunes Store are (for the most part) VASTLY overpriced unless I want to own it forever. Also, the DRM is painful (more on the latter) as I like to walk the line between Macintosh and Windows and many formats don’t play equally nice on both (think iTunes videos under Windows Media Center – DRM FAIL). So, in many cases, except where I must have the content (rare), I just refuse to buy and stream on a site like Hulu. I don’t go to many other sites due to the forced software installation (I’m looking at you ABC) or ridiculously low amounts of actual full shows.
It’s getting to the point where I will either stop watching some content due to the pain of viewing it. Others will likely just resort to pirating it. The content providers need to understand that monetizing through pre-roll, overlays, banners, etc. need to be used, content needs to be fully available all shows, all episodes (for at least the current season if not more). Content Providers: get with it and do your damn jobs and in turn I will watch your content and maybe, just maybe pay attention to your ads. I will say I notice them on Hulu as their short enough that I don’t look away to something else. If Hulu is being honest, I hold them as innocent in this fight and will continue to use the service, but I wish they would out the idiots who requested this.
Sorry for the rant as I don’t even currently use Boxee, but this is just ridiculous!
Oh, and as always, my opinions and statements are mine alone.
UPDATE:
Okay, I calmed down and felt I could write a less venomous update, but then I saw this on Hulu (bolding added for emphasis):
Episodes 13-17 will be posted on Hulu the day after their TV broadcast. Subsequent episodes will be posted 8 days after their original broadcast date.
Season 4.5 episodes are available for 28 days.
Ugh! The final episodes which started Friday will be delayed for 8 days?!? What are they thinking? Why do the studios seem hell-bent on ensuring that people who want to see their content have very little way to legally?
Pathetic…truly pathetic…
). It looks like they’ve got Josh Brolin playing Hex and I think he could carry the role quite well. Green Lantern just floors me! This could be amazing or it could suck. I assuming this would be an origin story? There’s SO MUCH history to Green Lantern, but how will they handle it all?
According to the 
