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No More Content Middlemen
A Canadian open source extravaganza
(old news - 01:37PM Friday Oct 01 2004)
tags: content
Bob Cringely this month takes a peek at the open-source Wi-Fi movement in Canada, zeroing in on one man who brings all manner of services to his neighbors. Running a Linux server with open source VoIP PBX software and open source MythTV, he pays wholesale prices for digital television content via a C-band satellite, and distributes the content to anyone within range after storing it in MPEG-4 content on his server. It's an interesting tale about removing the middle-man from the content equation.

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Forums » No More Content Middlemen

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ronpin
Imagine Reality

join:2002-12-06
Nirvana
·AT&T Southwest
·Charter Pipeline


edit:
October 1st, @02:00PM

Wow -- He's going down to the man soon

Yeah -- anyone taking bet's here on the date he get's unplugged?
quote:
At this point, intellectual property lawyers are supposed to start reaching for their telephones to call Canada, but it won't do any good because all this content is perfectly legal and here's how. With the exception of local channels, which come from an antenna, all of Andrew's video content comes from a C-band (big dish) satellite receiver (receivers, actually), and is fully paid for. "I buy the channels just like a cable system does or a motel that wants to offer HBO, from the National Programming Service," says Andrew. "And as a result I pay wholesale prices. People don't realize how much of a markup there in is the cable business. The Discovery Networks, for example, cost me $0.26 per customer per month. The IP laws in both the U.S. and Canada say that if I have legal access to this content I can store and use it. And the over-the-air channels, of course, are free."
Even-so, I say the Man "Gonna git 'em"

(edit) The "must carry" laws in the US would force him to also pay for all local channels -- like it or not. Let's not forget local "franchise" requirements as well. Yeah they'll get him on something
joebear29

join:2003-07-20
Alabaster, AL

Re: Wow -- He's going down to the man soon

I could not help but wonder what the legal rights were on distributing recorded content. Ie, I pay to distribute HBO, does that mean I can offer up every movie ever played on HBO on demand to my subscribers, or do I have to show the channel as it is broafcast?

I would have thought you would have to show the basic feed, but I could be misunderstanding.

hurleyp

join:2000-06-20
Ottawa, ON


edit:
October 1st, @03:20PM

Re: Wow -- He's going down to the man soon

Technically it is illegal for Canadians to watch HBO as that channel is not officially sanctioned by the federal authority (CRTC) that is essentially in charge of maintaining Canadian cultural purity. Along with the evil HBO are the Disney Channel, ESPN, Comedy Central, MovieMax, Fox News and many more. Forgive me if I cry no tears if/when this product renders the CRTC completely irrelevant.

What's really cool IMO is the use of that Sharp handheld as a thin client. Talk about thin!
hescominsoon

join:2003-02-18
Brunswick, MD
As long as he keeps paying for the content(which he is doing right now) he can do what he is doing for as long as he wishes.
--
God Blesshttp://www.emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com-- carpe ductum -- "Grab the tape"

deadi
Premium
join:2001-08-26
Perry, OH

Why can VOOM, a satelite provider that claims 35 Hi-Def channels give you a Hi-Def antena to mount on your house and say "here is your local channels". As I understand it, they dont provide local over the dish they give you.

Correct me if wrong, airwaves is airwaves.
--
ERROR:Bad Command or File Name, go stand in corner.

SpitefulCrow
Insert Witty Tag Here
Premium
join:2003-06-04
Berkeley, CA

Re: Wow -- He's going down to the man soon

Satellite providers legally can't rebroadcast local streams.
And you can't receive the local broadcasts with your dish transceiver because a) it's oriented wrong and b) it's probably the wrong size antenna to catch the wavelengths used for VHF/UHF.

totamak
And they call me nuts?

join:2000-10-24
Los Angeles, CA
·DSL EXTREME

Re: Wow -- He's going down to the man soon

Actually they can, but they must retransmit ALL or NOTHING. So they can offer "local" but they can't cherry pick a particular set of stations, they must carry all VHF locals in all markets they serve.
Since they are HDTV focused, the "must carry" rule is likely that they must carry HDTV locals if they do carry. Now in a market like LA where there are about eight HD locals (CBS, NBC, WB, ABC, Fox, UPN, PBS, and KCAL-9 HD) and several ATSC standard def digitals - that would be a huge slam on their capacity. (Those ATSC standard-def are digital equivalents of UHF band content, they may not have to be carried)

So it's smart on VOOM's part not to carry locals.

deadi
Premium
join:2001-08-26
Perry, OH
Who is he using or buying wholesale from? just curious....
--
ERROR:Bad Command or File Name, go stand in corner.

glmclell

join:2000-10-17
Northwest MI
clubs:
·Charter Pipeline

said by ronpin See Profile:
Even-so, I say the Man "Gonna git 'em"

I agree 100%... I'm sure the mpaa has a team working on the 'problem' ... Sovereign Nation and all, Canada and her citizens are not completely immune to greedy American companies.
--
Been brain-washed lately? Remember, CNN is available 24x7 on the air and online - scrub scrub scrub!

DaSneaky1D
Tell me, where is your father?
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-29
The Lou
·Charter Pipeline

Simply incredible!

That was a very illuminating article. Further goes to show that old business models are in a desperate need of change. With the speed at which everything is becoming "IP centric", there will be no limits as to what home-brew users will be able to accomplish, and sell to others...and others be willing to accept!
--
] :: my trivial ramblings :: [

Karl
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech

Re: Simply incredible!

I think it speaks more to how much we could actually do if the planet wasn't run by greedy executives.

Think of it. Oil dependency elimination. Tootbrushes that last more than two months. Digital consumer made content broadcast via open source networks....

DaSneaky1D
Tell me, where is your father?
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-29
The Lou
·Charter Pipeline

Re: Simply incredible!

Very true. If anyone in this country tried to do something like this, it would get buried to deep into the legal system by corporations, that future generations of family members would feel the effect.
--
] :: my trivial ramblings :: [

bmbarnes

join:2003-08-10
Derwood, MD

MythTV, the sweetest peach in this pie

As a user of MythTV (and infrequent blogger of my experience), I am thrilled to see someone scale-up a home video network with enough cards and bandwidth to distribute video to an entire neighborhood. Now, whether or not this is legal I do not know: I rely on the Betamax decision to justify the time shifting of programs. I claim that in the US that Betamax applies to my single PVR machine used by one household (in network with only my own computers, WEP-encrypted in my domicile). I doubt that the law would protect me if I start distributing my signal for money in the apartment building.

machater

join:2003-04-30
Turlock, CA

Wow

I would love to pick his brain on the thin client(s)! That is simply amazing.

RadioDoc
Sortofadog
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
Chicago, IL

But...but...but...isn't he the middleman?

Hobbies are nice, but someone eventually has to pay for all this in any business model. "free" is a myth.
--
Rise and take away their lies
Dan2112

join:2001-08-24
San Jose, CA
clubs:

Re: But...but...but...isn't he the middleman?

Where can one buy content in the states via C-Band and still be legel? What is the National Programming Service?

hurleyp

join:2000-06-20
Ottawa, ON

Re: But...but...but...isn't he the middleman?

National Programming Service: »www.callnps.com/

mamoon

@fdn.com

Just remember

Let's remember that the drive to get this far into the digital realm has mostly been fueled by the money made from it. The bankers (or investors) love to get the interest and the original money back so they can pay their debts(taxes, etc.) and make more money. And so the wheel keeps turning...
Forums » No More Content Middlemen

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