Mobile/PDA About Us Advertise here


		User name	Password

		Not registered yet? Register here. Lost your password? Click here.

Browse by topic

News

HBO On Broadband debuts in Wisconsin

21 January 2008 0:56 by Rich "vurbal" Fiscus | 4 comments

In a move over a year in the making, HBO has announced that it will begin trials of its online video service, dubbed HBO On Broadband. The service will be tested in two different Wisconsin markets - Green Bay and Milwaukee - and be available only to those who subscribe to both HBO and broadband internet from the same cable television provider.

The offering has been planned since at least 2006, but has been slow getting out of the gate because of the HBO's concerns about harming their relationship with cable providers, who would no doubt not be happy to have HBO essentially bypassing them to service customers. For now there will be no additional cost, beyond what consumers are already paying for HBO, to access the content.

"It encourages customers to take our bundle and keep it," says Peter Stern, executive VP at Time Warner Cable, which says 365,000 Wisconsin customers will have access to the new service.

Much like other online Video On Demand services from television networks and stations, HBO On Broadband will allow customers to download current content to their computer and keep it for a limited amount of time for playback. Variety is reporting the amount of time a show may be kept as a few weeks.

Apparently HBO isn't in any great hurry to rush into online VOD, which should be good for customers. Rather, they've said they'll roll it out to a few markets at a time in a way that HBO co-prexy Eric Kessler, who oversees the new platform, says should be "similar to the one executed on the successful introduction of HBO On Demand." He added, "This will create value for our distribution partners, our subscribers and the HBO brand,"

Of course, if you subscribe to HBO through a satellite service or don't get your broadband internet through your local cable provider it doesn't really add anything for you, which is no doubt what the cable companies like about it.

Permalink to this article

US VOD viewing up 59% over last year in first quarter (30 May 2008)

Viacom and MGM to launch new premium cable channel (21 April 2008)

DirecTV begins beta testing video on demand (13 March 2008)

Nearly 200,000 USD claim for Pirate Bay (31 January 2008)

ReelTime.com adds cartoons to their pay streaming service (29 January 2008)

Low end ATI cards add HD DVD, Blu-ray playback (23 January 2008)

Time Warner divisions seem conflicted over internet video (21 January 2008)

Do Apple's online video rentals really have a chance? (19 January 2008)

Blockbuster stock drops in response to Apple movie rental announcement (15 January 2008)

Netflix Watch Instantly no longer works with older Windows MCE versions (14 January 2008)

Netflix expands Internet viewing option (13 January 2008)

HBO moves to Blu-ray as well (9 January 2008)

CES 2008: Studio executives reveal online strategy for coming year (8 January 2008)

Analyst predicts beginning of the end for DVD (27 December 2007)

Annual on-demand video revenue to reach $6 billion within 5 years (19 December 2007)

Vudu goes hi-def (15 November 2007)

HBO to use MPEG-4 for HD channels (23 June 2007)

HBO CTO says DRM needs a name change (13 May 2007)

« Previous news article
Retailers make room for Blu-ray

Next news article »
New company to assist Blu-ray studios with "quality control"

Post your comment

Discuss this article!
fgamer (Member) 21 January 2008 13:29
I suppose i'll have to check it out to see what it's worth. [ + quote]
koqenbalz (Newbie) 21 January 2008 17:13
Gotta check out HBO On Broadband (H-BOOB!!!) Wow, I don't think I could've been more immature!!! [ + quote]
Blackjax (Member) 22 January 2008 4:07
That was kind of funny! I wonder when skin-a-max is going to make it's debut? [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 22 January 2008 4:08
borhan9 (AfterDawn Addict) 17 February 2008 17:39
Here we go again another movie studio like time warner HBO wants to spread its wing and enter the broadband internet market. On top of that more of the same online High Definition video. [ + quote]