Hulu vs. PS3 - The response

[EricJ]

E-mailed Hulu.com a while back, thinking the PS3 block was a "technical" problem (hah! )
It took them this long to respond, but at least we have what seems to be the official default press response:

Thanks for writing. In order to answer your question, some context might be helpful.

For decades, the TV/movie industry has built its business model on a windowing strategy. Content rights are granted for limited time periods across specific distribution channels. For example, a movie starts in theaters, then moves to pay-per-view and DVD, then to pay-cable channels, later to broadcast, and so on down the line. Similarly, TV shows are available on TV first, then in repeats, then to DVD and possibly syndication, etc.

Distribution availability across platforms -- theaters vs. TV vs. recorded media like DVDs vs. online streaming vs. mobile phones -- was always implicitly or explicitly controlled in that world. But a few factors have made the barriers between those platforms more permeable: the rise of the web, increased broadband availability, the ease of digitizing video, and the increase in the computing power of devices like gaming consoles, set-top boxes, and mobile phones.

However, in the near-term, the windowing strategy is still dominant in the
business. Billions of dollars flow in across these different windows, and entire
companies are organized around them. Nothing productive comes from flouting that reality (except to law firms who work on the occasional lawsuit).

We do, however, expect these windows to converge over time. There's no way around that, and we're working hard with all of our partners to guide and participate in this important transition in the business. Everything we do is with an eye toward achieving our long-term goal of maximizing the content you can access as conveniently as possible in a way that "works" for the content owner. In the short-term that may require us to make some tough decisions, but we only do so when we believe it improves our long-term prospects to build a more enduring, legal solution to that same problem.

We hear your frustration, and solving it remains our full-time job.
Thanks,

Rob
Hulu

...So there you have it:
As much as I can decipher, they don't seem to be clear on what a PS3 does, but since it's Neat-o Technical, they seem to be convinced we're using it to pirate downloadable content. (Foreign-access block aside.)

Somebody needs to talk.

[Marine Mike]

I guess they are basically stating that they'll start charging PS3 users.

[Breakpoint25]

All I know is that there are specifically targeting the PS3. Some site tested using FIREFOX and mimiced the browser to send out a signal that it was a "PS3" and it would let them in.

[Rike255]

Perhaps they're putting a block up temporarily while they figure out technicalities in a new piece of equipment. To avoid getting in trouble they need to figure out exactly what the PS3 can be used for (ie pirating mechanism etc), once they decide it has the same functionality as a PC and can be classified that way maybe the block will be removed?

[alphapyro]

no, somebody just has their hands down Hulu's pants and is jingling with a firm grip to make sure content can't be accessed via PS3.


Hulu does partner with NBC, NBC is affiliated with Microsoft. As in, they are in bed together hot and passionately.


Just looking at facts here - not implying A THING.

[McGarnigal]

There was an article somewhere.. Hulu/NBC executives said they want to keep Hulu a PC only experience and purposely blocked out the PS3

[saprano]

Is this a first response exclusive?

[saprano]

Originally Posted by alphapyro

no, somebody just has their hands down Hulu's pants and is jingling with a firm grip to make sure content can't be accessed via PS3.


Hulu does partner with NBC, NBC is affiliated with Microsoft. As in, they are in bed together hot and passionately.


Just looking at facts here - not implying A THING.

This wouldn't be to far from the truth unfortunately. and what first came to mind when they blocked the PS3.

[Papi4baby]

Maybe we should be beating on Sony's door. So they can shake up Hulu and get an answer. Sony has the pull to do this. And once they find out what's going on, make it public.

I honestly think it is also MS playing their hand to keep the PS3 media access limited.

[tntkain]

Well it didn't get blocked until Bing became a sponsor.

[Simplayer]

Originally Posted by alphapyro

no, somebody just has their hands down Hulu's pants and is jingling with a firm grip to make sure content can't be accessed via PS3.


Hulu does partner with NBC, NBC is affiliated with Microsoft. As in, they are in bed together hot and passionately.


Just looking at facts here - not implying A THING.

Aren't NBC shows on the PSN?

[Cplhicks]

That is the lamest explanation I've ever seen. Why not just say "pcs only" or "MS paid us" or something that at least makes sense? There's no "window" here from broadcast to PC airing of FREE OTA content, so this is just a lot of political speech type "distract them from the subject, oh hey look over there, isn't that pretty? What was I talking about again?" avoidance technique. Weak, Hulu, weak.

[Clark Kent]

This boils down to the content owners. Hulu is just a distribution mechanism for shows we all want to watch. The content owners are fine with the limited amount of money they currently receive from Hulu if they believe that the content is mostly being viewed on a tiny computer screen. But boxes like the PS3 are typically tied to large-screen televisions which encroaches on the traditional territory of dvds and Blu-rays and cable television. The content owners want more money from Hulu to broadcast shows into your living room.

[EricJ]

Again, as best as I can decipher, it sounds like--being old executives who don't own those new Playstation things the young kids are into--they're not sure why gamers would be using a console and not a PC to access the site (uh, because we like to watch shows in our living rooms?), and seem to be under the impression we're secretly hacking or pirating the material somehow.
Either that, or they have it confused with the X-Box, think that they have to set up some private gamer-access network a la X-Box/Netflix, and don't want to go that direction.

Sent back an e-mail politely implying "Youuuuu....don't really know what a PS3 is, do you? " (albeit in grownup business etiquette to that effect), and we shall see the response.
Although not likely to be any, as the customer has now been pawned off with his Default Press Statement and should be happy and grateful.

[FSUGeoff]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Again, as best as I can decipher, it sounds like--being old executives who don't own those new Playstation things the young kids are into--they're not sure why gamers would be using a console and not a PC to access the site (uh, because we like to watch shows in our living rooms?), and seem to be under the impression we're secretly hacking or pirating the material somehow.
Either that, or they have it confused with the X-Box, think that they have to set up some private gamer-access network a la X-Box/Netflix, and don't want to go that direction.

Sent back an e-mail politely implying "Youuuuu....don't really know what a PS3 is, do you? " (albeit in grownup business etiquette to that effect), and we shall see the response.
Although not likely to be any, as the customer has now been pawned off with his Default Press Statement and should be happy and grateful.

This basically a catch-all statement that if Sony wants access to NBC content they want $$$ and Sony isn't in the business of paying anyone (unlike another platform that has adopted many 3rd party exclusive titles with $$) Basically they want Sony to play ball since Hulu has become big business recently (stepped up advertising) and they see it as a value added feature to the PS3. (This is the same reason X360 has netflix and PS3 doesn't) Sony won't pay for something they think should be accessible, and the PS3 owners are hurt in the process.

The only solution would be to call Sony and tell them how much you want Hulu, but if you look at the economics of the situation the PSN is a free online service, while Xbox live isn't, thus Microsoft is in a better position to negotiate and deal with 3rd party vendors. Not to mention as a company Sony is hurting right now. (Why PS3 prices can't go down) Also noteworthy is that the PSN at least as far as the PSP and the forthcoming PSP Go are concerned is going to adopt that App Store business model, letting micro programmers distribute smaller software packages with a much more lenient approval and authentication process. Maybe this will help improve profitability (even if it loads the PSN with junkware)

Ok that was kind of rambling and all over the place, but hopefully it made sense to some people

[ThePhantomOak]

Originally Posted by saprano

This wouldn't be to far from the truth unfortunately. and what first came to mind when they blocked the PS3.

When I said this a while ago (as many others did) some good ol' BR.com posters claimed it was silly...or worse.

I dont see how this is not a targeting PS3 specifically move for the benefit of MS. I would need hard evidence that it is not. Maybe Microsoft going out of business and the PS3 still being blocked would make me believe.

[EricJ]

Actually, reading it again and taking another stab at the translation,

But a few factors have made the barriers between those platforms more permeable: the rise of the web, increased broadband availability, the ease of digitizing video, and the increase in the computing power of devices like gaming consoles, set-top boxes, and mobile phones...
There's no way around that, and we're working hard with all of our partners to guide and participate in this important transition in the business.

I'm going to change my stance and go with Clark Kent on this one:
They didn't expect downloading to have a living-room "killer app" out there, and now it's caught the sales market of what was basically a sideline for network shows off guard.

I only watch classic-reruns, not current shows, and it may be Exhibit B that most of the classic-boxset shows on Hulu and Crackle are incomplete (with a disclaimer at the bottom of "Now available on DVD!")
Where shows aren't available, we now also have "Minisodes", which are purportedly to save us downloading time and archive space, but may also be to entice us to buy the complete thing on hard-disk.

IOW, they want the best of both worlds: They want to believe the "Downloading is the future!" idiots, but they don't want to hurt the boxset model, and now they're getting a careful-what-you-wish-for taste of what's happening when we are downloading.
Granted, I'd still rather have my hard-disks without advertising, but either they didn't honestly expect us to watch shows on our laptop, or they didn't know why they got into the streaming market in the first place.

[LynxFX]

We provide content for Hulu, well and partly own it, I'll ask one of their techs and see what's up.

[alphapyro]

Originally Posted by Simplayer

Aren't NBC shows on the PSN?

Don't you have to pay for them?

[Marine Mike]

Originally Posted by alphapyro

Don't you have to pay for them?

So do you think that Sony is blocking it as its a competitor for the Video on Demand service?