YouTube Joins Hulu In Letting Content Holders Block Access For TV-Connected Devices
from the but-why? dept
We've already covered how Hulu has blocked Boxee and the PS3 from showing video content -- even though all they're really doing is using a different browser -- one that lives on your TV -- to access the same content you can freely access on your computer. techflaws.org writes in to let us know that users of a Western Digital media center recently discovered that the latest upgrade -- driven in large part by Google/YouTube demands -- added some features, but also began blocking content that the content creator deems "not available" for mobile phones or TV. Now it's not clear how long YouTube has offered this functionality -- just that it appears WD has just enabled it -- but it's pissing off some users, understandably.After all, if it's just a browser, why should the content creators care -- and why is Google helping them out in this regard? The line is blurring between various devices anyway and setting a special toggle that lets users block access to videos seen in a perfectly legal fashion on different types of devices seems pretty backwards. It's too bad Google even makes this an option -- and that anyone actually pays attention to it.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: browsers, connected devices, video
Companies: google, hulu, western digital, youtube
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
Nowadays it's easier since most TVs have HDMI/DVI and D-sub connections. There are so many people trying to get MKV files played on their TV. There are no hardware hacks with a PC. You just play 'em. When some new format comes out, you don't wait for firmware update, you just play 'em.
I'm surprised more people aren't doing this. It's certainly not the noise, my Xbox 360 is louder than any PC I've ever had. It sounds like a fricken vacuum!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re:
I totally hated that ?SVGA? to cable to cable-input switch to tv connection I had set up back in the 90's. Is so much easier now.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Which is even more dumbfounding, as in both instances you're using a PC - it really is a stupid fuss over just a different screen and tailor made software.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
that said, it's kinda a joke to call it a TV. i don't actually watch television on it *laughs*
just use it for consoles, dvd players, and the PC... it's more a computer monitor that can be used for the consoles in practice.
but yeah, probably not so common, i guess.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
telnet hulu.com 80
Trying 63.150.131.11...
Connected to hulu.com.
Escape character is '^]'.
GET / HTTP/1.1
Host: www.hulu.com
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Server: nginx
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Status: 200 OK
I could even use my own User-Agent.
telnet hulu.com 80
Trying 69.22.138.131...
Connected to hulu.com.
Escape character is '^]'.
GET / HTTP/1.1
Host: www.hulu.com
User-Agent: Not Boxee
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Server: nginx
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Status: 200 OK
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chrome is the word
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Chrome is the word
They're not blocking IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, or Opera ... they're blocking media-centric hardware & software that is designed to make the web video viewing experience more TV-like.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Chrome is the word
You mean like Microsoft Windows Media Center Edition?
Oh, wait...
They're not blocking that, are they?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Chrome is the word
Oh, wait...
They're not blocking that, are they?
Oh wait, they pay more license fees to YouTube, are they?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Chrome is the word
But then counters by using MS MCE as an example of media-center software still able to view YouTube?
Wow.
Debate fail.
But to answer your point, it's because the content creators haven't rallied to get MCE on the list of devices to block with the YouTube option that they (not Google) turn on per video.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Chrome is the word
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Chrome is the word
How do you know that? (And if they haven't, why not?) Do you have a reliable source for that assertion or are you just making stuff up? (That would be dishonest.)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Chrome is the word
They have a built in content base with YouTube and are obviously guarding it. It will be easy for them to build/contract other content streams and what better way to control the game than to be the de facto media center software provider? Don’t tell me they haven’t thought of this, I won’t believe you if you do.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
"Do no evil"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: "Do no evil"
It's the content creators that are instigating the evil. Google just gave them the noose to do it, and shares in the hanging, but it's the content creators that are pulling the rope.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Easy Fix
http://www.ypass.net/blog/2009/06/got-a-ps3-want-hulu-back-easy-enough/
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Block Chrome?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Simple
As for simplicity, all someone has to do is write a proxy server app that changes the browser id....
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Simple
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Bah
Preventing me from listening to Madonna makes sense (sort of), at least insofar as stopping me from listening to the music on my cell phone will force me to buy the CD, as their logic goes.
But totally random shit like "Powerthirst" won't show up in the mobile version.
Of course, this doesn't stop me at all. I just open SkyFire and view the videos with that. It doesn't stop me. Hell, it doesn't even make it more difficult. It just pisses me off.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
What about the FAT+
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Some more
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
'nuf said.
What a bunch of losers, All this does is encourage piracy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
I don't think what I use on my Xbox has been blocked yet.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Net-Neutrality
Those opposed to net neutrality regulation talk in terms of the engineering need to manage the network, which is a legitimate concern. However, they disingenuously avoid discussing that their desire to be free from regulation is NOT really about the engineering but a management issue; the ability of management to control the distribution of content for any reason and for whatever business purpose management decides.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
An Old Notebook is the Best Hack
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: An Old Notebook is the Best Hack
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Script blockers
I suspect the reason to any of these dingbats wants you to use specific viewers is so they can track your behavior. If they let you use whatever browser you want, usage data may not get back to them because their scripts get intercepted or blocked.
It's the only thing that makes sense. None of these guys develop viewers to make the users happy - why would they? There are a jillion of them out there already. There's no sense in reinventing the wheel, especially when you consider what it costs to do so. But, if you consider that they develop viewers to make themselves happy from a control and data collection standpoint, then you can see a motivation.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Asus O!Play too?
Fortunately, it's easily fixed. The config files are just XML, so you just have to make the partition read/write. There is a community for this at www.minimodding.com.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
youtube bluetooth audio
[ link to this | view in chronology ]