Watching Television Shows Online - Videos Locked

So, I just encountered something I haven't seen before, and hope doesn't become a trend (but probably will).

Went on the TNT website to watch an episode of a show I missed and found that all of their full episodes are locked and you have to use a login/password from your cable company or satellite provider. From what I can gather they locked them sometime in September.

Not a huge deal because there are obviously plenty of places online that host shows. Just thought it was really dumb of them because I would usually use the channel site over some random upload so that I was at least supporting the channel. But now, I'll just go to another site to watch it just on principal.

I think just the fact that those arent free channels to begin with, it makes sense for them to make sure you have access to those channels before you can stream it online. just a way for them not to give away free content.

Yeah, but they're the only ones doing it right now, and they make some revenue from advertising on the site and from the video. If someone doesn't have cable/satellite, and they are forced to go to a different site to watch it, then they've lost that hit on the website. With the availability of the same content on dozens of other sites, you'd think they'd be trying to keep people on their site instead of forcing people to go elsewhere.

Hulu locks FOX and CW shows until 8 days after they air.

ah, i see what you mean...hopefully the other stations don't copy this trend. it'd be a shame if it happens

edit. looks like a turner network requirement for all online episodes

I don't know if this pertains, but they have Verizon Fios on Xbox 360, but you can't access it without first having Verizon Fios. If you already have the service on your tv, why would you turn on another device to access the exact same thing?

[quote name='GuyWithGun']If someone doesn't have cable/satellite, and they are forced to go to a different site to watch it, then they've lost that hit on the website. With the availability of the same content on dozens of other sites, you'd think they'd be trying to keep people on their site instead of forcing people to go elsewhere.[/QUOTE]

Basic cable isn't free and it isn't a "right." No one is "forcing" you to watch illegally.

Is this thread seriously about cable companies not giving out free shows? WTF. . .

Back in my day when you missed an episode of a show, you had to wait until the rerun to catch what you missed the first time around. That was some seriously detrimental stuff, too. You miss one week and suddenly you have no idea if Darlene is currently dating David or if he's just living there, and then Becky goes and mysteriously changes bodies...

[quote name='Kerig']Back in my day when you missed an episode of a show, you had to wait until the rerun to catch what you missed the first time around. That was some seriously detrimental stuff, too. You miss one week and suddenly you have no idea if Darlene is currently dating David or if he's just living there, and then Becky goes and mysteriously changes bodies...[/QUOTE]

Tell me about it. I missed the original airing of "The Puerto Rican Day" episode of Seinfeld. Due to the controversy about the flag incident and it not airing in reruns for years, I didn't see it until over five years later.

[quote name='pacifickarma']Basic cable isn't free and it isn't a "right." No one is "forcing" you to watch illegally.[/QUOTE]


You are correct, that's why I pay for it.


But the best business models usually agree that the more you can get your name out the more people will be likely to purchase your product. And for a product that can easily be pirated and offered for free elsewhere, it was interesting for me to see they locked their shows and prevented potential customers from consistently coming to their site. I know a few people who have started watching a show or two regularly online and ended up getting a cable subscription because they got into the show and wanted to watch it on TV. These people also purchased the box sets.

[quote name='basilofbkrst']Is this thread seriously about cable companies not giving out free shows? WTF. . .[/QUOTE]

Not really. More about companies choosing to push away potential customers. They still get revenue from online viewings. I am not able to provided numbers, but you still have to wonder about how much revenue is generated by both the number of people who already have cable that also still watch the shows online, and the number that don't have cable that watch the shows online. And wonder about how much of my monthly bill actually goes to that specific channel vs. how much money the website earns every time I watch a video.

As is mentioned above, many cable subscribers use the online service to catch up on old shows they missed, and every commercial they watch and every hit the site gets, the more desirable it is to advertise on their site and the more money they get.

It just seems to me that this would have been a business decision made back in the early days of the internet when people were optimistic about pirating and availability of their product online. Then they would have realized that it was much better for business to offer the product for free and bring back those online customers that had since migrated to other sites to get the same product.


Anyway, I completely agree it is the 100% individual channels right to choose whether to offer the content on their website or not. Just saying it's an interesting decision that I hope doesn't catch on, and that I believe is not a good business move.

[quote name='McCHitman']I don't know if this pertains, but they have Verizon Fios on Xbox 360, but you can't access it without first having Verizon Fios. If you already have the service on your tv, why would you turn on another device to access the exact same thing?[/QUOTE]

I don't know... the only answer I can think of is if you don't have multiple HD boxes in your house. I only have one but I hook up my Xbox to the same TV so that doesn't help me but I can see how others might get some use out of it.

One thing I've noticed that annoys the shit outta me is how the OTA networks(ABC, CBS, NBC, etc) don't have every show that they just aired on their site to watch. I missed an episode or two of the Monday night shows on CBS and I wanted to catch up online via their site. But they only had clips of one or two of the shows while they had the full episode up for the other 1-2 I missed that night.

[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']One thing I've noticed that annoys the shit outta me is how the OTA networks(ABC, CBS, NBC, etc) don't have every show that they just aired on their site to watch. I missed an episode or two of the Monday night shows on CBS and I wanted to catch up online via their site. But they only had clips of one or two of the shows while they had the full episode up for the other 1-2 I missed that night.[/QUOTE]

CBS is the only major network out of the big 4 not putting their content on Hulu. I think they were part of something called Fancast before, but they pulled off that service too. I wish CBS would put their content somewhere else online. You can only watch 2-3 weeks of Survivor at a time.

[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']One thing I've noticed that annoys the shit outta me is how the OTA networks(ABC, CBS, NBC, etc) don't have every show that they just aired on their site to watch. I missed an episode or two of the Monday night shows on CBS and I wanted to catch up online via their site. But they only had clips of one or two of the shows while they had the full episode up for the other 1-2 I missed that night.[/QUOTE]

Yeah Fox puts theirs up a week later, which is cool, but if I missed a show then I have to wait a week. Problem is that I can't watch the new episode that week because I haven't seen the previous one. It's a viscious cycle.

[quote name='GuyWithGun']Yeah Fox puts theirs up a week later, which is cool, but if I missed a show then I have to wait a week. Problem is that I can't watch the new episode that week because I haven't seen the previous one. It's a viscious cycle.[/QUOTE]
What I would do in that situation is then record the current episode, watch the prior week's episode on the website, then watch the current episode right after that last one. Problem solved then.

But this is why I rarely get involved in watching serial tv shows anymore and stick to shows that only sporadically might do a multiple episode story arc.

You can get high quality video I think if you have one of the cable providers listed.

I watch all my shows on free sites though, as I just watch on my laptop. With an HDTV or something it wouldn't look so nice.

[quote name='kirby145']You can get high quality video I think if you have one of the cable providers listed.

I watch all my shows on free sites though, as I just watch on my laptop. With an HDTV or something it wouldn't look so nice.[/QUOTE]
You mean the On Demand type services, right? We don't get that on the basic cable lineup with Comcast. I don't even think we would've had it at our prior service level($60 a month, which included 5-10 crappy sports channels I never watched save for old American Gladiators n the occasional classic pro wrestling from the 50's n 60's).

So unfortunately as of now watching stuff via the channels individual websites is my best option if I miss an episode, but not apparently if you wanna watch some shows from CBS n other providers.