HBO will offer free movies online
HBO, cable’s most popular premium channel, is carefully entering the arena of Internet video. The channel, a subsidiary of Time Warner, will introduce HBO on Broadband starting this week to subscribers in Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wis., then spread the service slowly to other parts of the country. The free service will allow access to about 400 hours of movies and original programming each month. It will be made available only to people already subscribing to HBO, and it will be marketed and delivered through cable operators. “There are a lot of people, particularly young people, who are watching TV through the PC. We wanted to create a product for them,” said Eric Kessler, a co-president of HBO.
Most major television networks already make much of their programming available free on the Internet. But as a channel with 29 million subscribers, HBO cannot afford to bypass its cable partners. While most networks have embraced browser-based streaming video, HBO’s programming is to be watched in a separate computer application that downloads shows to the hard drive. It may face several hurdles: the program is available only on Windows PCs initially; the downloaded content cannot yet be transferred to portable devices; and the content expires four weeks after being downloaded. The application has some innovative features. It allows users to set up accounts for each family member, and the attached parental controls can block violent or explicit content. It also lets users watch the live televised version of HBO, a feature that may appeal to subscribers who are away from home.
Source: USA Today, NY Post
Comments(19)
sounds nice!
I steal cable from my neighbor so I got all the HBO I need
Looks like the HBO writers will be striking… *S*
Is this only for people in the unholy United States? What about us?
this is awesome!!!!
lol … what took them so long?
The BBC and other UK TV providers have offered these services for nearly a year now.
The BBC iPlayer is multi-platform as well.
Ok that s cool ! But who want s HBO 4 free check out http://www.hbo.xm.com . But u need sopcast plugin 1st. Cheers
Yes this is so cool…
Have you already forgotten about Time Warner JUST announcing they are going to charge for bandwidth use.. Now, at the same time they give you a way to use more bandwidth.. for “free.”
http://www.rlslog.net/time-warner-to-bill-internet-per-download/
@8
Looks like kind of conspiracy to me.
@7
You got to be kidding, who the hell nedds HBO Romanian?
sound good
@4
Yeah, I don’t know why HBO doesn’t make some of this available to uk viewers. I usually don’t feel any guilt about downloading most other shows but hbo? i don’t know, they make shows that are so much more unusual/unique and almost noncommercial that I feel I would pay good money to view their stuff – ironic eh;). they have the sopranos, Deadwood, Carnival, The Wire (what do we have, Dr Who? emerdale? the bill, FFS!), I am genuinely excited about their stuff and its a shame that they make almost no money from me whatsoever, just cos i live in the uk…
Hbo, stop trying to sell your stuff to channel 4, 6 months AFTER you show it in the US – I’ve seen it already and won’t be watching!
looks like future to me
lol watch their pathetic attempt at internet video, because bottom line is that they will always have that blood in them that doesnt enable them to give 720p version away for free to download, it will be some dvd quality choppy stream connection. where you will have to give your details and your dna to signup.
are you ready for the internet of the future? super regulated high speed entertainment and sales platform v2.0
please insert your rfid chip into the identification module on your highly restricted winblows 2010.
haha the future
DOCSIS 3.0
@8
I was just thinking that. The sh|t hit the fan somewhere between Tex and Wis.
-1st post here on Rlslog. Thanks for this great resource.
I’ve always wondered why HBO won’t offer a LIVE stream of HBO for $10/month, or maybe a package of channels for like $20-30 a month. I would not mind paying for something like this, since they have some great original content (The Wire, Rome, anyone?). To access HBO you gotta have cable/satellite/illegal means. Hell some people may not have TV sets in their rooms/house. Might as well give us the option to watch on the computer. Hell $10 a month isn’t bad at all for something like this.
Please help me get my free ps3 just sign up u dont haf to complete any offers
http://www.xpango.com/?ref=91097189
Excuse me, but just what in the hell “sounds good” about this? Did no one read the entire post? You’ll have to install their proprietary software on your computer to watch, you can’t save or move it or play it elsewhere, they delete it after four weeks. Same crap that’s been peddled before and rejected by the consuming public.
When HBO offers unfettered and equal quality to pirated fare, then give me a call. This crap doesn’t even warrant a posting here.
@#10- C’mon now, being a staffer here you should know better.
haha @13. insert rfid…? what? after ripping it out of your arm? ‘Your RFID chip has been turned off by the bank. Please wait at this location for police to pick you up or report yourself to the nearest station. Thank you for your compliance.’ SUCKAS!