May 15, 2007
Paid and free content can coexist
ITWire writer Stephen Withers thinks Forrester Research 's assertion that online video sales are doomed by the arrival of free, advertiser-supported services, is questionable.
"Ad-supported shows clearly have a place, and Joost is lining up to tap the market for premium content paid for by advertisers.
... The real problem is producers' continued insistence on doing business on a country-by-country basis. As long as that happens, there will be a strong incentive to download unauthorised copies of TV shows and movies via BitTorrent or other peer-to-peer protocols. "
Again, the fact that many online TV viewers flock in droves to websites that stream the latest episodes of their favorite shows - for free and with no commercials - is not being considered in the equation. To watch TV online, you no longer need to download via BitTorrent nor do you have to watch commercials-which-can''t-be-fast-forwarded on Joost.
Related:
-- Threat for Big Media: Guerrilla Video Sites
-- Forget YouTube: Go To These Sites If You Want Hard Core Copyright Infringing Content
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