• by Mitch Oscar , Op-Ed Contributor, September 8, 2009

Up until the end of August I felt pretty confident that I had a handle on the Time Warner Chairman & CEO Jeff Bewkes' TV Everywhere concept and how it comfortably fit into the pay TV and free TV eco-system. Essentially, it would create an authentication system that will allow cable TV subscribers to access cable programming online, and down the road, possibly, via mobile phone. Then, in the last week or so, things started to get murky for me when satcasters and telcos jumped into the mix. Not to mention the broadbanders, whose domain TV Everywhere might be perceived as encroaching upon, the cross over consumer electronic technologists and the mobilers.  A 2009 out of sequence chronology:

Cablers Comcast and Time Warner pact to test an authentication system that will allow cable TV subscribers to access cable programming online to support Time Warner conceptually introduced TV Everywhere initiative. A trial will involve 5,000 Comcast subscribers and programming from TBS, and TNT, as well as soon to be announced others, and also be available on Comcast owned Comcast.net and Fancast.com, and eventually Time Warner's TNT.tv and TBS.com. Concurrently, or maybe not, Time Warner announces that it is close to launching its own TV Everywhere trial, which would involve allowing only its customers access to online viewing of its programming. Similarly to Comcast, the test will involve 5,000 households and consist of similar networks that are engaged in the Comcast trial i.e., 24 networks or less that include TBS, TNT, HBO, Cinemax, CBS, NBCUniversal's Syfy, BBC America, Rainbow Media's AMC, WE tv, IFC and Sundance Channel, Discovery and Smithsonian Channel. Concurrently, or maybe not, Comcast launches three forms of on demand flavors: On Demand Premiere, which offers season premiere episodes one week prior to linear exposure; On Demand Day After, which offers episodes for viewing one day after linear broadcast; and On Demand Catch Up, which offers episodes from previous season(s) as well as best of until the start of the new season. Concurrently, or maybe not, Time Warner Cable unveils plans to allow subscribers to its cable system to have unlimited access to cable programs. Possible partners include Viacom, NBC Universal, FX and Discovery. Note: not sure if this initiative refers to video on demand or on demand broadband. Also, Time Warner is in the throes of testing two on demand services: Start Over, which allows customers to restart a program in progress without any pre-planning, and Look Back, which gives customers on demand access to favorite programs (top 20) after their premieres (and midnight). Concurrently, or maybe not, telco Verizon's video service FiOS plans to make zillions of video clips available to its customers and also give its FiOS video subscribers access to programming online as part of its involvement in the Time Warner TV Everywhere initiative. Concurrently, or maybe not, AT&T publicly launches the beta version of a video portal, which will serve up free TV programs and theatricals to any internet user as well as offering even more content ("bonus") to its U-verse video platform customers. Concurrently, or maybe not, satcaster DirecTV and Time Warner cable networks are discussing putting their shows online through a revenue sharing arrangement to be accessed online on demand.

 

Around the same time or thereabouts in distant but contiguous competitive TV realms:

 

Broadband video destination Hulu, which is owned by NBCUniversal, News Corp. and the entity's latest partner Disney, continues to grow in popularity claiming the leadership mantle for most premium TV content viewership. YouTube strikes deals with major content providers to supply short form, long form, premium TV shows and theatricals to their channel. CBS' TV.com, ABC.com, Fox.com, MTV Networks, AOL, Veoh, MSN, Yahoo, broadband program syndicators and the now defunct Joost - though sure to reemerge from dormancy - vie to augment viewership. OnlineDVD video subscription service Netflix unveils plans to offer its streaming video service as a stand alone option. Blockbuster signs a deal with digital video recorder TiVo to transmit TV shows to the DVR providing there is a broadband connectivity, as does Amazon. ZillionTV arrives on the scene, theoretically, with the major studios as investors and programmers and all one needs is a broadband connection to access movies and TV programs. Best Buy offers broadband video download service CinemaNow TV and theatricals through BestBuy.com. CinemaNow strikes a similar arrangement with Blockbuster. PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable game devices, Nintendo's game console Wii and Xbox begin, or are in the process of, offering movies and TV shows through their gaming platforms. Blu-rays, HDTV's with internet connecting portals, TiVo broadband enabled DVRs, Netflix's Rokus, Vudus, mobile MobiTV's and Flo TV's stream live and canned TV programs, widgets and pre-installed microchips (that enable the widget platform to be viewed on TV sets of cable and satellite subscribers) begin to permeate the consumer electronics industry.

 As I lay pondering the myriad of choices to view premium TV content with commercialization (original linear, modified broadband/mobile or sans either) through pay TV services, broadband video destinations, new technology, mobile platforms and the intermarriage of the aforementioned and the confusion that will permeate the ad community and consumers alike -- it is tv everywhere but where specifically and will I the consumer be frustrated when I discover that the site I've chosen to view my favorite program does not have a licensing agreement to carry said content -  by happenstance I came upon this unpublished verse from Led Zeppelin's popular song Dazed And Confused:

Been dazed and confused for so long, it is true.

Wanted accessible TV shows, never bargained for you.

Lots of people talk but few of them know.

Soul of free programming was created below.

 

You hurt and misled us, telling all of your lies.

Suggesting availability, lord how that hypnotized.

Sweet premium video, I don't know where you've been.

Would love baby, willing to look again.

 

Everyday I work so hard

Bringing home my hard earned pay.

Try to find you baby, but you are allusive, difficult and far away.

Don't know where you're going.

Only know where you've been.

Sweet premium video, I want to find you again.

 

Been dazed and confused for so long, it is true.

Wanted accessible TV shows, never bargained for you.

Take it easy baby, I know we can say what we will.

Will your tongue wag so much when you try to collect the bill?