Updated Again: MySpace is working its way deeper into NewsCorp, getting access to its primetime TV. Fox has just launched FOX on Demand, which allows you to buy download FOX series like Bones, Prison Break and Justice right off MySpace. In addition, the company is going to offer ad-supported program streams in partnership with its local affiliates in 24 markets across the country. The downloads are also ad-supported, and are free.
Looks like Fox people agree, and are taking the big television-over-broadband plunge. It is in keeping with Rupert Murdoch’s long-standing philosophy to tap into any and all forms of distribution. Broadband is just the latest distribution channel Fox is trying to tap.
FOX claims that the video streams are going to be high definition, and users can download a special player to view these videos. Dave Burstein wrote in to point out that the press release might have been over aggressive in describing the HD aspect of the streams. We have started investigating this bit.
Viewers will be able to stream each of the shows in high-definition streaming (over one gigabyte per second) video using the FOX Full Throttle video player
We just heard from FOX and they say that there was a mistake in the press release, and one gigabyte-per-second is a bit of an overstatement.
“Users who frequent social networking sites such as MySpace show a predilection for online video, with 55% viewing streaming videos and 21% downloading long-form videos on at least a monthly basis,” writes Park Associates in a report titled, Internet Video Direct-to-Consumer Services.
As far as I’m concerned, people don’t want to get their TV content from a social network. MySpace are getting confused between a video of the funny thing that happened last friday night, which is at home on social networks (UGC), and commercially produced content. I can’t see this is going to work very well.
There is no doubt that getting video off a social network site is going to be a big competitor to IPTV, and very probably broadcasting (I blogged on this in my tongue in cheek notes on “MyPCTV” here )
However, using a social network sight just to flog mass media…not very Web 2.0 is it? Sad day if this is the future of it all.
I suspect that this won’t work as a social networking play for the following 2 reasons:
Firstly, its mixing functions. It will probably be more hassle to buy mass media here compared to a standard commercial media website like amazon.com.
Secondly, so far a major attraction of a social network is the social dynamic around discovering and commenting on (mainly long tailed) content. Can a MySpace giving forced shelfspace to mass media content keep that buzz going?
And yet…there is a feeling of sad inevitability about all this – it has that feel of an emerging “lowest common denominator” play.
So, will MySpace metamorphose from a social network site for the “cool school” set to a site that alleviates the hassle of using the TiVo for all the couch potatoes out there?
I watched the latest episode of Prison Break on it yesterday.
I didn’t find it through Myspace but I was directed to the Myspace page to watch it from the Fox website.
I don’t know what the purpose of that was, but hey it’s the same thing now anyway right?
Anyhoo, I have to give the FIM tech people credit. The picture quality and streaming quality of it beat anything I have ever seen. I was watching on a very low wi-fi signal that is prone to cutting out on even basic music streams. I don’t know how they did it but not only was the picture quality incredible but it didn’t stutter, not even once.
If they tie it in correctly I see a lot of eyeballs turning away from the TV and now even more focused on the computer screen. Especially among the college crowd who will do the majority of thier in dorm watching this way.
Score one for the old man.
Ted’s post is interesting to me. Was the quality of experience combined with watching a program you wanted to see worth the download? Have you seen any other video experiences that approach this one in terms of quality?
Thanks,
Jim
Jim, to answer your question I’d have to say the quality and content was more than worth the 10 second download. It was all streaming except for some small browser software plug-in FIM added.
ABC’s streaming experience last summer was the gold standard until now. I tried to watch the premiere of Lost directly after watching Fox’s Prison Break.
Same connection, same computer… much different results. The picture quality of Lost wasn’t as clear as Prison Break’s. The stream was choppy. Every 20 seconds it stopped to buffer.
Fox really did a helluva job.
Correction, it wasn’t the premiere of Lost, it was the premiere pre-show/recap.
Ted,
Thanks for the feedback. I look forward to seeing other experiences being powered by this new “gold standard” in streaming.
Thanks again.
someone can tell me why I can’t see any episode in fox on demand only the comercials of the beginning and then is turn black. I download fox full throttle. I have to download other thing else?? What I can do because I lost episode of prison break an I going to die if I can’t see it soon.
ps.sorry i don’t speak english very well but I understand if someone answered me
The issue with not being able to view FOX On Demand programming is because it is only available from within the United States at this time.
I tried downloeading fo full throttle several times and it times out every time I try is there any security settings I need to adjust to make this work?
I have the same problem w/fox’s throttle player I hear the audio but not able to view it…And YES I live within the us to be exact I live in LA COUNTY which is in Califonia …So Please any solutions to this problem…
It doesn’t download or work for me at all. I’ve spent hours trying to get it working so I can watch the episode of 24 I missed.
I can watch shows from every other network, but nothing from Fox.
Maybe God is telling me something