HBO Updates iOS App with AirPlay Multitasking and Game of Thrones Interactive Features

To all those annoyed they can't get HBO Go without a cable subscription / or not living in the USA, remember it is available in HD on iTunes about one day later. Cost for the entire series (in Australia anyway) is about $33.

It's not perfect because of the delay, and the 'ok' quality of HD on iTunes, but it's darned close.

I read something that said Game of Thrones was the most pirated show of 2012. HBO is losing money by not making HBO Go available to cable nonsubscribers.

On the surface, it might seem like that. But you have to understand the relationship that HBO has with cable and satellite providers. I would suggest reading this article:

http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/05/hbo-go-without-hbo/

Summary:

HBO currently has about 29 million subscribers, and reportedly receives around $7 or $8 per subscriber per month. So HBO could, theoretically, get more per subscriber than it’s currently making. But that doesn’t include the cost of infrastructure needed to support delivery of all those streams, including all the CDN delivery and other costs that would come with rolling out a broader online-only service.

More importantly, it wouldn’t include the cost of sales, marketing, and support — and this is where HBO would really get screwed. Going direct to online customers by pitching HBO GO over-the-top would mean losing the support of its cable, satellite, and IPTV distributors. And since the Comcasts and the Time Warner Cables of the world are the top marketing channel for premium networks like HBO, it would be nearly impossible for HBO to make up for the loss of the cable provider’s marketing team or promotions.

Not saying it will never happen, but it's not going to happen any time soon.

I would just like to say that the old cable distribution model is dying... fast. the exact same thing happened to the music industry. When was the last time any of you went to the store and bought a cd? Or listened to the local radio station? Most people I know, buy their music online and listen to pandora or some other music streaming service. The music industry fought the change too, and lost. If it wasn't for iTunes and the like, selling people music the way the wanted it, the music industry would have been devastated. It just seems that, in any business, you sell people what they want to buy. If you don't, the people will find a way to get it without you, and you loose out. People just don't want cable anymore. $70/month to get 100 channels, 85 of which suck. Of the remaining 15, 6 can be received over the air (and with better quality due to less compression). The shows on the remaining 9 can mostly be found on iTunes, hulu, netflix, or amazon. Whatever is left (HBO, showtime, ect.) will be downloaded illegally by those who know how to do so. But more and more are learning how to. The industry needs to change before my parents learn how to torrent, because if it gets that far, the industry is lost.

Full disclosure: I work in the entertainment industry on a somewhat successful cable TV show. Our show can be streamed via an ipad app, for free. While I was on set I decided to download the app, and see what it was like. Turns out you need to have a cable subscription to use the app and watch the show (with ads). I don't have cable so I was unable to watch a show that I was currently creating... How is that for stupid.

Sounds great. Can't wait to use it... Call me when I can get a subscription without cable.

I read something that said Game of Thrones was the most pirated show of 2012. HBO is losing money by not making HBO Go available to cable nonsubscribers.

I would just like to say that the old cable distribution model is dying... fast. the exact same thing happened to the music industry. When was the last time any of you went to the store and bought a cd? Or listened to the local radio station? Most people I know, buy their music online and listen to pandora or some other music streaming service. The music industry fought the change too, and lost. If it wasn't for iTunes and the like, selling people music the way the wanted it, the music industry would have been devastated. It just seems that, in any business, you sell people what they want to buy. If you don't, the people will find a way to get it without you, and you loose out. People just don't want cable anymore. $70/month to get 100 channels, 85 of which suck. Of the remaining 15, 6 can be received over the air (and with better quality due to less compression). The shows on the remaining 9 can mostly be found on iTunes, hulu, netflix, or amazon. Whatever is left (HBO, showtime, ect.) will be downloaded illegally by those who know how to do so. But more and more are learning how to. The industry needs to change before my parents learn how to torrent, because if it gets that far, the industry is lost.

Full disclosure: I work in the entertainment industry on a somewhat successful cable TV show. Our show can be streamed via an ipad app, for free. While I was on set I decided to download the app, and see what it was like. Turns out you need to have a cable subscription to use the app and watch the show (with ads). I don't have cable so I was unable to watch a show that I was currently creating... How is that for stupid.

i'm a cord cutter, but the last figures i saw show cord cutting is slowing down. i'm even thinking about going to FIOS once it comes to me in July. I pay $50 a month for internet and FIOS would be in the $80 range for TV and Internet

$50 plus $8 for netflix is OK
but once you start paying for Hulu, buying TV shows of itunes, pay for MLB.TV and NBA streaming, etc it adds up and you might as well just pay for cable.

Sounds great. Can't wait to use it... Call me when I can get a subscription without cable.