Aereo

webmaster · 05-29-2013, 08:06 AM

I just received an invitation to join an interesting service called Aereo. It lets you watch all broadcast channels in an area through the internet. Right now they are only offering the NYC and Boston areas. Boston was just added. You can watch all the broadcast channels for your area anywhere on the internet.

What I thought was interesting is that they provide a small antenna for every user and just transmit the signals directly to you over the internet with DVR service. Having an antenna for each user lets them avoid fees since it is a free over-the-air broadcast and they are just passing it to you through the internet instead of a wire.

This does not provide cable channels but is an interesting new option for people in areas of poor reception.

Merrymeeting · 05-29-2013, 08:22 AM

Aereo has been decribed as a potential "disruptive technology" in that it could substantially change the future of video broadcasts, cable, networks, etc.

However, there have been, and most likely will continue to be, many court battles over their business model. It'll be interesting to watch (pun intended)

For some who may not be aware, if you have purchased a "Smart" TV over the past few years, you essentially have Roku-like capabilities already in your set. Namely, you can stream Netflicks, Hulu, Amazon, etc to your TV if it is connected to the internet.

Rusty · 05-29-2013, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merrymeeting

Aereo has been decribed as a potential "disruptive technology" in that it could substantially change the future of video broadcasts, cable, networks, etc.

However, there have been, and most likely will continue to be, many court battles over their business model. It'll be interesting to watch (pun intended)

For some who may not be aware, if you have purchased a "Smart" TV over the past few years, you essentially have Roku-like capabilities already in your set. Namely, you can stream Netflicks, Hulu, Amazon, etc to your TV if it is connected to the internet.

HDMI ports in TV sets have made it easy to use the TV as your computer monitor. I used to use RCA and "S" cables before HDMI became the way to go. I stream Netflex and Amazon prime from my Kindle Fire HD to my TV for all my videos.

TiltonBB · 05-29-2013, 12:36 PM

I inquired about Aereo and got the following answers:

1. Aereo technology can be compared to the HD antenna you would buy and set up in your home. As with your home antenna you would need to to be in the market area to watch the channels available in that area. (In other words you couldn't take the box to Florida and watch the Boston stations)

2. Our membership plans are month to month and there’s no long-term commitment required.

3. You can watch Live TV unlimited, anytime with either memberships, the only difference is the Cloud DVR storage space.

4. Our video streams 720p at its highest quality.

I hope this helps anyone trying to decide if they would like it.

nicole · 05-29-2013, 05:06 PM

We signed up for the free month of Aereo and used it over the past weekend through our ROKU-we have had ROKU for a few years now. We have Direct TV and have been happy with them but my husband is one who always wants to try out new tech things. You basically get whatever they can pull in from their antennae in Boston(so NO WMUR if that is important to you). The only extra is the Bloomberg cable channel because they have a contract with Aereo. I have read articles that they are in talks with other cable channels to perhaps enter into a contract but no specific channels were named.

So far we have recorded and watched recordings as well as watching live television. we enjoy it. We are going to use it for a while and decide it we keep it or not. At this point in time, it would not be a replacement for DIRECTV but an addition to it.

I think the Aereo officially launches tomorrow, we signed up a few months ago for the early invite.

Merrymeeting · 05-30-2013, 07:57 AM

Review of Aero in today's Boston Globe, including indications of the legal battles to come.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/...amp=newsletter

Bizer · 05-30-2013, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

I inquired about Aereo and got the following answers:

1. Aereo technology can be compared to the HD antenna you would buy and set up in your home. As with your home antenna you would need to to be in the market area to watch the channels available in that area. (In other words you couldn't take the box to Florida and watch the Boston stations)

2. Our membership plans are month to month and there’s no long-term commitment required.

3. You can watch Live TV unlimited, anytime with either memberships, the only difference is the Cloud DVR storage space.

4. Our video streams 720p at its highest quality.

I hope this helps anyone trying to decide if they would like it.

I find this a bit confusing. I do not have cable. I have a 2-foot antenna on my roof. I don't see how an Aereo antenna the size of a quarter can pick up signals as well as my Yagi. Besides, if the station is broadcasting in 1080i, then I receive the signal in 1080i. How can they down-convert it to 720p unless they're really broadcasting their own signal over the internet (and the pseudo-antenna is a legal loophole).

I love FREE TV. Most people do not realize that over-the-air (OTA) TV is hi-def. The only caveat is sports. If you love to watch professional sports (and I don't), you only get Sunday network football and other sports playoff games. If you like watching the Bruins, Celtics, RedSox regular season games, they're not OTA.

diz · 05-30-2013, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bizer

I find this a bit confusing. I do not have cable. I have a 2-foot antenna on my roof. I don't see how an Aereo antenna the size of a quarter can pick up signals as well as my Yagi. Besides, if the station is broadcasting in 1080i, then I receive the signal in 1080i. How can they down-convert it to 720p unless they're really broadcasting their own signal over the internet (and the pseudo-antenna is a legal loophole).

I love FREE TV. Most people do not realize that over-the-air (OTA) TV is hi-def. The only caveat is sports. If you love to watch professional sports (and I don't), you only get Sunday network football and other sports playoff games. If you like watching the Bruins, Celtics, RedSox regular season games, they're not OTA.

The antennae are in a data center. You get the video stream over the Internet. You are literally renting an antenna from them.

Bear Islander · 05-30-2013, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bizer

I find this a bit confusing. I do not have cable. I have a 2-foot antenna on my roof. I don't see how an Aereo antenna the size of a quarter can pick up signals as well as my Yagi. Besides, if the station is broadcasting in 1080i, then I receive the signal in 1080i. How can they down-convert it to 720p unless they're really broadcasting their own signal over the internet (and the pseudo-antenna is a legal loophole).

I love FREE TV. Most people do not realize that over-the-air (OTA) TV is hi-def. The only caveat is sports. If you love to watch professional sports (and I don't), you only get Sunday network football and other sports playoff games. If you like watching the Bruins, Celtics, RedSox regular season games, they're not OTA.

They have thousands of antenna in a location where they can pick up the TV signals off air. They rent you one of those antenna and connect you to it over the internet.

It's really just legal trickery. They are not connecting you to the TV stations. They are connecting you to your own personal antenna so you can get the signal. A cute way around the FCC.

patman · 05-30-2013, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

It's really just legal trickery. They are not connecting you to the TV stations. They are connecting you to your own personal antenna so you can get the signal.

Zediva tried that with DVDs to provide new releases well in advance of any of the premium channels, which were bound by agreements to delay the showings to promote DVD sales. They bought a boatload of DVD players and new DVD releases, you could rent a DVD and a player from them, they'd load the disc into the machine and transmit the show to you over the internet. They argued it was effectively just a reaaaaly long cable from the DVD player to your screen, and they were following the same business model that allowed other DVD rental businesses to exist.

It didn't end well for them in court, as I (unfortunately) suspect it won't for Aereo.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...8m-shuts-down/

webmaster · 05-30-2013, 01:52 PM

It will be interesting to follow the legal sparring. They have apparently won some and lost some. They were blocked in LA but not in NYC. This is from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals April 2013 decision which affirmed a lower court decision denying the major networks' motion for a preliminary injunction barring Aereo from transmitting recorded broadcast television programs to its subscribers:

Quote:

"We conclude that Aereo’s transmissions of unique copies of broadcast television programs created at its users’ requests and transmitted while the programs are still airing on broadcast television are not 'public performances' of the Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works under Cablevision. As such, Plaintiffs have not demonstrated that they are likely to prevail on the merits on this claim in their copyright infringement action. Nor have they demonstrated serious questions as to the merits and a balance of hardships that tips decidedly in their favor. We therefore affirm the order of the district court denying the Plaintiffs’ motion."

I wonder what "hardships" would be created by Aereo providing an internet antenna? The court of appeals didn't seem to be convinced that there was one.

patman · 05-30-2013, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webmaster

I wonder what "hardships" would be created by Aereo providing an internet antenna? The court of appeals didn't seem to be convinced that there was one.

I think this one will hinge on ad revenue. Aereo is in between the signal and the end user, and can therefore inject/overlay/delete ads in the stream. Time Warner does (did?) that too though, so it'll be amusing to see the double-standard arguments. (I remember seeing many commercials that didn't quite sync properly with the ones they were overlaying, so you'd see a brief bit of the other ad at the beginning or end.)

This is one of those 'if they were smart' situations. If they embraced the change, they could influence it and benefit from it. Instead, they'll go kicking and screaming to bankruptcy court.

diz · 05-30-2013, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patman

I think this one will hinge on ad revenue. Aereo is in between the signal and the end user, and can therefore inject/overlay/delete ads in the stream. Time Warner does (did?) that too though, so it'll be amusing to see the double-standard arguments. (I remember seeing many commercials that didn't quite sync properly with the ones they were overlaying, so you'd see a brief bit of the other ad at the beginning or end.)

This is one of those 'if they were smart' situations. If they embraced the change, they could influence it and benefit from it. Instead, they'll go kicking and screaming to bankruptcy court.

I always thought those clipping issues were related to local advertisers' deals with the cable companies. Like when you see an ad for your downtown bank on Comcast - they play an ad targeted to the city or town. I don't think Aereo is like that. They don't have license agreements with any of the content providers. They're just saying they are renting an antenna to you for your personal use.

wifi · 05-30-2013, 08:06 PM

I'm really confused, I suppose I should use Google (I prefer personal knowledge than someone surfing for answers), but maybe there is someone here with personal knowledge. Is the the stated "antenna" something physically you mount on your house, or is it a "virtual" antenna fed by the internet ?

TIA

patman · 05-30-2013, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diz

I don't think Aereo is like that. They don't have license agreements with any of the content providers.

They're not like that now, but you can bet the signal originators are worried about that in the future, and want to nip this in the bud. Tivo let you skip commercials...originally there was no modification, but now it puts up ones of its own as you FF past them.

Bear Islander · 05-31-2013, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wifi

I'm really confused, I suppose I should use Google (I prefer personal knowledge than someone surfing for answers), but maybe there is someone here with personal knowledge. Is the the stated "antenna" something physically you mount on your house, or is it a "virtual" antenna fed by the internet ?

TIA

Neither.

There is a real antenna but it is not at your house. Picture hundreds of thumbnail size antenna on a circuit board. Then picture hundreds or thousands of these circuit boards in a room that is in a good location to pick up a strong signal. They could have a million of the tiny antenna in that room. You pay them to connect you to just one of those antenna and you pick up the signal over the internet.

The FCC will not allow them to connect you to the TV stations signal without the permission of the station. However they are not connecting you to the TV station they are connecting you to a tiny antenna perfectly placed to pick up the TV stations signal off air.

Essentially they are only renting your own personal remote antenna. At least that is their legal theory.

Pineedles · 05-31-2013, 11:31 AM

How does that disclaimer you often hear during a Red Sox game, i.e. "Any use, rebroadcast of the game can not be done without the express permission, etc. etc.", figure into "rebroadcasting from the antennae?

Bear Islander · 05-31-2013, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pineedles

How does that disclaimer you often hear during a Red Sox game, i.e. "Any use, rebroadcast of the game can not be done without the express permission, etc. etc.", figure into "rebroadcasting from the antennae?

There is no rebroadcasting in this scenario. The little TV antenna receives, it does not broadcast or rebroadcast. Or at least that is what Aereo will claim. We are kind of splitting very fine hairs here.

As example, say my house is close to a TV transmitter tower. I put an antenna on my roof and run a long cable to your house. Now say instead of the long cable I video stream it between our houses over the internet. As far as I am aware there is no FCC violation in doing this. The FCC may have a different opinion however.

webmaster · 05-31-2013, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

There is no rebroadcasting in this scenario. The little TV antenna receives, it does not broadcast or rebroadcast. Or at least that is what Aereo will claim. We are kind of splitting very fine hairs here.

As example, say my house is close to a TV transmitter tower. I put an antenna on my roof and run a long cable to your house. Now say instead of the long cable I video stream it between our houses over the internet. As far as I am aware there is no FCC violation in doing this. The FCC may have a different opinion however.

This made me think about my Slingbox. I can view all the cable tv channels that come into my house anywhere on the internet. That would seem to be private "rebroadcasting" and I'm pretty sure it's completely legal. With individual antennas and accounts it would seem that Aereo is doing something very similar.

brk-lnt · 05-31-2013, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webmaster

This made me think about my Slingbox. I can view all the cable tv channels that come into my house anywhere on the internet. That would seem to be private "rebroadcasting" and I'm pretty sure it's completely legal. With individual antennas and accounts it would seem that Aereo is doing something very similar.

In the case of the Slingbox, it's all private, you're essentially providing a service to yourself, and you're already a subscriber of something at at least one location.

With Aereo, the "source" is an antenna, in a location that is not your "home" in any way. Additionally, there are significant technical issues over whether or not those little antennas are *actually* picking up a signal, or just there as a theoretical item to base their claims and business model off of.

Alongside this, we're seeing more talk again about ala carte CATV programming options. I think the next 10 years are going to be fairly disruptive to the entrenched broadcast media businesses.

diz · 05-31-2013, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

In the case of the Slingbox, it's all private, you're essentially providing a service to yourself, and you're already a subscriber of something at at least one location.

With Aereo, the "source" is an antenna, in a location that is not your "home" in any way. Additionally, there are significant technical issues over whether or not those little antennas are *actually* picking up a signal, or just there as a theoretical item to base their claims and business model off of.

Alongside this, we're seeing more talk again about ala carte CATV programming options. I think the next 10 years are going to be fairly disruptive to the entrenched broadcast media businesses.

I'm not sure I follow. Aren't Slingbox and OTA digital (Aereo) both providing content to which you're legally entitled? Isn't "home" your TV market? Aero checks your IP for location before it lets you watch programs for your area. If your client isn't in your TV market then you can't view the programs.

brk-lnt · 06-01-2013, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diz

I'm not sure I follow. Aren't Slingbox and OTA digital (Aereo) both providing content to which you're legally entitled? Isn't "home" your TV market? Aero checks your IP for location before it lets you watch programs for your area. If your client isn't in your TV market then you can't view the programs.

A Slingbox basically hooks up to the output of a cable TV box (etc.) that you already own and have in your residence. It then takes that signal, converts it to an IP video stream and allows you to connect to that stream wherever you have your Slingbox receiver or client.

Aereo is taking an array of antennas and placing them in a datacenter location where nobody lives (or subscribes) to pickup an OTA digital broadcast. They then encode that signal and allow you to receive the exclusive signal from one of those antennas at a location of your choosing. Currently there are some restrictions on your receiving location.

Slingbox sends a signal from a location you own/control. Aereo sends a signal from a location THEY own/control.

webmaster · 01-08-2014, 10:11 AM

Aereo is growing like crazy. They just got another $34 million from investors:

http://www.masslive.com/entertainmen..._more_business

Lakesrider · 01-08-2014, 10:55 AM

I'm just waiting to see the day that Companies like Comcast, Metrocast, Time Warner etc., Block these on their internet services......

Merrymeeting · 01-08-2014, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

I'm just waiting to see the day that Companies like Comcast, Metrocast, Time Warner etc., Block these on their internet services......

This has been and will continue to be battled in the courts as we speak/write

jeffk · 01-08-2014, 08:59 PM

This type of issue is puzzling to me. Broadcast TV makes money by selling ads. The amount they can charge for those ads is determined by the size of their audience. The audience is determined by the size of their viewing market and by the share of the market they reach through the popularity of their programming.

In theory, the more possible people they can reach the more they can charge for ads. Let's say (total speculation) that they can reach 10,000 broadcast viewers, 30,000 cable or satellite viewers, and another 5,000 internet viewers. ALL viewers get to see the ads, right? Shouldn't that allow them to increase their revenue stream by charging more for ads (to businesses) that reach more people? Why should they care how the ad is delivered to the viewer?

Is this just a problem because broadcast TV is greedily trying to pry extra bucks out of cable & internet providers?

Orion · 01-09-2014, 09:25 AM

JeffK I think you hit the nail on the head, especially your last line.

The cable-co's and sat providers have done a good job selling all these "packages" which contain 99% junk. The astounding thing to me is the percentage of people within 40 miles of major metro areas who have no clue they can get all major networks for FREE with a $30 antenna. For some reason everyone thought when we went digital we had to go "cable". If you have a less than 10 yr old TV, you have a digital receiver built-in. If everyone would wake up to that fact some of this could get turned around.

Merrymeeting · 01-09-2014, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffk

This type of issue is puzzling to me. Broadcast TV makes money by selling ads. The amount they can charge for those ads is determined by the size of their audience. The audience is determined by the size of their viewing market and by the share of the market they reach through the popularity of their programming.

In theory, the more possible people they can reach the more they can charge for ads. Let's say (total speculation) that they can reach 10,000 broadcast viewers, 30,000 cable or satellite viewers, and another 5,000 internet viewers. ALL viewers get to see the ads, right? Shouldn't that allow them to increase their revenue stream by charging more for ads (to businesses) that reach more people? Why should they care how the ad is delivered to the viewer?

Is this just a problem because broadcast TV is greedily trying to pry extra bucks out of cable & internet providers?

The problem with your "in theory" statement is that people don't watch the ads when the media can be delivered digitally. My wife and I never watch programs when they are broadcast anymore. Whether by DVR, NetFlix, etc, we hit fast forward as soon as the ads start. Many, many people are doing this now and the advertisers know it. So the theoretical ad revenue is not there, despite appearances.

Orion · 01-09-2014, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merrymeeting

The problem with your "in theory" statement is that people don't watch the ads when the media can be delivered digitally. My wife and I never watch programs when they are broadcast anymore. Whether by DVR, NetFlix, etc, we hit fast forward as soon as the ads start. Many, many people are doing this now and the advertisers know it. So the theoretical ad revenue is not there, despite appearances.

This is true, but doesn't need to be. There are some video streaming websites that provide ads before they stream your requested video. They stream the add for 10 seconds and allow you to skip it after that. But some of these 10 second clips are so compelling that you don't want to skip. Either it's entertaining, relevant, or both and you end up watching a great targeted ad. That's what "they" need to do. And, with the use of web-streaming, they can more easily target ads of interest to you as opposed to how they are just randomly broadcast today on all media sources.

And, yes, I fast forward through all ads on my DirecTV DVR and my Channel Master OTA DVR.

jeffk · 01-09-2014, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merrymeeting

The problem with your "in theory" statement is that people don't watch the ads when the media can be delivered digitally. My wife and I never watch programs when they are broadcast anymore. Whether by DVR, NetFlix, etc, we hit fast forward as soon as the ads start. Many, many people are doing this now and the advertisers know it. So the theoretical ad revenue is not there, despite appearances.

I understand what you are saying but skipping ads is nothing new. I usually mute live ads and do something else while they are on. If recorded, I skip over them. I don't think that the method of delivery, cable or internet makes that much difference. If the ads are included with the program, that is all the advertiser can expect. He can't force you to listen. I used to tape shows with a VCR that put up a blue screen and auto fast forwarded through ads. That content was delivered through broadcast TV and I still skipped it.

What you are describing is the ability of new technology to quickly skip over ads. Heck, with the right software you could completely edit them out. The delivery method, which is what this is about, doesn't really matter.

wifi · 01-09-2014, 10:26 AM

Interesting, on one of my Roku movie channels, I think its "Drive in movies", they lock out the skip buttons during advertising, LOL

upthesaukee · 01-09-2014, 10:31 PM

I can pee, go get a beer or glass of ice tea, put my hand in the cookie jar, give the cat his treats at 4 o'clock, put my hand back in the cookie jar again while I go get another glass of ice tea or another beer, grab a handful of cashews (fooled you), get another beer or glass of tea, ooooppppsssss, time to pee again, then get..... Ads are great and you don't miss anything on the show or the game.

Kamper · 01-12-2014, 10:01 AM

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Stor...&siteid=yhoof2

This is a current article on Aereo's court battle. I think they should prevail because the 'antenna rental' argument is similar to Cable's argument that DVR services are the same as viewers renting VCR's and DVD machines to make home recordings.

Many stations and networks have simulcast on their home pages. I know a friend who told me he was watching a baseball game on the leagues website a few years back too.

Orion · 01-13-2014, 09:20 AM

It'll be great if Aereo can beat this with the cable co's own argument!

Merrymeeting · 03-05-2014, 08:17 AM

Here come the legal challenges.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/business...dqL/story.html

Slickcraft · 06-25-2014, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamper

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Stor...&siteid=yhoof2

This is a current article on Aereo's court battle. I think they should prevail because the 'antenna rental' argument is similar to Cable's argument that DVR services are the same as viewers renting VCR's and DVD machines to make home recordings.

Many stations and networks have simulcast on their home pages. I know a friend who told me he was watching a baseball game on the leagues website a few years back too.

Looks like Aereo is done for.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothyp...igh-of-relief/

webmaster · 06-25-2014, 01:26 PM

Quote:

STATEMENT FROM AEREO CEO AND FOUNDER CHET KANOJIA ON UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISION

Court decision denies consumers the ability to use a cloud-based antenna to access free over-the-air television, further eliminating choice and competition in the television marketplace

New York, New York (June 25, 2014) - The following statement can be attributed to Aereo CEO and Founder, Chet Kanojia:

"Today's decision by the United States Supreme Court is a massive setback for the American consumer. We've said all along that we worked diligently to create a technology that complies with the law, but today's decision clearly states that how the technology works does not matter. This sends a chilling message to the technology industry. It is troubling that the Court states in its decision that, 'to the extent commercial actors or other interested entities may be concerned with the relationship between the development and use of such technologies and the Copyright Act, they are of course free to seek action from Congress.' (Majority, page 17) That begs the question: Are we moving towards a permission-based system for technology innovation?"

"Consumer access to free-to-air broadcast television is an essential part of our country's fabric. Using an antenna to access free-to-air broadcast television is still meaningful for more than 60 million Americans across the United States. And when new technology enables consumers to use a smarter, easier to use antenna, consumers and the marketplace win. Free-to-air broadcast television should not be available only to those who can afford to pay for the cable or satellite bundle."

"Justice Scalia's dissent gets it right. He calls out the majority's opinion as 'built on the shakiest of foundations.' (Dissent, page 7) Justice Scalia goes on to say that 'The Court vows that its ruling will not affect cloud-storage providers and cable television systems, see ante, at 16-17, but it cannot deliver on that promise given the imprecision of its results-driven rule.' (Dissent, page 11)"

"We are disappointed in the outcome, but our work is not done. We will continue to fight for our consumers and fight to create innovative technologies that have a meaningful and positive impact on our world."

Yours truly,
Chet Kanojia
Founder & CEO

It may not be over for Aereo but they'll have to negotiate fees with the networks to continue doing business.

upthesaukee · 11-07-2014, 08:29 AM

From the Boston Globe today:

http://www.boston.com/business/techn...g9J/story.html

BroadHopper · 11-07-2014, 09:50 AM

And they renegade. When they sold the TV analog frequencies back in 2008?, they promise no disruption in service and the FCC provided the digital box coupons worth $35. The claim was if you can receive the analog signal you can get the digital. Unfortunately digital travels in a straight line while analog can 'bounce' around. Many if not all in the valleys lost their signal and were force to cable or satellite service costing thousands of $.

When I lost me signal, FCC refer me to a 'model' that I need a 60' tower to receive a signal. Problem is the tower is expensive and no help form the gvt. Also the homeowners association will have none of it. My complaint went to deaf ears.

You would think the lawyers will argue to the fact that there is a cable/satellite monopoly and the little guy needs a break. That will never happens as long as there is PAC money to prevent this break.

webmaster · 11-22-2014, 09:52 AM

It seems to be over:

Quote:

A letter to our consumers
The Next Chapter

A little over three years ago, the team at Aereo set out to build a better television experience for the consumer. We began this journey because we were frustrated with a system that we believed was broken and no longer served the consumer. When it came to watching live television, the options were few, the products available were cumbersome and didn’t fit our increasingly mobile lifestyle, and costs were unreasonably high and rising.

With that in mind, we put our collective engineering power to work to create an online technology that was simple, useful, and compelling, and provided consumers with a true alternative to how they watch local live TV. That’s how Aereo came to life.

Our engineering team created the first cloud-based, individual antenna and DVR that enabled you to record and watch live television on the device of your choice, all via the Internet. In less than two years, we went from drawings on a napkin to launching Aereo’s technology in more than a dozen cities across the country.

The enthusiasm we encountered was overwhelming. The sense of frustration consumers expressed reinforced our mission. We knew we had touched a nerve, had created something special, and had a built something meaningful for consumers.

But we encountered significant challenges from the incumbent media companies.

While we had significant victories in the federal district courts in New York and Boston and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the reversal of the Second Circuit decision in June by the U.S. Supreme Court has proven difficult to overcome. The U.S. Supreme Court decision effectively changed the laws that had governed Aereo’s technology, creating regulatory and legal uncertainty. And while our team has focused its energies on exploring every path forward available to us, without that clarity, the challenges have proven too difficult to overcome.

Accordingly, today, we filed for Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings. We also appointed Lawton Bloom of Argus to serve as Aereo’s Chief Restructuring Officer during this period.

Chapter 11 will permit Aereo to maximize the value of its business and assets without the extensive cost and distraction of defending drawn out litigation in several courts.

We have traveled a long and challenging road. We stayed true to our mission and we believe that we have played a significant part in pushing the conversation forward, helping force positive change in the industry for consumers.

We feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to build something as meaningful and special as Aereo. With so many shifts and advances in technology, there has never been a more perfect time to take risks, challenge the status quo and build something special.

Thank you for all of your support. Your emails, tweets, Facebook posts and letters have meant the world to us. We are incredibly grateful to have gone on this journey together.

Yours truly,
Chet Kanojia
November 21, 2014

trfour · 11-22-2014, 10:10 PM

Aereo loses battle, cord-cutters may win war...

http://www.zdnet.com/aereo-loses-battle-cord-cutters-may-win-war-7000036064/

Terry
_______________________________

gwhite13 · 11-25-2014, 05:22 PM

lived my life "subvert where possible"..

newbie · 11-26-2014, 08:08 AM

https://aereo.com

05-29-2013, 08:06 AM	#1
webmaster Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 2,454 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 458 Thanked 3,819 Times in 839 Posts	Aereo I just received an invitation to join an interesting service called Aereo. It lets you watch all broadcast channels in an area through the internet. Right now they are only offering the NYC and Boston areas. Boston was just added. You can watch all the broadcast channels for your area anywhere on the internet. What I thought was interesting is that they provide a small antenna for every user and just transmit the signals directly to you over the internet with DVR service. Having an antenna for each user lets them avoid fees since it is a free over-the-air broadcast and they are just passing it to you through the internet instead of a wire. This does not provide cable channels but is an interesting new option for people in areas of poor reception.

05-29-2013, 12:36 PM	#4
TiltonBB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Gilford, NH and Florida Posts: 3,007 Thanks: 699 Thanked 2,203 Times in 937 Posts	Aereo Information I inquired about Aereo and got the following answers: 1. Aereo technology can be compared to the HD antenna you would buy and set up in your home. As with your home antenna you would need to to be in the market area to watch the channels available in that area. (In other words you couldn't take the box to Florida and watch the Boston stations) 2. Our membership plans are month to month and there’s no long-term commitment required. 3. You can watch Live TV unlimited, anytime with either memberships, the only difference is the Cloud DVR storage space. 4. Our video streams 720p at its highest quality. I hope this helps anyone trying to decide if they would like it.

05-30-2013, 08:06 PM	#14
wifi Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lakes Region Posts: 1,321 Thanks: 282 Thanked 287 Times in 169 Posts	Antenna I'm really confused, I suppose I should use Google (I prefer personal knowledge than someone surfing for answers), but maybe there is someone here with personal knowledge. Is the the stated "antenna" something physically you mount on your house, or is it a "virtual" antenna fed by the internet ? TIA

01-08-2014, 08:59 PM	#26
jeffk Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,172 Thanks: 205 Thanked 437 Times in 253 Posts	Puzzling to me This type of issue is puzzling to me. Broadcast TV makes money by selling ads. The amount they can charge for those ads is determined by the size of their audience. The audience is determined by the size of their viewing market and by the share of the market they reach through the popularity of their programming. In theory, the more possible people they can reach the more they can charge for ads. Let's say (total speculation) that they can reach 10,000 broadcast viewers, 30,000 cable or satellite viewers, and another 5,000 internet viewers. ALL viewers get to see the ads, right? Shouldn't that allow them to increase their revenue stream by charging more for ads (to businesses) that reach more people? Why should they care how the ad is delivered to the viewer? Is this just a problem because broadcast TV is greedily trying to pry extra bucks out of cable & internet providers?

01-09-2014, 09:25 AM	#27
Orion Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Cow Island Posts: 914 Thanks: 602 Thanked 193 Times in 91 Posts	follow the money JeffK I think you hit the nail on the head, especially your last line. The cable-co's and sat providers have done a good job selling all these "packages" which contain 99% junk. The astounding thing to me is the percentage of people within 40 miles of major metro areas who have no clue they can get all major networks for FREE with a $30 antenna. For some reason everyone thought when we went digital we had to go "cable". If you have a less than 10 yr old TV, you have a digital receiver built-in. If everyone would wake up to that fact some of this could get turned around.

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05-29-2013, 08:22 AM	#2
Merrymeeting Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham Posts: 2,226 Thanks: 302 Thanked 800 Times in 368 Posts	Aereo has been decribed as a potential "disruptive technology" in that it could substantially change the future of video broadcasts, cable, networks, etc. However, there have been, and most likely will continue to be, many court battles over their business model. It'll be interesting to watch (pun intended) For some who may not be aware, if you have purchased a "Smart" TV over the past few years, you essentially have Roku-like capabilities already in your set. Namely, you can stream Netflicks, Hulu, Amazon, etc to your TV if it is connected to the internet.

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05-29-2013, 05:06 PM	#5
nicole Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Weirs Beach, NH Posts: 139 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 178 Thanked 19 Times in 14 Posts	We signed up for the free month of Aereo and used it over the past weekend through our ROKU-we have had ROKU for a few years now. We have Direct TV and have been happy with them but my husband is one who always wants to try out new tech things. You basically get whatever they can pull in from their antennae in Boston(so NO WMUR if that is important to you). The only extra is the Bloomberg cable channel because they have a contract with Aereo. I have read articles that they are in talks with other cable channels to perhaps enter into a contract but no specific channels were named. So far we have recorded and watched recordings as well as watching live television. we enjoy it. We are going to use it for a while and decide it we keep it or not. At this point in time, it would not be a replacement for DIRECTV but an addition to it. I think the Aereo officially launches tomorrow, we signed up a few months ago for the early invite.

05-30-2013, 07:57 AM	#6
Merrymeeting Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham Posts: 2,226 Thanks: 302 Thanked 800 Times in 368 Posts	Review of Aero in today's Boston Globe, including indications of the legal battles to come. http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/...amp=newsletter

05-31-2013, 11:31 AM	#17
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,545 Thanks: 1,072 Thanked 668 Times in 367 Posts	How does that disclaimer you often hear during a Red Sox game, i.e. "Any use, rebroadcast of the game can not be done without the express permission, etc. etc.", figure into "rebroadcasting from the antennae?

01-08-2014, 10:11 AM	#23
webmaster Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 2,454 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 458 Thanked 3,819 Times in 839 Posts	Aereo is growing like crazy. They just got another $34 million from investors: http://www.masslive.com/entertainmen..._more_business

01-08-2014, 10:55 AM	#24
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	I'm just waiting to see the day that Companies like Comcast, Metrocast, Time Warner etc., Block these on their internet services......

01-09-2014, 10:26 AM	#31
wifi Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lakes Region Posts: 1,321 Thanks: 282 Thanked 287 Times in 169 Posts	Technology Interesting, on one of my Roku movie channels, I think its "Drive in movies", they lock out the skip buttons during advertising, LOL

01-09-2014, 10:31 PM	#32
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,599 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,458 Thanked 1,981 Times in 1,082 Posts	I like ads... I can pee, go get a beer or glass of ice tea, put my hand in the cookie jar, give the cat his treats at 4 o'clock, put my hand back in the cookie jar again while I go get another glass of ice tea or another beer, grab a handful of cashews (fooled you), get another beer or glass of tea, ooooppppsssss, time to pee again, then get..... Ads are great and you don't miss anything on the show or the game. __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

01-12-2014, 10:01 AM	#33
Kamper Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Thornton's Ferry Posts: 1,306 Thanks: 67 Thanked 171 Times in 127 Posts	http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Stor...&siteid=yhoof2 This is a current article on Aereo's court battle. I think they should prevail because the 'antenna rental' argument is similar to Cable's argument that DVR services are the same as viewers renting VCR's and DVD machines to make home recordings. Many stations and networks have simulcast on their home pages. I know a friend who told me he was watching a baseball game on the leagues website a few years back too.

01-13-2014, 09:20 AM	#34
Orion Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Cow Island Posts: 914 Thanks: 602 Thanked 193 Times in 91 Posts	What goes around..... It'll be great if Aereo can beat this with the cable co's own argument!

03-05-2014, 08:17 AM	#35
Merrymeeting Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham Posts: 2,226 Thanks: 302 Thanked 800 Times in 368 Posts	Here come the legal challenges. https://www.bostonglobe.com/business...dqL/story.html

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11-07-2014, 08:29 AM	#38
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,599 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,458 Thanked 1,981 Times in 1,082 Posts	Aereo leaving the Boston Market... From the Boston Globe today: http://www.boston.com/business/techn...g9J/story.html __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

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11-07-2014, 09:50 AM	#39
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,576 Thanks: 3,214 Thanked 1,103 Times in 794 Posts	FCC promise years ago And they renegade. When they sold the TV analog frequencies back in 2008?, they promise no disruption in service and the FCC provided the digital box coupons worth $35. The claim was if you can receive the analog signal you can get the digital. Unfortunately digital travels in a straight line while analog can 'bounce' around. Many if not all in the valleys lost their signal and were force to cable or satellite service costing thousands of $. When I lost me signal, FCC refer me to a 'model' that I need a 60' tower to receive a signal. Problem is the tower is expensive and no help form the gvt. Also the homeowners association will have none of it. My complaint went to deaf ears. You would think the lawyers will argue to the fact that there is a cable/satellite monopoly and the little guy needs a break. That will never happens as long as there is PAC money to prevent this break. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

11-22-2014, 10:10 PM	#41
trfour Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Lakes, Central NH. and Dallas/Fort Worth TX. Posts: 3,694 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 3,069 Thanked 472 Times in 236 Posts	Aereo loses battle, cord-cutters may win war... http://www.zdnet.com/aereo-loses-battle-cord-cutters-may-win-war-7000036064/ Terry _______________________________ __________________ *trfour* Always Remember, The Best Safety Device In The Boat, or on a PWC Snowmobile etc., Is YOU! Safe sledding tips and much more; http://www.snowmobile.org/snowmobiling-safety.html

11-25-2014, 05:22 PM	#42
gwhite13 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Hanover and Moultonborough Posts: 89 Thanks: 7 Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts	too bad for Aereo lived my life "subvert where possible"..

11-26-2014, 08:08 AM	#43
newbie Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Just North of Boston Posts: 108 Thanks: 61 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	I know that this link is a bit old but here is bad news for... https://aereo.com