To: Raymond Duray who wrote (6223 ) 1/11/2000 7:34:00 AM From: MikeM54321 Read Replies (2) | Respond to
Ken - The argument on the PBS Newshour show was lame. The Internet changes everything. Everyone with a computer can be a worldwide broadcasting network. Everyone with a digital camcorder can be a movie producer and distribute their product to the world. Every garage musician can be a record label with world distribution abilities. Every author can be a worldwide publisher, etc... No one has even broached the subject of selectively blocking content on the Internet. This isn't China. So I thought the PBS argument was very lame.Frank - Yes. The implications of the deal are enormous. It's another huge stamp of approval of broadband as a the delivery vehicle of all information and entertainment into some one hundred million households. No one knows today what it will look like tomorrow. But my first prediction is I won't be tied to this computer monitor much longer. The high speed IP data stream has to hit the TV soon.Ray - You say collect fees from one hundred million households. Well my theory is the prices will drop dramatically. After all we now have another huge player, Hollywood(for lack of a better word) who wants rights to our eyeballs to throw advertising our way. Thread - Another reprecussion of note. There is a progression of companies/industries understanding the importance of being connected. First, it was just rinky dink ISPs that were spending the money to upgrade the IP network a few years back. Next came the not much larger data CLECs. Then half-heartedly came the cablecos and telecos. Then T fired the major cable shot and suddenly the billion dollar spending began with cablecos and telcos. Now AOL has just fired the next major shot. So who jumps into the spending game? Hollywood does.
