this icenetwork monopoly | Golden Skate

this icenetwork monopoly

exNyer2

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
how many subscribers does it have? This reminds me of when Figure Skating World forum was purchased and demanded paying subscribers. People migrated to FSU and other boards. Luckily it crashed and died. People should really boycott.
 

fiercemao

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
how many subscribers does it have? This reminds me of when Figure Skating World forum was purchased and demanded paying subscribers. People migrated to FSU and other boards. Luckily it crashed and died. People should really boycott.

I doubt they have lots of subscribers. Even if they have 10,000 subscribers, I believe they're still in a big financial hole. $300,000 a year is not going to cover their cost of hiring internet cops to hunt down youtube videos. :laugh:
 

antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
I doubt they have lots of subscribers. Even if they have 10,000 subscribers, I believe they're still in a big financial hole. $300,000 a year is not going to cover their cost of hiring internet cops to hunt down youtube videos. :laugh:

Well if people like you keep posting links to videos then the job isn't really that hard for them is it?

Ant
 

Pixie Cut

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
It's not a monopoly. These are rights they bought and paid for because no one else wanted them. The internet is the only place to see the vast majority of skating competitions these days. That's reality. Those who own rights are entitled to protect those rights. Icenetwork didn't outbid and monopolize the content. They bought what others threw away.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I agree with PixieGirl. IceNetwork provides a commodity and a service that no one else is interested in providing.

I also think, however, that it is in their best interests to generate free advertising by encouraging people to post skating videos to You Tube. A rising tide floats all boats.
 

visaliakid

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Country
United-States
I know I am not popular with some for my views supporting IceNetwork and their right to protect their streams. Those of you who choose to delude yourselfs that IceNetwork is wrong and your desire to continue to post vids (whereever they originate from) that clearly violate their USA viewing rights clearly don't have the correct perspective. Also clear to those that support IceNetwork is that no amount of factual reasoning is going to change minds that care not to comtemplate with reason.

All your complaining in the world however is not going to deter the continued removal of videos that violate IN webcast rights.

Lastly I will not publicly embarrass one poster in this thread by name who came to my site and posted their filth in response to my views there. That only demonstrates total immaturity and a total lack of respect for a differing opinion.
 
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fiercemao

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
It's not a monopoly. These are rights they bought and paid for because no one else wanted them. The internet is the only place to see the vast majority of skating competitions these days. That's reality. Those who own rights are entitled to protect those rights. Icenetwork didn't outbid and monopolize the content. They bought what others threw away.

I don't know why IN defenders keep confusing things or misleading us. IN does NOT own any right outside US, internet or not. People are complaining their ridiculous claim of rights on videos produced by European broadcast, uploaded by Europeans, viewed by Europeans.
 

bekalc

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
I know I am not popular with some for my views supporting IceNetwork and their right to protect their streams. Those of you who choose to delude yourselfs that IceNetwork is wrong and your desire to continue to post vids (whereever they originate from) that clearly violate their USA viewing rights clearly don't have the correct perspective. Also clear to those that support IceNetwork is that no amount of factual reasoning is going to change minds that care not to comtemplate with reason.

All your bitching in the world however is not going to deter the continued removal of videos that violate IN webcast rights.

Lastly I will not publicly embarrass one poster in this thread by name who came to my site and posted their filth in response to my views there. That only demonstrates total immaturity and a total lack of respect for a differing opinion.

Fine Visa, but what about the poor people in Asia/Europe or those who don't have dial up. Ice Network's monopoly isn't fair. I buy Ice Network subscription, but I'd prefer to have a choice in what product I use, quite honestly. I'd rather have Eurosport where I could have commentary.

As I said earlier, they could easily post videos on youtube themselves and collect advertisement money.
 
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fiercemao

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
I know I am not popular with some for my views supporting IceNetwork and their right to protect their streams. Those of you who choose to delude yourselfs that IceNetwork is wrong and your desire to continue to post vids (whereever they originate from) that clearly violate their USA viewing rights clearly don't have the correct perspective. Also clear to those that support IceNetwork is that no amount of factual reasoning is going to change minds that care not to comtemplate with reason.

All your bitching in the world however is not going to deter the continued removal of videos that violate IN webcast rights.
Lastly I will not publicly embarrass one poster in this thread by name who came to my site and posted their filth in response to my views there. That only demonstrates total immaturity and a total lack of respect for a differing opinion.

We're not deluding ourselves. Yeah, we may not be able to deter IN from crack down on youtube videos, however we DO have some viable and great alternatives. The last time I checked, those videos are working perfectly okay!
Well, I'm wondering how many tips you have collected by 'passing' those links to IN. :laugh::laugh:

Relax, the battle against IN is on. :clap::clap:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Lastly I will not publicly embarrass one poster in this thread by name who came to my site ...
Let me guess. Who could it be, who could it be? ;)

But I am still interested to know your or Icenetwork's answer to this comment, posted by our much-repected mskater93:

If IN/US Figure Skating would instead USE Youtube to generate interest again in skating instead of going after people who are posting vids there, it might INCREASE their viewership and subscribers!

To me, this is the way to go. Make love, not war.
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
I know I am not popular with some for my views supporting IceNetwork and their right to protect their streams. Those of you who choose to delude yourselfs that IceNetwork is wrong and your desire to continue to post vids (whereever they originate from) that clearly violate their USA viewing rights clearly don't have the correct perspective. Also clear to those that support IceNetwork is that no amount of factual reasoning is going to change minds that care not to comtemplate with reason.

All your bitching in the world however is not going to deter the continued removal of videos that violate IN webcast rights.
I don't live in the US. Unbelievable is this may seem to you, some people live in other countries! IN has no rights to deny me anything. In fact, by asserting otherwise they're denying the rights of my legal broadcaster, who may want Youtube vids to remain available in order to generate interest in their product.

Other than that, I find it very sad that you devote so much time and energy to such a bizarre cause. Can't you apply yourself to something that's actually beneficial to people? Go volunteer somewhere. Help serve dinner at a shelter today. Do some real good.
 

antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
I don't know why IN defenders keep confusing things or misleading us. IN does NOT own any right outside US, internet or not. People are complaining their ridiculous claim of rights on videos produced by European broadcast, uploaded by Europeans, viewed by Europeans.

Well then take it up with youtube that they don't have the ability to filter their viewership by country, it's that site's lack of functionality that is causing the problems you are complaining of not IceNetwork's assertion to their exclusive internet broadcast rights to US audiences.

Ant
 

NatachaHatawa

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
I personnaly have not subscribed to IN, but that's because this year Eurosport has started showing the GP events.
I can understand both points of view.
On the one hand IN did buy the rights, so it should be able to have a say in the possibilty to show vids on the net. Let's also remember that IN is many figure-skating fans' dream, as TV channels don't tend to make figure-skating a priority or show lots of events. We also should remember that for skating to survive it needs money.
On the other, although IN has bought the rights, that doesn't mean that it has the right to dictate the viewing of figure-skating:
a) It may stop it's own videos from being posted on sites like youtube, but could someone please explain to me, why, all of a sudden there aren't any videos from other tv channels.
b) I don't believe the availabilty of having videos from other TV channels on the web is a real problem for IN. As already stated, it promotes the sport. Moreover these videos have commentry, which, at least if they're off French tv, is usually awful and ruins viewing.
c) Most figure skating fans like to watch the events more or less live rather than wait sevarl days for videos to be posted, especially as not all of the programs are.

Conclusion: IN should protect it's own images, but should not stop people from all over the world being able to see others.
 

antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
I don't live in the US. Unbelievable is this may seem to you, some people live in other countries! IN has no rights to deny me anything. In fact, by asserting otherwise they're denying the rights of my legal broadcaster, who may want Youtube vids to remain available in order to generate interest in their product.

Oh please - go and watch all of the live broadcasts on Eursport or the eurosport viewer at their website. I'm really sure that your local broadcaster would really want the feed they have paid a lot of money for to be freely available on youtube. Like i said earlier - write and complain to youtube for their site's lack of functionality. It is their inability to take videos down so that it can't be viewed froma particular country that is causing the problem.


Ant
 

McWicked

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 7, 2007
I have no problem with IN, indeed, their service is offering LIVE coverage. I dont think they should be worried about youtube, what do you have there??? Just videos in an average quality at best. It's absurd! It's not other ppl's fault that icenetwork cant get more subcrisbers from abroad since their blackout restrictions. INMHO youtube is not a threat. As a subscriber, not only of icenetwork but also of webtv (I can record w it) and others (my gf likes watchin it from many angles) there's nothin like watchin LIVE, watchin the warm ups and more. C'mon, it's not the same watchin the event LIVE than a few hours later, when you already know the results and all the tension is gone.
 

bekalc

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
I have to agree that I now use Ice Network much more than youtube. The picture quality on Ice network is a million times better. So I do like it. I do check out Youtube though for the Eurosport commentary. I always liked seeing what different commentators have to say.

I have to totally agree that Ice Network could so use Youtube to generate an income.
 

fiercemao

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
I have to agree that I now use Ice Network much more than youtube. The picture quality on Ice network is a million times better. So I do like it. I do check out Youtube though for the Eurosport commentary. I always liked seeing what different commentators have to say.

I have to totally agree that Ice Network could so use Youtube to generate an income.

I disagree. IN's picure quality is not all that great. If you check out the alternative I mentioned dailymotion, their quality is much much better than either IN or youtube.
 

bekalc

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
I disagree. IN's picure quality is not all that great. If you check out the alternative I mentioned dailymotion, their quality is much much better than either IN or youtube.

I disagree daily motion freezes more than IceNetwork, and then there's the hassle of having to find the skaters on dailymotion.
 

fiercemao

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
I disagree daily motion freezes more than IceNetwork, and then there's the hassle of having to find the skaters on dailymotion.

Really. Daily motion works perfect for me, there's never a freeze. Maybe you have to choose which country you're from first?

Hassle? I don't find any problem finding a skater on dailymotion. It works the same way as on youtube. You just type in the skater's name, and the videos will come up.
 

bekalc

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Really. Daily motion works perfect for me, there's never a freeze. Maybe you have to choose which country you're from first?

Hassle? I don't find any problem finding a skater on dailymotion. It works the same way as on youtube. You just type in the skater's name, and the videos will come up.

I tried to find Joubert's program, and I couldn't find it. Until someone posted the link. I.e hassle. :laugh: and yeah it froze too. So it was just a lot easier when I wanted to show my mother Joubert's skate. To Hop on to Icenetwork and viola! I DO miss the commentatory, a great skate like that you want to see what the commentators have to say. I like dailytube for my eurosport fix, but that's that. Sometimes icenetwork freezes live, but it's okay tape wise.
 
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