Internet TV: The Empire Strikes Back!

What if popular TV shows are only permitted to be viewed over-the-Net by subscribers to conventional CATV, Satellite, and IPTV services? Such a plan seems to be gaining momentum among companies such as Time Warner, Direct TV, and Verizon. They want to discourage subscribers from “cutting the cord” to conventional TV and alternately watching the shows via broadband ISP service at websites like Hulu, Joost, and TV.com. Simultaneously they reason the plan provides added value to conventional subscribers because it gives viewers an alternate way to watch the shows. The answer to “what would happen?” depends upon a number of contingencies. The ...