Aereo launches new site to lay out its arguments ahead of US Supreme Court appearance

[Justin Kahn]

Controversial broadcast TV streaming company Aereo has been getting into a lot of trouble with TV networks and is set to appear in front of the US Supreme Court next week. Ahead of its opening arguments, the company has launched a site to explain its reasoning behind why its service is legitimate and why it believes it is being sued.

Aereo is an online subscription based service that provides broadcast network TV to users without kicking back to the TV networks. It uses an array of tiny antennas to scoop up broadcasts and beam them to paying customers (along with full cloud DVR functionality), which according to the networks is flat out copyright infringement.

Aereo feels that users have "had a fundamental right to watch over-the-air broadcast television via an individual antenna," along with the right to copy it for quite some time. "Broadcasters should not be able to use the Courts to drive forward what they believe are their most lucrative business models," Aereo's arguments on the new site read. "The broadcasters are asking the Court to deny consumers the ability to use the cloud to access a more modern-day television antenna and DVR in order to protect what they believe are their most lucrative business models."

The idea here is that everyone is allowed to capture over-the-air broadcast TV for free using an antenna, and Aereo simply provides a modern day version of such an antenna with its miniature, individualized array systems. Each customer is assigned a mini antenna, in which they can watch and store broadcasts. The networks argue that there is no real difference between Aereo's model in terms of performance compared to a cable or satellite provider that actually pays for content.

Along with Aereo's arguments, there is also a cache of briefs pertinent to the case at the "Protect My Antenna" site. Aereo and the networks are set to appear in front of the US Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 22.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/56448-aereo-launches-new-site-to-lay-out-its-arguments-ahead-of-us-supreme-court-appearance.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

If they are willing to stream Over-The-Air content, they have no say in how it is being received, recorded, or sold. The only way to fight Aereo is to offer the same services at a competitive price. Or stop streaming Over-The-Air content and charge places like Aereo to capture/broadcast (aka: subscription).

 

[Mbloof]

The comical thing is that NONE of those itsybitsy antenna's are actually used to capture the OTA broadcast!

There would be little+no argument if the customer were capturing the broadcast and then uploading it to the "cloud" for their own personal use later however in this case Aereo is doing the capturing FOR the customer and then illegally retransmitting it to the customer. (the exact same thing that Cable and Dish services do - except that THEY kick back to the networks they rebroadcast from)

The company is simply attempting to push a business model through a loophole.

The same concept applies to Radio - excepting that many radio stations have their own free streaming services available via their websites.

 

[tipstir]

I am getting over 71 channels OTA today. Most of the channels are the same ones you get off CATV. We are talking about 1080i HD in 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound on certain channels on OTA. I can record 1080i HD in 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus Sound on WMC which is a laptop running i3 core, 8GB DDR3 RAM, an external USB HD. For cooling I use are large 120mm laptop fan with variable speed. Attached Logitech Harmony 700 with U-IR and Logitech MK350 with MK710 all wireless. This stays on 24/7.

I've saved a ton of money ditching CATV back in mid 2012. I use Netflix to take up the slack. Redbox and Amazon Videos I really don't even bother with.

This company should run it's own OTA or share what's on there already. The market is tight already. CATV giants will notice how many will drop $2,000 to $3,000 a year for their triple services with all the taxes and rental fees they have tack on a service that started to be only $10 a month with just HBO.