Valhalla Island

Speaking of not getting it, here’s a great article by Marc Hedlund on Hulu’s “content providers” forcing Hulu to block their stuff being used by Boxee. “Content providers” are the TV networks. Hulu, run by the TV networks, puts their content online with ads, just like on normal TV. Boxee is software you can run on any computer that makes it easy watch video from a variety of sources including, until a few days ago, Hulu.

To be extremely clear, all Boxee does is provide a better, dedicated interface for finding and watching video. Much like a Front Row that can also use video sources on the web. You could run it on a laptop, you could run it on a Mac Mini connected to a 20″ Dell screen on your desk or you could run it on that exact same Mac Mini connected to a 50″ HD TV in your lounge room.

I can almost hear some lawyer somewhere in Hollywood screaming, “I thought Hulu was a WEB SITE! I do NOT see a WEB BROWSER in this PHOTOGRAPH!”

Marc points out an important point:

[...] even with Hulu gone from Boxee, I can still watch Hulu on my TV, albeit with a much lamer interface.

Yep, same Mac Mini connected to your TV, you can still watch Hulu through a web browser, keyboard and mouse. Same content, same medium, just more difficult to use. Again, to be clear, the studios are blocking easier access to their content that includes advertisements that supply them with revenue, for absolutely no extra cost.

The studios have a very long history of betting against technology people want, and on technology people don’t want.

The magnitude to which entertainment studios just don’t get it is simply incredible.