Saturday, April 11, 2009

Something that really burns my toast: Websites and video blocked OUTSIDE of the USA

If there is one thing that pisses me off, is not getting to watch all the great shows from back at home that are available to every other American. Yeah, I live overseas, but seriously does that mean people outside the USA shouldn't get to watch everything else on the internet?

The internet is global - not designated to whatever patch of dirt you happen to be sitting on! I'd happily contribute to their advertising dollars by watching my favorite episodes and clips or listening to the radio; ALL COMPLETE with commercials if given a chance. Seems to me there is an opportunity here for even more revenue for these companies via the international market - and they're blowing it. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE AMERICA'S BORDERS, AND GUESS WHAT? WE WATCH TV AND LISTEN TO THE RADIO TOO! Yes, believe it or not we aren't sitting in caves just dreaming of the day when we too will invent the wheel and be like the awesome fairytale country called Americaland.

Here are a few sites that make my wall of shame:

OFFENDER #1: HULU



Hulu.com has taken over. NBC, FOX and CBS clips? Fahgheddaboutit. And to think about all the millions these bastards tossed away in advertising this year (Superbowl commercial anyone?) and yet I am willing to bet their execs are sitting in a boardroom right now whining that they aren't as profitable as they wish to be...and if only there was a solution to bring in more cashflow. Geeeeeeeeeee.

Either way, that means no Saturday Night Live clips for me. Pfft. Now before anyone pipes up about it, I know I could do some hocus-pocus on my PC and fake these sites out by "changing" my IP addy, but seriously, why should I have to jump through hoops just to get the same video every other numbnut gets for free without doing anything?

OFFENDER #2: PANDORA RADIO




Hey Pandora, you can stick your fake apology right up your box! No, really.

No radio either. Or mayyyybe....if I TRIED just going through the local stations I used to listen to in Dallas via their websites, there's a chance, right?

Dallas is a big city, so let's see!


Hmmm....KISS FM, 106.1?



Guess that would be a no.

Hmm....97.1, The Eagle? Yeah! Yeah!



Er....no, no...

Okay, so radio is pretty much out I suppose. You know what, I give up. At least we still have YouTube. Good 'ol trusty YouTube. They wouldn't block us! We're talking about YouTube here!






BASTARDS.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is not the fault of the sites themselves. Content licensing laws are to blame here.