News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by endersshadow on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:01PM (#7780073)
Wow. While it's not the latest and greatest shows that are on Prime, that's an impressive collection they've put up.

I'm both a subscriber of HBO and of Prime, and I'll actually be using this. You see, I have a Roku, and Comcast won't allow HBOGO over Roku, but they do allow Prime Instant Video. So, woohoo for that!

I'm wondering if Amazon ran into these limitations with their new Roku-killer and decided to end-around them by brining HBO series into the fold.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by cmelbye on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:11PM (#7780126)
> Comcast won't allow HBOGO over Roku

Wait, what? Do they seriously do that?

Can Comcast please die any more quickly?

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by wil421 on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:26PM (#7780211)
Yes they do.

I recently switched from AT&T back to Comcast and I was horrified when I tired to connect my roku to HBOGO. The message pretty much said my only option was to use the Comcast box and watch On Demand.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by MiguelHudnandez on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:46PM (#7780331)
Can you get a screenshot of the message? That is basically the net neutrality debate summed up in one photo.

Edit: I found this: http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2011/11/comcast-not-supporting...

So, if this is the same issue: it's not that Comcast is using packet inspection to prevent HBO Go from working, it's that they have not partnered with HBO to allow authentication. So you are paying Comcast for HBO but you are not getting them to vouch for that fact.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by NoPiece on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @05:13PM (#7780825)
That is weird because you can authenticate HBO Go on a PC with Comcast, so they have done some integration already.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by wmf on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @07:06PM (#7781276)
It sounds like some kind of architectural mistake led to needing separate authentication code for every ISP-device combination.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by MiguelHudnandez on Thursday May 22, 2014 @04:40PM (#7786361)
That seems more damning than if they just did not "play" at all with HBO Go.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by ecoffey on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:30PM (#7780235)
But don't worry, they're committed to Net Neutrality without the need for regulation :-)
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by zachlipton on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:31PM (#7780242)
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by ProAm on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:41PM (#7780301)
Wow, how is that legal? (honest question). If you are a paid subscriber to both Comcast and HBO GO I don't see what the issue is?
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by zachlipton on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:39PM (#7780639)
HBO Go (in the US anyway) doesn't have "paid subscribers." Comcast customers who have subscribe to HBO as part of their TV packages get access to HBO Go as an additional service. Comcast authenticates subscribers to tell HBO Go whether to allow users access to the service. But in this case, they aren't supporting their authentication on Roku devices.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by fryguy on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @05:36PM (#7780916)
It's legal in the sense that you are buying an inferior version of HBO from Comcast than you are from other providers. Comcast isn't blocking HBO Go. It's just not giving it to you. Unfortunately, the only way to get HBO Go is through your TV provider (unless they've changed it recently).
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by mesh on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:56PM (#7780411)
Comcast also does not allow HBOGO via the PS3.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by uncleruckus on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:50PM (#7780367)
HBOGo is also blocked on Samsung TVs
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by zachlipton on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:41PM (#7780647)
Odd. It works for me on a Samsung Smart TV. Was able to authenticate to my account (Comcast sub) with no problem.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by thoughtpalette on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @05:21PM (#7780863)
I'm also able to log in to HBOGO on my Samsung Series 6 TV. Not sure where you're getting that from.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by krisdol on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:30PM (#7780592)
May be comcast-only. It works for TWC
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by emehrkay on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:13PM (#7780140)
A very un-sarcastic "thanks Obama" seems to be in order

edit: strage downvotes considering that Obama specifically stated that this type of behavior is something that he wouldn't condone (once in office) and given that net neutrality is topical...

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by e40 on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:32PM (#7780603)
You're getting downvotes because "Thanks Obama" has become a joke meme. That's looked down upon here at HN.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by IanDrake on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:07PM (#7780475)
When it comes to unilateral actions, the president is mostly Commander in Chief of our military. Meaning, he could pull all our troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq and close Gitmo tomorrow just by saying so.

I assume he has similar command control over the NSA, the FBI, and the CIA.

It's important to separate well meaning rhetoric that's out of his hands from the actual lies he's told about the things he has power over.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by dragonwriter on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:30PM (#7780593)
> When it comes to unilateral actions, the president is mostly Commander in Chief of our military. Meaning, he could pull all our troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq and close Gitmo tomorrow just by saying so.

Unless, for instance, any of that required spending money, and Congress explicitly forbade spending money for the purpose. Or Congress otherwise prohibited the military from doing what the President wanted to direct.

Commander-in-Chief doesn't mean "dictator", it means that Congress' power to "make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces" is limited so as not to allow them to vote to have someone other than, and independent of the authority of, the President direct how the military will operate within the rules Congress has set, it doesn't give the President independent authority to set the rules on his own, or to direct the military in a manner contrary to the rules established by Congress.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by bratsche on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @06:49PM (#7781208)
> Unless, for instance, any of that required spending money, and Congress explicitly forbade spending money for the purpose. Or Congress otherwise prohibited the military from doing what the President wanted to direct.

Wait, can Congress do that? I know that they approve budgets obviously, but I thought all they could do was allocate it to different departments. I didn't think they could say, "here's this money but you can only use it for this purpose.. you absolutely cannot use it for this other purpose". I thought their only way of stopping some part of the government from doing something was to create a law removing that authority. And it's hard to imagine them removing the military's authority from withdrawing from a war. :)

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by dragonwriter on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @07:12PM (#7781298)
> Wait, can Congress do that?

Yes.

> I know that they approve budgets obviously, but I thought all they could do was allocate it to different departments. I didn't think they could say, "here's this money but you can only use it for this purpose.. you absolutely cannot use it for this other purpose".

Not only can they do that, that is usually how they allocate money. Even when there is some flexibility in how the funds are spent, that flexibility is defined in the law appropriating the funds.

> And it's hard to imagine them removing the military's authority from withdrawing from a war.

Withdrawing from a war is an unlikely thing for Congress to act to bar, sure, but that's not because they couldn't, just because they would be unlikely to choose to. Closing the detention facility at Guantanamo, well, that's a different story. While they haven't exactly prohibited it, they've removed funds for it from budgets and prohibited the specific steps the administration proposed to take to do it (such as transferring prisoners from Guantanamo to the US.)

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by emehrkay on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:16PM (#7780523)
We all understand that, but we all know that the boss is the face of his workers' shortcomings/winnings.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by balls187 on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:31PM (#7780240)
Actually, The Wire is the greatest show HBO has ever made.

Latest, no. Greatest, YES.

Comcast also doesn't allow their Comcast iOS app to stream via Airplay.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by psychometry on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:36PM (#7780278)
As the old adage goes...there are two types of people in the world: those who think The Wire is the greatest TV show ever made and those who have never seen The Wire.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by oalders on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:48PM (#7780354)
I used say that if I ever had a son, I'd call him "McNulty".

Reminds me of this Family Guy clip: "Breaking Bad is the best show you've ever seen, except maybe The Wire". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXbaxVeteRE

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by stplsd on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @10:43PM (#7781860)
The Shield is actually better than The Wire:

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2008/dec/27/tv-drama-davi...

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by Touche on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:39PM (#7780293)
Seen it, didn't like it.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by dublinben on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:19PM (#7780532)
You've watched the entire series, and you didn't like it?
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by jwoah12 on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:46PM (#7780677)
Why would anyone watch the entire series if they didn't like the episodes they started with?
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by ohsnapman on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @06:00PM (#7781017)
Because The Wire is not about instant gratification. It's layers on layers that pay off in multiples by the time you're into the later seasons. Even season two, by far the weakest season, is a total treat the second time you watch it and know what you're looking for.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by CJefferson on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @06:34PM (#7781159)
The problem is that there are too many things in this world which people assure me will be amazing if I just stick with them, and not enough time to try them all out.

Got to season 3 of the Sopranos -- still hated it.

Used vim for 9 weeks as my only editor -- still hated it.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by endersshadow on Thursday May 22, 2014 @10:40AM (#7784064)
It has amused me to no end that we live in a time when we can develop communities around amazingly obscure interests, but people still believe that preferences are objective. If you didn't like the Sopranos, c'est la vie. If you're an emacs guy, hey, that's cool, too. I'll never understand why we keep communicating under the guise of, "My opinion is a fact."

It's ironic that in a world of nigh infinite communities and interests, you can still be wrong about what you're interested in.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by balls187 on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @08:29PM (#7781521)
Funny that you think Season 2 is the weakest. I've gotten the feeling that Season 5 was the weakest.

That said, as you put it, after multiple viewings, I love every season.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by chrismonsanto on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @09:46PM (#7781715)
I loved Season 2. Season 5 was shorter and felt rushed compared to the other seasons. Still incredible though.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by baddox on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @10:11PM (#7781776)
As soon as I run out of television shows that don't have horrible first episodes, I'll give The Wire another chance.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by mikeash on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @06:37PM (#7781165)
How can you tell a series like that from one that just sucks? Putting 40+ hours into an entertainment product before it begins to pay off just isn't reasonable.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by balls187 on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @08:36PM (#7781544)
It's not easy, but, The Wire is amazing.

People who don't like it because:

1. It starts slow (it's character driven)

2. They assume it's another Cop Drama (it's not)

3. There is a lot of violence

4. There is a lot of foul language

5. Many of main cast are black and the show portrays inner city life

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by baddox on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @10:13PM (#7781783)
I didn't make it past the first episode because I thought the first episode was one of the cheesiest ridiculous plots with the most comical over the top stereotypical acting I've ever seen. There are very few shows that I have been excited to start yet couldn't make it past one episode, but The Wire is one of them.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by Touche on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @09:54PM (#7781737)
Those are all valid reasons for not liking something. I'm sick of the cargo-culting that everyone must like the same internet-popular shows.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by mikeash on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @08:58PM (#7781590)
Why does "character driven" have to imply "starts slow"?

Maybe we have different ideas of what that phrase mean, but for example, I'd say that Firefly was "character driven" and yet was able to hook me (and lots of other people) within about ten minutes.

Anyway, the discussion here isn't so much about why people like or dislike The Wire, but more of a meta-discussion about how you can determine whether a show is worth watching, and how much of something you have to see before you're allowed to say you didn't like it. dublinben seems to imply that you can't declare dislike unless you've literally watched the entire thing from beginning to end. The question is then raised as to why you'd spend that much time watching a series if you didn't like what you saw of it to start with, and responses which talk about how great The Wire is once you put a lot of time into it are then entirely missing the point.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by dalore on Thursday May 22, 2014 @04:24AM (#7782714)
Which Firefly episode did you watch first though?

They are out of order.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by mikeash on Thursday May 22, 2014 @09:51AM (#7783832)
Serenity. I was so skeptical of the concept of a western-with-spaceships that I didn't try it until years after it aired, and so was able to watch it all in the proper order.

Experiences like that have made me truly interested in how you can really evaluate this stuff. People praise The Wire. I didn't like what I saw of it. Is it worth my time to keep watching it to see if my opinion changes? I don't have time to do that with everything, so there has to be an initial filter. How do you decide?

I tend to err heavily on the side of caution here. I'm happy not having any TV to watch, but I hate wasting hours on something bad. I'd rather miss out on something good if it comes down to it.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by baddox on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @10:12PM (#7781777)
Don't forget those who could barely even make it through the first episode.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by moskie on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:24PM (#7780557)
> I'm both a subscriber of HBO and of Prime, and I'll actually be using this. You see, I have a Roku...

I'm in a similar situation, but I use a Chromecast instead of a Roku. Why oh why Amazon doesn't implement Chromecast support baffles me so much. I would spend a good amount of money on their streaming content that way. Instead, my money goes into the Google Play store.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by blktiger on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:29PM (#7780583)
Maybe because they want you to buy a Fire TV? :P

Amazon Prime is already on a lot of devices and I'm sure that they just haven't had enough pressure to implement chromecast support yet.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by ultimoo on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:41PM (#7780302)
How is HBOGO different from Xfinity On Demand? If you subscribe to HBO, all content is anyway available OD, so there is no real need for a separate 'client' for watching it.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by dangrossman on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:49PM (#7780360)
Because Roku is a one-time purchase, where additional cable boxes are monthly fees. I already own the Roku. By taking away HBO Go access on it, I can no longer watch HBO in that room at all.

Last I checked, all the content wasn't available on-demand either. There was a larger selection on HBO Go versus On Demand. OD only has the last 1-2 seasons of the series it has at all, and has fewer movies. HBO Go has all the seasons of all the series.

Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by evanm on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @05:11PM (#7780809)
My iPad was a one-time purchase and Comcast doesn't have a problem with me streaming HBO Go content on that. So why the Roku?
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by Ricapar on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @05:41PM (#7780931)
Is your iPad permanently hooked up to your TV? Many people have rather large HDTVs and would much prefer to watch on there rather than on a tiny screen you have to carry around or dock somewhere.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by stonemetal on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @05:30PM (#7780894)
Comcast doesn't sale or rent iPad competitors so they don't feel the need to cripple the iPad.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by nitrogen on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:50PM (#7780366)
Maybe your question is genuine, so I'll reply with my genuine response: why not? What business is it of Comcast if someone wants to watch an Internet service they've paid for on their Roku or Playstation or Linux PC?
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by samolang on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @04:09PM (#7780483)
Xfinity On Demand's user interface is atrocious.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by adorton on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:56PM (#7780414)
HBO Go has a much larger catalog than Comcast on demand. You can also stream in HD, even if you don't have Comcast HD.
Re:HBO programming available on Amazon Prime by emehrkay on Wednesday May 21, 2014 @03:52PM (#7780378)
This is a strange argument. What if you don't actually subscribe to HBO, but still have account privileges?