Best things to watch on the network?

[WyattSheepMask]

This weeks Hidden Gems:

* 2 our of 3 Falls: Rita Romero v Danny Savich - Dallas, TX 26/8/52

* WWWF World Heavyweight Title Match: Blackjack Mulligan v Pedro Morales (c), MSG 15/3/71

* Tito Santana & Mil Mascaras v Demolition, 28/8/87

* WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio (c) v Super Calo- WCW Monday Nitro #54

[Onyx2]

From the latest Observer

The belief is that the people running Progress like Jim Smallman will be ending up running the U.K. shows, particularly if they do house show tours . WWE has owned both the Progress and ICW libraries for some time but still has done nothing with them. It’s basically up to Vince McMahon when he wants to pull the trigger on it. For now, Vince hasn’t allowed any modern indies on the network. Some feel that will change and the stuff will start airing when they launch the more expensive tiered pricing where those type of things would be among the things put on the higher tier, which the expectation right now is will start in 2019. The only official word on the new more expensive tier is that it’s coming “sooner than later”.

 

Tiered pricing 'soon' eh? If that tier contains downloads I'm all over it. Performance on mobile data can be so patchy, I might watch little else. 

 

 

[WyattSheepMask]

If that’s true about WWE owning the Progress & ICW libraries, not announcing it and keep their own ondemand services going, thats a bit cheeky isn’t it?

Depending how much the tiered pricing is, I would consider it for sure

[kidzero]

Anyone know if anything is being added to the vault this month/next month or so

[Really Big Shoe]

Will the tiered pricing involve charging more for the big 4 events?. I can see them going with the vault/archive material on the lowest tier, other PPVs and big shows (Takeover and such) above that and the premium level content being Rumble, Mania, Summerslam and Survivor Series. A download option would be great but they'd need to really DRM it as otherwise it'll end up all over the internet. Unless there's with like an identifier (e.g. account number)embedded somewhere in the file so if you share it elsewhere they'd know about it. 

[Abe_Knuckleball_Schwartz]

2 hours ago, Really Big Shoe said:

Will the tiered pricing involve charging more for the big 4 events?. I can see them going with the vault/archive material on the lowest tier, other PPVs and big shows (Takeover and such) above that and the premium level content being Rumble, Mania, Summerslam and Survivor Series. A download option would be great but they'd need to really DRM it as otherwise it'll end up all over the internet. Unless there's with like an identifier (e.g. account number)embedded somewhere in the file so if you share it elsewhere they'd know about it. 

I suspect if a tiered pricing structure does come into effect, the "big" events will be on the highest tier and will then be added to the other tiers after a certain period of time, similar to how Raw and Smackdown are added to the Network now.

[Michael_3165]

If they increase the price I'll probably give it a miss and cancel. 

[Onyx2]

4 hours ago, Really Big Shoe said:

A download option would be great but they'd need to really DRM it as otherwise it'll end up all over the internet. 

They would do this as a matter of course, but is it really that difficult to find a copy of any WWE show ever if you want? (no smart arse Over The Edge comments) 

[Really Big Shoe]

That's true but they wouldn't be the same quality as the official downloads. They'd likely have a HD download option so they'd be perfect 1:1 copies of shows out there if people chose to put them up on torrent sites/file sharing etc. Now I'd imagine they are stream ripped so there would I'm assuming be some quality loss/pixelation/compression in places. Something similar to iPlayer where you have 30 days to watch the show as a download then when that time expires the file becomes unreadable would work. Then even if they are shared after 30 days they'd be obsolete.

[bigfoote]

Doesn't MLB.tv handle their backend? Anyone know if they have an "offline" mode?

[Really Big Shoe]

I believe so, they allow you download games the FAQ mentions. However they refer to a "purchase" so I'm unsure if you have to pay to download each one or whether it's included in a higher price tier they offer. 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/help/faq_dds.jsp#q1

1. What kind of file am I downloading?

   You will be downloading a Windows Media video (or in some cases audio) file with DRM. Generally, game files are approximately 1 GB in size with a bitrate of 1 MB (very high quality). MLB.com Downloads are for personal and non-commercial use.

2. Why is a license used for my downloaded video?

   All MLB.com Downloads are encrypted with Microsoft Digital Rights Management technology. DRM security requires a valid license before viewing the material. You must have Windows Media Player (version 10.0 or higher) downloaded on your machine to view downloaded video.

3. What is DRM?

   Digital Rights Management is a technology that allows for the secure management of digital media. This security protects the content provider from unauthorized distribution, viewing and use of the material.

4. Can I copy this downloaded file to another machine and play it?

   Yes, the license given to you for a digital download allows for the viewing and transfer of the download to up to three machines. If you view the video from work, then you will still be able to view the file from home.

5. I downloaded this file and then disconnected from the Internet, but now I am getting a license error.

   When viewing the downloaded video for the first time, you need to be connected to the Internet in order to obtain a license to view the material. If this problem persists please contact Customer Service at 866.800.1275 or e-mail customerservice@website.mlb.com.

6. How do I obtain a license on my Mac for this downloaded file?

   Currently the version of DRM in use is not supported by the Macintosh Windows Media Player, therefore you cannot view downloaded videos on a Mac.

7. Do I have to obtain a license every time I want to watch the downloaded video?

   No. When you first try to play the video, a license will be distributed to you and stored by the player. Unless manually deleted, the license will exist forever and will be used when you try to watch the downloaded video on that machine. If you watch the video on a different machine, another license will be required.

8. I have a Windows PC and I am using Windows Media Player, but I cannot get a license.

   The current Digital Rights Management technology is only available on Windows Media Players that are version 10.0 or higher. If this problem persists please contact Customer Service at 866.800.1275or e-mail customerservice@website.mlb.com.

9. Can I burn an MLB.com Downloads video to DVD and watch on my TV?

   You can burn a MLB.com Downloads video onto a DVD, but only as a storage medium for computer files, not as a "TV quality" DVD. You can use your computer to write a MLB.com Downloads Windows Media file to a data DVD (DVD-ROM) for storage (similar to writing to a CD for storage) so you don't have to keep it on your computer's hard drive. However, this is very different than a DVD-Video DVD (such as a motion picture DVD) that you view in high-resolution on your TV screen. MLB.com Downloads files are computer screen-resolution Windows Media files; DVDs that you watch on your TV are higher-resolution MPEG-2 format files. If you are using a monitor as your TV, you may be able to view content that is displaying on your computer screen.

10. What's the difference between watching a "streamed" video (a live video on MLB.TV, for example, or a video in the MLB.TV on-demand archives) and watching a "downloaded" video (for example, one purchased via the MLB.com Downloads)?

    Here are the key differences between streaming and downloading video:

    1. Streaming
       1. Streaming video starts playing almost immediately when you click on a link. There will be a little bit of "buffering" (as your computer makes the connection and starts the data flowing from the server that is feeding you the video) and then the video begins playing.
       2. Video is currently offered in one broadband bitrate: 400K/700K.
       3. The quality of the picture you see will vary greatly, depending on the speed of your Internet connection. MLB.com doesn't recommend streaming video for dial-up Internet connections.
       4. The video does not take up any space on your computer's hard drive - effectively, you are watching a "link" to another site (in this case, a place where the video footage is stored) as it is delivered ("streamed") to your computer in real-time.
    2. Downloading
       1. Downloaded video does not start playing when you first click on a link. You must first purchase the file, then have the entire file "downloaded" to your computer (by streaming the bits to you over the Internet). Once the download is complete, you can begin playing the file off of your computer's hard drive.
       2. How soon you can start watching the video footage will depend on the speed of your connection.
       3. Once you start playing the downloaded file, the video quality will be very high and there will be no interruptions based on a poor Internet connection because you are playing it off your hard drive. In fact, you can play the video on your computer without being connected to the Internet at all, because the actual video file is stored locally on your hard drive or device.
       4. To store a complete file, you will need enough hard drive space to store a roughly 1.5 GB file. A complete 9+ inning video is a large file, and if you do not have enough drive space, you will not be able to watch the video.

     

11. Is my internet connection fast enough for MLB.com video and audio streams?

    Take the MLB.com Speed Test!

    This test will measure your download rate from our servers to give you a recommendation as to whether or not your internet connection is fast enough for MLB.com video and audio streams.

    Click here to test your internet connection.

12. Why can I no longer view previously purchased downloads?

    It has come to our attention that a small subset of our MLB.com Digital Download customers are unable to access and watch certain games that they previously purchased on MLB.com. MLB.com is committed to ensuring that all non-functioning MLB.com Digital Downloads that were previously purchased directly from us are again made available at no additional cost to our customers without regard to the number of machines to which the Downloads have been transferred.

    If you are unable to view a MLB.com Digital Download game that you purchased directly from us, please contact MLB.com Customer Service by either (1) sending an e-mail to customerservice@website.mlb.com listing the games that are no longer accessible, or (2) by calling 1-866-800-1275 to speak to a representative.

    We will then send you an e-mail containing information on how to re-download and access these games. Please note that all Regular Season games will be available in the originally purchased format and that all Postseason games will be made available in Windows Media format. If we are unable to provide you with a replacement video, we will offer you a refund.

    We regret any inconvenience, and value your continued support.

13. After downloading the media, why isn't the "Play" button enabled after I have acquired the license?

    The following remedy is for Windows XP and Vista users only. You must install and upgrade your security component to allow playback of protected Windows Media at the following URL (this page must be opened using Internet Explorer) - http://drmlicense.one.microsoft.com/crlupdate/en/crlupdate.html. Please follow the instructions according to your platform.

[kidzero]

If they do bring in a tiered pricing I would definitely be interested maybe that's why the holding off on wwf challenge/Superstars/shotgun so they can put the on the premium tier? 

[BomberPat]

Premium tier isn't going to be for archive B-shows that a small fraction of the potential audience will watch. 

When they first sent out the email pitching pricing plans, it was;

Plan 1 (Free)
Watch all video clips (clips are less than 5 minutes each)
Video archive (5 hours per month)
Access to 24/7 stream
Watch on all devices
Full commercials

Plan 2 ($4.99)
Watch all video clips (clips are less than 5 minutes each)
Watch “Big 4” Pay-Per-View events
NXT TV (pre-recorded)
Access to the video archive
Access to 24/7 live stream
Watch on phone and tablet only
Limited commercials

Plan 3 ($9.99)
Watch all video clips (clips are less than 5 minutes each)
Watch all pay-per-view events
Watch live NXT Takeover events
Weekly NXT TV (live)
Cruiserweight Classic episodes
Access to the video archive
Access to 24/7 live stream
Watch on all devices
Limited commercials

Plan 4 ($14.99)
Watch all video clips (clips are less than 5 minutes each)
Watch all pay-per-view events
Watch live NXT Takeover events
Weekly NXT TV (live)
Cruiserweight Classic episodes
Access to the video archive
Access to 24/7 live stream
Access to independent wrestling content (TNA and ROH were listed in the 2016 survey)
Watch on all devices
No commercials
Fan Perks
Deluxe Fan Perks

[kidzero]

3 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

Premium tier isn't going to be for archive B-shows that a small fraction of the potential audience will watch.

Yeah old wwf shows wouldn't be a total selling point but it would be a perk I think... So anyone's guess when it would launch maybe after mania? 

[Accident Prone]

Plan 2 suits me down to the ground unless they find a way to stop me casting it to my telly.