{"id":771,"date":"2014-04-27T23:26:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-27T23:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/?p=771"},"modified":"2017-01-07T19:27:01","modified_gmt":"2017-01-07T19:27:01","slug":"how-much-information-do-you-really-think-you-can-grab-comcast-nbc-hulu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/?p=771","title":{"rendered":"How much information do you really think you can grab, Comcast &#8211; NBC &#8211; Hulu?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I mean I watch television using Hulu but if I&#8217;m going to pay cash (for Hulu+) I&#8217;m going to watch using NetFlix.  Seriously dude, Comcast already owns NBC and NBC created Hulu, and I watch commercials to view Hulu content.  So,  Comcast,  you want to sit in the middle and just collect money from all directions?  <\/p>\n<p>I got this recently from some of the places I steal internet access after trying to watch Superships:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_775\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Hulu-Proxy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-775\" src=\"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Hulu-Proxy-150x93.jpg\" alt=\"We gotta know who you are and where you are.  Sincerely, Comcast\" width=\"150\" height=\"93\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-775\" srcset=\"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Hulu-Proxy-150x93.jpg 150w, http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Hulu-Proxy-300x187.jpg 300w, http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Hulu-Proxy-1024x640.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Hulu-Proxy.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-775\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We gotta know who you are and where you are.  Sincerely, Comcast<\/p><\/div>\n<p>So I was feeling magnanimous and I filled out the form and sent it in.  And this is what Comcast sent in reply the next day.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_779\" style=\"width: 125px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Anonymous-Proxy-Error.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-779\" src=\"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Anonymous-Proxy-Error-115x150.jpg\" alt=\"Useless responce from comcast\/Hulu\" width=\"115\" height=\"150\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-779\" srcset=\"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Anonymous-Proxy-Error-115x150.jpg 115w, http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Anonymous-Proxy-Error-231x300.jpg 231w, http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Anonymous-Proxy-Error-791x1024.jpg 791w, http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Anonymous-Proxy-Error.jpg 1275w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 115px) 100vw, 115px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-779\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Useless responce from Comcast\/Hulu<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Anonymous-Proxy-Error.pdf\">Anonymous Proxy Error<\/a><\/p>\n<p>And unexpectedly I received this follow up e-mail.<\/p>\n<p>Hi again,<\/p>\n<p>I just wanted to send a quick follow-up to see if everything\u2019s all taken care of, or if there\u2019s anything else I can help you with.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re all set, you can let me know or I\u2019ll just mark this as resolved if I don\u2019t hear from you in the next few days.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks,<br \/>\nMiranda<br \/>\nHulu Support<\/p>\n<p>*If everything is taken care of, you can reply \u201cALLSET\u201d to let us know automatically.<\/p>\n<p>Well, no everything is not alright.  You still want to collect more information on my location.  So I sent this snarky reply.<\/p>\n<p>On Apr 29, 2014, at 1:06 AM, Hulu Support <support@hulu.com> wrote:<\/p>\n<p>I just wanted to send a quick follow-up to see if everything\u2019s all taken care of<\/p>\n<p>No, everything is not all taken care of.  Removing the proxy server is not an option.  Paying for television with commercials is an option and I\u2019ll choose Netflix if I have to purchase even though I know that your parent company is already charging \u201cprotection\u201d for the transport of the Netflix stream.<\/p>\n<p>Art<\/p>\n<p>Miranda H, Apr 25 09:30 PM:<br \/>\nHi Art,<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for writing in! I&#8217;m sorry to hear you&#8217;re encountering the international restrictions error. Based on the IP address you were using when you submitted this message, our system determined that your computer was accessing our site using a proxy server. Once you disable it, you should be able to watch videos on Hulu again.<\/p>\n<p>A proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary between your computer and the Internet. It\u2019s possible to use an anonymous proxy and not realize it. A few common scenarios can lead to being blocked by our system are:<\/p>\n<p>1. attempting to access Hulu from outside of the United States<br \/>\n2. using an unsupported mobile phone to access Hulu.com<br \/>\n3. using a VPN or other work network to access the Internet<br \/>\n4. using a program on your computer to anonymize your web surfing<br \/>\n5. using an IP address that has been blacklisted because of previous Anonymous Proxy use<\/p>\n<p>For more information about these scenarios, you can read our help article here ( http:\/\/www.hulu.com\/support\/article\/243651 ), or reply to this message.<\/p>\n<p>You can also try simply connecting to a different network entirely. If you believe strongly that you are not using an proxy of any kind, please let me know and we will investigate further.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks,<br \/>\nMiranda H<br \/>\nHulu Support<\/p>\n<p>P.S. If at any time your issue is addressed or you&#8217;d like to end this conversation, let us know by replying \u201cALLSET\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And in responce I got this &#8220;If you don&#8217;t like us you can leave letter.<\/p>\n<p>Miranda H, Apr 29 05:35 PM:<br \/>\nHi Art,<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for writing in. I&#8217;m sorry if the recent updates to our location services have caused any undue frustrations. Because the agreements with our content providers are so strict, we need to be able to verify that anyone who watches videos through our service is a valid user connecting from a territory within the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Hulu Plus\u2019s focus is an expanded lineup of current-season TV, which means that much of the content isn\u2019t yet available through other channels \u2013 like DVD, Blu-ray, syndication, and so on. Because these videos are so new and have such limited availability, they\u2019re very expensive to license. The ads you see help offset these licensing costs, all while keeping the monthly subscription price at $7.99.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, I don&#8217;t want you to have to pay for a service you&#8217;re not able to use, so if you&#8217;d like me to cancel your Hulu Plus account for you until the issue is resolved, just let me know and I&#8217;d be happy to help. You can also cancel it yourself anytime via your account page ( www.hulu.com\/account ).<\/p>\n<p>Thanks,<br \/>\nMiranda H<br \/>\nHulu Support<\/p>\n<p>P.S. If at any time your issue is addressed or you&#8217;d like to end this conversation, let us know by replying \u201cALLSET\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/04\/24\/opinion\/welcome-to-comcast-country.html?_r=1\">NY Times on Comcast in Philadelphia<\/a><\/p>\n<p>PDF I&#8217;ve saved here.<a href=\"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Welcome-to-Comcast-Country-NYTimes.com_.pdf\">Welcome to Comcast Country &#8211; NYTimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>WTF, Here&#8217;s the text:<\/p>\n<p>PHILADELPHIA \u2014 COMCAST\u2019S executive vice president, David L. Cohen, did not seem fazed when Senator Al Franken warned at a recent Judiciary Committee hearing that the company\u2019s proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable would \u201cresult in fewer choices, higher prices and even worse service for my constituents.\u201d Comcast argues that the merger will not decrease competition among cable television or broadband Internet providers because the two companies do not directly compete \u2014 though the reason for that is that they already maintain virtual monopolies in many of their service areas.<\/p>\n<p>In Comcast\u2019s case, that monopoly is predicated upon exerting overwhelming political control. Just ask anyone who lives in Philadelphia, where the shiny 975-foot Comcast Center looms over the skyline. As buttons at the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia proclaimed: \u201cWelcome to Comcast Country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here, politicians heap unalloyed praise on Comcast\u2019s chairman and chief executive, Brian L. Roberts, and his father, the company\u2019s founder, Ralph J. Roberts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou will have to search long and hard in this city to find anyone who will say anything bad about Comcast or the Robertses,\u201d the former governor of Pennsylvania and mayor of Philadelphia, Edward G. Rendell, told a reporter in 2001. Not incidentally, Mr. Cohen served as Mayor Rendell\u2019s chief of staff before taking over Comcast\u2019s political shop and becoming the Robertses\u2019 consigliere.<\/p>\n<p>Starting in Philadelphia, Comcast built a hometown political machine and turned it into a national juggernaut. In 2013, the company spent $18.8 million on federal lobbying, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That\u2019s more than all but six other corporations. The company is also a major donor, making nearly $5.5 million in federal political contributions during the 2012 cycle.<\/p>\n<p>Recipients of Comcast\u2019s largess include President Obama and Pennsylvania\u2019s congressional delegation in Washington, a veritable Comcast caucus. In 2011, Pennsylvania\u2019s two senators, Patrick J. Toomey, a Republican, and Robert P. Casey Jr., a Democrat, scolded the Federal Communications Commission for taking too long to vote on Comcast\u2019s acquisition of NBC Universal: \u201cThe American people,\u201d they wrote, \u201chave waited for more than a year for the benefits of this transaction to come to fruition.\u201d The two have now joined hands across the aisle to back the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger. And the F.C.C.\u2019s new move to weaken the principle of net neutrality suggests that, once again, Comcast\u2019s wishes will be granted.<\/p>\n<p>The effort to sideline concerns about consumer protection was pioneered in Philadelphia in 1999, when Comcast was aided by City Hall in keeping a rival company, RCN, out of the local cable market.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood God!\u201d Mr. Rendell recalled telling RCN, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. \u201cWe have to tear up the streets so you can come in here and compete against one of our best corporate citizens?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Rendell reportedly suggested that RCN move its headquarters to Philadelphia and \u201cget involved\u201d with the mayoral campaign of John F. Street, who later succeeded him in office. RCN executives donated, but Comcast gave more.<br \/>\nContinue reading the main story<br \/>\nContinue reading the main story<br \/>\nAdvertisement<\/p>\n<p>Politicians here express their corporate loyalty in the tribal terms typically reserved for the city\u2019s professional sports teams. (In fact, the Philadelphia Flyers and their hockey arena are owned by Comcast-Spectacor.) But many customers in Philadelphia demur: Comcast service here is expensive and poor, as customers everywhere complain. The company consistently receives among the lowest ratings of any major cable TV or Internet service provider.<br \/>\nContinue reading the main story<br \/>\nRecent Comments<br \/>\nmarkomd<br \/>\n5 days ago<\/p>\n<p>TWC is atrocious already and gives about the worst service and quality in the industry. Good luck, Philadelphia.<br \/>\nPE<br \/>\n5 days ago<\/p>\n<p>The Comcast remote works like a cold war relic, or an 80s cell-phone. You would think, with all their profits, they would reinvest in 21st&#8230;<br \/>\nCharles<br \/>\n5 days ago<\/p>\n<p>I remember when cable TV came to Philadelphia back around the Bicentennial, after being restricted to the suburbs previously. I think&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>    See All Comments<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt bothers us that we have trouble delivering real high-quality service on a consistent basis,\u201d Mr. Cohen conceded at the recent Senate hearing. In 2003, lawyers sued on behalf of some two million Philadelphia-area Comcast customers alleging that the company employed anti-competitive measures, including the exclusion of RCN. Plaintiffs sought damages of $875 million. But last year, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that they could not proceed as a class.<\/p>\n<p>Angry Philadelphians have also protested the tax breaks lavished on the company \u2014 at a time when the city\u2019s underfunded school system is in dire crisis. The gleaming Comcast Center was subsidized by $42.75 million in state grants and other assistance, and the project is reaping millions of dollars from the city\u2019s property-tax abatement for new construction. A planned second tower will stand 1,121 feet tall.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Rendell describes the upside to Philadelphia\u2019s Comcast fealty as \u201cincalculable.\u201d And so are the costs, considering Comcast\u2019s many subsidiaries based in the great American onshore tax haven of Delaware and by the corporate tax secrecy in Pennsylvania; Comcast has opposed efforts to close the \u201cDelaware loophole.\u201d According to Citizens for Tax Justice, Comcast paid an estimated average state corporate income tax rate of just 4 percent from 2008 to 2012.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Cohen recently told The Inquirer that it was \u201cdemeaning to elected officials to suggest that their support can be bought.\u201d Yet he has also acknowledged that the company\u2019s political donations are aligned to \u201csupport an agenda that is supportive of the company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Philadelphia is a digital-age company town where the proper relationship between business and government has been turned on its head. Welcome, indeed, to Comcast Country.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel Denvir is a senior staff writer at Philadelphia City Paper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I mean I watch television using Hulu but if I&#8217;m going to pay cash (for Hulu+) I&#8217;m going to watch using NetFlix. Seriously dude, Comcast already owns NBC and NBC created Hulu, and I watch commercials to view Hulu content. &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/?p=771\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art-joly"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=771"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":793,"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771\/revisions\/793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/arts-attic.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}