Australians are paying up to 400% more than viewers in the US and UK to watch popular digital progr - Polidicks

[quote]Choice said the mark-up on Foxtel for programs like Orange is the New Black and the Walking Dead is between 300 and 400 per cent more than accessing the programs on the US streaming-service Netflix. Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull will today host a public forum to discuss ways to reduce online piracy. Choice chief executive Alan Kirkland said consumers are being hit with the "Australia tax" on digital content and that it should not be considered illegal for Australians to access shows on US-based Netflix. "Our view is it's legal. People who have a US Netflix account are paying for access to that content," he told ABC News 24. "They're going out of their way because it's not an easy thing to do to make sure they're paying for content and to the extent there's any confusion we think the Government needs to remove it." He said the fact that Australians were willing to pay for affordable content through Netflix showed a willingness to pay for content. "We are concerned that the Government is being influenced by the local cable industry to bring in laws that prop up out-dated technology and business models at the expense of cheaper internet streaming services," he said. Mr Kirkland blamed the business model of local intermediaries that cause a lack of affordable digital content in the Australian marketplace. "Foxtel is a monopoly," he said. "It's shielded by regulation from international competition and what you see is that consumers pay a lot more than they should, a slow pace of innovation and poor services when compared to overseas." [/quote] Government wonders why piracy is so major here in Australia. Something needs to be sorted out with this foxtel monopoly. [url]http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-09/consumers-paying-400pc-more-for-digital-programs-choice/5729928[/url]

...and they wonder why Australians use torrents.

Is there anyone Australians arent being shafted by?

[QUOTE=Cmx;45929181]Is there anyone Australians arent being shafted by?[/QUOTE] me

[QUOTE=smurfy;45929192]me[/QUOTE] You're the one who sent us here >:(

[quote]"Our view is it's legal. People who have a US Netflix account are paying for access to that content," he told ABC News 24. "They're going out of their way because it's not an easy thing to do to make sure they're paying for content and to the extent there's any confusion we think the Government needs to remove it." He said the fact that Australians were willing to pay for affordable content through Netflix showed a willingness to pay for content.[/quote] Holy shit, someone with some fucking sense!

[QUOTE=smurfy;45929192]me[/QUOTE] Don't worry, Smurfy. That's only until [B]THE DEVICE[/B] is complete.

I got netflix yesterday, best thing ever. Although with our horrid internet connections, I really can't see it taking off for a great deal of people due to the fact they will only be able to stream in SD or lower. Hell, my connection was occasionally switching back to SD, probably due to the rain + using a VPN. I didn't know it was illegal to access Netflix here though.

australians can pay american prices when after they lower their minimum wage to $7.25

damn, at least australia HAS a streaming service ;-; I think nz is getting one soon though but idk what it's called or if it's worth paying for it.

lol australians, paying more for digital stuffs than americans who are already royally fucked by our corporate shitlords

[QUOTE=meppers;45929286]australians can pay american prices when after they lower their minimum wage to $7.25[/QUOTE] Just because we have the ability to actually live on our minimum wage, doesn't mean we should have to pay more.

The faster Foxtel is regulated so every television show provider has more freedom and won't be destroyed by their monoply, the better Also honestly, Netflix [B][U]really[/U][/B] needs to come down here to Australia. I don't care if I have to pay a shit ton of money, I'd much prefer it than Foxtel [editline]9th September 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=MrBunneh;45929291]damn, at least australia HAS a streaming service ;-; I think nz is getting one soon though but idk what it's called or if it's worth paying for it.[/QUOTE] We've got ABC iView, SBS on demand, Yahoo7 video, Ninemsn video and tenplay and now it's becoming unified Then there's Foxtel GO and Play which are ok but run on silverlight and is pretty shit on all devices

[QUOTE=meppers;45929286]australians can pay american prices when after they lower their minimum wage to $7.25[/QUOTE] So you want us to be regressive and have a minimum wage that's not enough to live off? k [editline]9th September 2014[/editline] Foxtel is the reason the NBN got shat on, Murdoch can't have his little monopoly getting ruined.

yet murdoch gave two streaming services for foxtel programs and wonder why most people can't stream them correctly I can and it doesn't count towards my monthly usage but I can just run it for HD stream, most people couldn't even stream it in standard definition who are on bigpond

[QUOTE=smurfy;45929192]me[/QUOTE] obviously not trying hard enough

Australia's in a lose-lose situation right now for TV on demand. Do it legitimately, you pay out the ass. Do it illegally, you suffer the infrared-speed Internet connections.

Lol, oh foxtel. $20/month gets me Netflix and Hulu Plus as well as Getflix to circumvent region blocking. Completely legal. In this jurisdiction grey imports are legal, and the providers are upholding their end of the deal to their content providers by blocking IP ranges. Plus we're paying for the service.

wait getflix lets you access BBC iPlayer? Shit I might look into it

$90 for any game released in the last 2 months? $50/70 for a boxset of a TV series? Man the commodities here are so expensive, if I actually bought all the media I watch I wouldn't have enough money to feed myself and pay rent. I made a judgment call, yo

[QUOTE=fruxodaily;45929474]wait getflix lets you access BBC iPlayer? Shit I might look into it[/QUOTE] Yeah, seriously good value.

Before we got netflix (netherlands) we payed prices like that for VOD too. The services that where out there would charge ~5-10 dollars per movie or ~10-20 if its HD.

I sort of feel bad about what they said about the walking dead because, well. They're right lol That's what you get abbot, make me pay through my arsehole for uni, well then mate I'll be getting my savings in other ways, be it through utorrent, or through the self serve thing at coles Fuckin strayla, stay mad gubbo cunts [img]http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/01/25/pg_truebluye_gallery__378x400.jpg[/img]

can someone remind me why I still live here?

Because it's one of the best places to live on the planet? We might have a nanny goverment, but apart from that living in Australia is great. I love my country

I haven't watched cable tv in over a year. I just run through my favorite shows on netflix, then switch over to VUDU and watch the shows and movies I own on there, then do it all over again. I may only spend $200 a year on movies/shows on VUDU, but that's buying them in 1080p. In fact, since I got VUDU, I haven't torrented a single movie or show, unless it's a really old show that nobody has available...

[QUOTE=En-Guage;45929665]Because it's one of the best places to live on the planet? We might have a nanny goverment, but apart from that living in Australia is great. I love my country[/QUOTE] isn't it the most backwards gov when it comes to the enviroment, and isn't everything in Australia out to kill you including the water, air, and wild dogs? is everything ive learned about Australia over the internet a lie? [editline]9th September 2014[/editline] netflix will get there some day, they just are really hurting over here right now, just browsing hulu's main page i can find at least 5-6 things that were on netflix like 6 months ago, hulu basically has more cash than netflix and they use it to poach everything good from them as well as being Hollywood's little darling

[QUOTE=Sableye;45929730]isn't it the most backwards gov when it comes to the enviroment, and isn't everything in Australia out to kill you including the water, air, and wild dogs? is everything ive learned about Australia over the internet a lie?[/QUOTE] The accents are enough for it to be the greatest

Welcome to Australia. It's safer here. No seriously, it is. You're more likely to win the lottery than attacked by the spiders. :v:

[QUOTE=meppers;45929286]australians can pay american prices when after they lower their minimum wage to $7.25[/QUOTE] We have twice your minimum wage and paying quadruple. Your living expenses are also 30% lower so no matter how you do the math we're still getting shafted.