Locast Integration issue

[mark-in-dallas 86]

I just got it too.  Damn, I really liked Locast.  At least I have 5 of my 7 local channels with my IPTV service though.

[Carlo 4330]

Just got that email as well.

Such a shame.

[Carlo 4330]

I hope they try again under a different name and do things a bit differently this time to try and avoid trouble.

[ebr 14913]

1 hour ago, cayars said:

I hope they try again under a different name and do things a bit differently this time to try and avoid trouble.

I don't know how they could.  Not to say "I told you so"  but I predicted this way back when...  They were playing with fire trying to circumvent the way that the media companies make money - and, therefore, are able to exist at all.

It costs money to produce and distribute content and the companies that do so are not doing it for fun.  They are businesses trying to make a profit (most with shareholders).  You can call it greed or evil if you wish but it is just business.

[Carlo 4330]

Oh yea, I never thought it was sustainable either.  To many other similar services have gotten shut down trying to work around the law.
Aereo TV comes to mind.

[martincom 25]

I disagree.  Translator service is nothing new.  In the '60s, we resided in what they termed "deep fringe" for television reception.  Translators and cable TV were the only method you could obtain a viewable signal.  Often the translators were operated by non-profits and they would run an audio  tape soliciting donations at certain intervals.  At the basic level, Locast was no different.

What the network's big issue is and that they won't admit, is the coverage area of Locast and with that, the potential for a high subscriber count.  Obviously, this would impact revenues from cable & satellite companies (who also object venomously to paying re-broadcast fees--Spectrum passes it on and Identifies it as a 'Local Broadcast Access" fee.)  It is a form of discrimination based upon where you choose to reside.  Those residing in metro areas who have reliable Off-the-Air (OTA) pay nothing.  Those of us who don't, now apparently have to, if we desire the programming.  The networks like to play at both ends of that issue.  They want the local broadcast access fees, but they also want to count those rural subscribers in Nielsen ratings that are reported to advertisers, in which they base their rates upon, in part.

I emailed my congressional reps about this.  I would encourage you to do the same.  Here is the text of my message.  Feel free to copy in part or whole and edit.

Today, Locast ceased service based upon a court injunction.  The crux  of the case is the networks allege they are re-broadcasting for profit.  However, Locast operates as a non-profit.  The court made findings that Locast's recent annual revenues exceeded their expenses.  I question the competence of the court to make such a finding.  Obviously, if Locast were making a profit, over paying their employees, or conducting other deceitful activities to conceal funds beyond what is allowed for a non-profit, an IRS action that, could be thoroughly vetted, would be forthcoming.  It has not.
Considering these facts, I request that you author or endorse legislation that will specifically allow non-profit digital translator operations, such as Locast, to operate without threat of copyright litigation.
Additionally, this case is just yet another example of the ever increasing judicial over reach in this country.  We are long overdue for judicial reforms to remove lifetime appointments, establish elections for federal judges, term limits for judges, and personal liability for malpractice such as reversed rulings, mistrials attributable to judicial conduct, and successful appeals attributable to judicial conduct, to name a few.
Thank you,

[Ralph's Emby 15]

6 hours ago, BillOatman said:

Locast Nation

As a non-profit, Locast was designed from the very beginning to operate in accordance with the strict letter of the law, but in response to the court’s recent rulings, with which we respectfully disagree, we are hereby suspending operations, effective immediately.  

Yeah I just got the email ...

 

Me too, what most do not understand and IMHO, there's a bigger severity here. Who it is suing Locast ? (Big Cables Companies - not the Gov)

OTA it's a Free service, Locast only attempted to provide via Internet the same Free Service, did they charge/asked too much $5.50 (maybe blocking every do often to ask the "donation" was a mistake).

If OTA it's a Free service, then Goliath should be able to offer "Free" or similar prices + to actually offer only OTA channels as an Option, but they don't.

This is an attempt to control and monopolize the service and they won. Sad day.

Believe for Locast to fully shutdown, was extreme but maybe they can see ahead, some penalties, fees, charges or something, knowing a decision was already made and ruled (outcome). Everything was planned long time and the big guy won.

Anyway, now that we no longer have OTA (affordable), anyone knows a similar replacement ?

Edited September 2, 2021 by Ralph's Emby

[Carlo 4330]

Tried and true HDHomeRun Quattro with an antenna is the best option overall if you are in a broadcast area with good reception.

[mark-in-dallas 86]

14 hours ago, cayars said:

Tried and true HDHomeRun Quattro with an antenna is the best option overall if you are in a broadcast area with good reception.

And that's the problem, probably for many of us.  I live only 21 miles from the 3 or 4 towers that broadcast most of signals in my area and 28 miles away from another, but even with a good directional RCA outdoor antenna I got pixelization on a couple of channels, and it would get horribly bad to the point that the channels were completely unwatchable at certain times of the day.  I tried using a Channel Master filter, but even that didn't help.

[martincom 25]

May I add, consistently good reception.  We're at least 150 miles from any network broadcast transmitter.  So OTA from any of them is not an option.  The ABC affiliate operates a 1kw translator 16 miles away and the Fox affiliate operates a 100w translator on the same tower.  The CBS affiliate operates another high power VHF transmitter from a tower 40 miles away.  The CBS transmitter is pretty consistent, reliable, and good signal strength.  The ABC translator is somewhat reliable, but will be off the air for days at a time.  Signal strength is marginal (pixelations very by the day) and I have a high gain antenna erected at 60' on a self supporting tower.  The Fox translator is pretty much never there.  It is off the air for weeks, if not months at a time, and when it is on the air, it is difficult to view from audio dropouts and pixelation.

I agree with cayars, the HDHomerun Quattro performs great and I'm speaking from experience.  It is a great companion to Emby--if you have a solid and  consistent signal for it to receive.  If not, when the picture pixelates and the audio drops out, Emby sees that as the end of programming and will cease playing and/or recording, if the HDHomerun does not do so first.  It is pretty difficult to view a program when you repeatedly have to re-tune Emby to it.  Of course, recordings will be truncated.

[martincom 25]

I wonder if network advertisers realize that they lost 3.2 million viewers yesterday morning......

[SHSPVR 119]

20 hours ago, ebr said:

I don't know how they could.  Not to say "I told you so"  but I predicted this way back when...  They were playing with fire trying to circumvent the way that the media companies make money - and, therefore, are able to exist at all.

It costs money to produce and distribute content and the companies that do so are not doing it for fun.  They are businesses trying to make a profit (most with shareholders).  You can call it greed or evil if you wish but it is just business.

It Locast own doing and I said it many time before the way they going about it was wrong

[ebr 14913]

I don't have any real insight but my guess would be the biggest issue is actually sports contracts like the NFL.  This service allows a complete circumvention of the market rules that exist there. 

Its also possible the local stations themselves want to be able to capture users through their own streaming options instead of allowing this type of thing for remote users.

[SHSPVR 119]

3 minutes ago, ebr said:

I don't have any real insight but my guess would be the biggest issue is actually sports contracts like the NFL.  This service allows a complete circumvention of the market rules that exist there. 

Its also possible the local stations themselves want to be able to capture users through their own streaming options instead of allowing this type of thing for remote users.

Not all local channel are steam let loan have a app for roku or other device there web browser only and can forget any sub channel 

[BillOatman 500]

22 minutes ago, ebr said:

I don't have any real insight but my guess would be the biggest issue is actually sports contracts like the NFL.  This service allows a complete circumvention of the market rules that exist there. 

Its also possible the local stations themselves want to be able to capture users through their own streaming options instead of allowing this type of thing for remote users.

I'm sure that all played into it, as you said earlier, greed.  The courts will pretty much always side with the highest paid attorneys like now. After all, they are lawyers as well.

[Maisy 35]

I've been paying since whatever, even a very recent one. Pooh, I wondered why my LIVETV was empty. Sob!

Feel such a loss over this!

[Maisy 35]

I live where we never had good reception and never had anything but DirecTV Sat or Comcast Cable until more recent streaming came along, and finally locast saved the day and now too early to a grave.

[Carlo 4330]

NFL Game Pass is a big revenue maker for the NFL. A lot of cable subscriptions are only had for sports as well. People in regions that can't get quality OTA will often go one of these routes so they are money makers.

Besides local news and sporting events, movies and shows these days are easier to get with any on demand system (from Netflix to Emby) or from Internet downloads, so that battle has mostly been lost these days. 

There is a lot of money and power behind the firms holding the sporting contracts and broadcast rights. Even big players like Youtube make a log from selling Internet TV subscriptions.
The deck is really stacked against the little guy.

[Maisy 35]

We have Youtube TV and I despise it and only want my stuff in Emby! 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Maisy

[Carlo 4330]

I believe you can use a Youtube login with Channels DVR.  You won't get exactly the same channels but many of them.

This would allow you to get many of your Channels into Emby as CDVR can export an m3u and xml file which Emby can use.

[Maisy 35]

hmmm. ok thanks have to look into that.

[emveepee 112]

I've questioned Channels DVR TV Everywhere for a while, even more than Locast, since they seem to operate without a license, relying on your "right" to watch channels you have a cable subscription for via any platform.   The law gets in the way a lot, I seriously doubt Emby could even make profit on premium Live TV development without users "subscribing" to IPTV if and when the crackdowns start.

Martin

[Maisy 35]

I couldn't get channels dvr working with youtube tv. Frustrating and I have a migraine ... might try again another time. blah.

[Maisy 35]

So channel dvr with youtube tv only works when I use a new google account in my family, which means I had to get rid of one of them. Real people. Anyhow they don't use Youtube TV but they do you other services from Google so urggggg!

[Maisy 35]

I really miss locast ... so many shows .... TVE doesn't have them.  TVE season/episodes are missing too, the python script on this forum and on channels forum (same thing) won't work for me. I've wasted to much time with it.

All in all I guess I need to get a cheap antenna and figure out what to do to get the smattering of channels I might pull in nowdays.