HBO Go Blocked on PS4 by Comcast, Just Like on PS3

[binary solo]

sc94597 said:

binary solo said:

Erm, perhaps because Comcast is blocking it because it has its own set top box with Xfinity that they want you to buy in order to be able to access HBOGo. Hence they are trying to force you to buy their thing by bloccking access through a device you already own. Thus anti-competetive behaviour. And even worse if Comcast is not blocking the same from other console platforms, which would only be at the behest of some sort of deal with other console makers, which makes it anti-competetive on 2 fronts.

Comcast would likely argue that they're not blocking a service, just that they're not providing one (you need to use your Comcast account with an HBO subscription.) Using your logic though, are video game exclusives anti-competitive? 

Ahhh no. That's not a logically analogous situation, which seems to indicate you have no idea what this is fundamentally about. An analogous situation gaming-wise would be the ISP blocking access to online game content for the PS3/4 version of a multiplat even though the publisher has made that content available to owners of the PS3/4 versions of said game, and said content is freely accessible to people who use a different ISP.

Or if you want a utility version, it would be the electricy company blocking electricy supply to your washing machine (imagining that such a thing is technically feasible for the sake of discussion) because it is a washing machine you didn;t buy from the utility company. Because the utility company happens to be a home appliance retailer as well as a utility company.

The service people are trying to access is HBOGo, which is not a Comcast product. So Comcast isn't "not providing the service". The service Comcast is providing is as an ISP. Hence Comcast is blocking access to a service.

Anyway, I'm glad I live in a country where this sort of shit could not legally happen...I think...pretty sure...maybe I need to look into this a bit more.