I Still Don't Want To Be Part of Your Fucking Ecosystem
One of the most popular blog posts I have written is called "I Don't Want To Be Part of Your Fucking Ecosystem".
In it, I rant against service providers trying to lock their customers into a monoculture. Companies are always looking for the edge which will make them stand out - they think that restricting what their users can do is the answer. It is not.
Openness and network effects are the biggest drivers of usage - an MP3 bought from Amazon works on an iPod bought from Apple, and an MP3 bought from iTunes works perfectly on a Kindle Fire bought from Amazon. Customers and businesses both win when open standards are embraced and lock-in is eschewed.
I started my blog post by asking for something I thought to be quite reasonable, but some high-priests of Brand Synergy took to be treason:
I want to watch Nokia movies on my Samsung hardware running Google's Android, and then back them up to DropBox.
Today I've rubbed up against the annoying side of proprietary unreasonableness. Amazon Instant Video.
For reasons best know to themselves, the geniuses at Amazon have decided to put up the cost of Prime membership by 60%. As well as getting next day delivery on thousands of items, I can now also watch Amazon Instant Video - previously known as LoveFilm.
Deep joy.
This has gone down like a lead balloon among many erstwhile Prime customers. Not everyone likes watching TV, or even has the broadband to support this.
But, hey, I thought I'd give it a go before deciding if it wasn't for me.
Panasonic
I have a fairly new Panasonic TX-L37E5B (as sold on Amazon). Barely 18 months old. It's a "Smart" TV - with access to BBC iPlayer and a host of other services.
But not LoveFilm.
For over a year Panasonic has been refusing to update their app store to include Amazon's LoveFilm. Or 40D, ITV Player, Demand 5, etc. I wonder if they've done a deal with Netflix to keep competing services off their TVs? Or if Panasonic's SDK is so hideous that Amazon simply can't deliver a competent service using them?
This is what Panasonic's ecosystem looks like. How many names there do you recognise?
I repeatedly contacted Panasonic for a comment about this, but each time I received the same bland reply.
Panasonic, it seems, are quite happy to ignore customer demand. Once they have your money, they cease to care.
I spoke to Amazon about this and asked which TVs they support:
I have checked into this, and I can see that the eligible models for the televisions are: LG Smart TV (2012 or newer) Samsung Smart TV (2012 or newer) and Sony Smart TV (2010 or newer)
Ah well, I thought, I can just use Panasonic's Web Browser to access LoveFilm, eh?
You need Silverlight software version 4.0 or higher to watch this title.
It looks like rival Netflix are abandoning Silverlight. Even Microsoft, the technology's creator, sees no future in the decrepit software - it's not much of a surprise to see that it's not available in TV browsers. But, perhaps, the browser will work with Flash sites?
The web browser does not support Adobe Flashplayer, and therefore, is unable to display catch-up services such as ITV player and 4oD. There are no current plans to upgrade the browser's compatibility. Panasonic's FAQ
Now, in fairness, Panasonic just about supports some HTML5 video.
So it's theoretically possible that Amazon could decide to use open standards for its new video service, and Panasonic TV owners would be able to watch via their browsers rather than having a dedicated app.
Android
There's no Android App for Amazon Instant Video either. Just let that sink in for a moment. Amazon produce the Android powered Kindle Fire - and yet can't be bothered to produce a video streaming app for the millions of Android devices out there.
Madness! Or, a pathetic attempt to get people to buy Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets - seemingly the only Android devices allowed to access their streaming service.
"Ecosystems" Can Go To Hell
Amazon - for reasons best known to them - have decided to bundle a physical-goods delivery system and a video-streaming platform. I'm sure an MBA somewhere can explain why this multiplay service is destined to win hearts and minds.
Because Amazon have chosen to go down a locked and proprietary route, they've missed out on the interoperability which makes the world wonderful.
I'm not a Luddite. I have a modern TV, smartphones, tablets, and games consoles - none of which Amazon have chosen to support.
Actually, my Xbox 360 will support it - after I pay £40 per year for Xbox Live Gold Membership.
Here's an idea... Amazon could use open standards, develop apps which work on the majority of available platforms, and gather millions of customers who actually want their service.
Instead, they've gone with the rent-seeking approach of strong-arming their customers into paying more for a service they cannot use and do not want.
I've no doubt some folk will cancel their Prime membership - but enough will put up with the price rise to make this quarter's numbers look just swell!
Customers get screwed and Amazon gets to artificially inflate the numbers on its moribund streaming service.
This will not do.
I do not want services which only run on specially blessed devices. No one wants that! Companies which artificially restrict access in order to prop up their business models don't deserve to survive in the modern, interconnected world.
The true meaning of "ecosystem" is a bunch of independent organisms competing and co-operating. Symbiosis - not synergy.
BlackBerry's "App Neutrality" isn't as crazy as it sounds
Get Cheaper Amazon Prime *Without* Instant Video!
mikecane says:
Martin says:
The ecosystem sickness has spread too far. The result on the consumer side is clear: (s)he is becoming an opportunistic feeder. He is not willing to pay much for the content and he takes any source (like PirateBay) that is available.
Or to say it with Princesse Leia: "The more you tighten your grip, Apple/Amazon/Samsung/Google, the more consumers will slip through your fingers."
Anon says:
Sunda says:
Charlie says:
Yes, Amazon and the like do benefit from lock-in, but they also benefit from interoperability. Macs talk to PCs reasonable well these days. Mobile phones now work on a bunch of networks, and the list goes on.
Let's just make sure we point the finger at the right players.
London dude says:
Or, do I run one box that magically supports them all? Apart from DailyMotion who've decided they want me to buy their special adapter....
KJ says:
There are some consumer friendly products out there.
And, if Amazon ever decide to bless the device, there's no guarantee that the next video provider will.
Ben says:
Ben says:
Whilst I agree with your premise of not wanting to part of an ecosystem (Whatsapp) I believe when there are perfectly reasonable alternatives we should just go with those.
adyendrus says:
Also, it's not fair for you to name names. My reasoning behind that is every big box company (major cell phone manufacturers, electronics companies, media distributors, etc) have a phase for customer acquisition, but then they don't care about you, because you earned them X dollars of revenue, and they don't see a way to earn more money from you by keeping you happy. I don't agree with this at all, because I was always taught "don't bite the hand that feeds you". However, I purchased another company's TV, and despite it being a smart TV, it wasn't compatible with the iPhone app. The next model up was. Zero difference in hardware. I was out of luck because I had bought a TV too soon from them. Most companies do this.
I would also agree with Martin's comment, where he said the reason behind Amazon Prime is for the shipping bonuses, not the Instant Video aspect of it. I've heard torrenting is pretty good these days.
mundiff says:
Just thought I'd throw that in there. The app apparently exists, it just doesn't exist on the Google Play store.
Elwood says:
Their Cross platform kindle strategy has changes the way many people consume books, and is the reason I have spent a ton on ebooks, yet they've done the exact opposite with Netflix, even though as you said they already have an android app on the fire tablets.
So now my money goes to Netflix instead....
Angus Fox says: