I Still Don't Want To Be Part of Your Fucking Ecosystem

Terence Eden — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 12:14:42 +0000

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.

ecosystems – Terence Eden’s Blog

I Still Don't Want To Be Part of Your Fucking Ecosystem

Panasonic

Android

"Ecosystems" Can Go To Hell