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Fan Network - The New Platform


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DCI announced today that FN is transitioning to a new platform in the near future. They also addressed some of the licensing issues, but they are what they are.

Didn't want the topic to get lost in the other thread.

Here's the announcement:

Dear Fan Network Subscriber:

We are writing today to make you aware of several issues which may cause occasional interruptions in the delivery of on-demand programming through the DCI Fan Network.

During the next few months, the DCI Fan Network will be transitioning from its current delivery platform to a new state-of-the-art service designed with enhanced technology to provide loyal fans like you with an even better viewing experience. During this transition, it may be necessary for us to remove content from our online library from time to time.

Additionally, Drum Corps International is currently reviewing the status of various copyright permissions granted by publishers of works performed by our participating ensembles. As a result, we regret that select files may not be available for viewing for an indefinite period of time. Please be assured that we are working to complete this review and implement our upgraded capabilities as quickly and efficiently as possible.

We are pleased to continue to demonstrate leadership in the world of marching music, including our ability to provide ample and robust content offerings through our increasingly popular Fan Network platform. We are equally committed to demonstrating our leadership in compliance with copyright law and to the protection of the intellectual property rights of talented composers and arrangers around the world.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and we thank you for continuing to support the remarkable organizations which comprise Marching Music's Major League.
TM

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Sounds like marketing speak for "we're changing CDN providers" to me.

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yeah...but until licensing is addressed, who knows what you can watch

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Sounds like the old axiom of if there is bad news, give them good news to make it sounds better.

Good news is better technology...

Bad news is what Jeff said....

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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I'm a journalist. I deal with press releases a lot. If I were covering this story, these are the questions I would ask DCIFN:



may cause occasional interruptions in the delivery of on-demand programming


Meaning complete interruptions of the entire service intermittently?

Meaning a one-time-only interruption of the availability of a single show by a single corps in single year, followed by the one-time-only interruption of the availability of a different single show by a single corps in single year? Or repeated (i.e., occasional) interruptions of the same? If the latter, why the need to interrupt delivery more than once, if you're moving the file over to a new platform only once?

an even better viewing experience

In what ways? Specifics, please?

And will the price change? How much? When? Why? How will any price change be rolled out, given that subscribers have renewal dates all over the calendar?

it may be necessary for us to remove content from our online library from time to time


Remove, as in permanently? Meaning that, "from time to time," you will permanently delete some portion of your content?

Or, do you mean that any content removed will be replaced at some point? After how long an interval?

When will the migration be complete? What is your projected date of the final removal of a file?

Drum Corps International is currently reviewing the status of various copyright permissions granted by publishers


Why? What has prompted this review?

Is not DCI continually reviewing the status of copyright permissions? Isn't it an ongoing, routine process anyway? If not, why not?

If DCI does, in fact, continuously and routinely review copyright permissions, what has happened to cause you to alert subscribers now that the routine review may result in the loss of some performance files? Would not the removal of certain files be possible at all times, if copyright is under constant examination?

select files may not be available for viewing for an indefinite period of time


What will make that determination? What factors could cause DCIFN to make this decision?

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Can we please have an actual mobile interface this time, so we can at least *watch* whatever content is left?

Mike

While the interface for desktop isn't pretty, it works just fine on mobile. Not sure why you're having troubles (unless you own an android phone, in which case you deserve any difficulties you're getting :P )

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I'm a journalist. I deal with press releases a lot. If I were covering this story, these are the questions I would ask DCIFN:

Meaning complete interruptions of the entire service intermittently?

Meaning a one-time-only interruption of the availability of a single show by a single corps in single year, followed by the one-time-only interruption of the availability of a different single show by a single corps in single year? Or repeated (i.e., occasional) interruptions of the same? If the latter, why the need to interrupt delivery more than once, if you're moving the file over to a new platform only once?

In what ways? Specifics, please?

And will the price change? How much? When? Why? How will any price change be rolled out, given that subscribers have renewal dates all over the calendar?

Remove, as in permanently? Meaning that, "from time to time," you will permanently delete some portion of your content?

Or, do you mean that any content removed will be replaced at some point? After how long an interval?

When will the migration be complete? What is your projected date of the final removal of a file?

Why? What has prompted this review?

Is not DCI continually reviewing the status of copyright permissions? Isn't it an ongoing, routine process anyway? If not, why not?

If DCI does, in fact, continuously and routinely review copyright permissions, what has happened to cause you to alert subscribers now that the routine review may result in the loss of some performance files? Would not the removal of certain files be possible at all times, if copyright is under constant examination?

What will make that determination? What factors could cause DCIFN to make this decision?

Summary of the other FN thread:

According to a source close to DCI, a cease and desist order was received by DCI by a major rights holder. If this is true, then what DCI means is that other rights holders may follow suit, so be prepared for content to go missing suddenly and without warning (this email was the warning).

Speculation in that thread suggests that pre-2000 video content was reasonably believed by DCI to be covered under the original physical media sync agreements. And that now the rights holders have decided a court decision would go their way, thus forcing DCI to renegotiate all those contracts for the digital age. The details of this may be completely wrong, but it does look like something like this is happening.

Apparently WGI took all shows down on their FN as well. See the 1/15 video notice:

http://wgi.thefannetwork.org/

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While the interface for desktop isn't pretty, it works just fine on mobile. Not sure why you're having troubles (unless you own an android phone, in which case you deserve any difficulties you're getting :P )

Yes, I love that it works great on my iPhone. Granted, I would improve many things, so some complaining about it is fine IMO, but it does work.

Writing a dedicated app is more challenging that most would think. The Onion's app is almost completely worthless and has been for years (iphone at least), and they pretty much live and die on the internet. Nothing but 1 star from virtually all reviewers and crashes immediately or just doesn't work at all, even over many updates. Really weird, actually.

Blue Devils, on the other hand, have a fantastic iPhone app (buy an iPhone just to get it, seriously), that does pretty much what FN does (different content obviously, but similar data structure of years and videos). But I don't think there's an Android version.

Edit: The last paragraph was really based on a thought that DCI could just buy BD's app and modify it. I didn't make that clear.

Edited by Pete Freedman
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Can we please have an actual mobile interface this time, so we can at least *watch* whatever content is left?

Mike

On re-reading this I think he is just asking for a mobile-formatted version of the website, such as DCP has for these forums. Not a bad idea as long as I can turn it off. The years on the left are a bit tiny, but I just expand the page a bit first.

If they're worried about the future of FN right now, I doubt they're making updates. Then again who knows. Change is rare but sudden around here.

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