Fred Windish Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Another thing we know going in before the purchase is that DCI's track record with live streaming has not been stellar, but all their eggs are in that basket this year. I hear you! Honestly, as we progress through all this beginning on Monday, I anticipate some rocky times, and controversy. It is what it is. But, for me, if only half of the events come across correctly, I'll be satisfied. I have watched a few of those free videos on the new player and everything looks to be improved. I do, however, have nice equipment on the receiving end. What is it they always say? Results may vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappybara Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 (edited) I feel like I'm supremely late to understanding what is/has happened with the fan network (65 pages too late, apparently...). Can anyone summarize very briefly where we stand for the year with the fan network? I'm now not able to access anything on the fan network site... Quick summary: No more archives for a while. Probably not until the end of the season and even then, it's up in the air what shows we'll get. There are three different packages for the live webcasts this season (one for just championship weekend, one for everything, and one for all the shows except championship weekend) The live webcasts will have NO on demand functionality. You can rewind the webcast while DCI is still on air, but as soon as they end the webcast, it's gone. You can't view it again. Results are varying for people using their new streaming client. Some people are getting lots of stutters, others have a totally smooth feed. Edited June 14, 2015 by Cappybara 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I feel like I'm supremely late to understanding what is/has happened with the fan network (65 pages too late, apparently...). Can anyone summarize very briefly where we stand for the year with the fan network? I'm now not able to access anything on the fan network site... I'll try. The previous Fan Network has not only expired, but it is not now available for purchase due to problems with licensing rights. At this time, we have been offered a package of LIVE broadcasts. More live broadcasts than ever before, for those choosing to purchase. Problem is, after purchase, you have ONE shot to enjoy the event. In real time, as it happens. No replay the next day, or some other time more convenient for you. Troublesome for many past purchasers, particularly those several time zones away. Add in the introduction of a brand new distributor (although a major one with big clients) and past glitches with the prior distributor, many are apprehensive about signing on. I signed on because I do believe it's still worth it. Many others say they don't plan to sign on for such a restricted format. We'll see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 (edited) Mechanical licenses are compulsory and are granted without the consent of the copyright owners. The only thing you have to do to get a mechanical license is agree to pay a statutory royalty rate. Synchronization licenses are not compulsory, but are routinely given by music publishers to those that seek them. They do have to be negotiated, which is probably where the hangup lies, but I find it very hard to believe that any music publisher would refuse to grant such a license to DCI. If Joe Schmoe amateur film maker can get a synch license for his $20,000 indie film, or John Smith for his $2,000 car dealership commercial, surely a non-profit educational organization like DCI can get one. Almost all of these synch licenses are controlled by a handful of agencies (ASCAP being the biggest). These same agencies have to grant the licenses necessary to allow the corps to perform the works in the first place. Furthermore, in order to broadcast the performances live, DCI (or the individual corps) would have to obtain a synch license anyways. It simply does not make sense that the publishers would grant a synch license for a live stream but refuse to allow rebroadcasting. That just isn't standard practice at all, and I can't, for the life of me, figure out why they would change their standard practice to play hardball with DCI. DCI is a minuscule player in the music industry. The idea that the publishers are trying to play hardball to get a bigger piece of the vast amount of revenue that DCI is bringing in is absurd. My suspicion (based on nothing but speculation) is that DCI has drafted standard form license agreements, which include a synch license, but that there are deficiencies in the agreement that make the right to rebroadcast questionable. Fixing that problem requires renegotiating the agreements, but it could have been avoided if more care was taken up front. I acknowledge that I could be completely wrong though. I have no idea what really is going on. I just think, based on my experience, that their explanation doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But who knows? Maybe DCI is raking in the cash and the publishers are playing hard ball to get a piece of the pie. Thank you for bringing your expertise to this discussion. I did not realize that songwriters are forbidden by law from denying someone the right to record their work (presumably only after they have been granted the right to perform the work?), nor that the cost to do so was set by law. That is fascinating to learn. (Edit: I probably should have known it, though, since a DCP search for "compulsory" shows that this fact was mentioned twice in the past five years, once each by cixelsyd and skywhopper.) Regarding the passage I've bolded, we've certainly seen previous cases where DCI was unable to get a synch license: Tjeknavorian's "Dance of Ecstasy" in Phantom Regiment 2008, Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" in Troopers 2010, and Alecia Keys, et al.'s "Empire State of Mind" in Madison Scouts 2011, for examples. So nothing is that sure, and I acknowledge those are among relatively few exceptions. Edited June 14, 2015 by N.E. Brigand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drangin Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I hear you! Honestly, as we progress through all this beginning on Monday, I anticipate some rocky times, and controversy. It is what it is. But, for me, if only half of the events come across correctly, I'll be satisfied. I have watched a few of those free videos on the new player and everything looks to be improved. I do, however, have nice equipment on the receiving end. What is it they always say? Results may vary. "It is what it is?" Isn't that what Donald Rumsfeld said? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 previous cases where DCI was unable to get a synch license: Loris Tjeknavorian's "Dance of Ecstasy" in Phantom Regiment 2008 Was it ever explained what happened in that instance? I gather that DCI actually sent out DVDs that included that portion of the show, but then asked purchasers to return them to be replaced by DVDs that had the piece cut. (Did anyone here actually return their DVDs as requested?) Did DCI never pursue a synchronization license for the music? Or did they get such a license but with the condition that either the licensor or the composer had to approve the finished work? And if the latter, was approval granted informally and then revoked? Or did DCI just assume that it was approved? And if it was revoked, was it ever said why? Is there any chance it was religious/political? He lives in Iran, where artists regularly suffer censorship or worse (think of the filmmaker Jafar Panahi)--was something about Phantom's visuals deemed objectionable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman1084 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 (edited) Quick summary: No more archives for a while. Probably not until the end of the season and even then, it's up in the air what shows we'll get. There are three different packages for the live webcasts this season (one for just championship weekend, one for everything, and one for all the shows except championship weekend) The live webcasts will have NO on demand functionality. You can rewind the webcast while DCI is still on air, but as soon as they end the webcast, it's gone. You can't view it again. Results are varying for people using their new streaming client. Some people are getting lots of stutters, others have a totally smooth feed. I'll try. The previous Fan Network has not only expired, but it is not now available for purchase due to problems with licensing rights. At this time, we have been offered a package of LIVE broadcasts. More live broadcasts than ever before, for those choosing to purchase. Problem is, after purchase, you have ONE shot to enjoy the event. In real time, as it happens. No replay the next day, or some other time more convenient for you. Troublesome for many past purchasers, particularly those several time zones away. Add in the introduction of a brand new distributor (although a major one with big clients) and past glitches with the prior distributor, many are apprehensive about signing on. I signed on because I do believe it's still worth it. Many others say they don't plan to sign on for such a restricted format. We'll see. Thank you both, that was very helpful! It certainly is disappointing to see that the archives won't be running for the time being. I also really loved the DVR function in years past because I tend to work long days and miss the live broadcasts. Hopefully I'll still be able to catch enough shows this year given that they are increasing the event coverage. I'm assuming the "all in" package is the one that someone was referring to priced at $99? I do wish that price-point included archives, but if I'm able to get ALL live shows, I'll probably still do it. I'm assuming this is now through the DCI website? Edited June 14, 2015 by Musicman1084 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brockf Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Does anyone know if finals week will be Multi-cam and High cam? The DCI live events does not specify. All the other events indicate the cam . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogitom Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I hear you! Honestly, as we progress through all this beginning on Monday, I anticipate some rocky times, and controversy. It is what it is. But, for me, if only half of the events come across correctly, I'll be satisfied. I have watched a few of those free videos on the new player and everything looks to be improved. I do, however, have nice equipment on the receiving end. What is it they always say? Results may vary. Wow, for watching an activity that demands excellence from their performers, you sure are settling for mediocrity in their service. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApathyJones Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Does anyone know if finals week will be Multi-cam and High cam? The DCI live events does not specify. All the other events indicate the cam . With the quality of these changes it will probably just be the camera pointing at the ground. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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