Sezmi's low cost cable / satellite premium TV alternative launches in L.A.

Ready for yet another way to watch TV? Sezmi has just gone on the air in Los Angeles, offering its unique blend of premium OTA and internet delivered video to a few limited trial users. $5 a month brings whatever local networks you can pull in, basic IPTV (YouTube, OnNetworks, podcasts) and internet VOD (CinemaNow) access, while throwing an Andrew Jackson on top of that adds "more than 100 cable TV networks," delivered via antenna. According to the L.A. Times that doesn't include any channels from the Disney or Fox family like ESPN, regional sports networks or premium movie channels, but if those are already stations you're avoiding, it's a cheaper option than most cable TV plans. Other than the allure of sticking it to the current distribution model, the 1TB DVR package includes a rather unique UI to aggregate and even seek out new shows for you from those varied sources, while maintaining individual profiles for different users. The three month trial has just the right price -- free -- so even with little info on how much high definition Sezmi's network can handle or what areas or channels will be added next, it's at least worth a look.

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

[sivartk Posted Nov 16th 2009 9:31PM]

I'm assuming these "more than 100 cable TV networks," delivered via antenna are going to be SD, right?

There isn't enough bandwidth between 2-54 along with the current locals for even 2 HD feeds on each frequency.

$5 is okay, but I'll still pass as long as Hulu is free. I think something similar was tried in the DFW area back in 2005/2006 and failed quickly.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 11:13AM]

Since this is proprietary hardware and encrypted transmission, could they use H.264 encoding and actually pack a competitive selection of HD content into those leased ATSC air waves?