The US Supreme Court handed Aereo a resounding defeat Wednesday, ruling that it violated broadcasters’ copyrights on their programming.
In light of the ruling, The Post has answers to users’ biggest questions about what will happen next:
Q. What happens to my Aereo account?
A: Too soon to tell. The company hasn’t said whether it will shut down immediately or give refunds to customers. As Aereo said just ahead of the decision, “It’s not a black and white answer.”
Q: Can I replace Aereo on my own?
A: Yes, all you need is a computer, HD antenna, TV tuner, the right software and the know-how to put them all together — something which, for many of us, makes Aereo’s $8-a-month service seem like a steal.
Q: Will Aereo’s defeat hinder media innovation?
A: No, or so say a majority of Supreme Court justices. Aereo argued that a ruling against it would wreak havoc on cloud computing companies like Dropbox and Mozy that store video and other content on remote servers. The court said its decision is limited and won’t imperil those nascent technologies.
Q: Won’t the ruling against Aereo ultimately be remembered as just a hiccup on the way to the inevitable — nothing but Internet-delivered TV?
A: Yes, although getting there will first require cable companies to accept their fate as “dumb pipes” that merely carry content.
Q: Can someone else step in, buy Aereo and then pay over-the-air networks to stream their programming?
A: Technically, yes, but don’t expect these networks to risk the $4 billion a year they receive from pay-TV distributors to retransmit their signals. Time Warner Cable, for instance, wouldn’t want any of its retrans beneficiaries in an Aereo package that undercut the $19.99 a month it charges for its most basic starter kit.