iTMS Monthly TV Show Subscriptions

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Reuters reports (http://yahoo.reuters.com/stocks/QuoteCompanyNewsArticle.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20060308:MTFH38594_2006-03-08_17-54-50_N08264370&symbol=AAPL.O&rpc=44) that Apple introduced its first move into subscription-like services with a new iTunes service called Multi-Pass.

iTunes is launching the service in partnership with Viacom Inc.'s Comedy Central Network, which is rolling out "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" on the service.

Users will be able to buy the next month series of 16 episodes for $9.99. Four episodes air each week and viewers can download each episode after its been broadcast. The shows are also available individually for $1.99 per episode as before.

No word on how the Digital Rights Management (http://guides.macrumors.com/Digital_Rights_Management) is handled, but appears to simply be discounted bulk purchasing of the shows, and is expected to be "owned" downloads -- the same as individually purchased items.

[mainstreetmark]

well, there you have it then... answers that question.

[Lord Blackadder]

I hate the concept of the "you can watch it but you don't own it" subscription services, but if this is just a "bulk" deal then that's cool. The Daily Show rocks!

[Chaszmyr]

I'm definitely not a fan of subscription models in general, but for an individual TV show, this is pretty cool.

[vniow]

Damn, I was hoping for some kind of Netflix-type subscription.

[rdowns]

Here's a press release I just got:


NEW YORK, March 8 (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes music and video store on Wednesday took its first step toward a monthly subscription model with a new service called Multi-Pass that lets users buy TV shows on a monthly basis.

iTunes is launching the service in partnership with Viacom Inc.'s Comedy Central Network, which is rolling out "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" on the service. Fans will be able to buy the next month's series of 16 new episodes via Multi-Pass for $9.99, or to pay $1.99 per episode. Four episodes air each week and viewers can download each episode after it's been broadcast.

TV shows and other video have been available for sale on iTunes since late last year. Comedy Central announced a relationship with iTunes six weeks ago with shows including "South Park," "Drawn Together" and "Comedy Central Stand-Up."

Michele Ganeless, executive vice president at Comedy Central, said there would be no advertising on the service for the time being, similar to the network's DVD business.

Apple has so far resisted calls from media companies and competitors to adopt a monthly subscription fee favored by the likes of Napster and Real Networks Inc.'s Rhapsody, preferring an a la carte download model where music tracks cost 99 cents and videos $1.99.

Videos downloaded from the iTunes Music Store can be played back on a personal computer or an Apple iPod portable media player, among other devices. More than 8 million videos have been sold since it launched at the end of last year.

Shows including Walt Disney Co.'s "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" were among the first to be made available on the service.

[esaleris]

As I understand the Reuters article, you will be able to KEEP the files purchased under the "MultiPass" option. So the term "Subscription" is misleading - it's more like a magazine. Your subscription gives you a number of issues per the term, and then when the membership ends, you keep the end product.

I like that, since it's cheaper. I don't like the idea of not being able to watch/listen to what you had bought once out of membership.

[Trowaman]

it's not really a subscription though. I mena it is, but you own the stuff afterwards. $10, 16 epsidoes of TDS or Colbert. It's just a cheap discount.

I am considering this though . . . I love TDS, Colbert is funny most of the time.

[ejbenjamin]

This is not a subscription system. You still have the episodes even if you don't buy the show next month.

This is simply like an album purchase-- you get a discount for buying in bulk.

Edit: That's what I get for being a slow typer: Third in line to point this out.

[ibook30]

This is not a subscription system. You still have the episodes even if you don't buy the show next month.

This is simply like an album purchase-- you get a discount for buying in bulk.

Edit: That's what I get for being a slow typer: Third in line to point this out.

I agree. But- Reuters chose to phrase it this way. Perhaps it is foreshadowing - I hope not.

[Wigletbill]

Step in the right direction...

I have berated Apple for their lackluster support of an integrated media solution but this is really a step in that direction. Not for me though... tiVo RULES.

J

[kwajo.com]

I think this is a great model for Apple to use, it sort of meets the subscription debate half-way. It's not per-show, it's not subscription, it's a balance. It let's you save money and keep your content. Really it is like the album discount for music, you save because you are buying them as a bundle.

Now if only we could get this is Canada, I wouldn't have to stay up til 1am to watch my favorite shows all the time :rolleyes:

[admanimal]

My question is whether only the copy of iTunes that you use to originally purchase the mutlipass will attempt to download new episodes, or if any copy of iTunes that has your account logged in will. I bought the TDS multipass with my Mini that is attached to a TV, for obvious reasons. But it would be a pain if some episodes end up getting downloaded by iTunes on my iMac or iBook, and then I have to copy them over by hand. I'll find out tomorrow, I guess.

If anyone is interested, here is a screenshot of the email (http://www.adamsuniverse.com/images/multipass.png) they send after you buy a multipass.

[Honortgoat]

I'd been hoping for The Daily Show and The Colbert Report to be available on iTunes MS for awhile now. I've come to enjoy watching these shows on the metro to and from work. Unfortunately, due to my means of getting the shows I was watching Monday night's shows on Wednesday. Hoepfully, these shows will be available by very early the next morning.

I, for one, wouldn't mind a subscription based model for only TDS and TCR. Unlike serial shoes like Battlestar Galactica or music videos, it's a rare Daily Show that I want to see more than once. I just prefer to watch these shows on my metro rides over staying up to watch them.

[balamw]

So the term "Subscription" is misleading - it's more like a magazine. Your subscription gives you a number of issues per the term, and then when the membership ends, you keep the end product.

I think it's the other guys that are using subscription in a misleading way. As you point out magazine subscription is more like the iTMS model. Perhaps they should change over to the word "membership" services, as that seems more descriptive of a service that only lets you access content when you are paying a monthly fee.

EDIT: BTW Ricky Gervais seems to have been ahead of the curve here, since that seems to describe the current bulk prepaiment model for his paidcast, although the subscription is only available from Audible at this point.

B

[Enterprise8875]

WOW! Thats an amazing deal! I just ordered the multipass of Colbert Report and will grab Daily Show later today. Wow this is great!

[boncellis]

I agree that the "bulk" pricing is certainly welcome to those of us who already use the iTMS regularly. The question I have is whether this will attract new users so that the demand for even more content reaches a critical mass to entice more networks to provide their shows for download. I hope that it will, I don't watch that much TV, so I hope to one day be able to do all of my mindless staring on demand without having to pay for the service and still own the episodes.

[whooleytoo]

I think it's the other guys that are using subscription in a misleading way. As you point out magazine subscription is more like the iTMS model. Perhaps they should change over to the word "membership" services, as that seems more descriptive of a service that only lets you access content when you are paying a monthly fee.B

Yup, I agree, this is a "subscription" in its truest sense.

(And also - this is exactly what I wanted, not a membership 'rental' service).

[stoid]

I think it's the other guys that are using subscription in a misleading way. As you point out magazine subscription is more like the iTMS model. Perhaps they should change over to the word "membership" services, as that seems more descriptive of a service that only lets you access content when you are paying a monthly fee.

B

Indeed you are right. Imagine if once your subscription to National Geographic or TIME ran out, and the magazines automatically sealed themselves shut so you could no longer open them.

[esaleris]

OH NOW I GET IT

It just struck me now why Apple is doing this! In my twisted little mind, I see the game plan - and I think it's a good theory.

Apple wants us to get used to the subscription idea - of paying $9.99 a month for something. This, most people would say is obvious. And the movie industry wants that. They want the content sitting on their porch, pulled when they say, and put back as is. They would only accept a "rental"/Netflix-type philosophy.

But Apple wants us to be happy with its subscription. Happiness and satisfaction equals longer-term profit. And we are okay with a subscription, as long as we get to keep stuff. Most of us would be okay if Apple's subscription were more of a membership than a subscription - you get content as you keep paying, but you can keep the content even after membership.

So how can Apple reconcile this? By bundling.

"Huh," you say? Well, think of it this way, if you paid $29.99 a month for Apple content, and you got to keep all the TV shows, and got to watch a couple of movies that would eventually be defunct, that'd be somewhat OK. After all, you still get to keep South Park and The Daily Show.

It would be in their interest.... If you really wanted to movie, you'd get the DVD, wouldn't you? I mean, a family favorite is going to to be a family favorite. What Apple wants to hook are people who just want to watch on-demand movies on iTunes. They've been selling TV shows for 1/2 a year, and it's a great way to hook a higher-value subscription with movies to drive a vPod, while keeping us happy.

It's somewhat of a bait and switch, but it turns the value proposition around so that we get something in return and pits the TV show industry to compete with the movie industry, instead of both competing against Apple for profit!

This is the first foray. They want to see if the idea of a memberships works, and with some TV shows. It's a test run. And we all know they are interested in movies. So it makes sense if you think about it. Or at least it does to me.

[itsbetteronamac]

Yay! I think this is perfect. The ability to lets say order a season of a show, and watch them as they come out... and for a reasonable price I might add. I still feel that $50 a month for however many shows you want it great too. Now, I am not talking renting. If you pay each month, you can download whatever shows you want, and you own them. Or just do it the ad way.... rather have unlimited downloads with ads. Or, $10 a month and download all you want with ads, and you own them.

Oh! Man I can wait till the future.

[boncellis]

OH NOW I GET IT

It just struck me now why Apple is doing this! In my twisted little mind, I see the game plan - and I think it's a good theory.

Apple wants us to get used to the subscription idea - of paying $9.99 a month for something. This, most people would say is obvious. And the movie industry wants that...It's somewhat of a bait and switch, but it turns the value proposition around so that we get something in return and pits the TV show industry to compete with the movie industry, instead of both competing against Apple for profit!

Devious though it would be were Apple to perpetrate such a "bait and switch" as you call it, but I just don't see it. Apple is all about simplicity, not convoluted multi-tiered pricing schemes. I think that's what attracts a lot of people to the iTMS in the first place.

You may be right, and I might be naive. I have faith that Apple will not outthink themselves in that respect. You are probably right about the price point of $9.99 though, I'm sure it will coincide with something around the corner.

[~Shard~]

Kudos to Apple for not mkaing this "just another subscription service". By allowing the user to keep what they purchase, it isn't really a rental situation, instead, just a bulk discount. Hopefully Apple is priming the masses for a movie store which will utilize this "subscription" model in the very near future. :cool:

[freeny]

cool! bulk and the option to buy individually! best of both worlds.

[iJaz]

Cool! I hope we will be able to buy videos in Europe soon.

[whooleytoo]

The question still remains - why are digital downloads still being treated as the 'poor relation' of the TV broadcast? Although the viewer numbers for iTunes are a lot lower, the studio/stations' income per viewer must be much higher than via TV broadcast.

Why not offer the show simultaneously with the TV broadcast or (gasp!) ahead of it? People would buy the iTunes version for a sneak peak; and it it's good will still probably watch the show on TV.

[freeny]

Why not offer the show simultaneously with the TV broadcast or (gasp!) ahead of it?
Never ever ever ever going to happen

[macintel4me]

That's 63 cents a show. About 40% cheaper than just the audio. :p

[donga]

daily show: 9.99 for 16 episodes! :eek:
colbert report: 9.99 for 16 episodes!!:eek: :eek:

<edit>70ish% <edit>off shows for buying in advance..... i wonder what apple's thinking is, and what the actual profits are.

[boncellis]

Never ever ever ever going to happen

Not to nitpick, but it already has happened--twice, if I'm not mistaken. I think it depends on what the producers of the show and the network suits predict for an early release of a show. In the cases of Battlestar Galactica and Conviction, I think it helped. I certainly would not have seen the Conviction pilot had it not been offered the way it was.

I think you're generally right though, a pre-air release may be limited to a season premiere or a series premiere as an isolated promotion, not a rule. That's not to say I wouldn't welcome it.

[stoid]

daily show: 9.99 for 16 episodes! :eek:
colbert report: 9.99 for 16 episodes!!:eek: :eek:

50% off shows for buying in advance..... i wonder what apple's thinking is, and what the actual profits are.

Indeed, if Apple is not just passing on savings from a discount they get on the subscription. I wonder what their profits are, and what or if this is doing to their profit margin.

[whooleytoo]

Never ever ever ever going to happen

Probably not, but I don't see logically why not. I can see that some people might watch the TV show, then not be that interested in buying it on iTunes, but I don't see the reverse. If people see a good episode on iTunes (first), I think they'd be even more likely to tune in and watch it (in HD) on TV. And they make more from each iTunes buyer than each TV viewer.

I don't see the reason, other than a fear of change.

(p.s. i know you've probably been asked this before, but who's that in your avi?)

[treblah]

Comedy Central is tricksy!

Really smart move on their part, these are 2 shows that would never be on DVD anyway. New revenue stream, baby! :)

[Thanatoast]

(p.s. i know you've probably been asked this before, but who's that in your avi?)
lol. Another victim of Freeny's 'tar (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=174590&highlight=freeny%27s+tar)

[p0intblank]

This isn't really an actual subscription, or at least it does not seem like one. It seems more like a "pack" of episodes for a really good price. I support this kind of service. :) I just hope Apple doesn't ever go with actual subscription models. Owning the content is perfect and that's how it should stay.

[FoxyKaye]

Nice and all - I'd definitely consider it if they do it for The Sopranos. I'd actually spend money on it if they drop the DRM and I can actually watch what I buy on devices other than my iMac (or iPod, if I owned a video iPod). Till then, last I checked I can still get DVDs of all the new 2006 movies and shows right down the corner 3 for $20.

[grimmcwh]

I seem to be in the minority here, but my dream would be for Apple to release a membership style service where I can pay a reasonably priced monthly fee and using my remote and Front Row to order and immediately start watching as its downloading whatever TV and movie content I selected. I want my Mac mini that is connected to my TV to work like an appliance, I never want to see its Desktop or iTunes, just Front Row. I don't care about keeping the files as I don't want to bother with file storage issues. As long as I am a member, I'll stream it in again. Storing them would be optional, for example so I could put them on my video iPod. If I stop paying, they don't play. Simple.

[Jerry Spoon]

lol. Another victim of Freeny's 'tar (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=174590&highlight=freeny%27s+tar)

Funny that someone asks about Freeny's tar b/c I was mesmerized by rdowns'! :eek:

[Porchland]

Never ever ever ever going to happen

Wrong. Don't say iTunes will never show something before it airs. It's already happened. NBC's "Conviction" or whatever it's called debuted for FREE on iTMS a week before it aired.

[glui2001]

OH NOW I GET IT

It just struck me now why Apple is doing this! In my twisted little mind, I see the game plan - and I think it's a good theory.

Apple wants us to get used to the subscription idea - of paying $9.99 a month for something. This, most people would say is obvious. And the movie industry wants that. They want the content sitting on their porch, pulled when they say, and put back as is. They would only accept a "rental"/Netflix-type philosophy.

But Apple wants us to be happy with its subscription. Happiness and satisfaction equals longer-term profit. And we are okay with a subscription, as long as we get to keep stuff. Most of us would be okay if Apple's subscription were more of a membership than a subscription - you get content as you keep paying, but you can keep the content even after membership.

So how can Apple reconcile this? By bundling.

"Huh," you say? Well, think of it this way, if you paid $29.99 a month for Apple content, and you got to keep all the TV shows, and got to watch a couple of movies that would eventually be defunct, that'd be somewhat OK. After all, you still get to keep South Park and The Daily Show.

It would be in their interest.... If you really wanted to movie, you'd get the DVD, wouldn't you? I mean, a family favorite is going to to be a family favorite. What Apple wants to hook are people who just want to watch on-demand movies on iTunes. They've been selling TV shows for 1/2 a year, and it's a great way to hook a higher-value subscription with movies to drive a vPod, while keeping us happy.

It's somewhat of a bait and switch, but it turns the value proposition around so that we get something in return and pits the TV show industry to compete with the movie industry, instead of both competing against Apple for profit!

This is the first foray. They want to see if the idea of a memberships works, and with some TV shows. It's a test run. And we all know they are interested in movies. So it makes sense if you think about it. Or at least it does to me.

If you think about it, this is really the same model that's used to sell magazines and newspaper. You might pay $5 for an individual magazine, but pre-buy a years subscription to the magazine about a substantial discount on the avg cost of each issue.

You basically own the magazine and keep the one you like or trash the ones you don't. Pretty simple concept that's been around forever and everyone can understand.

As far as pricing, I dunno how that works for digital media. I think magazine publishers make up for subscriptions through volume and having the money up front. Dunno how digital content works though

[Porchland]

I seem to be in the minority here, but my dream would be for Apple to release a membership style service where I can pay a reasonably priced monthly fee and using my remote and Front Row to order and immediately start watching as its downloading whatever TV and movie content I selected. I want my Mac mini that is connected to my TV to work like an appliance, I never want to see its Desktop or iTunes, just Front Row. I don't care about keeping the files as I don't want to bother with file storage issues. As long as I am a member, I'll stream it in again. Storing them would be optional, for example so I could put them on my video iPod. If I stop paying, they don't play. Simple.

I wholly agree. Then again, I never got on the buy-the-DVD bandwagon. I probably have 15 DVDs of movies I really like that I've picked up over the years. After I've seen a movie -- even a really good one -- I'm probably not going to watch it again. I will occasionally see an older movie that I might have seen once or twice before, but that's why God made Netflix.

Same for TV. I'll watch a new episode of "The Office," and I might watch it again if it plays as a rerun, but I have no desire and no hard drive space to warehouse a bunch of movies and TV shows that I will probably never watch again.

[ftaok]

The question still remains - why are digital downloads still being treated as the 'poor relation' of the TV broadcast? Although the viewer numbers for iTunes are a lot lower, the studio/stations' income per viewer must be much higher than via TV broadcast.

Why not offer the show simultaneously with the TV broadcast or (gasp!) ahead of it? People would buy the iTunes version for a sneak peak; and it it's good will still probably watch the show on TV.
I'm guessing it's because the TV stations pay a lot of money for the privelege of airing programs on a first-run basis. Another factor is that the iTMS shows don't have any commercials.

[Windowlicker]

I guess the subscription is ok as long as you get to own the material. That means this is pretty much the same as buying an album instead of buying it track by track, which is much more expensive in most cases.

So thumbs up for this news, if it's true.

[neutrino23]

This is great. Now I can give up on Bit Torrent. TDS is so topical it makes sense to let you own them. This is a nice small step for Apple towards full movie downloads.

[Bubbasteve]

I think this is a great step for Apple and the ITMS ... Hopefully episodes of Conan will be released sooner than later :cool:

[JonHimself]

Till then, last I checked I can still get DVDs of all the new 2006 movies and shows right down the corner 3 for $20.
Just out of curiosity and assuming that the store around the corner is a legitimate store and not someone bootlegging movies... where are you getting 3 new releases for 20 bucks? Also, where are you getting 3 new shows for 20 bucks? I would assume that TV Seasons cost 30+ at least when they come up (Canadian, not sure of average US prices) and new movie DVD's rarely drop below 20 for ONE!

[Oblivious]

Finally! I am oh-so-tempted to buy "The Daily Show With John Stewart" multi-pass.:D
There's just one thing holding me back - it's all still at 320 x 240... If only they were at 640 x 480 so that the shows would fit nicely on the rumored new iPod, or any standard television, I'd be sold.

[clonenode]

Call Apple's new "Multi-Pass" a true subscription - just like when you subscribe to a podcast. It's an automatic download.

All those other services really have a "streaming" service, where you are not left with anything to show for your $. They're like a car lease - pay as you go, while you use it. But the minute you stop paying, you lose it.

[treblah]

Nice and all - I'd definitely consider it if they do it for The Sopranos. I'd actually spend money on it if they drop the DRM and I can actually watch what I buy on devices other than my iMac (or iPod, if I owned a video iPod). Till then, last I checked I can still get DVDs of all the new 2006 movies and shows right down the corner 3 for $20.

So you could you get Deadwood Season 1, Sopranos Season 5 and Entourage Season 1 for $20? What's the name of the place? :confused:

[refried]

For me anyway, this Multi-Pass option is pretty lame.

I don't understand the obsession with owning TV shows. How many times can you watch an episode of a show? It's especially stupid for something with topical content like The Daily Show. Plus this model can get VERY expensive if you start buying Multi-Passes for seven or eight of your favorite shows.

Personally, I'd prefer an option that let me watch as many shows as I wanted for a set amount of time and then they expire. This would become a cross between cable and podcasting. My iMac is my bedroom TV anyway. I'd be thrilled to ditch cable and use the iTMS as an on-demand service.

Perhaps eventually there will be a three tier model...

A la carte - $1.99 an episode (you own it)
Multi-pass - $9.99 for 16 (you own them)
Unlimited - $19.99 for all the shows you can watch (they expire one week after viewing)

[Essefgy]

Why shouldn't this be referred to as a subscription. When I subscribe to a magazine I don't have to send all the issues back if I cancel. This is more like a subscription model than Napster is.

[nebben123]

This is dumb. $20 for two shows for a month? Expensive.

And I'm I the only one who is NOT IMPRESSED with the quality of video from the iTMS? It looks like pixelated ****. Maybe when they make them available with at least 500 lines of horizontal resolution, I'll consider it. It's pretty sad (in a way) that I can dowload *better quality* rips of The Daily Show off of Bittorrent than what I can download legitimately on the iTMS. Full screen iTMS videos look completely awful (I have a 20" iMac) but full screen vids of the torrents I have downloaded are at least watchable.

When Apple offers HD quality downloads, I might consider $1.99 per episode. (Yes I know TDS isn't broadcast in HD yet, but other shows like CSI are). If it's not HD, what's the point? Most Macs made in the last 2 years can support HD playback (at least 720p, if not 1080i).

[brett_x]

The daily show is ideal for this model. I have a DVR and record it every night. If I don't get to watch it in the next few days after it airs, it is pretty stale. So owning those episodes won't matter much to networks.
There are, however, exceptional "point-in-time" episodes that I burn to DVD. The episode after Dick Cheney "shot a man in the face" was a real keeper. (If you haven't seen it, look for it.) I have watched it quite a few times since then, and it is hilarious.
The Colbert Report is a bit less focused on current events, but it still gets stale.

[JonHimself]

This is dumb. $20 for two shows for a month? Expensive.

Pretty sure that'd be $20 for 32 shows... maybe my math is wrong.

[dernhelm]

Not bad actually. I'd use it to subscribe to Monk - if they offered it. I have NetFlix already and don't see switching to an analogous download model for movies unless there was significant price savings. But I could see myself cancelling my Satellite service altogether if I could get the few shows that I do watch for download instead.

[JGowan]

It'll never happen but I wish... that HBO would start selling some of the stuff on iTunes. SOPRANOS would be so great but they'd never let the episodes go for $1.99 an episode... not while their charging $79.99 per 4-Disc box set of 13 episodes, which is terribly overpriced.

Fortunately, I just won an eBay auction of seasons 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 for only $70.99!

[evilgEEk]

I love this idea! If they begin to offer a subscription for all the shows they offer (well, current shows anyway) then I would be happy to take part in it. Of course only when they start offering the videos at higher resolutions. I'm not an HD fanboy, I just want better quality, even if it's 640x480 I'd be happy.

[dashiel]

This is dumb. $20 for two shows for a month? Expensive.

And I'm I the only one who is NOT IMPRESSED with the quality of video from the iTMS? It looks like pixelated ****. Maybe when they make them available with at least 500 lines of horizontal resolution, I'll consider it. It's pretty sad (in a way) that I can dowload *better quality* rips of The Daily Show off of Bittorrent than what I can download legitimately on the iTMS. Full screen iTMS videos look completely awful (I have a 20" iMac) but full screen vids of the torrents I have downloaded are at least watchable.

When Apple offers HD quality downloads, I might consider $1.99 per episode. (Yes I know TDS isn't broadcast in HD yet, but other shows like CSI are). If it's not HD, what's the point? Most Macs made in the last 2 years can support HD playback (at least 720p, if not 1080i).

i think the key point there is bittorrent, which is illegal. i'm not playing moral police here i use(d) bittorrent to download things which i can't legally buy, including TDS. as soon as they're available in a legitimate format to buy i make sure i pay for it.

as for HD 1080i is absurd for 99% of the people, even you on your 20" iMac can't get a full 1080i video to play full screen. there's like a handful of sets that can play 1080p right now as well. not to mention that a 1080p version of TDS would clock in at nearly 2GB, an episode of CSI would be near 3.5GB. america's consumer broadband is way too slow at the moment to support that kind of bandwidth. it'd be in the neighborhood of 90 minutes to download a 22 minute show. way, way too long.

you also have to consider these clips are being sold to promote the adoption of ipods, not to watch on your computer. yes that's a nice side effect, but it's not the purpose of them. i doubt very highly you'd get more than 15-20 minutes of battery life trying to decode and play a 1080i stream on your ipod and asking the average consumer to "covert" just isn't going to happen.

i would certainly like to see an increase in quality, but it's not like any of the shows i watch require all that much resolution.

[boncellis]

The daily show is ideal for this model. I have a DVR and record it every night. If I don't get to watch it in the next few days after it airs, it is pretty stale. So owning those episodes won't matter much to networks...

I agree that a show like The Daily Show is probably the impetus for this pricing scheme because of its time-sensitive content. I do hold out hope that the pricing will extend to other shows that I don't mind rewatching. I do it now with syndicated sitcoms, and I would enjoy having them on demand.

I also think that the resolution of the shows has to gradually improve, without the price going up to keep things fresh. As much as I would like certain shows to be available from the iTMS, some, unfortunately, will be limited to other service providers that I will likely not frequent.

[geniusj]

Never ever ever ever going to happen

Hasn't anyone learned yet that it's never a good idea to say never? You'll most certainly, eventually, be wrong.

[Fukui]

Imagine if once your subscription to National Geographic or TIME ran out, and the magazines automatically sealed themselves shut so you could no longer open them.
Well, they would if they could!

[Don't panic]

Why shouldn't this be referred to as a subscription. When I subscribe to a magazine I don't have to send all the issues back if I cancel. This is more like a subscription model than Napster is.
true.
this is a subscription purchase (which is essentially a volume discount). napster is a rental agreement.

i think they should extend the volume discount model to iTMS:
i.e. a 25$ card is worth 30 (owned) songs.

[Multimedia]

I dont' have cable nor satellite. But if I did The Daily Show with Jon Stewart would be the #1 show I would want to watch every day. The price is finally right.

[hyperpasta]

Give me broadcast quality and I'm there! Please, Apple?

Oh right! Apple is wasting a huge amount of money/bandwidth by not using the BitTorrent protocol to send movies. Why not? Give us much higher quality with much faster download speeds.

[Don't panic]

comment:This is dumb. $20 for two shows for a month? Expensive.
replies:
Pretty sure that'd be $20 for 32 shows... maybe my math is wrong.
63&#162; each show.

but your interpretation of his/her words is wrong.
You are saying the same thing:
20$ = 2 shows = 32 episodes

[autrefois]

Thank you MacRumors for posting this, don't know if I would have found out on my own. I'm downloading Colbert at this very moment! :)

I've been EyeTVing good Colbert Reports and running out of space on my Power Mac. I see the episode online currently on the iTunes Music Store takes up less space than an episode recorded on EyeTV, plus there's no commercials to either edit out or fast-forward. I've been hoping that the Daily Show (or now the Colbert Report) would come out with DVDs of whole seasons, instead of just election specials/etc. Now I can get any future episodes on iTunes.

Call Apple's new "Multi-Pass" a true subscription - just like when you subscribe to a podcast. It's an automatic download.

All those other services really have a "streaming" service, where you are not left with anything to show for your $. They're like a car lease - pay as you go, while you use it. But the minute you stop paying, you lose it.

Very good point. I never thought of it that way before, but the multi-pass is actually more like a (traditional) subscription in that you keep old copies you've paid for, rather than the sort of model others have been proposing (pay per month and then lose access to old stuff you already have if you stop paying).

And it is great that it automatically downloads them. I know people will moan that the quality isn't good enough, but for this price and convenience, I'm sold. :)

[MacSteven]

Step in the right direction...

I have berated Apple for their lackluster support of an integrated media solution but this is really a step in that direction. Not for me though... tiVo RULES.

J

Well, right now, Cable and Satellite are where you get the content, and it's pretty cheap if you consider all of the content that is available. But if you think about what you REALLY watch, I bet that you, just like me, are drastically over paying.

My DirecTV bill is $140 a month, which includes TiVO, HiDef and a bunch of premium cable channels. I did an audit on my family's viewing habits a couple of months ago, and I found that we simply weren't watching hardly any of the available content. Along with the stuff that we are watching, we are also paying for about 250 channels that we _never_ watch.

When Apple offers everything that I want to watch via iTunes (in HD quality), I bet I can knock that $140 a month down to maybe $75 a month and simply get rid of DirecTV (along with my DVD player) entirely. Add on $15/month for basic cable service to watch local TV channels and I'm still WAY ahead of the game.

[deadturtle]

Why not offer the show simultaneously with the TV broadcast or (gasp!) ahead of it?

Its the unfortunate world of the blackout, the big boys have a contract on most popular shows (heck most shows in general) that say it cannot be distributed in any means until the show is over. Just try watching MLB.TV sometime and see how that goes. Even thought I am over a 100 miles from Boston I cannot watch lives games that I have already paid for (Fortunately I like Houston and I'm outside their 'home' territory). Frustrating, but like the RIA the big guys are scared this internet thing is going to suck away all their money. The stick their heads in the sand and fail to embrace new technologies that in fact might entice more people to purchase their shows.

[Stella]

Subscriptions are good for tv shows....

.. but its all academic...

TV shows for Canadastore would be great.

[gnasher729]

I'm definitely not a fan of subscription models in general, but for an individual TV show, this is pretty cool.

What is usually called a "subscription" in this business (Napster, or Yahoo music) is actually not a subscription, it is rental. This one, on the other hand, looks like a real subscription.

[Performa]

This is not a subscription system. You still have the episodes even if you don't buy the show next month.

This is simply like an album purchase-- you get a discount for buying in bulk.

Edit: That's what I get for being a slow typer: Third in line to point this out.


If you buy a magazine subscription, you don't have to give the magazines back after the term of the subscription ends. It's still a subscription.

[runninmac]

What is usually called a "subscription" in this business (Napster, or Yahoo music) is actually not a subscription, it is rental. This one, on the other hand, looks like a real subscription.

Yeah I agree, we should probobly start suing Napster for false advertising :p :rolleyes:

ok bad joke

[Whistleway]

Why does spongebob squarepants episodes says 'not available in US' :(

[gunm]

I would be more into this whole itms video thing if it was HD-quality. I'd rather buy a dvd compilation or use my dvr for TV stuff than shell out $2 an episode for limited-quality video.

[slb]

This isn't a "subscription." It's just standard a pre-order. You can pre-order certain albums on iTunes and have them download when they're available.

I love how the press calls this Apple's "first step" to a subscription model, implying Apple has subscription plans in the first place. Stupid tech press.

[balamw]

This isn't a "subscription." It's just standard a pre-order. You can pre-order certain albums on iTunes and have them download when they're available.
It's a bit different than the album pre-order, since the 16 episodes you pre-bought will be downloaded automatically over 16 different days, but also that the subscription/pre-buy gives you a significant discount, which is not the case for the album pre-order.

Note also that iTMS gift cards are another existing form of pre-buying on iTMS that also does not come with any discount associated with it.

B

[bit density]

All the way to page 4 and not a single reference to "The Fifth Element?"

MULTI-PASS

[nagromme]

For LONG-TERM ownership, I want DVDs. Full quality, and special features.

For the occasional missed episode of a show you won't necessarily re-watch a lot, $1.99 is fine.

But if they can get Galactica down to under $1 an episode via bulk discounts, I'm there. I might even buy Lost. Give me a couple key shows and it no longer makes sense for me to pay big bucks for cable. I'd cancel my cable bill, accept some quality loss (but not much on my old TV :o ), and save money! With no ads :) (This assumes I can can get decent broadband without being forced to pay for cable TV--which is not a given.)

Bulk discounting seems like a good take on the subscription concept. I hope it spreads to other (all?) iTunes shows.

It's also good for the show's creators: it encourages you to try more than just one episode.

I hope quality improves as bandwidth gets cheap, but meanwhile, dropping the price makes the lower quality OK--and bulk discounts might cross that line. We'll have to see what other shows cost, though.

Instead of cable I'd happily pay $20 for a season of a good show like Galactica, for the privilege of watching immediately: BEFORE the DVD exists.

[evilgEEk]

This isn't a "subscription."
How is it not a subscription? You're subscribing to the TV Show. This is a true subcription model, other services like Yahoo and Napster are rental outlets, not subscriptions.

[gunm]

How is it not a subscription? You're subscribing to the TV Show. This is a true subcription model, other services like Yahoo and Napster are rental outlets, not subscriptions.

Good distinction. Another good analogy from this thread was with magazines--you pay a discounted "bulk" rate for so many issues (in this case videos) over a period of time.

[amacgenius]

iTunes could hit an audience here, there a lot of people who watch Comedy Central and I really like the discount for the month than each episode separate.

[dcranston]

To those who are complaining this is too expensive, I don't know how much TV you watch every day, but iTMS is rapidly becoming a fantastic replacement for cable for me... For me personally, here are my TV watching habits:

- Daily Show (4x/week)
- Colbert Report (sometimes)
- The Office (1/episode)
- Monk (1/episode)
- Seinfeld (occasionally)
- Futurama (occasionally)
- Family Guy (1/episode)

Not all of these shows are available on iTMS, but it's getting close. Let's say I subscribe to the Daily Show on iTMS ($10/month). I download each episode of The Office (MAX 4/month for $6). Same for Monk ($6). Sure, let's throw in the subscription of Colbert Report even though I don't watch it daily ($10). And if we got those other three shows on iTMS, I watch maybe 1 Seinfeld/wk ($8), 1 Futurama/month ($2), 2 Family Guys/month ($4).

That's already $46, $10 less than I pay for basic Comcast cable.

Assuming Apple continues the trend of offering passes (perhaps for a season of a show?) at discounted rates, this price will rapidly drop to considerably less than cable. Kinda makes you think, huh?

[~Shard~]

That's already $46, $10 less than I pay for basic Comcast cable.

Your cable bill is $56/month for basic cable?!? :eek: Wow, I pay $70 CAD/month for all-digital cable (basic + 2 tiers = ~70 channels), a 3 Mbps DSL connection, effectively unlimited long distance throughout N. America, as well as my land line. I knew I had it good, but not that good... :cool:

[paulohm]

Maybe I missed it in one of the press releases, but what happens when TDS or Colbert airs a rerun? It obviously should not count against the "16 prepaid" episodes, so does iTunes skip that day and extend your "subscription" by one?

I may cancel my digital cable subscription because of this! We watch as much TV as the next person, but the only cable shows we regularly watch are: TDS, Colbert, and CNN whenever something newsworthy is occurring. My cable company offers a basic package -- the Networks, CSPAN, and a couple other channels (Discovery, TBS, Bravo...) -- for $33/month less than my current plan. I think I'm going to take that $33, send $20 of it to Apple, and basically have the same setup I have now.

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about this.

[nebben123]

Pretty sure that'd be $20 for 32 shows... maybe my math is wrong.

I never said it would be anything less. I said it was $20 for two shows for a month. The two shows being TDS and TCR, for a month (ie. 32 episodes total).

[neutrino23]

From the email I got after purchasing my Multi-Pass:
"Note: Reruns, episodes that have previously been aired and made available for download, will not be resent." So there.

The download was really fast, about four minutes flat for a 102MB file. That was great. I rarely see downloads that fast.

I don't have cable and I'm not interested in other shows than TDS so this is a much cheaper option for me. The video quality is not bad but I do wish it was a tad better.

[yg17]

This is a pretty good deal, but I think I'll pass for now.

I wish they would add Real Time w/ Bill Maher and add the multipass...I'd subscribe in a second. I love that show, but don't have HBO down here at college so I only see it a couple times a month when I go home (Where we have digital cable with eleventy billion channels)

[TEG]

I already have this... It is called "Season Pass®", it comes standard on a TiVo™.

TEG

[kpanda]

Cool! I hope we will be able to buy videos in Europe soon.
So do I. That would be bigger news than anything else Apple could announce right now. As it is we are stuck with iTunes Lite: Half the music, more expensive, and no video content whatsoever. And in Sweden we don't even get a free song every month....

[MacQuest]

In the cases of Battlestar Galactica and Conviction, I think it helped. I certainly would not have seen the Conviction pilot had it not been offered the way it was.

The first thing I thought when I saw that Apple's Multi-Pass was a pre-pay/"true" subscription model that allows you to own content, rather than one that ties you into a continuous "membership" fee in order to only rent content [ala Napster, Real, etc.] was:

"This is a great way for television networks to gauge initial viewer interest for their shows and also adjust accordingly based on the viewer "response" [in the form of individual episode purchases/Multi-Pass renewals in this case]."

Most interesting to me is the ability for the networks to gauge the per episode purchases vs. the Multi-Pass subscription purchases which may indicate whether a show is on it's way up or down in popularity and therefore ratings.

Viewer scenario's like these is what I'm envisioning that the networks would be keeping close tabs on:

Scenario A:
1 - pilot episode is purchased [or downloaded if free. This can be gauged as well]
2 - individual episodes are purchased [or if the pilot is really good, skip #2 and go straight to #3]
3 - Multi-Pass subscriptions renewed regularly

Conclusion: WE GOT A HIT!

Scenario B:
1 - pilot episode is purchased [or downloaded if free. This can be gauged as well]
2 - no [or very few] individual episodes are purchased

Conclusion: CANCEL!

Scenario C:
1 - pilot episode is purchased [or downloaded if free. This can be gauged as well]
2 - individual episodes are purchased [or if the pilot is really good, skip #2 and go straight to #3]
3 - Multi-Pass subscriptions renewed
4- significant decrease in Multi-Pass renewals back down to individual episode purchases* or no purchases**

Conclusion: FEW HIT WONDER!
Either:
* MAKE IT BETTER!
** CANCEL!

As far as the [hopefully upcoming] iMovie Video Store, I still want Apple to have a combination service:
- $9.99 pay to own
- $19.99 monthly unlimited rental [limited time or limited views] with a $4.99 pay to own option for previously rented movies.

NOW GIMME MY vPOD [iPOD AV... whatever :rolleyes:] and/or MacPOD [pda/tablet hybrid] APPLE!!! :D

[camphorsunrise]

All the way to page 4 and not a single reference to "The Fifth Element?"

MULTI-PASS

haha no kidding, that's the first thing I thought of.

[ahasver]

Yes I can watch Daily Show!!!
Thanks to this I can now watch the show even though I don't live in the us anymore. This is the best!!!!:D
Sure it is not cheep but it's worth it

[MacQuest]

I wonder what their profits are, and what or if this is doing to their profit margin.

SJ has always said that the iTunes Music Store was not a profit maker and that it's primary purpose was to sell iPods [and now apparently whatever other playback devices may be released].

I would imagine the same will be true with the iMovie Video Store[?]*. It will exist to sell the new vPod [iPod AV] and any other future playback devices.

*I hope Apple makes a storefront application like "iLife Store" and makes sub-sections for iTunes [music], iMovie [preview/rented content maybe at lower non DVD/HD resolutions to encourage purchases], iDVD [purchased content at full/higher DVD/HD resolutions intended for master burn], iPhoto [stock photography, etc.], GarageBand [original songs, beats, lyrics, etc.], iWeb [webpage templates, animations, etc.]... you get the idea. :)

Of course you'll also be able to purchase and download iLife '07, '08, '09, etc. from the "iLife Store" as well. ;)

[MacQuest]

...that's why God made Netflix.

I believe Apple will develop a better service with more flexibility and options .

It's just a matter of time before you start seeing Apple Logo envelopes being delivered all over the place.

Think of the increased visibility and the service/product cross marketing potential for Apple!

I guess the subscription is ok as long as you get to own the material. That means this is pretty much the same as buying an album instead of buying it track by track, which is much more expensive in most cases.

So thumbs up for this news, if it's true.

This is not a rumor. :)

Just out of curiosity and assuming that the store around the corner is a legitimate store and not [b]someone bootlegging movies

BINGO!

So you could you get Deadwood Season 1, Sopranos Season 5 and Entourage Season 1 for $20? What's the name of the place? :confused:

The name of the person is Shady Sean. He's wearing a black trenchcoat and has a magical shopping cart filled with "goods".

[MacQuest]

For me anyway, this Multi-Pass option is pretty lame.

I don't understand the obsession with owning TV shows.

Nobody's making anyone buy any shows that they don't want.

Those Napster, Real, etc. "never-ending membership contracts" are making people pay to not lose the content they've downloaded and kept didn't like and got rid of] and that they obviously liked because they kept it.

I don't like having a "gun" held to my head reminding me that if I don't pay up every month, that I'm gonna lose the content that I like.

I don't understand why anyone would want to rent something that they'll want to watch/listen to later on when they can own it for a comparable or even lower price.

Maybe not next week, or even next month, but if they liked it enough at one point to buy it, then they'll watch/listen to it again and get they're money's worth.

Losing content that you've payed to watch or listen to, just because you don't want to be tied into a never-ending monthly "membership" contract?

THAT doesn't make sense to me.

[MacQuest]

Why shouldn't this be referred to as a subscription. When I subscribe to a magazine I don't have to send all the issues back if I cancel. This is more like a subscription model than Napster is.

That's what pretty much everyone is saying in this thread.

It's the other services that aren't "true" subscriptions. They're more like memberships. Never-ending membership contracts to not lose the content you never did, or will own.

What a privilage.

[MacQuest]

This is dumb. $20 for two shows for a month? Expensive.

Pretty sure that'd be $20 for 32 shows... maybe my math is wrong.

:D :D :D :D :D

WHOOSH!!!

Right over your head, "JonHimself"!!!

"Nebben123" meant 2 shows as in:
1 = "The Daily Show"
2 = "The Colbert Report"

NOT 2 shows as in:
1 episode of each one of those 2 shows.

Yes, the Multi-Pass is offering 16 episodes of each one of those 2 shows which would equal a total of 32... episodes... of those 2 ... shows.

... maybe my math is wrong.

:D :D :D :D :D

CLASSIC!!!

HINT:
It's not your math that's wrong. It's the wrong context in which you interpreted Nebben123's post.

And on that humorous note [seriously, I can't stop laughing right now], I shall retire for the evening.

Good night, and good luck.

- MacQuest

[bigandy]

i somewhat like this idea, especially as you're still getting to keep the stuff you pay for.

[SilentPanda]

Well... I purchased the multi-pass to the Daily Show. It's one of the shows that I haven't found a good way for my DVR to record (both Tivo and my cable DVR) since a "new" episode is any episode not flagged as a repeat it seems. Also I like to try stuff out and spend money... ;)

Anyway Wednesday I got my first digital episode of the Daily Show. It was Tuesday night's episode. This morning (Thursday) around 8:30am CST Wednesday nights episode was available. The e-mail said to sign in to iTunes to get it... but I was already signed in. The only ways I know of to get new episodes are to either sign out and back in (sorta stupid) or to "Check for Purchases..." from the menu.

What I dislike about the service is it automatically downloads it when it checks. Typically I am at work in the morning when new Daily Shows will be released and I use iTunes here. I might have to disable the music store since I don't want to download the videos here at work. I sorta wish it appeared like podcasts do and new ones would appear and then you could click "Get" once when you were ready...

[dcranston]

Your cable bill is $56/month for basic cable?!? :eek: Wow, I pay $70 CAD/month for all-digital cable (basic + 2 tiers = ~70 channels), a 3 Mbps DSL connection, effectively unlimited long distance throughout N. America, as well as my land line. I knew I had it good, but not that good... :cool:

Agreed, American cable prices are out of control... I pay another $40 on top of that for my cable internet..ugh! When our area recently increased rates (again), they interviewed folks locally who weren't well off saying how bad this was because their monthly bill for cable was well over $100 and they couldn't afford that as it was hard enough keeping enough money to put food on the table. (Now, granted, that seems to indicate that many people's priorities are incorrect--if you literally have no disposable income, spending that on a premium cable package and having that a life 'necessity' sort of boggles my mind...Is our culture that intertwined with entertainment?)

[~Shard~]

Agreed, American cable prices are out of control... I pay another $40 on top of that for my cable internet..ugh! When our area recently increased rates (again), they interviewed folks locally who weren't well off saying how bad this was because their monthly bill for cable was well over $100 and they couldn't afford that as it was hard enough keeping enough money to put food on the table. (Now, granted, that seems to indicate that many people's priorities are incorrect--if you literally have no disposable income, spending that on a premium cable package and having that a life 'necessity' sort of boggles my mind...Is our culture that intertwined with entertainment?)

Yeah, that's pretty bad. Thanks for the insight on that, and yes, very interesting what some peolpe put priorities on, and what they consider to be "necessities" in life. ;) :cool:

[admanimal]

What I dislike about the service is it automatically downloads it when it checks. Typically I am at work in the morning when new Daily Shows will be released and I use iTunes here. I might have to disable the music store since I don't want to download the videos here at work. I sorta wish it appeared like podcasts do and new ones would appear and then you could click "Get" once when you were ready...

So...can't you just not click the Check for Purchases button until you get home? So far that's the only way I have found to download them too, which I am actually happy about because I was afraid it would download them automatically to my iMac or iBook since I usually use those before my Mini, which is attached to TV (and where I want the downloads to go).

[Essefgy]

So...can't you just not click the Check for Purchases button until you get home? So far that's the only way I have found to download them too.

Aha! Thanks for the tip. iTunes wasn't downloading the shows for me, and I was afraid I'd get charged if I clicked on Get Episode. Check for Purchases though worked perfectly.

[SilentPanda]

So...can't you just not click the Check for Purchases button until you get home? So far that's the only way I have found to download them too, which I am actually happy about because I was afraid it would download them automatically to my iMac or iBook since I usually use those before my Mini, which is attached to TV (and where I want the downloads to go).

Yes... however I don't know if it randomly checks every so often either. I know on occassion I open up iTunes and get the message that "There is no purchased music to download" on occassion without me asking it to check. Never really mattered to me until now...

[JonHimself]

HINT:
It's not your math that's wrong. It's the wrong context in which you interpreted Nebben123's post.

And on that humorous note [seriously, I can't stop laughing right now], I shall retire for the evening.

Good night, and good luck.

- MacQuest
Thank you for that lame oscars reference... I didn't really want to quote your whole post because the enlarged text was unnecessary at best.. but anyways, what I was getting at, was how is $20 for two shows (let's just go with 32 episodes of 2 shows) expensive?? What is that? Like 63 cents a show or something? I think someone said that... How could anyone think that 63cents/show is expensive??? Assuming that is true, then I think my interpretation is right because $20 for two shows is expensive (which is why I replied)... but $20 for 32 really is not expensive at all...

Regardless, I'm really glad that Apple is continually improving their iTMS through the multi-pass and the season-pass.

[MacQuest]

Thank you for that lame oscars reference...

"Good night, and Good Luck" really was a good and educational movie IMHO. :)


I didn't really want to quote your whole post because the enlarged text was unnecessary at best..

My apologies. It was late [2:38am] and it really tickled my funny bone at that time. I wasn't really laughing at you, rather at the slapstick-like incident itself.

...but anyways, what I was getting at, was how is $20 for two shows (let's just go with 32 episodes of 2 shows) expensive??...$20 for 32 [episodes] really is not expensive at all.

I totally agree with you. I don't think that this pricing model is unreasonable, especially for this type of show.

Regardless, I'm really glad that Apple is continually improving their iTMS through the multi-pass and the season-pass.

Me too. I can hardly wait to see what they offer for the feature film content distribution.