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CBS and NBC Looking towards Digital Distribution

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Apr 12, 2001
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With the buzz surrounding Apple's launch of the ABC television episode sales on the iTunes Music Store, the other networks are stepping up their initiatives.

Mediapost reports that NBC and CBS are experimenting with online delivery of content.

CBS announced they will be distributing three episodes of prime-time sci-fi series "Threshold" online. Meanwhile, NBC is offering downloads of "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams".

As expected, they report that CBS "has had talks with Apple about distributing CBS shows on iTunes." No other details are offered.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2005/11/04/cbs-and-nbc-looking-towards-digital-distribution/
If NBC were to hop on board with iTunes, that would really get things started.

Come on Discovery Channel....
 
Sci-fi - Battlestar Galactica
Comedy Central - Daily Show/Colbert Report
Cartoon Network - Justice League Unlimited
FOX - Family Guy

The Holy Grails, get those ASAP
 
Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld

SEINFELD SEINFELD SEINFELD SEINFELD SEINFELD SEINFELD!

Thats all we need.
 
Trowaman said:
Sci-fi - Battlestar Galactica
Comedy Central - Daily Show/Colbert Report
Cartoon Network - Justice League Unlimited
FOX - Family Guy

The Holy Grails, get those ASAP
Click to expand...
Well, as long as we're making wish lists:

* SciFi - Battlestar Galactica
* HBO - The Sopranos
* Cartoon Network - The Boondocks

Wow - these are like the only TV shows that I watch (thank you Netflix) or would consider watching. No wonder I don't have cable.
 
Trowaman said:
Sci-fi - Battlestar Galactica
Comedy Central - Daily Show/Colbert Report
Cartoon Network - Justice League Unlimited
FOX - Family Guy
Click to expand...

i would add arrested development to that list as well. there's a problem though and (well maybe) apple's strict one price for all in regards to music has seemingly transcended to video as well. a 5 minute music video costs the same as a 44 minute drama an 8 minute pixar short or a 22 minute comedy.

if you apply that pricing structure to the average viewer it ends up being significantly more expensive than just buying cable.

take me, i don't have television service, but i do watch some shows through... more convenient methods on a regular basis.

the daily show
the simpsons
arrested development
battlestar galactica

the simpsons and arrested development are standard 22 episode shows. battlestar is... well lets say 17 episodes for season 1 + the mini series. the daily show is on 4 times a week 47 weeks a year for 188 episodes.

that's just under $500 for a years worth of programming. i can get digital cable for just about the same price.

a season's worth of simpsons episodes would cost $44; i can buy a dvd in higher quality, with extras etc... for $32.

---

there needs to be some adjustment somewhere along the line to make this viable, at least for me. i would gladly pay in advance $30-$40 for a show like the daily show, and $10-$20 for a standard network show. paying in advance gives them capital up front so it should be cheaper.
 
Wish list

Since people are requesting shows.

Playboy Channell
Family Guy
Sienfield
Battlestar Galatica
South Park
 
People have mentioned some good shows in this thread, but I like someone's (sorry, I forget who :() suggestion in another thread about where it really lies.

OLD shows. The companies have tons of old shows that they can't (won't) put on tv anymore, but have lots of people who would like to see them. Currently, they are just sitting around getting dusty, but if you put them on iTunes, you can just leave them there and forget about them, and let them keep bringing in money.

Seriously, how many series/shows have come out since tv started? TONS more than are currently on television. Yet they aren't being played and so aren't making any money for the network. Get them on iTunes and they'll help bring in some extra dollars.
 
Trowaman said:
Sci-fi - Battlestar Galactica
Click to expand...
Yes, please!

Throw in Firefly--good re-watch value--and about a dozen things I could name from the BBC. One Foot in the Grave? :) And the whole Buffy and Angel set... might need a 60 GB for that :) And PLEASE give us reality TV in our iPod. OK, I'm kidding about that last one. Please do NOT.

Quickly or slowly, the choices WILL multiply. Even movies and HD--eventually.

My own purchases will be rare until technology/bandwidth makes the quality better (when sent to TV) but I WOULD like the chance to catch a missed episode of Galactica or other shows that have an ongoing story. I'd pay $1.99 occasionally for that privilege. (I missed the 3rd-to-last Galactica and so I chose not to watch the next two either, and now I must wait for Netflix to get them in December--just in the nick of time before the next season starts.)
 
Format?

The problem so far is what format they plan on using. I have seen no data on the NBC Nightly News, but Threshold requires Media Player 9 (blech), no that leave me out. If they're offering it for free, why not just put it MP4 format so *anybody* whether on Windows/Mac/Linux can view it - and us who want to can download it and put it on our iPods or something.

That would actually be interesting, not the "We're going to force you to sit at your computer and watch it through a crappy media player system" the other day.
 
i don't care about iTunes or iPods or Videos and any combination thereof anymore, that seems to be all that comes out of Cupertino these days! :(
 
I'd still wait for the DVD's that I wanted to own, then I could watch it on TV and rip it for the Ipod. THe cost would'nt be that much more
 
since were doing wish lists, i would love if NBC put law and order SVU... ahh Mariska Hargitay...she can arrest me any time.... :p :D
 
Why are so many people getting excited over this? if you want to see these tv series go to netflix and rent them for 9.99 a month and get unlimited dvds. you won't own them but its like napster vs itunes.
 
mikeyredk said:
Why are so many people getting excited over this? if you want to see these tv series go to netflix and rent them for 9.99 a month and get unlimited dvds. you won't own them but its like napster vs itunes.
Click to expand...

there are a few...

instant gratification. netflix is fast, but itunes is faster. ownership - if i want to watch an episode again i don't have to re-order from netflix. most important though, i can't get the episode of lost that aired on monday from netflix. i'll have to wait until next august or september or catch a rerun.
 
The more (worthy) networks, the better! Fox needs to sign onto this... they're hugely popular when it comes to TV shows, both old and new.
 
Trowaman said:
Sci-fi - Battlestar Galactica
Comedy Central - Daily Show/Colbert Report
Cartoon Network - Justice League Unlimited
FOX - Family Guy

The Holy Grails, get those ASAP
Click to expand...


seems we watch the same shows!

come on steve, convince them to sell those shows via itunes and i can finally ditch the $35 cable subscription.
 
LaMerVipere said:
i don't care about iTunes or iPods or Videos and any combination thereof anymore, that seems to be all that comes out of Cupertino these days! :(
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's not like Apple has released an update for its OS, new PowerMacs, new PowerBooks or new iMacs any time recently... :rolleyes: :p ;)
 
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