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CBS and NBC Looking towards Digital Distribution

Wow this pay per download of shows seem to be taking off ALOT faster than I thought. I think everyone knew it was a good idea but when it comes to fat cats in network board rooms they cant see a good thing when it hits right in the eye most times. Props to you fat cats for finally recognizing a good idea.

... to bad Threshold both sucks and blows. :rolleyes:
 
My wishlist...

I hope to see the following content for the download/video iPod...

Modern Marvels
Extreme Engineering
Engineering Disasters
Building the Ultimate
Discovery Channel
Saturday Night Live
World's Most Amazing Videos
Real TV
The Simpsons
Family Guy
King of the Hill
Various movies (Office Space, etc.)
Apple Keynotes/Events
etc.

Just hoping Apple will make it so the movies can be encoded at a higher bit rate but still playable on the iPod.
 
I would love to see some back catalogues get put on iTunes and a bunch of shows at a reduced price because of their age. I'd also love for late shows to be on there for $.99 a pop. Conan on the iPod would be freaking rad.

With higher selection is going to have to come lower prices. The $1.99 is attractive for one or two shows, but take into account about 15-20 shows you might want a month and you're better off just sticking to cable...unless you're filthy rich.
 
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! :(
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Then why'd you click the link?
 
nagromme said:
Throw in Firefly--good re-watch value--and about a dozen things I could name from the BBC. ...
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I fail to understand why.

I paid less than $25 for my box set of Firefly DVDs. That includes commentaries, 5.1 surround sound, and bonus material. At $2 an episode, iTMS would've charged $28.

Another favorite show: M*A*S*H. The DVDs have an MSRP of $40 per season, and can be purchased on-line for $30. At 24 episodes per season, iTMS would charge $48.

While iTMS video sounds like a good idea, it's overpriced. Why would anyone pay extra in order to get the content at a lower resolution, no surround sound, and no bonus materials?
nagromme said:
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.)
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That's what VCRs and PVRs are for. I'm never home when my favorite shows are on. But the VCR timer-records them, so I don't care.

While I will be buying the BG DVDs, it will be because I want a permanent copy, anamorphic widescreen, 5.1 audio, and bonus materials. Not because I missed an episode of the broadcast.

BTW, pay attention to SciFi's schedule. They ran a full-season rerun marathon just before season 2 began. They're likely to do that before the new season begins in January.
 
andiwm2003 said:
Sci-fi - Battlestar Galactica
Comedy Central - Daily Show/Colbert Report
Cartoon Network - Justice League Unlimited
FOX - Family Guy
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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.
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So you'd rather download 34 episodes (22 daily shows, plus 12 weekly shows) for $68 instead of paying $35 to get them via cable?
 
shamino said:
So you'd rather download 34 episodes (22 daily shows, plus 12 weekly shows) for $68 instead of paying $35 to get them via cable?
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Not quite that simple. He wouldn't have to pay anything for repeats.

Let's assume that there are 24 episodes eack year of the weekly shows and that the two "daily" shows are also on for 24 weeks, 4 episodes/week (no Friday).

That would add up to $144/year for the weekly shows and $384 for the daily shows. This works out to $44/month vs. $35. For just the weekly shows it's a bargain $12/month averaged over the year, so he could watch 3x as many weekly shows and still come out even.

B
 
shamino said:
I fail to understand why. ...
That's what VCRs and PVRs are for. I'm never home when my favorite shows are on. But the VCR timer-records them, so I don't care.
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Well, I know what you're saying, but one reason is "just for fun." Having some favorite comedy episodes (more so than serious dramas, but maybe some eps of those too) on my iPod, for when really bored or to show other people my favorite show, would be FUN. Having them WITH me, all the time (like my music) would not be life-changingly useful, but it would be fun.

The more important reason, for me, as that despite my VCR, I DO miss episodes. Maybe I didn't expect to be gone and didn't set the timer. Maybe I made a mistake with the tape. Maybe a ball game or political speech cut in. Maybe the schedule changed. Maybe the station went out.

One way or another, I always seem to miss at least one episode per season of the shows I try to follow. I'd like a way to catch up quickly. $1.99 wouldn't bother me to keep in the loop.

Having shows to KEEP, in their entirety demands more quality, you are right. I can see myself buying Galactica, Firefly, and Buffy/Angel on DVD (well, BD!), not downloading them. I agree on that.

But I WOULD also make OCCASIONAL purchases for the reasons above, regardless of quality.

If you're thinking that means I would buy only a very little, you're right :) But I'll still be glad to have the choice, if more shows appear on iTunes.

I don't know if that makes video a big business success (yet), but it does make it an option I'm happy to see growing.

PS, MR folks have good taste in TV :)
 
I hope that they set up nightly news video podcasts. Or even late night TV shows like Connan, Letterman, and Leno as free podcasts, that would be so awesome.
 
I just don't get the appeal...

What is the interest of buying tv shows that are currently being broadcast on tv?

Unless you don't have cable, but most of the networks are available through basic cable, or just some rabbit ears and a television. And I would think that if you have high speed internet and a video iPod that you probably have cable too, but not necessarily.

I could see the appeal in old shows that aren't on as much, or at all...

I just don't get it..
 
I really see the selling of TV shows, for now, being a thing, if you miss a show. Unless, they were really good quality, like better than TV quality, in widescreen.

For now, I'll just use it, if I miss an episode, or my TiVo screws up and doesn't record (i.e. power failure or lots of conflicts).
 
Viacom could signup-to offer Nickelodeon, Nick Jr or Nicktoons Network shows.

These are mostly children's TV shows and animated series (Invader ZIM, Avatar would be great additions to the iTMS). There are already 2 Disney kids shows on the iTMS.

They do have TurboNick (no iPod or downloadable versions):
http://www.nick.com/all_nick/turbonick/index.jhtml

I love Discovery Channel-Microsoft has their video content in their Encarta product. So shows like American Choppers, MythBusters are very suitable Discovery shows to add to the iTunes Music Store.

I'm Australian, and SBS/Beyond would license MythBusters to Apple Australia.
SBS, Seven and Ten shows (not Big Brother, but shows like Australian and American Idol). Channel 9-no way (their videos are WMV) could also be offered.

Our ABC-the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, already has podcasts on the iTMS, and their shows would be quite nice on the iTMS.

The BBC shoul offer their shows on it as well.
Cartoon Network should sign up as well-lots of anime shows

What about Fox shows?
 
Still can't think of any good aussie TV they could license over here. Most of the good stuff (and that's not saying much) is from the US and broadcast rights are given to our networks. There are very few shows here that our networks actually have distribution rights to and therefore can't offer them to download.

I'd like to see:

Family Guy
The Simpsons
House
The Surgeon (Aussie show - not bad at all)
CSI
 
shoffmueller said:
Who would drop $1.99 for an episode of NBC News with Brian Williams?
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Nightly News? No one.

It is nice on iTunes however MSNBC's primetime folks have one segment of each of their shows up each night as podcasts.

I would like to see those go video though. Keith Olbermann video cast, sweetness. He's like a more serious Daily Show.
 
I think it would be a mutual victory for both Itune n those Broadcasting Firms.

Since,

-Buys online copy could save you couple of hours from piracy downloading and converting files by themself.

-you may avoid any sinful feeling committing BT activity for cost just couple of dollars....People shops Dvd may switch to download it online too.

The ads on ITune is really lucrative then , if this would come true.:)
 
PharmD said:
I just want Fox sign on so I can watch 24 season 4. Then I'll be all caught up.
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I agree, I think there would be a lot of demand for Fox programming, and this would be a very wise move for them. I'm a bit surprised they haven't already gotten involved, but who knows, perhaps they are indeed in talks with Apple and are just working out the details.
 
a season's worth of simpsons episodes would cost $44; i can buy a dvd in higher quality, with extras etc... for $32.
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True. But you'd have to wait until it's released for that particular season. The idea here would be that episodes would become available very shortly after their respective airdates. To some, I think that would be worth a slight price premium. Also, for those who don't want entire seasons, it would not even be a price premium.

rrr
 
rrr said:
True. But you'd have to wait until it's released for that particular season. The idea here would be that episodes would become available very shortly after their respective airdates. To some, I think that would be worth a slight price premium. Also, for those who don't want entire seasons, it would not even be a price premium.

rrr
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not to mention what everyone is forgetting;
the ease of having all these shows on your ipod without having to convert from dvd. the ease of portability is worth the price to most people alone.
 
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