Now now, you don't want to go around annoucing your criminal activities on the internet
(no matter how much we agree with your sentiments).
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
NBC Television Shows Now Available on Amazon
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Now now, you don't want to go around annoucing your criminal activities on the internet
(no matter how much we agree with your sentiments).Wow, that's insanely stupid. NBC and these guys are truly living in the dark ages!
Apple should do a Netflix thing (all being digital downloads of course).
D'oh!
Nevermind the Mac market. Of course, as a Mac user, I'm ticked about this, but the real boneheaded move here is shutting out iPod/iPhone (and, to a lesser extent, AppleTV) owners. What good is Unboxed for them? Who wants to watch TV on a computer screen? It's idiotic.
Apple is only company offering a simple and convenient way to consume media online. NBC is being remarkably shortsighted. BitTorrent, anyone?
Nevermind the Mac market. Of course, as a Mac user, I'm ticked about this, but the real boneheaded move here is shutting out iPod/iPhone (and, to a lesser extent, AppleTV) owners. What good is Unboxed for them? Who wants to watch TV on a computer screen? It's idiotic.
Apple is only company offering a simple and convenient way to consume media online. NBC is being remarkably shortsighted. BitTorrent, anyone?
Now now, you don't want to go around annoucing your criminal activities on the internet
I'd like to know how ripping a DVD of television shows that are broadcast - without DRM - over the air is illegal? All this copyright madness is out of control. Screw the big media companies. They have nothing but contempt for their customers.
Not quite. Amazon's partnership with TiVo means you have a way of delivering content straight to your TV more conveniently than iTunes+
TV.http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/tivo
Now, if only it actually worked reliably every time...
B
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I believe the Supreme Court decided in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. that using a recording to watch it later is ok, but that's if it's broadcasted. icechunk implied that he was going to use his Neflix DVD rentals to burn copies, which is a clear crime (the warning tells you so
).
I would imagine so.
So Unbox makes no money selling iPods... but it probably does LOSE money NOT selling iPods
Yes please!
BUT... please match Netflix's broad selection (no easy feat) AND please rent per-movie, NOT a monthly subscription. I quit Netflix, but if they offered pay-per-movie as you go--the way any old movie rental from a store works--I'd be back in a flash!
The reason Unbox is not Mac-compatible is that it uses Microsoft's DRM system. (Or... one of them. As we know from Zune vs. PlaysForSure, Microsoft's DRM products aren't even compatible with EACH OTHER!) Amazon and NBC fear Apple even more than they fear Microsoft.
Not quite. Amazon's partnership with TiVo means you have a way of delivering content straight to your TV more conveniently than iTunes+
http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/tivo
Now, if only it actually worked reliably every time...
B
And if only it worked with PORTABLE devices
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Not quite. Amazon's partnership with TiVo means you have a way of delivering content straight to your TV more conveniently than iTunes+
http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/tivo
Now, if only it actually worked reliably every time...
B
Trouble is, Tivo isn't doing so well in the market. Plus, iTunes offers a more compelling option for people like me who are sick and tired of paying $100 each month for a steady stream of crap. I refuse to do it any longer. With iTunes, I buy what I want to watch, it is downloaded automatically, and I can watch it via AppleTV anytime I like. It's an excellent system.
I would have bought season passes to NBC shows for next season. Instead, I'll have to rely on other means of acquiring my programming. Idiots.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I believe the Supreme Court decided in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. that using a recording to watch it later is ok, but that's if it's broadcasted. icechunk implied that he was going to use his Neflix DVD rentals to burn copies, which is a clear crime (the warning tells you so
Not familiar with that ruling, but I believe you.
Isn't is sick how TV was once a free, advertiser-supported medium. Then came cable and we starting paying a bit for some premium channels. Now we're paying out the nose for cable or dish - AND we're supposed to pay for the programming AGAIN on our iPods and AGAIN on DVD, etc. It's simply insane.
I really could care less what happens to the big media companies at this point. They are so ridiculously greedy. Long live BitTorrent and MacTheRipper!!!
Oh you can bet NBC knows what they're doing. The timing is no coincidence. They're trying to take the wind out of Apple's iPod announcement sails ("What I can't get my favorite show?"), and steal some of the publicity for themselves.
Pretty savvy move in the short run. Whether it hurts them or apple more - only time will tell. In the meantime not such good news for consumers who now have fewer options. Such is the quasi-monopoly economics game, yes?
Pretty much. I am over the subscription model the cable companies/networks keep feeding us. I'm done paying monthly cable charges for content I never watch. Now I get Netflix, watch the TV shows I want, or buy stuff off iTunes. If NBC isn't in iTunes, I probably won't watch their shows until they're released on DVD, or not at all.
Subscriptions are great money makers for companies, but they are horrible for customers. Its an old model, and in this day of on demand, its time to be done with it.
I gave you the link so you could read it for yourselfNot familiar with that ruling, but I believe you.
To be fair, you can still get free TV; it's quality may not be great, but it's there. Nonetheless, I too feel a bit bitter towards media companies. Not to be philosophical or anything, but are we any better if we steal from them? Sure they're greedy bastards, but when we rip DVDs from Netflix or use a torrent, don't we become as bad as them?...Naw, enjoy your free media
NBC can suck my ... toes. XD
I'm not going to be supporting them at all - I refuse to even tune in live for their shows from now on. I WILL continue to support iTunes and the great shows they have on there. Like Dexter, awesome show <3, and of course, it's not an NBC one...
I do like Amazon but I always thought their Unbox service sucked due to their restrictive policies... oh yeah, and how it only runs on Windows.
I'm not going to be supporting them at all - I refuse to even tune in live for their shows from now on. I WILL continue to support iTunes and the great shows they have on there. Like Dexter, awesome show <3, and of course, it's not an NBC one...
I do like Amazon but I always thought their Unbox service sucked due to their restrictive policies... oh yeah, and how it only runs on Windows.
With my EyeTV Hybrid and free digital high def--the quality IS great!
And automatically exported to iPod too.
With my EyeTV Hybrid and free digital high def--the quality IS great!
And here we are paying Comcast. Seriously, sometimes it sickens me. We don't even have a second cable company to offer us a competing rate!
Microsoft doesn't look so bad when you compare it to Comcast.Not to be philosophical or anything, but are we any better if we steal from them? Sure they're greedy bastards, but when we rip DVDs from Netflix or use a torrent, don't we become as bad as them?...Naw, enjoy your free media
What's wrong with philosophical? I like it.
Of course I see your point - and agree with it. I own over 1500 CDs. I love supporting artists.
When it comes to TV, though, I feel a bit differently. Essentially anything on network TV is free. They're giving it away. I can tune in for free.
Netflix *buys* DVDs from the media companies that are *giving* the shows away over the air. I rent one of those and watch it. How is that any different from just tuning in?
So, ultimately, what's wrong with BitTorrent? The networks are *giving* away their content over the air - in both SD and HD. I can rent it legally via NetFlix. Why can't I just download it? I'm not abusing the copyright. I'm not using the content to make money. I'm not changing it. I just want to watch it.
Quite honestly, I think the media companies have an exaggerated sense of the importance of their product. Music is one thing. We live with music. We listen to it over and over. It's woven into our lives. TV is temporary. It serves its purpose to entertain in the short-term, but beyond that, who really cares? How many times are you going to watch a TV series? Seriously. A handful, even if you're a die-hard fan.
Sorry, tangent.
Anyway, I have a problem with giving away something on the one hand, then turning around and acting insufferable when, on the other, someone obtains it via another mechanism - with the sole intention of enjoying it, not using or profiting from it.
Has anyone thought yet that maybe Steve Jobs will announce DMR free iTunes tomorrow? NBC does pull out suddenly right before this sep. 5th event that deals with new ipods, which go hand in hand with itunes. He wrote that open letter to the music companies earlier this year... so maybe this is where it is leading. NBC does claim "piracy concerns" as one of the factors. Just thought maybe that will be the scenario?
If that's your benchmark for being a fine corporate citizen MS must be one of the best corporate citizens ever.
Cancel your cable/satellite service and you can stop the insanity and go back to the good old days of free, OTA TV.
All this and more thanks to the Telecommunications Act of 1996. If the farmer takes the door off the chicken coop how much can you really blame the wolf when the hens start to disappear?And here we are paying Comcast. Seriously, sometimes it sickens me. We don't even have a second cable company to offer us a competing rate!
Lethal
There are a lot of stupid, smart people in business, huh?
Think about it: The iPod is by far the largest and fastest growing device for playing music and videos. (And who know what else after tomorrow!). Add to that that Mac sales and new users have increased dramatically in the past few years as people grow tired of the short comings of Windows. Why Universal, or NBC would want out of the good grace of, not Apple (as it might seem), but the MILLIONS of end users, aka "ALL OF US", is beyond me.
I did have one thought on Friday, when the NBC announcement was first made, that might make some sense: Could NBC or Universal consider Apple's solid alliance with Disney via Pixar make them the competition/adversary? If so, isn't it as short-sighted as it would appear?
I say 2 thumbs WAY DOWN to NBC!
Think about it: The iPod is by far the largest and fastest growing device for playing music and videos. (And who know what else after tomorrow!). Add to that that Mac sales and new users have increased dramatically in the past few years as people grow tired of the short comings of Windows. Why Universal, or NBC would want out of the good grace of, not Apple (as it might seem), but the MILLIONS of end users, aka "ALL OF US", is beyond me.
I did have one thought on Friday, when the NBC announcement was first made, that might make some sense: Could NBC or Universal consider Apple's solid alliance with Disney via Pixar make them the competition/adversary? If so, isn't it as short-sighted as it would appear?
I say 2 thumbs WAY DOWN to NBC!
I think a better idea (and this goes to your "interoperability" premise) is to drop DRM altogether. Period.
Let's back up a second. Do you really think the reason iTunes has been so successful to date has anything at all to do with DRM (Fairplay)? Think about it.
The only reason Apple incorporates DRM is because the content providers (save for one recent exception) have insisted on it, a fact Apple has made clear on numerous public occasions since the launch of the iTunes Music Store. I don't think Jobs was posturing when he blogged that Apple would drop DRM in a heartbeat if only the content providers agreed. It just makes business sense because the only thing that DRM has contributed to the overall food chain in the digital download business is a lot of bad publicity. That's the complete, total legacy of DRM's contribution to the business, lock, stock and barrel.
So why has iTunes been so successful? Well, you think the answer to that is pretty obvious, and it's most likely obvious to most iTunes/iPod users, but apparently not to the morons who run NBC. And since NBC likes to talk about about piracy, well, let's talk about it...
Back when the iTunes Music Store first launched, who was the competition? If you answered nobody, you're wrong. iTunes competition in the beginning was piracy, a far more formidable competitor than any of the present legitimate download services combined. How do you compete against piracy? With DRM? DRM is a laughable non-solution (too easily stripped), and arguably, a factor towards ongoing piracy if brainless execs at companies like NBC Universal have their way.
Apple reasoned that access to content via piracy wasn't a user friendly experience overall (quality of content issues and poorly implemented methods for finding what your looking for) and piracy hadn't yet evolved into something that would be considered a mass market. Apple's trump card was it's expertise in ease of use and could deliver, via iTunes and the iPod, a very robust end user experience for music - starting with the consumer's desire for any particular song right down to pumping that very song into the consumer's eardrums. Almost instantaneously. What Apple delivered with iTunes/iPod was unmatched by any piracy network back then, and is still unmatched by any content delivery system over the internet to date. Well, That took care of the first half of the problem.
The second half of the problem was getting consumers to pay. Here again, Apple was smart enough to realize that if you price the content fairly, along with offering a utterly simple, first class software/hardware ecosystem that virtually anyone could use, consumers would bite. They would open their wallets and pay a fair, reasonable price. Over three billions songs sold and counting later, Apple was proven right. And what role did DRM specifically play in this success? Nothing. Zero. Zilch. It was nothing more than security blanket for dim-witted music industry execs who never understood the concept that fair pricing is, by leaps and bounds, the most potent weapon against piracy. Arguably, it was unfair pricing (exorbitant CD prices and a few too many rip-off CDs with just one or two good songs and the rest filler) that was a major factor in the rise of music piracy to begin with.
So I stand up and cheer Apple for not letting letting a bunch of neandrothals at NBC Universal lecture them about piracy - a subject in which they are clearly and utterly clueless.
Kick the bums off iTunes along with their so-called flexable (aka ripoff) pricing canard that these creeps have in mind for iTunes customers, because that's all it is - a canard. Whether it's an overt rise in price to the consumer for no added value whatsoever , or a rise in price and no added value by construct, at the end of the day it's still just a rise in price (and a significant one) for no other reason than pure and simple greed (not to mention the obvious, incendiary flirtation with piracy on Apple's watch).
I'd save the lecture on being a good, responsible, corporate citizen (not to mention just being smart business people) for NBC Universal, not Apple.
Point taken. Nonetheless, when companies get too happy, I get worried.If that's your benchmark for being a fine corporate citizen MS must be one of the best corporate citizens ever.
I guess that has a great deal of truth to it, but, it doesn't mean that the wolf is any less immoral for doing it.
Ironically, on a seperate tangent, if the farmer does have a door that's open on the chicken coop, he's free to call it "free range." How's that for consumer protection?