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NBC to End iTunes Sales?

If NBC wants to be prickish I say let them.

As it is, I missed 2 episodes of Heroes last year. The first one I bought on iTunes, the second I watched for FREE on their own site. I never understood why NBC would shoot themselves in their own foot by offering it for free, even though the quality was much lower than the iTunes version.

If anything NBC should take the FREE version off of their website and keep the iTunes version for $1.99. That right there will increase any revenue that they want.

Think things through before you speak NBC! You are being fed quite handsomely for a service that wouldn't even exist in this form if Apple had not introduced it and played hardball in the beginning.
 
guess NBC just needs the money that bad. I mean, they would never see a market they could exploit and capitalize on which meant they would up the price for us and up the profit from apple. No, they they would never do that... they must need the cash. I think I'll start a website... www.helpinghandshelpnbc.com/fart
 
I think what we really see here is the Apple (Jobs) commitment to a clean, simple user experience. NBC would have them start putting together asinine packages and deals and discounts and bonuses and surcharges that might move a few more shows, occasionally, but would stop you from going into iTunes with a pretty clear idea from the get go what you could get, and for how much. The Apple way is to clean it up; the NBC way is to throw out as much as they can, in any form, and see what sticks.

Apple also uses iTunes not so much as a way to sell content, but as a way to sell iPods, whereas for NBC sales on content are the only thing they get out of iTunes. So how they want to organize the shop differs there, too.

I'm all with Apple on both those points. The only trick is that I think it's going to be important for Apple's future, as the company reaches into new areas that (alas) require partnerships, for Apple to show that they can occasionally play well with others, including NBC and AT&T, for that matter. It's going to be a fine line to walk.
 
alywa said:
I have a TIVO. I rarely purchase TV shows from iTMS... but if we missed an episode for some reason, it is nice to be able to pay $2 to watch that one. NBC will simply miss out on that purchase if they pull out, because I'll find other ways to see the show. (Legal or illegal).
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Why the hell would anyone who already pays for cable tv/Direct TV pay the iTMS to download an episode of a show that they missed?

You've already paid for it once, via your cable bill. Just grab the damn thing off of bittorrent.

Suckers like you make my Apple stock very happy.
 
Just remember this, one day, once their Hula experiment fails, once Zune is a clear loser, once AppleTV gains traction and iPhone sales hit the targeted 10m market, once NBCs shows need the buzz shot that iTunes provided, NBC is going to want back in a bad way. At which point Apple will welcome them back, but not before they give NBC a swift kick in the fiscal gonads.
 
BKF said:
I think what we really see here is the Apple (Jobs) commitment to a clean, simple user experience.

Apple also uses iTunes not so much as a way to sell content, but as a way to sell iPods
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no and no. anyone who ever used apple's app for windows knows apple is a bundle crazy monster.

and if iPOD is just a music player, iTunes is unnecessary. how many mp3 players' music management app has music store built-in?
Just remember this, one day, once their Hula experiment fails, once Zune is a clear loser, once AppleTV gains traction and iPhone sales hit the targed 10m market,
Click to expand...
zune might be a loser, depends on their objective.
appleTV is already a dud.
iphone hit 10m.... there will be alot of things happening in 5 years.

and please understand the digital music store's situation now.
 
breeze said:
Screw them too ....

They may not uderstand that consumers still have the right to record any tv content on their own for later watching. VCRs have modern equivalents and getting all digital files into the iPod is easy, so if we want a program we can still record it and it does not have to come from iTunes...Just like most iPod owners import their Cds into their iPods without the greedy record lables trying to get paid more than once, so too can the same be done for video content.

The loser will be NBC because other alternatives will quickly give rise to the issue of whether or not TV is that important and if it is, well, there's nothing the big networks can do to stop us from getting it for free for our own private use - without their approval.

I wouldn't risk alienating consumer sentiment and a found source of revenue...
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I know I know TV is not that important and if it is, well, there's nothing the big networks can do to stop us from getting it for free. Do you know if there isn't any tv content you don't get TV content. Why do I feel you have cable or at least satellite. Sure big talk from a newbie.
 
NBC is just being greedy. NBC wants to charge more by packaging a TV show with a movie, but why should I pay more for a movie because a TV episode is bundled with it? If I want an episode of 'The Office' then I will download the episode I want, and if I want 'The 40 Year Old Virgin' then I will buy the movie. That is what makes iTunes so nice, you buy what you want.
 
clevin said:
no and no. anyone who ever used apple's app for windows knows apple is a bundle crazy monster.

and if iPOD is just a music player, iTunes is unnecessary. how many mp3 players' music management app has music store built-in?

zune might be a loser, depends on their objective.
appleTV is already a dud.
iphone hit 10m.... there will be alot of things happening in 5 years.

and please understand the digital music store's situation now.
Click to expand...

I hope that was meant with sarcasm..... what the hell is bundle crazy about them? And if you have a problem with that, use a Mac then instead of Windows....
 
clevin said:
no and no. anyone who ever used apple's app for windows knows apple is a bundle crazy monster.

and if iPOD is just a music player, iTunes is unnecessary. how many mp3 players' music management app has music store built-in?
Click to expand...

iTMS is IS unnecessary. You don't have to use iTMS. I hardly do unless I just want a single song. I'm not a fan of the DRM OR the low bit rate encoding. However, most consumers don't care about that, especially the pre-teen/teen set. They use iTMS b/c its easy, affordable, and quick.
 
gkarris said:
(MS)NBC bought USA Networks (including the SciFi Channel) and cancelled a slew of awesome shows (Farscape, and recently Stargate SG-1). Now we get crap like Flash Gordon and Wrestling (on the SciFi Channel nonetheless).
Click to expand...

^^^^Nerd^^^^
 
Oh, it is about $$ folks, just not the way you are thinking. It is called advertising revenues. NBC, ABC, USA are putting more and more shows online, free, but with advertisements. iTunes does not produce advertising revenues for the broadcast companies. It is simple math:

A (the show) - B (Apple's cut) = $
A (the show) + D (advertisement revenue) = $$

If you were in business where would you invest your resources? It doesn't matter if you can download them all in one place. You will be watching online (with some limitations), switching sites just like flipping channels from the sofa.

The report in the paper this morning says TV shows are a small percentage of iTunes downloads anyway. I have to admit I downloaded some but have backed off since the favorite shows are available online and in better quality. I only have a few movies because I don't get great pricing, bonus features or subtitles. In short, I think Steve was right originally. I don't think the market is there. It was a loud minority who demanded videos be included.
 
Thomas2006 said:
NBC is just being greedy. NBC wants to charge more by packaging a TV show with a movie, but why should I pay more for a movie because a TV episode is bundled with it? If I want an episode of 'The Office' then I will download the episode I want, and if I want 'The 40 Year Old Virgin' then I will buy the movie. That is what makes iTunes so nice, you buy what you want.
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i think you have some misunderstanding here, NBC is not saying you need to buy two items together.. where did you get that idea from?
 
Cloudsurfer said:
Big deal.

You could always just buy the dvd of a particular show, and rip it to your Pod.
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This is a big deal to me. I like to watch shows when they are telecast not 6 months later. iTunes is how I stay up to date with The Office and Heroes. I hate the thought of going back to VCR recording. What a bummer.
 
I guess I'm not certain why Apple cares so much about NBC's pricing model. Mark it up and let the public decide if it's priced right. Possibly Apple is concerned about the investment they make to prepare the content for distribution and feel strongly that a specific price point is critical to maintain and grow downloads.

Overall I'll bet this report is a ploy by NBC to try and bluff Apple. Won't work.
 
iTunes for TV shows is just a fall back. Record OTA in HD!!

I have a eyeTV hybrid ($130) that I use to record TV shows in their original 720p (ABC, Fox) or 1080i (NBC, CBS, PBS, CW) with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Why should I put up with the crummy quality on iTunes. Even on my 20" LCD, the iTunes downloads look awful. I once forgot to record Prison Break and downloaded from iTunes. Compared to my previous recordings through eyeTV hybrid, the quality sucked!! Plus, I don't have to pay a penny to anyone for recording through eyeTV Hybrid (OTA-HD).
 
KindredMAC said:
I hope that was meant with sarcasm..... what the hell is bundle crazy about them? And if you have a problem with that, use a Mac then instead of Windows....
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the fact im using mac now doesn't change the fact that apple's windows apps are system resource hungry bundle monsters. :) if you have any questions about apple's reputation on their windows apps, goto www.neowin.net and post a poll..
 
Thomas2006 said:
NBC is just being greedy. NBC wants to charge more by packaging a TV show with a movie, but why should I pay more for a movie because a TV episode is bundled with it? If I want an episode of 'The Office' then I will download the episode I want, and if I want 'The 40 Year Old Virgin' then I will buy the movie. That is what makes iTunes so nice, you buy what you want.
Click to expand...

That is just a pretext for NBC to explain why they had to leave iTMS. It's NOT the real reason. As said by another poster, its about power. This is just a executive style pissing match. I'm betting NBC is going to end up short.
 
Well, I am a huge Apple supporter in everything BUT their policies in how they deal with content suppliers. Increasingly Apple acts in an arrogant manner which tells people in a very narrow fashion how the music or movies will be sold.

So, the end result is that Universal Music, and now NBC, are willing to part ways from Apple in order to push the issue.

Apple here is the one who needs to be responsive to the creative companies who supply the wonderful content we enjoy on our computers, Ipods, Iphones and Apple TV's.

How can Apple improve? Allow the content owners to set Suggested retail pricing, and have it be variable. Much content wouldn't change in price, but some would. So, instead of being $1.99 for every tv episode, companies could set it to $2.50 or $3.00 or $3.50 for a two hour episode.

Apple has been strong arming music companies and this is why there is a limited amount of movies available. So.... Apple is the one here who needs to change. it really is the content companies who are protecting their best interests because Apple wont.
 
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