Do you think Apple just might be trying to bluff oh should I even say it what the heck APPLE. I know I know blasphemous, but please give it a break.
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NBC to End iTunes Sales?
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Do you think Apple just might be trying to bluff oh should I even say it what the heck APPLE. I know I know blasphemous, but please give it a break.
Yes, I'm sure NBC, which spends $illions creating media content, doesn't understand copyright laws. No doubt they will appreciate being able to come here and get some free legal advice from "macrumors newbie."
I can somewhat understand NBC wanting more money, but I don't get the 'better DRM' demands they are requesting. You can't burn any iTunes video to DVD, or convert into another format.
On that note, I can't wait to see this new joint venture. More than likely, streaming Flash or Windows Media to your laptop.
Not interested.
On that note, I can't wait to see this new joint venture. More than likely, streaming Flash or Windows Media to your laptop.
Not interested.
I didn't say iPod was just a music player. I said that the point of iTunes, from the perspective of Apple's bottom line, is to drive iPod sales. There is a store in iTunes so you can quickly, conveniently, cheaply add content to your -- wait for it -- iPod.
Very true. A number of people are (were?) planning to pick up those new widescreen iPods announced next week to watch widescreen shows like "Heroes" and such in their proper aspect ratio.
I imagine the studios are not happy that folks can now buy just the one or two tracks they want from a CD for $2 instead of being forced to get the whole thing for $12. So wanting to bundle "unpopular" shows with "popular" ones for 3x or 4x the price helps recover the costs of producing those "unpopular" shows.
Because Apple needs inexpensive content to drive sales of expensive content players. If an iPod 80GB was $35 instead of $350, folks might not mind paying $3 a song or $6 a tv show to put on it.
And while many of us here are technically savvy and bittorrenting the file and converting it to H.264 is a snap, for a great deal of iPod users, that is not the case. Not having that content available on iTunes means it's not available, period.
And that is bad both for the content owners and Apple.
NOO I WANT HEREOS again. This seriously would keep me from purchasing an 
tv. POOR FORM Both parties.
tv. POOR FORM Both parties.Big media wants to control big media
This sucks and I think NBC is making a big mistake... However, the reality of it is that the Flash plugin can handle H.264, it will be easier and cheaper, for big media to setup there own download system and I am guessing that is the direction NBC is looking at going.
aka... they probably want to put ads on it and still charge $1.99 an episode...
its a content control issue...
This sucks and I think NBC is making a big mistake... However, the reality of it is that the Flash plugin can handle H.264, it will be easier and cheaper, for big media to setup there own download system and I am guessing that is the direction NBC is looking at going.
aka... they probably want to put ads on it and still charge $1.99 an episode...
its a content control issue...
Nope, it's too early to say. If anything, at this point the whole computer/TV thing is a dud. I'd be worried if there was another similar product grabbing that market instead of appleTV - is there one?
I don't get your point. What is A, the cost of someone downloading the show?
It's more like this:
A ($1.99 on iTunes) - B (Apple's cut) = $
D (advertisement revenue) plus zero if it's free on the NBC website = $
We don't know which is bigger, but I doubt its D, even after apple gets a share.
1 It doesn't get you cable shows (I don't have cable and don't want it)
2 If you miss an episode for whatever reason, you can't get it afterwards
3 You still have to skip commercials or edit them out
NBC is already last in network ratings, what next, close up shop???
My proposed Apple response...
NBC, don't let the digital door hit you in the ass.
HAha!
PS: This has nothing to do with NBC or iTunes by the way, it has to do with Universal Music's push to change Apple & iTunes policies, i.e., more expensive then 99 cent downloads and higher album prices. They can go F themselves as far as I'm concerned.
Let the ZUNE people download their sh$t, all 2 of them.
My proposed Apple response...
NBC, don't let the digital door hit you in the ass.
HAha!
PS: This has nothing to do with NBC or iTunes by the way, it has to do with Universal Music's push to change Apple & iTunes policies, i.e., more expensive then 99 cent downloads and higher album prices. They can go F themselves as far as I'm concerned.
Let the ZUNE people download their sh$t, all 2 of them.
They want to make enough money for it to be worth it, but more specifically they want to have a good source of content for iPod/etc. buyers (now iPhone, AppleTV, Mac, etc.). Their goal is to sell more iPods, iPhones, Macs, AppleTV's, etc. etc.
Did the iTV end up selling more than 2 units this quarter?
Time to dump that heap of resources at Apple. What a bad joke that whole thing was from the beginning. OK Steve, you got us! A couple desperate Mac fans bought into your gimmick - you won your bet with Phil, it's safe to tell the world now that the iTV was only a joke to throw off the competition. Really, the sooner the better would be good so you can finally focus on your core customers with your real products.
I know Steve, you didn't plan on anyone actually buying one. But I promise, you'll only embarrass about 17 people that bought it. Don't worry, they'll just laugh it off. I mean, it wasn't a total waste of hundreds of dollars - obviously they were in on the joke too. I think you might have actually convinced a couple people that it did something, boy oh boy I wish I'd had seen their faces the first time they plugged it in. Wow, that must have been a real tickler. So anyways, it's been fun but really I think it's time to get back to your real work now. Thanks for the laughs!
I would assume you have never used an Apple TV. I own one and love it. Hey and guess what! I have never purchassed a movie or a TV show from iTunes. I use it for much more. In case you didn't know it does actually stream music from your computer to your tv and videos and youtube content. Everytime a friend comes over(most are not Apple fans) they love it and want one for the youtube alone. So I doubt it will be discontinued. Maybe upgraded but not discontinued.
The following is copied from the linked New York Times article:
NBC Universal and other companies say they want to increase prices by packaging content say an episode of The Office with the movie The 40- Year-Old Virgin, because they both star the comedian Steve Carell.
I do not know if this is what NBC wants to do or if the writer was giving and example of what she believes bundling could mean. When I read bundling in the summary I immediately thought previews at the beginning, commercials interrupting the show, or worse, popup content.
Interesting that NBC decided to do this. I mean, sure they can take their content and go. But, at least Apple was delivering "paying" customers with iTunes. I'm guessing many people will now turn to "free" alternatives rather than iTunes. So NBC basically just cut off a steady stream of revenue that would have just increased over time.
That being said, if they can deliver HD content on their own, easily and reasonably priced, they could still capture a decent audience. We all know how networks "get it" right? That just ain't gonna happen.
NBC will lose money on this decision.
That being said, if they can deliver HD content on their own, easily and reasonably priced, they could still capture a decent audience. We all know how networks "get it" right?
That just ain't gonna happen. NBC will lose money on this decision.
I never got into the whole video buying through iTunes thing, but reducing the already semi-limited field will not help anything. This hurts Apple moreso than NBC the way i see it, but it really isn't a good outcome for anyone The iTMS provides a perfect outlet for sales since it is already built within the infrastructure that most people are currently using anyway, so I don't see people going out of their way to download NBC shows from say a proprietary store. How NBC thinks this will help them, i don't know...
The iTMS provides a perfect outlet for sales since it is already built within the infrastructure that most people are currently using anyway, so I don't see people going out of their way to download NBC shows from say a proprietary store. How NBC thinks this will help them, i don't know...
rant alert
it took me 12 seconds to type "black donnellys" into my google search window and see results showing it WAS NBC.
Might i suggest you sign on to the internet age and do equally compelling research before posting what might have been an irrelevancy? I'm sure you're a good guy/gal (notice i didn't say "speaking of jerks..." in this post) but i do find annoying posts that are willing to take up hundreds of readers' time with a comment that might or might not be meaningful because the poster doesn't have the time to check something that's almost as fast and easy as looking at the reminder to "buy more tp" penned onto the back of his/her hand. Your post made a decent point, but knowing the premise might have been flawed, it had all the interest of someone saying, "well, i don't know if gravity works this way, but if it does, then I feel real strongly that...."
(Posted in the spirit of keeping the next person from wasting forum space by acting without thinking and acting...)
the grinch
Wasn't NBC the jerks who pulled the black donnellys from the air even though it was like one of the best shows on that season? ...if its not... then please ignore this post.
it took me 12 seconds to type "black donnellys" into my google search window and see results showing it WAS NBC.
Might i suggest you sign on to the internet age and do equally compelling research before posting what might have been an irrelevancy? I'm sure you're a good guy/gal (notice i didn't say "speaking of jerks..." in this post)
but i do find annoying posts that are willing to take up hundreds of readers' time with a comment that might or might not be meaningful because the poster doesn't have the time to check something that's almost as fast and easy as looking at the reminder to "buy more tp" penned onto the back of his/her hand. Your post made a decent point, but knowing the premise might have been flawed, it had all the interest of someone saying, "well, i don't know if gravity works this way, but if it does, then I feel real strongly that...."(Posted in the spirit of keeping the next person from wasting forum space by acting without thinking and acting...)
the grinch
My sentiments exactly, except about Heroes. Either I get it off iTunes, or I get it another way - and no, I'm not talking about broadcast/cable TV.
I have just spent the last 30 minutes browsing various websites and it is very interesting how many TV shows are now available for free viewing over the web. Previously I was complaining about not being able to see Office, Heroes and Eureka if NBC leaves iTunes; but all three are available for free viewing I found out. All three major websites do have most of their most popular shows free for viewing. Of course they have commercials, but I guess what do you want for free. Also, you can get reruns of old classics on AOL In2TV and also the LiveTelevision website. Maybe NBC realized that perhaps they could make more money by making the shows free and include ads rather than selling them for 99 cents each over iTunes. Anyway, this move, will effect when/if I purchase a widescreen iPod. It really depends upon what other features are on the iPod to justify spending the money when I have a perfectly good 5.5G model. We'll see what's announced Wednesday.
While bundling might help studios recover the cost of "unpopular" shows it is unfair to stick customers with that cost. If we do not want the shows why should we have to buy (bundled content) or pay (higher prices) for them?
Yeah, the first that came to my mind when I saw that rumor was "NBC Universal"...
The only way I can see the iTV ever working or being worth anything at all is, if they can setup a subscription service similar to cable. If you don't want it, don't buy it. But since they aren't going to go the DVR route, the iTV is an all-around looser for about 99.9% of the population. If they had a subscription option [hence OPTION], I'd probably be on board. Drop my normal cable subscription and get the couple extra bonus features in the iTV.
But paying for a single TV show is really, really, really pointless and horribly expensive for anyone that watches more than a couple shows per week. This subscription topic has been discussed many times on here before. Apple probably won't ever cave in and do what would be the best option, if not solely for the fact that they have previously mentioned that subscription services are "not what the consumer wants". Well, I do, and I'm not buying their product.
I can guarantee you, 101% that the iTV will never take off if it stays as-is. With a pay-per-show model. Sorry, the "I want to own it" model for music doesn't overlap into the TV area. For the ever so small few that want to own a TV episode for some odd reason, there's always the option to buy it --- I'm not saying for Apple to remove that option. But to add an ongoing entirely new revenue stream ---> "iTunes Cable" or the like, that would be a totally new market and moneymaker for them. The big cable companies are going to go that route, but they have much to loose and it will take them years to get going. Apple is in the position right this moment to change all of that entirely and be the innovative leader in this arena. They'd earn subscription fees and product sales fees, it'd be a win-win situation for them.
A few years ago, the argument could've been made that they wouldn't have wanted to get into such an "unrelated field". These days, they have their hands all over the map in all kinds of odd industries. So yes, I see this as a natural extension to the iTunes store [heck, things aren't looking so positive for it lately anyways, they need a change, and soon]. But if they let the major cable providers get their feet in and do it first, they almost certainly don't stand a chance. Not an easy feat by any means, but doable by Apple --- yes definitely. Will they? Probably not.