Posts Tagged ‘ nbc ’
The events reach full circle with NBC returning to the iTunes store. Consumers win, everybody wins!
It doesn’t make any sense for any owner of a product to limit the sale to just a few stores with not that many customers. It was only inevitable that they return to the Apple store.
Now everybody is happy.
Months after NBC bailed out of iTunes they start selling their content on the Zune marketplace for also $1.99. But the difference they say is that NBC was given more options regarding their pricing.
Good for them they finally found a place that will sell their content. Now who’s going to buy it?
Well all I can say is. “I told you so.”
It is inevitable for media companies not to support iTunes or any other content distributor if they are bothered by the massive market share of iTunes. I’d prefer it that all content providers just sell their stuff everywhere and there are formats available for almost every major device. Then that would make all the difference.
NBC’s Zucker hints at return to iTunes? – Engadget
It hasn’t even been six months it’s been reported that NBC “may” return to iTunes. Things look bleak in Hollywood lately, the writers are on strike, that means no new shows or even movies this season so this news brings some small comfort to consumers. Could their shows have been torrented more when they left? Or was it the record earning announcement? In any case, I do hope that they resolve this soon.
Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I’ve been neglecting my regular posts here and I know I have to post on a lot of things.
A cut of anyone’s hardware sales is ridiculous and I can probably guess how Apple reacted when they heard that from NBC Universal. Just because that Microsoft and Zune said yes to the $1 “tax” doesn’t mean that the rest of the industry will follow suit. Why don’t they do the same on the content they “rent” on the Xbox Marketplace since Microsoft recently announced that fir the first time, their gaming unit is finally earning some money. Plus the reasoning that the reason for the “tax” is because people bought the iPod so they can but their shows off the iTunes store. But take note, their shows are only sold in the USA and not in the rest of the world. Don’t tell me they also wanted a cut of the iPod sales in Japan??
Then if they weren’t getting enough money off iTunes, then sell it everywhere. Why alienate the Mac users whose only way of getting legal downloads of their shows that would play on they iPods? There is a lot of potential and a lot of places where they can sell their content. I prefer to sell everywhere than nowhere. It’s not as if it costs them a lot more to sell or convert in other drm filled formats.
So where does this bring NBC Universal, one word, HULU!!
Who what? Apparently NBC has also pulled all their content off You Tube and placed it into their own ad filled video site called HULU! Currently in private beta (which means most of us cannot get into), it promises many things (other than having a “creative” name). But it still remains to be seen if NBC decisions will either separate them from Apple (as they have vowed to do) or will they come running back.
NBC to offer free “NBC Direct” download service, iTunes competitor – Engadget
NBC counters iTunes in this round by offering their shows for free via their website which should eventually lead to a paid service in the future.
What part does NBC doesn’t understand? TV is inherently free. The said “free” shows are only viewable on your PC and only have a license for 5 days. These cannot be transferred to your portable device and is only compatible with PCs.
NBC joins other networks such as CBS and ABC who also put their shows online. But unlike ABC, it is not mac compatible. All have ads on their website in order for them to show it for free. NBC promises that a paid service will be available (other than their deal with Amazon Unbox).
Sure NBC can charge and bundle whatever they want on their website but one thing remains. It still wont play on my iPod. That is what matters to me. The consumer. My needs. If it doesn’t satisfy my need. Why should I even pay for it? Are they deliberately ignoring the millions of iPod users and mac users with this move? Why don’t they get it that I’ll just TiVO the show, or join others that live on torrents.
We’ll see where this goes.
Showing us that it’s not all about Hulu, NBC inks a download deal with Amazon just days after the public spat between Apple and NBC. What’s Unbox got that Apple doesn’t? Flexible pricing and less “flexible” DRM.Now there must be something wrong with this picture. Why would I want to buy my videos from Unbox? Sure I love their “other” business which is selling tangible products such as books and CD’s. But their digital endeavor is somewhat “restrictive” in my opinion. I don’t mind that I can play my content only on two computers but the main fact is that I cannot play any of it on my mac or in my ipod is absolutely unacceptable.NBC isn’t charging more for their shows on Amazon (although they must be getting a bigger cut) they apparently prefer it because there’s “more DRM” than Apple. I must admit it’s still a flaky argument in their leaving the iTunes store.Most digital providers out there (other than iTunes) do not work on macs let alone the ipod. iPods account for more than 70% of the digital handheld market. The whole thing still doesn’t make sense to me.It must be frustrating to be in the movie studio/ music label industry right now that the very business model that they’ve been hanging on to since forever was turned upside down by the internet and digital conversion. And now one of the easiest ways to merge the two together was thought out by the Apple brains in Cupertino and not by them. Originally thought that it would fail they agreed to put their content on and now over 2 billion songs later, it’s not much of a struggle as it was five years ago when anarchy ensued in the digital market. If things stay the way they are now the same environment five years ago will come back much stronger.And why are we still paying for television? Why are we even having this argument? Fire up the TiVOs everyone!
“NBC Universal, unable to come to an agreement with Apple on pricing, has decided not to renew its contract to sell digital downloads of television shows on iTunes.”Media giants have new brilliant plan for making more money from their content: by pulling them off the most popular online music + video store.That is just so sad. For NBC-Universal that is.First it was their music and now it’s their TV shows. But then the public goes, so what? Music yes, I can understand why we have to pay for music. But paying for something that is “technically” free?? At first I was a bit skeptical of Apple’s strategy in selling TV shows through its iTunes store. I mean seriously, who would want to pay per episode of TV shows?? Apparently many people like to watch the episodes over and over again the night after it was aired. We just couldn’t wait till the end of the season to get our DVD boxed sets. We had to get the show now!! But even at the current rate of $1.99 an episode, an entire 24 episode season would set you back $48 and the DVD would only cost around $35. By jacking up the prices to $4.99, a whole season would cost over a hundred dollars. Ridiculous. And TV was supposed to be free. NBC/ Universal is trying to alienate the very users who saved some of their shows from cancellation. Their attitude towards music is spreading through their video distribution and it’s pretty obvious that the music industry is doomed to fail if they don’t embrace the digital technology of today. Just as music was stolen, NBC/ Universal better understand that that content was aired free to begin with. And viewing episodes online on their website doesn’t help their case either.
And so it begins. Universal Music Group exec Doug Morris told the Reuters Media Summit that his company is interested in receiving a cut of the profits from each iPod sold.
I know it’s been a really long while since I blogged so here it goes. No content maker should charge the very medium of it’s products for a “cut” of the profits. I mean Why???
Do movie studios get a cut off each DVD player or TV sold? Do TV networks get a cut off each TV or VCR sold? This is ridiculous. The “tax” is based on the assumption that every iPod or portable media device is purchased for the sole purpose of pirating music. Microsoft seems to admit to that fact since they started the whole thing of giving Universal Music a cut off each Zune sold. Doesn’t that also imply that everyone who buys their products will pirate music. I would feel insulted that people already imply that I pirate music. Wait a minute, it’s not even implied, not even suggested, it’s a given fact. You can have your Zune. And your “cut”. I’m not going to be insulted by greedy music companies who don’t know what change is.
That is a sad thing. Where the music industry has gone. It’s one thing to go after pirates. It’s another to start taxing a product that has reinvigorated the entire music industry. I mean, where were they? I ditched my cassete tape since the quality was lousy. I went to CDs but the thing skipped when I played it in the car or when I go walking. The only place where I could listen to my music was at home or in my computer. Then the iPod came along. Now I carry all my tunes in my iPod and more. I am more inclined to buy albums online than in retail stores since it’s too far and the computer is right there.
Say no to this “tax”. Go ahead and pull out of the iTunes Store. Let’s see who’ll buy your music now. Probably pirates.
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Procrastinating in the Heat 