iTunes movies come to Japan, US TV networks blocking Google TV

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Apple announced Thursday that movies are now available on the iTunes Store in Japan, while the major TV networks in the U.S. have blocked Google TV from playing content from their websites through the Chrome browser.



iTunes Japan



The news of iTunes movies coming to Japan came on the same week that Apple released the new streaming Apple TV in the country. With over 1,000 movies to rent or buy from major international and top Japanese studios, including Asmik Ace Entertainment Inc., Fuji TV, Kadakowa Pictures, Nikkatsu, Shochiku Company Limited and Toei Company Limited, early adopters of the Apple TV in Japan will have plenty of content to watch.



"iTunes HD movie purchases in Japan start at ¥2,000 for catalog titles and recent releases and ¥2,500 for new releases, and SD versions are priced at ¥1,000 for catalog titles, ¥1,500 for recent releases and ¥2,000 for new releases. iTunes HD Movie Rentals start at ¥300 for library title rentals and ¥500 for new releases, and SD versions start at ¥200 for library title rentals and ¥400 for new releases," wrote Apple in the press release.



Apple appears to be increasing its efforts to reach Japan, as it also announced this week that it will partner with The Dentsu Group to launch the iAd service in the country. The first iAds will arrive in early 2011, with Dentsu responsible for selling and creative execution of the ads, while Apple will host, target, and deliver the ads to its users.



According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, the Tokyo-based MM Research Institute claims iPhone sales of 1.7 million resulted in Apple commanding a 72 percent share of the Japanese smartphone market for the March 31 fiscal year. Smartphone competition looks to be heating up, however, as Softbank, Japan's sole official distributor for the iPhone, announced last week it will begin carrying 7 new Android smartphones alongside the iPhone.



Google TV



Every major U.S. TV network site has blocked Google TV's Chrome browser, various sources report. Fox recently joined the likes of ABC, CBS, and NBC in refusing to serve up full-length streaming episodes of television shows to Google TV set-top boxes.



Google TV has been billed as a better-featured alternative to Apple TV because it can access the "full internet," but the Android-based platform could lose its competitive edge if the major networks continue to block it from playing their content.







Google has faced resistance from the studios for some time. According to an earlier Reuters report, Google has been "actively negotiating" with the television networks to gain access, but the networks remain wary.



"Everybody knows the lock that Google has on Internet traffic in terms of advertising. If you take that model and you extend it to television, suddenly Google's power becomes enormous in the advertising space and the broadcasters don't like that idea," said Gartner analyst Van Baker.



For its part, Apple is betting on a 99-cent TV show rental model through its redesigned cloud-centric $99 Apple TV. The device forgoes high-capacity storage in favor of streaming content from iOS devices, Macs or PCs, and the internet.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 72
    Wait, they haven't had video until just NOW?! Utter insanity.



    And ~20-25 bucks for HD? Mind: boggled.



    Also, first official Apple TV app: Sad Violin for Google TV.
  • Reply 2 of 72
    ivladivlad Posts: 742member
    little bit of "fail" for google tv, how did they really think it would work for free with all that content? Google needs to work much harder than that.
  • Reply 3 of 72
    Well if many of the networks think that Apple's $0.99 model is too cheap, it's really no surprise that they'd have a thing or two against people playing shows on their TV for completely free.
  • Reply 4 of 72
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    So it's no "No soup for you!" for Google TV.
  • Reply 5 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


    So it's no "No soup for you!" for Google TV.



    lulz.
  • Reply 6 of 72
    Reality TV time for Google.
  • Reply 7 of 72
    chris_cachris_ca Posts: 2,543member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Wait, they haven't had video until just NOW?!



    Yes, they have had videos. They have not had movies.
  • Reply 8 of 72
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member
    you mean the TV networks don't want to see Google suck them dry of ads and pay nothing for their content, like it's done to the newspapers? gosh. but isn't Google so cool and hip? like vampires are these days.
  • Reply 9 of 72
    Movies in Japan! FINALLY!!!



    Not the largest selection, yet, but boy have we been waiting for this. All the Star Trek movies are up, so the Trekkie typing this is very happy.



    SADLY, some movies, such as Up!, are only available as dubbed versions, which really, really, really, really sucks. Please, Steve, you own a large portion of Disney stock... you could have worked something out...



    Still, we had nothing yesterday, so I guess I'm pretty happy overall.
  • Reply 10 of 72
    We'll have to wait to see how it plays out, but it sounds like Google may have just made some powerful enemies in the industry they want to piggyback on for free. This may prove to be a strategic goof of epic proportions. I wonder if Google went to any of them in advance of GoogleTV and explained what they were doing and tried to work out deals?
  • Reply 11 of 72
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by inkswamp View Post


    We'll have to wait to see how it plays out, but it sounds like Google may have just made some powerful enemies in the industry they want to piggyback on for free. This may prove to be a strategic goof of epic proportions. I wonder if Google went to any of them in advance of GoogleTV and explained what they were doing and tried to work out deals?



    There is big money in TV distribution deals. I can't imagine the networks agreeing to let Google just leach off them (like they do everywhere else) and suck all the value out of the economics for themselves.
  • Reply 12 of 72
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bergermeister View Post


    Movies in Japan! FINALLY!!!



    Not the largest selection, yet, but boy

    SADLY, some movies, such as Up!, are only available as dubbed versions, which really, really, really, really sucks. Please, Steve, you own a large portion of Disney stock... you could have worked something



    UP really sucks in the original English. The plot has so many problems as well as some very controversial social commentary and agenda. Definitely not a children's film.
  • Reply 13 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    UP really sucks in the original English. The plot has so many problems as well as some very controversial social commentary and agenda. Definitely not a children's film.



    Finally, Google has had its hand slapped from the cookie jar....
  • Reply 14 of 72
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by inkswamp View Post


    We'll have to wait to see how it plays out, but it sounds like Google may have just made some powerful enemies in the industry they want to piggyback on for free. This may prove to be a strategic goof of epic proportions. I wonder if Google went to any of them in advance of GoogleTV and explained what they were doing and tried to work out deals?



    Why do they need to work out a deal?! They are being accessed using a web browser just like on a computer except that it doesn't need a computer. Are they, the networks, going to start blocking users with large computer monitors from accessing their content?! I find this silly. It is either they allow every device that uses a web browser equal access to their content or they don't allow access at all.
  • Reply 15 of 72
    Maybe I'm missing something but how is (or was) Google leaching or sucking dry the ad revenue from the networks? I was under the impression that GoogleTV is basically just a web browser; the idea was you go to the networks' own websites (complete with their ads) to watch the content. Eg you navigate to fox.com to watch Fox shows and since it is fox.com, Fox gets the ad revenue. It isn't any different to me going to fox.com in Safari on my iMac.
  • Reply 16 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    Why do they need to work out a deal?! They are being accessed using a web browser just like on a computer except that it doesn't need a computer. Are they, the networks, going to start blocking users with large computer monitors from accessing their content?! I find this silly. It is either they allow every device that uses a web browser equal access to their content or they don't allow access at all.



    Exactly what I was going to say. This same BS happened to Boxee.



    Change the user id and they won't know the difference. It's also stupid that Youtube won't let certain videos play on the Wii browser either.



    Bunch of utter BS.



    Message to studios: This is the new wave of TV watching. Get used to it. Make the ads better, or whatever. This is not going to go away. Be happy some watch you officially rather than using bittorrent. Why not also innovate and release us from the arbitrary limit of time slots while you are at it. I hated stupid editing and bleep outs as well.
  • Reply 17 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    Why do they need to work out a deal?! They are being accessed using a web browser just like on a computer except that it doesn't need a computer. Are they, the networks, going to start blocking users with large computer monitors from accessing their content?! I find this silly. It is either they allow every device that uses a web browser equal access to their content or they don't allow access at all.



    If you are watching a TV Show from the web on TV, then you are not watching the TV show from network/cable. How much does a highly rated primetime TV show generate in review? Millions... Compare that to what networks generate off internet advertising from web distribution. That's laughable. Content available on the web is offered under the premise that it's not cannibalizing audience when it airs on TV.



    In addition, people might cut back on their cable packages for channels they subscribe to. Comcast et al lose out on distribution fees. That would lead to metered broadband at higher prices. Google's approach could destroy the economics of the TV industry dramatically decreasing the available content. Just look at how many newspapers and magazines have evaporated. I think Apple's proposition represents a fair middle ground.
  • Reply 18 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    UP really sucks in the original English. The plot has so many problems as well as some very controversial social commentary and agenda. Definitely not a children's film.



    Looks like someone forgot to take their meds today...
  • Reply 19 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Turley Muller View Post


    If you are watching a TV Show from the web on TV, then you are not watching the TV show from network/cable. How much does a highly rated primetime TV show generate in review? Millions... Compare that to what networks generate off internet advertising from web distribution. That's laughable. Content available on the web is offered under the premise that it's not cannibalizing audience when it airs on TV.



    In addition, people might cut back on their cable packages for channels they subscribe to. Comcast et al lose out on distribution fees. That would lead to metered broadband at higher prices. Google's approach could destroy the economics of the TV industry dramatically decreasing the available content. Just look at how many newspapers and magazines have evaporated. I think Apple's proposition represents a fair middle ground.



    Tough sh for them. Not our problem. Already been reported 500k cable subscribers were lost and did not show up on sat or anything else.
  • Reply 20 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Turley Muller View Post


    If you are watching a TV Show from the web on TV, then you are not watching the TV show from network/cable. How much does a highly rated primetime TV show generate in review? Millions... Compare that to what networks generate off internet advertising from web distribution. That's laughable. Content available on the web is offered under the premise that it's not cannibalizing audience when it airs on TV.



    Then why do networks provide TV on their websites if they don't want people to watch it?
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