Well... it doesn't matter how complex the whole thing is. The European distributors and studios must have noticed that the iTunes movie distribution model works, they want to be in. Let's hope they've come a long way and that we'll se it within this year.
One thing has nothing to do with the other. But if you want to discuss it, ok.
All companies solidify their home market first. It costs far more to enter foreign markets. There are far more regulations offshore for Apple to deal with than here. You probably don't remember the problems Disney had with Euro Disney. It almost destroyed the project from the beginning, and added hundreds of millions to the cost.
Opening stores outside of the US is risky. Apple also takes its time opening stores here, though they open far more of them. But they are coming.
People also complained about the iTunes music store. But, it got there.
You don't think that Jobs would like to snap his fingers and 500 stores around the world would magically open? Or that the iTunes store would be suddenly selling every bit of content available, everywhere?
Lord forgive their melodramatic ways. Apple opened their first store in the US in 2001, and still to this day England is the only country in Europe with Apple stores. Give me a break.
I am guessing it has to do with getting approval from everyone involved in the distribution of the content. For example sci-fi network pays for Stargate sg1 and airs it in the us but it is aired in the Uk on a totally different network. I assume that they would need the approval of Sky before they could but the shows for sale on Itunes in the Uk.
Yes, whoever owns the rights to the show in the UK can decide what they do with them. Increasingly worldwide, the cable rights and the FTA rights are sold separately - eventually IPTV purchases or IPTV rental will be separate too I guess.
Hopefully we'll hit a worldwide model - where if Scifi (for example) makes a new show it just keeps the worldwide IPTV rights to the show, and then sells the rights to cable and FTA in other countries.
*Note... MGM makes Stargate right? Scifi distributes it. Thus we get the situation where scifi thinks stargate sg1 costs them too much and put it in timeslots that drop the ratings, and MGM decides its not making enough and drops the show (MGM is contractually stuck - it can't take SG1 to another network).
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell
Within the US content creation and distribution is often handled by the same company. While around the world content creation and distribution are extremely fractured.
Within Europe several different companies can distribute the same movie or television show. The content creator, the distributor, and Apple have to come to some complex agreements.
Within the US it may often be handled by the same company, but it's often not too. I haven't followed this in a while - but I remember being surprised that Fox made Buffy but it showed on WB - then when WB no longer wanted Buffy (and it was rating brilliantly) Fox didn't take it onto their network, but rather sold it on to UPN.
I don't think it's more complicated for Apple to make arrangements in other countries - it was (is) VERY difficult in the US as well, but they wanted to jump through the hoops and did. That focus just isn't overseas. In Australia we now have the music store, but we still can't print out photo albums - and that's NOT that hard to negotiate.
Lord forgive their melodramatic ways. Apple opened their first store in the US in 2001, and still to this day England is the only country in Europe with Apple stores. Give me a break.
[QUOTE=GregAlexander;1041517*Note... MGM makes Stargate right? Scifi distributes it. Thus we get the situation where scifi thinks stargate sg1 costs them too much and put it in timeslots that drop the ratings, and MGM decides its not making enough and drops the show (MGM is contractually stuck - it can't take SG1 to another network).[/quote]
It would be upto SiFi to drop the show. If ratings aren't high enough, they will want to replace it.
Quote:
Within the US it may often be handled by the same company, but it's often not too. I haven't followed this in a while - but I remember being surprised that Fox made Buffy but it showed on WB - then when WB no longer wanted Buffy (and it was rating brilliantly) Fox didn't take it onto their network, but rather sold it on to UPN.
Most production companies these days make shows for whomever will buy them. disney is one of the largest producer of shows for other netwoeks.
Quote:
I don't think it's more complicated for Apple to make arrangements in other countries - it was (is) VERY difficult in the US as well, but they wanted to jump through the hoops and did. That focus just isn't overseas. In Australia we now have the music store, but we still can't print out photo albums - and that's NOT that hard to negotiate.
It is more complicated because there are so many of them. It takes just as much effort to arrange to have shows in australia as it does in the US. But there are 300 million people in the US, and how many in Australia? 30 million? Now, multiply that effort by 30, and come up with the costs to get the licenses, divided by the number of contents sold per capita. The costs are much higher.
i just wish we could get the films in high def, with a 5.1 soundtrack.. as of now, there's little advantage to buying movies from the itunes store, other than for ipod viewing.
i just wish we could get the films in high def, with a 5.1 soundtrack.. as of now, there's little advantage to buying movies from the itunes store, other than for ipod viewing.
One step at a time, I believe that's a coming, maybe this year.
I am guessing it has to do with getting approval from everyone involved in the distribution of the content. For example sci-fi network pays for Stargate sg1 and airs it in the us but it is aired in the Uk on a totally different network. I assume that they would need the approval of Sky before they could but the shows for sale on Itunes in the Uk.
In Australia we know get a "version" of Sci-Fi channel (full branding, etc..) but it shows delayed material compared to the US. This is only on CableTV (Foxtel, the only major mainstream pay TV available in Australia).
Other than that, we depend on free-to-air, particularly Channels 7,9, and 10. Channel ABC and SBS, those are pretty much lost causes ... Though SBS is innovative and "arty", for example yonks ago they used to show Aeon Flux, not the CharlizeTheron one, the original animated MTV version.
Channel 7 here has ponied up the big bucks to start of Heroes Season 1, 24 Season 6, PrisonBreak Season2, and starting loff Lost Season3. So just about 6-15 episodes behind the US, which is actually pretty damn good for Australian TV, particularly the "3rd ranking" Channel 7 - Channel 10 and 9 being 1st and 2nd ranked, in terms of viewership/ popularity, etc.
Sports is an interesting situation, Foxtel (CableTV) in Australia carries a ton of great international Live stuff. Like English Premier League, NFL SuperBowl, NBA, USPGA Golf, EuroPGA Golf, GrandSlam Tennis..... Interesting how they realise sports broadcasts only "sell" when it is Live or very close to being Live.
The distributors need to wake the FRACK up and realise it is starting to be this way for episodic TV Shows globally as well.
Ireland, you've been in enough discussions about this to know that it has little to do with what Apple wants to do.
It's all a matter of the broken licensing system, particularly outside of the US. At least here, we are a very large market, with one licensing system. Outside the US, Apple has to deal with dozens. Even in the so called "EU", there are many different systems to deal with. Many of those systems are much more restrictive in what they want. Apple has to negotiate with each one of them.
I kinda agree with you Mel, it's just voicing frustration that there is this great digital catalog there that is affordable, that saves us "Non-USA-ians" time rummaging through the local DVD retail/rental places... And also saves us pirating or desperately (pun intended - you know which show I'm talking about) waiting for shows that have long aired in the US already.
But you are right, Apple can't just dropship to other countries from 50,000 feet. In any case they have a big task on their hands with regard to localised distribution of iPhone 2nd half 2007 through to 2009.
In any case, even getting music, TV show, and movie content for US-alone has been a long process, so Apple, I strongly suggest they be as aggressive as possible, and I strongly suggest the media content owners and distributors to get their head out of their arses and smell the profits lost to BitTorrent.
I haven't followed this in a while - but I remember being surprised that Fox made Buffy but it showed on WB - then when WB no longer wanted Buffy (and it was rating brilliantly) Fox didn't take it onto their network, but rather sold it on to UPN.
Fox is the production company but the WB directly paid for Buffy's production costs. The WB also participated in profit made from Buffy.
The story as I remember it is that UPN really wanted Buffy to boost the networks ratings. Buffy's contract with the WB was and UPN was willing to pay the show more than WB was willing.
w000t!! Arnie stuff!!! 8) ... and "Rambo"... heh. Didn't know LionsGate was carrying those, for an "Indie" film distributor.
But it has to do with Carolco as the original producer and going bankrupt.
Carolco holds the rights to the original "StarGate" - that was cool, the original movie series before the endless endless endless TV series of SG1 and SG1:Atlantis........ And when the Gau'ld voice had still some intrigue/fear cachet.
Look forward to Terminator2, TotalRecall, Stargate. Some classic SciFi.
With regards to Melgross and Ireland, without saying or supporting one way or another, check out this Wikipedia entry and the fracking MESS international film (not to mention TV) media distribution is in.
"The assets of Carolco were later sold off to other companies, most already sold during Carolco's existence. Today, the ancillary rights to a majority of Carolco's library are held by French production company StudioCanal, while CBS Paramount Television holds the television rights, and Lions Gate continues to hold the US/Canadian home video rights (via a new output deal with StudioCanal), while the international home video rights are held by a different company for each country?for example, the UK rights are with Momentum Pictures (a subsidiary of Alliance Atlantis), and the Australian rights rest with Universal Studios. The only Carolco films not included in the deal are Cliffhanger, Aces: Iron Eagle III, Last of the Dogmen, and Showgirls; the rights to these have been retained by their original theatrical distributors (TriStar Pictures, New Line Cinema, Savoy Pictures/HBO, and United Artists, respectively)."
Mmm... So for Terminator 2, let's see, there's like at least 5 companies to deal with. For about 3-5 countries. Fun.
Mmm... I bet the people working at Apple iTunes Store, I think that's where the friggin new Apple buildings are going to hold -- all the people trying to sort out these deals with all this variety of companies.
I kinda agree with you Mel, it's just voicing frustration that there is this great digital catalog there that is affordable, that saves us "Non-USA-ians" time rummaging through the local DVD retail/rental places... And also saves us pirating or desperately (pun intended - you know which show I'm talking about) waiting for shows that have long aired in the US already.
But you are right, Apple can't just dropship to other countries from 50,000 feet. In any case they have a big task on their hands with regard to localised distribution of iPhone 2nd half 2007 through to 2009.
In any case, even getting music, TV show, and movie content for US-alone has been a long process, so Apple, I strongly suggest they be as aggressive as possible, and I strongly suggest the media content owners and distributors to get their head out of their arses and smell the profits lost to BitTorrent.
I want to watch Top Gear in the Us but unfortunately The Discovery channel decided to stop showing the U.k. version and make their own. I know Clarkson hates Americans but I still miss the big dope.
I want to watch Top Gear in the Us but unfortunately The Discovery channel decided to stop showing the U.k. version and make their own. I know Clarkson hates Americans but I still miss the big dope.
Twenty-nine words including this sentence I'm writing to say what could have been said in only one word If I hadn't decided to include this sentence in the post: Torrents.
and how many in Australia? 30 million? Now, multiply that effort by 30, and come up with the costs to get the licenses, divided by the number of contents sold per capita. The costs are much higher.[/QUOTE]
There are only just 20 million of us now, past that make sometime last year.
Comments
Try and use that excuse for the Apple stores.
One thing has nothing to do with the other. But if you want to discuss it, ok.
All companies solidify their home market first. It costs far more to enter foreign markets. There are far more regulations offshore for Apple to deal with than here. You probably don't remember the problems Disney had with Euro Disney. It almost destroyed the project from the beginning, and added hundreds of millions to the cost.
Opening stores outside of the US is risky. Apple also takes its time opening stores here, though they open far more of them. But they are coming.
People also complained about the iTunes music store. But, it got there.
You don't think that Jobs would like to snap his fingers and 500 stores around the world would magically open? Or that the iTunes store would be suddenly selling every bit of content available, everywhere?
I see you modded your post.
I am guessing it has to do with getting approval from everyone involved in the distribution of the content. For example sci-fi network pays for Stargate sg1 and airs it in the us but it is aired in the Uk on a totally different network. I assume that they would need the approval of Sky before they could but the shows for sale on Itunes in the Uk.
Yes, whoever owns the rights to the show in the UK can decide what they do with them. Increasingly worldwide, the cable rights and the FTA rights are sold separately - eventually IPTV purchases or IPTV rental will be separate too I guess.
Hopefully we'll hit a worldwide model - where if Scifi (for example) makes a new show it just keeps the worldwide IPTV rights to the show, and then sells the rights to cable and FTA in other countries.
*Note... MGM makes Stargate right? Scifi distributes it. Thus we get the situation where scifi thinks stargate sg1 costs them too much and put it in timeslots that drop the ratings, and MGM decides its not making enough and drops the show (MGM is contractually stuck - it can't take SG1 to another network).
Within the US content creation and distribution is often handled by the same company. While around the world content creation and distribution are extremely fractured.
Within Europe several different companies can distribute the same movie or television show. The content creator, the distributor, and Apple have to come to some complex agreements.
Within the US it may often be handled by the same company, but it's often not too. I haven't followed this in a while - but I remember being surprised that Fox made Buffy but it showed on WB - then when WB no longer wanted Buffy (and it was rating brilliantly) Fox didn't take it onto their network, but rather sold it on to UPN.
I don't think it's more complicated for Apple to make arrangements in other countries - it was (is) VERY difficult in the US as well, but they wanted to jump through the hoops and did. That focus just isn't overseas. In Australia we now have the music store, but we still can't print out photo albums - and that's NOT that hard to negotiate.
Lord forgive their melodramatic ways. Apple opened their first store in the US in 2001, and still to this day England is the only country in Europe with Apple stores. Give me a break.
There are several opening this year.
It would be upto SiFi to drop the show. If ratings aren't high enough, they will want to replace it.
Within the US it may often be handled by the same company, but it's often not too. I haven't followed this in a while - but I remember being surprised that Fox made Buffy but it showed on WB - then when WB no longer wanted Buffy (and it was rating brilliantly) Fox didn't take it onto their network, but rather sold it on to UPN.
Most production companies these days make shows for whomever will buy them. disney is one of the largest producer of shows for other netwoeks.
I don't think it's more complicated for Apple to make arrangements in other countries - it was (is) VERY difficult in the US as well, but they wanted to jump through the hoops and did. That focus just isn't overseas. In Australia we now have the music store, but we still can't print out photo albums - and that's NOT that hard to negotiate.
It is more complicated because there are so many of them. It takes just as much effort to arrange to have shows in australia as it does in the US. But there are 300 million people in the US, and how many in Australia? 30 million? Now, multiply that effort by 30, and come up with the costs to get the licenses, divided by the number of contents sold per capita. The costs are much higher.
There are several opening this year.
About damn time too.
i just wish we could get the films in high def, with a 5.1 soundtrack.. as of now, there's little advantage to buying movies from the itunes store, other than for ipod viewing.
One step at a time, I believe that's a coming, maybe this year.
About damn time too.
I agree.
I am guessing it has to do with getting approval from everyone involved in the distribution of the content. For example sci-fi network pays for Stargate sg1 and airs it in the us but it is aired in the Uk on a totally different network. I assume that they would need the approval of Sky before they could but the shows for sale on Itunes in the Uk.
In Australia we know get a "version" of Sci-Fi channel (full branding, etc..) but it shows delayed material compared to the US. This is only on CableTV (Foxtel, the only major mainstream pay TV available in Australia).
Other than that, we depend on free-to-air, particularly Channels 7,9, and 10. Channel ABC and SBS, those are pretty much lost causes
Channel 7 here has ponied up the big bucks to start of Heroes Season 1, 24 Season 6, PrisonBreak Season2, and starting loff Lost Season3. So just about 6-15 episodes behind the US, which is actually pretty damn good for Australian TV, particularly the "3rd ranking" Channel 7 - Channel 10 and 9 being 1st and 2nd ranked, in terms of viewership/ popularity, etc.
The distributors need to wake the FRACK up and realise it is starting to be this way for episodic TV Shows globally as well.
Why do people keep saying this?
Ireland, you've been in enough discussions about this to know that it has little to do with what Apple wants to do.
It's all a matter of the broken licensing system, particularly outside of the US. At least here, we are a very large market, with one licensing system. Outside the US, Apple has to deal with dozens. Even in the so called "EU", there are many different systems to deal with. Many of those systems are much more restrictive in what they want. Apple has to negotiate with each one of them.
I kinda agree with you Mel, it's just voicing frustration that there is this great digital catalog there that is affordable, that saves us "Non-USA-ians" time rummaging through the local DVD retail/rental places... And also saves us pirating or desperately (pun intended - you know which show I'm talking about) waiting for shows that have long aired in the US already.
But you are right, Apple can't just dropship to other countries from 50,000 feet. In any case they have a big task on their hands with regard to localised distribution of iPhone 2nd half 2007 through to 2009.
In any case, even getting music, TV show, and movie content for US-alone has been a long process, so Apple, I strongly suggest they be as aggressive as possible, and I strongly suggest the media content owners and distributors to get their head out of their arses and smell the profits lost to BitTorrent.
I haven't followed this in a while - but I remember being surprised that Fox made Buffy but it showed on WB - then when WB no longer wanted Buffy (and it was rating brilliantly) Fox didn't take it onto their network, but rather sold it on to UPN.
Fox is the production company but the WB directly paid for Buffy's production costs. The WB also participated in profit made from Buffy.
The story as I remember it is that UPN really wanted Buffy to boost the networks ratings. Buffy's contract with the WB was and UPN was willing to pay the show more than WB was willing.
...such as "Terminator 2,"...."Total Recall"...
w000t!! Arnie stuff!!! 8)
But it has to do with Carolco as the original producer and going bankrupt.
Carolco holds the rights to the original "StarGate" - that was cool, the original movie series before the endless endless endless TV series of SG1 and SG1:Atlantis........ And when the Gau'ld voice had still some intrigue/fear cachet.
Look forward to Terminator2, TotalRecall, Stargate.
With regards to Melgross and Ireland, without saying or supporting one way or another, check out this Wikipedia entry and the fracking MESS international film (not to mention TV) media distribution is in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolco_Pictures
"The assets of Carolco were later sold off to other companies, most already sold during Carolco's existence. Today, the ancillary rights to a majority of Carolco's library are held by French production company StudioCanal, while CBS Paramount Television holds the television rights, and Lions Gate continues to hold the US/Canadian home video rights (via a new output deal with StudioCanal), while the international home video rights are held by a different company for each country?for example, the UK rights are with Momentum Pictures (a subsidiary of Alliance Atlantis), and the Australian rights rest with Universal Studios. The only Carolco films not included in the deal are Cliffhanger, Aces: Iron Eagle III, Last of the Dogmen, and Showgirls; the rights to these have been retained by their original theatrical distributors (TriStar Pictures, New Line Cinema, Savoy Pictures/HBO, and United Artists, respectively)."
Mmm... So for Terminator 2, let's see, there's like at least 5 companies to deal with. For about 3-5 countries. Fun.
Mmm... I bet the people working at Apple iTunes Store, I think that's where the friggin new Apple buildings are going to hold -- all the people trying to sort out these deals with all this variety of companies.
I kinda agree with you Mel, it's just voicing frustration that there is this great digital catalog there that is affordable, that saves us "Non-USA-ians" time rummaging through the local DVD retail/rental places... And also saves us pirating or desperately (pun intended - you know which show I'm talking about) waiting for shows that have long aired in the US already.
But you are right, Apple can't just dropship to other countries from 50,000 feet. In any case they have a big task on their hands with regard to localised distribution of iPhone 2nd half 2007 through to 2009.
In any case, even getting music, TV show, and movie content for US-alone has been a long process, so Apple, I strongly suggest they be as aggressive as possible, and I strongly suggest the media content owners and distributors to get their head out of their arses and smell the profits lost to BitTorrent.
I want to watch Top Gear in the Us but unfortunately The Discovery channel decided to stop showing the U.k. version and make their own.
I want to watch Top Gear in the Us but unfortunately The Discovery channel decided to stop showing the U.k. version and make their own.
Twenty-nine words including this sentence I'm writing to say what could have been said in only one word If I hadn't decided to include this sentence in the post: Torrents.
Torrents.
It's the only way to fly.......... 8) 8) 8)
There are only just 20 million of us now, past that make sometime last year.