NBC unhappy with TiVo, says more content coming to iTunes

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
NBC Universal is miffed over recent announcements by EchoStar and TiVo -- two companies that will allow users to download TV and movies to a portable player for free -- and says to expect additional announcements with Apple's iTunes in the coming weeks.



EchoStar's Dish Network introduced the PocketDish handheld in October, which allows users to download TV and movies to a portable player for free. Meanwhile, TiVo said last month that as part of its TiVoToGo service it will enable the easy transfer of recorded content to Apple's iPod and the Sony PSP.



"This is clearly not the proper way to behave," NBC Universal TV president Jeff Zucker told Variety. "We have worked in concert with Apple to benefit the consumer; where others are not working with content providers is clearly not in the best interest of the consumer."



NBC's recent digital download deal with Apple reportedly took on additional urgency this year as illegal downloads of TV shows exploded. The conglomerate estimates there are over 430,000 illegal downloads of its "Battlestar Galactica" program each week.



The NBC deal expands Apple's iTunes video offering to 300 episodes of 16 different series, with Zucker saying that number will expand quickly as NBC works to fill the iTunes with additional shows.



"You are going to see a series of announcements in the coming weeks," he said.



On Tuesday, NBC Universal announced that it would begin delivering a slew of programming through Apple's iTunes video service, including NBC?s ?Law & Order,? ?The Office,? ?Surface,? ?The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,? ?Late Night with Conan O'Brien,? the USA Network?s Emmy Award-winning ?Monk? and Sci-Fi Channel?s ?Battlestar Galactica? as well as classic TV shows including ?Alfred Hitchcock Presents,? ?Dragnet,? ?Adam-12? and ?Knight Rider.?
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 30
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AppleInsider

    "We have worked in concert with Apple to benefit the consumer; where others are not working with content providers is clearly not in the best interest of the consumer."



    I guess that he figures the "best interest of the consumer" is paying $1.99 per show that has DRM and can't be burned to DVD.



    That reminds me of retailers that have signs saying, "for your safety, this area is monitored by surveillance cameras." Riiiight.
  • Reply 2 of 30
    rokrok Posts: 3,519member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by CosmoNut

    I guess that he figures the "best interest of the consumer" is paying $1.99 per show that has DRM and can't be burned to DVD.



    That reminds me of retailers that have signs saying, "for your safety, this area is monitored by surveillance cameras." Riiiight.




    yeah, i'm not sure i see what nbc is getting all bent out of shape over. i mean, don't the tivo recorded videos also get recorded WITH commercials? sure, you can fast forward through them, but if they're left in there, it's totally legit. you pay the $2, in my humble opinion, to have the commercials STRIPPED OUT, which, by tthe way, i love.
  • Reply 3 of 30
    The lack of commercials is very important, to say the least. Many people might rather watch the video while on the subway than have to clear out their schedule and put up with ads.



    Also, encoding video is something that many people don't know how to do properly, even if you streamline it for them. And unfortunately legal reasons prevent Apple from simply creating an "import DVD" option in iTunes like there is for CDs. Paying $2 per episode may seem silly for people like us, but it eliminates a lot of the guesswork for the casual user.
  • Reply 4 of 30
    screedscreed Posts: 1,077member
    "per episode" and "per show" are meaning less. When the initial five shows were being offered it was a clear $2 per full episode. Now we're in a swirl of madness where $2 will get you six whole minutes of Jay Leno. \



    Google: Bill Hicks + Leno + satan



    Sadly we lack the uniformity of $0.99 USD per track. It was simple, it was clear, it was uniform, it was doomed.



    But given all that, I'll stay it again: Hitchcock, baby, Hitchcock!!!

  • Reply 5 of 30
    I heard that Apple was going to start allowing the stations to put in commercials tp help better thier profit margins?
  • Reply 6 of 30
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,415member
    I understand that NBC is unhappy about Tivo and other companies allowing consumers to space-shift content they've already paid to access.



    What I don't understand is this burgeoning idea that somehow the contract with consumers is one piece of content attached to a particular monitor. They are desperately trying to monitize every node in the path.



    FFS ...the Gov needs to stop accepting lobby dollars and sitting with their thumbs up their arse. Craft some complete Fair Use doctrines and abide by them. Until then we'll get content companies thinking they can squeeze a dime out of everything and legislators who are basically on the dole for campaign funds.
  • Reply 7 of 30
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BEatMaKeR

    I heard that Apple was going to start allowing the stations to put in commercials tp help better thier profit margins?



    Uh.. link? And... I'm betting you are wrong.
  • Reply 8 of 30
    19841984 Posts: 955member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by CosmoNut

    I guess that he figures the "best interest of the consumer" is paying $1.99 per show that has DRM and can't be burned to DVD.





    Well, at 320x240 you wouldn't want to anyway.
  • Reply 9 of 30
    screedscreed Posts: 1,077member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    FFS ...the Gov needs to stop accepting lobby dollars and sitting with their thumbs up their arse. Craft some complete Fair Use doctrines and abide by them. Until then we'll get content companies thinking they can squeeze a dime out of everything and legislators who are basically on the dole for campaign funds.



    While you're at it, ask for a zillion dollars and a unicorn pony...



    Sorry, you're right, of course...



    It will get really interesting when independent content producers* get a crack at selling video content. They could offer their material at more favorable margins for Apple.



    *I fully acknowledge that these producers are almost entirely theoretical, but there are opportunities.



    Also, I wonder what will happen when the premium cable channel providers get on board.
  • Reply 10 of 30
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BEatMaKeR

    I heard that Apple was going to start allowing the stations to put in commercials tp help better thier profit margins?



    I guess that Apple is uniquely positioned to insert "customised" commercials, as was touted 10 years ago. By that I mean - 2 commercials instead of 8, but aimed squarely at the viewer (and they can also be interactive/web linked). However, if they're going to do that they'd better drop the charge.



    On another note - if Apple's device is also a PVR, then won't we be able to record Battlestar straight off the TV, and fast forward the ads?



    I wouldn't mind seeing options on the Apple iTMS - buy Battlestar without ads for $2. Download Battlestar with custom ads (LOCKED so you can't skip them) for free. Download Battlestar with custom ads (unlocked) for 50c.



    At the moment Battlestar costs under $2mill to make an episode (can't find a figure, maybe under $1mill), and if 450,000 people are pirating Battlestar that's an indicator of a potentially much larger market. $2 per episode would make Universal quite a lot of money! (I think $2 is unrealistic in the medium term)



    Greg
  • Reply 11 of 30
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    I don't know if I would say the "best interests of content providers" are the SAME as the "best interests of consumers."



    I think some middle ground will have to be found.



    I don't think you should have to pay TWICE to record and re-watch (even on an iPod) a show with ads, for which you've already paid your cable bill.



    You should have to pay ONCE, though, and I don't mind having a choice of ways to do that. My main choice, for now, is Netflix Or iTunes just for one missed episode here and there. Or for my permanent collection: DVDs. No, make that BDs--I can wait a little longer.



    And for casual use, like watching something the next day, my VCR does the job fine until I get a Mac-based PVR. Maybe from El Gato.
  • Reply 12 of 30
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    Now we get the pleasure of FUD from the networks! What's in my best interest is the easy ability to share content I have recorded between devices I own in the format I desire. What's in the best interest of content creators is a lockdown on content distribution so that consumers may only purchase specific content from specific places with certain rules attached.



    These threats, however loosely based, will probably be enough to keep these companies worried until after NBC has a chance to distribute content themselves.
  • Reply 13 of 30
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sCreeD

    When the initial five shows were being offered it was a clear $2 per full episode. Now we're in a swirl of madness where $2 will get you six whole minutes of Jay Leno.



    (snip)



    Sadly we lack the uniformity of $0.99 USD per track.




    I really don't get this argument. On iTMS there are $0.99 tracks that are 30 seconds and $0.99 tracks that are more than 5 minutes long. What's the difference?



    30 seconds v. 5 minutes = Factor of 10

    6 minutes v. 60 minutes = Factor of 10



    It's the same kind of deal. My issue is that Jay Leno's schtick is not evergreen. Why would you want to watch a monologue from today in 3 months? A year? Hell, 5 years? None of the jokes would be funny because they're not timely. At least with shows like Hitchcock and Knight Rider, the themes are universal.
  • Reply 14 of 30
    ct77ct77 Posts: 49member
    It would be nice if we Canadians could get some love with the TV shows through iTunes.



    I've already bought all the music videos and Pixar shorts that I'm interested in...
  • Reply 15 of 30
    screedscreed Posts: 1,077member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by CosmoNut

    I really don't get this argument. On iTMS there are $0.99 tracks that are 30 seconds and $0.99 tracks that are more than 5 minutes long. What's the difference?



    30 seconds v. 5 minutes = Factor of 10

    6 minutes v. 60 minutes = Factor of 10



    It's the same kind of deal. My issue is that Jay Leno's schtick is not evergreen. Why would you want to watch a monologue from today in 3 months? A year? Hell, 5 years? None of the jokes would be funny because they're not timely.




    I'm not breaking it down per minute --well, yes, yes I did-- okay, um... Let me take another crack at it. I didn't mean to break down per minute but rather per unit. This would be more in line with tracks versus albums. The nature of these depends on the format. For the talk show format, there could the monologue and musical units. (Ooh-ooh, which reminds me, I'd very much like to pay for the week of performances the White Stripes did on Conan).



    Still, it does look rather skewed to say a 40-minute programme is of equal value to a 6 minute monologue (or skit or musical performance).



    Quote:

    At least with shows like Hitchcock and Knight Rider, the themes are universal.



    Did you just put those two shows in the same sentence!? That's evil.



    No seriously. E-vil.
  • Reply 16 of 30
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    heh. hitchcock would be rolling over in his grave
  • Reply 17 of 30
    I'm waiting for the day that I can record/store from my motorala DVR (Comcast Cable). When recording HD content, 120GB harddrive only goes so far. It kills me that this thing has a firewire port, but with no reasonable way to access the harddrive or tuner with a computer. (I tried some things I found on the web without luck). My DVR combined with iMovie HD and Blu-ray/HD-DVD burning would make me very happy. Its the VCR of the (near) future, or at least should be. Apple are you listening? However, I get the feeling Comcast is not going to be authorizing that firewire port anytime in the near future.
  • Reply 18 of 30
    Unfair to the consumer? Please, they're not fooling anyone with an IQ of 70. What's more, why's it unfair to them? I can watch it on my TiVo at home, but if I want to watch it on the subway, I have to pay extra? What if I want to watch it on the plane, is it even more, since I'm even more captive? What burns media moguls up is the loss of POTENTIAL REVENUE, like the SPA saying they lose billions a year to piracy, when 99% of file sharers would NOT buy a $1500 program if they couldn't download it. Phantom losses, like NBC making people buy an EXTRA copy of Law & Order for your iPod even though you have a copy on your TiVo.



    I watch about 10-12 shows a week, mostly network programming (CSI, Law & Order, etc.). That means I'd pay Apple/NBC/CBS $90 a month for FREE PROGRAMMING (free to us, paid by advertisers). That's about $70 north of what I'd be willing to pay a month for network programming, and even at that price point I don't want to see any commercials if I'm paying for it.



    David
  • Reply 19 of 30
    Quote:

    Originally posted by davidahn

    What burns media moguls up is the loss of POTENTIAL REVENUE, like the SPA saying they lose billions a year to piracy, when 99% of file sharers would NOT buy a $1500 program if they couldn't download it. Phantom losses, like NBC making people buy an EXTRA copy of Law & Order for your iPod even though you have a copy on your TiVo



    A little Off-Topic...



    Did you hear that when the USSR opened up to foreign investment, SCO found out its Xenix had 95% market share of Unix OSes... and only 1 licensed copy The challenge was to keep all their "users" (pirates) and gradually move them across to licensed versions.
  • Reply 20 of 30
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    ROFLMAO
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