I'm sure you're referring to Apple here? As long as Steve is trying to dictate how much he's willing to pay to the content-providers, it's up to them to say, "No, Thanks."
LikesGadgetsWillTravel: Steve Jobs tries to keep prices down which means I pay less. I don't care how you want to spin it for the content providers, Steve's way will get my vote because it positively affects MY bottom line. Forget NBC. I don't care about NBC's bottom line.
Let's look at it this way. NBC currently charges $1.99 per episode for a show on iTunes. Heroes, an NBC show, has 23 episodes. $1.99 * 23 episodes = $47.77 I just bought the first season from Target last night, which includes an un-aired pilot episode bringing the episode total to 24 in the box set, for $37.99. Even leaving out the pilot, $37.99 / 23 episodes = $1.65 per episode.
So CURRENTLY, I can get the full season of Heroes on DVD with an extra pilot episode and additional bonus features, without DRM that as severly limits where I can play it. All that for $9.78 LESS then getting them on iTunes. The only benefit iTunes was giving me was that I don't have to wait. So ok, cool. I pay an extra $0.34 to not wait. I can buy into that.
NOW, they want to jack the price up to $4.99, so I am paying $3.34 for the convenience of not waiting. And with the DRM issue they have, I will probably have to buy it again later on DVD since they are probably trying to limit where I can play the iTunes videos.
Yeah. I'm gonna suggest that there is no way I am going to side with NBC on this.
@ Calviin -- you're wrong again, sorry. Steve Jobs doesn't have any interest in keeping the prices down for you, because he's getting paid on a percentage of what you pay. He's only interested in making maximum $. He figures if NBC raises the prices, they'll sell less, making him less money. There's no altruism here.
But in the end, it's all about choices. You *could* watch the shows for FREE and even record them. I do that all the time, even in HD. Or you could wait 'till the end of the season and get them on DVD for less than $2/episode. Or rent at BB or netflix at ~$1.50/DVD -- less if you use netflix's watch-now feature.
But no, you want it "now", at your convenience and without commercials... so pay the price. Whether at $2 or at $5/episode, you'd be better off finding a friend with a DVR or VCR. And if you're that hooked to a show that you simply must purchase and watch the one episode you missed, and are willing to pay $2 for it... what's the extra $3 mean to you... could even be less, as NBC no longer has to pay the iTunes tax.
While I agree that NBC is being greedy, you can't be naive enough to believe that Steve Jobs is CEO of Apple as a 'hobby' and doesn't get a cut of every Apple venture. In fact, he was the highest paid CEO in the world last year according to Forbes magazine.
It is entirely in Jobs' interest to keep prices down, Likesgadgetswilltravel. They can say "NBS Shows only $2 on iTunes (and only iTunes)." Would you pay $5 an episode? Absolutely not. That alone may be reason enough to keep you out of the itunes store that one time, which is one less time you may buy something, anything, in the store. Plus, they'd lose their "Every TV show $1.99" thing en masse, since there are lots of (great) NBC shows on iTunes. Oh well. It's true, though: we, the consumers, get screwed in the end.
Right now, Apple is charging $1.99 per show. By NBC selling direct, they cut out the middle man and having to share revenue with Apple. Keep in mind, NBC is already having to share revenue with the creator of the content.
Basically this is a move for NBC to realize more profits.
On one hand, if I were NBC, I'd be questioning why I'm helping Apple, when in the digital age, I can bypass them, assuming you have a web presence to do so.
The loser her is anyone who relies on iTunes for a CENTRAL source of content.
I'm thinking we'll see new websites that consolidate content from across different sources, so you have a central point of access.
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Leave it to a major corporation to screw over fans of its content.
Guess I'll have to go back to the torrents.
I'm sure you're referring to Apple here? As long as Steve is trying to dictate how much he's willing to pay to the content-providers, it's up to them to say, "No, Thanks."
LikesGadgetsWillTravel: Steve Jobs tries to keep prices down which means I pay less. I don't care how you want to spin it for the content providers, Steve's way will get my vote because it positively affects MY bottom line. Forget NBC. I don't care about NBC's bottom line.
Let's look at it this way. NBC currently charges $1.99 per episode for a show on iTunes. Heroes, an NBC show, has 23 episodes. $1.99 * 23 episodes = $47.77
I just bought the first season from Target last night, which includes an un-aired pilot episode bringing the episode total to 24 in the box set, for $37.99. Even leaving out the pilot, $37.99 / 23 episodes = $1.65 per episode.
So CURRENTLY, I can get the full season of Heroes on DVD with an extra pilot episode and additional bonus features, without DRM that as severly limits where I can play it. All that for $9.78 LESS then getting them on iTunes. The only benefit iTunes was giving me was that I don't have to wait. So ok, cool. I pay an extra $0.34 to not wait. I can buy into that.
NOW, they want to jack the price up to $4.99, so I am paying $3.34 for the convenience of not waiting. And with the DRM issue they have, I will probably have to buy it again later on DVD since they are probably trying to limit where I can play the iTunes videos.
Yeah. I'm gonna suggest that there is no way I am going to side with NBC on this.
ATSC tuners FTW!
Or how about $0.00 per episode via Bittorrent. :p
@ Calviin -- you're wrong again, sorry. Steve Jobs doesn't have any interest in keeping the prices down for you, because he's getting paid on a percentage of what you pay. He's only interested in making maximum $. He figures if NBC raises the prices, they'll sell less, making him less money. There's no altruism here.
But in the end, it's all about choices. You *could* watch the shows for FREE and even record them. I do that all the time, even in HD. Or you could wait 'till the end of the season and get them on DVD for less than $2/episode. Or rent at BB or netflix at ~$1.50/DVD -- less if you use netflix's watch-now feature.
But no, you want it "now", at your convenience and without commercials... so pay the price. Whether at $2 or at $5/episode, you'd be better off finding a friend with a DVR or VCR. And if you're that hooked to a show that you simply must purchase and watch the one episode you missed, and are willing to pay $2 for it... what's the extra $3 mean to you... could even be less, as NBC no longer has to pay the iTunes tax.
@ LikesGadgetsWillTravel
Umm Steve Jobs only gets paid one Dollar a year soooo.... Ya he is not getting a percent.
Woah woah woah.. let's not kid ourselves.
While I agree that NBC is being greedy, you can't be naive enough to believe that Steve Jobs is CEO of Apple as a 'hobby' and doesn't get a cut of every Apple venture. In fact, he was the highest paid CEO in the world last year according to Forbes magazine.
Link:
http://www.forbes.com/leadership/2007/05/03/ceo-executive-compensation-lead-07ceo-cx_sd_0503ceocompensationintro.html
Just because his official 'salary' is a dollar doesn't mean he doesn't rake it in through other venues.
It is entirely in Jobs' interest to keep prices down, Likesgadgetswilltravel. They can say "NBS Shows only $2 on iTunes (and only iTunes)." Would you pay $5 an episode? Absolutely not. That alone may be reason enough to keep you out of the itunes store that one time, which is one less time you may buy something, anything, in the store. Plus, they'd lose their "Every TV show $1.99" thing en masse, since there are lots of (great) NBC shows on iTunes. Oh well. It's true, though: we, the consumers, get screwed in the end.
NBC wants more money, pure and simple.
Right now, Apple is charging $1.99 per show. By NBC selling direct, they cut out the middle man and having to share revenue with Apple. Keep in mind, NBC is already having to share revenue with the creator of the content.
Basically this is a move for NBC to realize more profits.
On one hand, if I were NBC, I'd be questioning why I'm helping Apple, when in the digital age, I can bypass them, assuming you have a web presence to do so.
The loser her is anyone who relies on iTunes for a CENTRAL source of content.
I'm thinking we'll see new websites that consolidate content from across different sources, so you have a central point of access.