Comments on: Breaking News: NBC Has Shot Itself in the Foot http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/ The Apple Blog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:12:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: “The Office” and “30 Rock” on Your iPhone | The Apple Blog http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-116519 “The Office” and “30 Rock” on Your iPhone | The Apple Blog Thu, 08 May 2008 20:40:08 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-116519 [...] Rock” on your iPhone. It is no secret that NBC is not a big fan of Apple and iTunes, having pulled their network shows from the iTunes Music Store last year. All you have to do to watch the episodes is go to [...] [...] Rock” on your iPhone. It is no secret that NBC is not a big fan of Apple and iTunes, having pulled their network shows from the iTunes Music Store last year. All you have to do to watch the episodes is go to [...]

]]> By: minikperi http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-112783 minikperi Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:48:32 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-112783 No NBC shows on iTunes this fall? No Office, Heroes, or Battlestar Galactica? I bought season passes for all three last fall, and it looks like it’s off to bittorrent this fall. No NBC shows on iTunes this fall? No Office, Heroes, or Battlestar Galactica?

I bought season passes for all three last fall, and it looks like it’s off to bittorrent this fall.

]]> By: Matt Radel http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109393 Matt Radel Tue, 04 Sep 2007 16:00:43 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109393 I love John Gruber's <a href="http://daringfireball.net/2007/09/nbc_screw_up" rel="nofollow">response</a> to all of this. Classic. I love John Gruber’s response to all of this. Classic.

]]> By: steve http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109391 steve Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:07:19 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109391 I think this is a really dumb move by NBC. The fact that they will be charging more for thier shows and selling them on a less popular and unknown video site will make them far less money than if they had stuck by itunes and not been so greedy. I think this is a really dumb move by NBC. The fact that they will be charging more for thier shows and selling them on a less popular and unknown video site will make them far less money than if they had stuck by itunes and not been so greedy.

]]> By: Christian http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109389 Christian Tue, 04 Sep 2007 13:33:02 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109389 Pirating via the well known torrent websites will grow again... That's all what happens. I'm sick of the tv networks and publishers. Not only that i can't watch heroes legally here in germany (they start broadcasting season 1 in low-def tv this autumn here) in HD or even native language. I can't buy it on iTunes. I have to import the DVD (which is technically blocked for RC2). It is SO STUPID. Same for music. Why can't i just buy the stuff in any format i like for reasonable prices without DRM!? I do not want to give it away - i want to own it! Pirating via the well known torrent websites will grow again…
That’s all what happens.
I’m sick of the tv networks and publishers. Not only that i can’t watch heroes legally here in germany (they start broadcasting season 1 in low-def tv this autumn here) in HD or even native language.
I can’t buy it on iTunes. I have to import the DVD (which is technically blocked for RC2).

It is SO STUPID. Same for music. Why can’t i just buy the stuff in any format i like for reasonable prices without DRM!?
I do not want to give it away - i want to own it!

]]> By: Honza http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109382 Honza Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:36:11 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109382 $1.99 to $4.99 is >2.5x price increase! Shameful behaviour, but really most of corporate America subscribes to these practices... For the answer, get an account on demonoid.com ;-) $1.99 to $4.99 is >2.5x price increase!

Shameful behaviour, but really most of corporate America subscribes to these practices…

For the answer, get an account on demonoid.com ;-)

]]> By: Jeff http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109378 Jeff Tue, 04 Sep 2007 04:14:06 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109378 No NBC shows on iTunes this fall? No Office, Heroes, or Battlestar Galactica? I bought season passes for all three last fall, and it looks like it's off to bittorrent this fall. No NBC shows on iTunes this fall? No Office, Heroes, or Battlestar Galactica?

I bought season passes for all three last fall, and it looks like it’s off to bittorrent this fall.

]]> By: Colin http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109377 Colin Tue, 04 Sep 2007 03:59:57 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109377 Well, for those of you fast enough you can still catch most shows (of any show) for free on alloftv.net. They don't always have ALL of the episodes from EVERY show but they've got enough to make it worth a look. I'm currently getting caught up on Prison Break, but I agree with everything said so far. I watch Heroes, The Office and occasionally 30 Rock off of iTunes and I'm not sure that'd I'd be willing to pay more than $1.99 for any individual episode, especially considering that I intend to buy it on DVD once it comes out. I may as well just wait. Well, for those of you fast enough you can still catch most shows (of any show) for free on alloftv.net.

They don’t always have ALL of the episodes from EVERY show but they’ve got enough to make it worth a look.

I’m currently getting caught up on Prison Break, but I agree with everything said so far. I watch Heroes, The Office and occasionally 30 Rock off of iTunes and I’m not sure that’d I’d be willing to pay more than $1.99 for any individual episode, especially considering that I intend to buy it on DVD once it comes out. I may as well just wait.

]]> By: Pete http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109367 Pete Mon, 03 Sep 2007 19:07:19 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109367 Great...so now that I moved to Europe there is no way for me to watch The Office and Heroes. This is just sad. I downloaded every single episode of every single season and probably have seen every The Office episode around 5 times. Thanks NBC for making decisions that will only hurt your network, your shows AND your viewers. Great…so now that I moved to Europe there is no way for me to watch The Office and Heroes. This is just sad. I downloaded every single episode of every single season and probably have seen every The Office episode around 5 times.

Thanks NBC for making decisions that will only hurt your network, your shows AND your viewers.

]]> By: Kelly http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109364 Kelly Mon, 03 Sep 2007 18:02:19 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2007/08/31/breaking-news-nbc-has-shot-itself-in-the-foot/#comment-109364 I'm in the camp that this isn't good for anyone. I'm also in the camp of watching TV shows you missed on the network's website is just doesn't make a great deal of sense. Typically the encoding is of a low bandwidth variety designed for streaming. Typically fullscreen options are limited. Oh, and for us Mac users, serious problems getting them to work all the time. I'm sure some of this has gotten better and will get better, but there are still sites (TNT) that require a Windows computer. All that is being said to make a point. Downloading the content is by far the best option. So far there has been only one good place to get this content, Apple. At a $1.99 for content with no commercials and a bitrate and resolution that works well on my iPod, 15" PowerBook and 42" DLP 720p TV, I'm happy to pay; even experiment with shows I've not yet watched and have no commitment to watching. As the price goes up, my dedication to the program will also have to go up. From what NBC is now saying, the increase would not have been across the board. It seems they were looking for ways to bundle programing and have "variable" pricing. I still think that means they were looking to make more money not less money. Also variable pricing basically exists today; although to a small extent. In the end, most people still watch programing on their TVs live or using a DVR; not with iTunes. They use iTunes as a back-up when they miss a show or for a show they get hooked on after episode 1. Heroes for me was that situation. I also watched episodes of Lost & 24 that I missed first time around. Lately I have starting watching MadMen from AMC only on iTunes as a bit of an experiment. It's been enjoyable, allowing me to watch the episodes at work during lunch or on the road traveling; my DVR doesn't give me that ability. I do think that Apple will be hurt more by this than NBC. Apple needs the content and NBC makes up a huge portion, some 30%, of available programing. in the end though, we all lose! I’m in the camp that this isn’t good for anyone. I’m also in the camp of watching TV shows you missed on the network’s website is just doesn’t make a great deal of sense. Typically the encoding is of a low bandwidth variety designed for streaming. Typically fullscreen options are limited. Oh, and for us Mac users, serious problems getting them to work all the time. I’m sure some of this has gotten better and will get better, but there are still sites (TNT) that require a Windows computer.

All that is being said to make a point. Downloading the content is by far the best option. So far there has been only one good place to get this content, Apple. At a $1.99 for content with no commercials and a bitrate and resolution that works well on my iPod, 15″ PowerBook and 42″ DLP 720p TV, I’m happy to pay; even experiment with shows I’ve not yet watched and have no commitment to watching. As the price goes up, my dedication to the program will also have to go up.
From what NBC is now saying, the increase would not have been across the board. It seems they were looking for ways to bundle programing and have “variable” pricing. I still think that means they were looking to make more money not less money. Also variable pricing basically exists today; although to a small extent.
In the end, most people still watch programing on their TVs live or using a DVR; not with iTunes. They use iTunes as a back-up when they miss a show or for a show they get hooked on after episode 1. Heroes for me was that situation. I also watched episodes of Lost & 24 that I missed first time around.
Lately I have starting watching MadMen from AMC only on iTunes as a bit of an experiment. It’s been enjoyable, allowing me to watch the episodes at work during lunch or on the road traveling; my DVR doesn’t give me that ability.
I do think that Apple will be hurt more by this than NBC. Apple needs the content and NBC makes up a huge portion, some 30%, of available programing. in the end though, we all lose!

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