macnn/electronista/ipodnn
09/19/2007, 5:00pm, EDT
Wednesday, September 19thfrom: www.electronista.com
NBC to offer one-week free downloads
NBC.com today unveiled a new service called NBC Direct that brings the network's primetime and late-night TV shows to users' desktops for a full week after the shows air. "With the creation of this new service, we are acknowledging that now, more than ever, viewers want to be in control of how, when and where they [watch] their favorite entertainment," said Vivi Zigler, vice president of NBC Digital Entertainment. "Not only does this feature give them more control, but it also gives them a higher quality video experience." A beta version of the new service will begin serving up shows to Windows users in October by providing full episodes which will expire one week after they are broadcast. A Mac version is planned at an unspecified later date. Content slated for availability during NBC's launch of the new service includes "30 Rock," "Bionic Woman," "Friday Night Lights," "Heroes," "Life," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Office," and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," according to ComingSoon.net.
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I'll certainly admit that FREE downloads for this time period are very good - but NBC: Please don't confuse your artificial limitations with being "good" for the consumer.
The other option was iTunes, but seeing how they responded to that, I refuse to buy ANY of their series. (I bought all of Season 2 and 3 of the Office, plus many of their other shows, though that was before NBC decided to announce how clueless they are.)
By the way, NBC, it really IS that easy to get your programs, and while I'd much rather have bought them from iTunes due to convenience, free is good, too.
Copying rentals is largely illegal.
After pulling from iTunes and the Mac platform, I would not give them a nickel.
Who watches NBC anyway? I concur about Netflix....rip away anything that I desire.
These studio executives are totally out of touch with reality.
But then, in a way, iTunes store is too limited. It should be like the ebay of the entertainment world. For instance, I manage a dozen indie bands, yet getting tunes on iTunes is virtually impossible.
Likewise, I have been involved in several indie video productions that aren't going to be produced onto traditional media.
iTunes needs to evolve: for both the indies as well as the general entertainment industry. Otherwise, people will eventually desert it.