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Exclusive look at the upcoming distribution method for NBC content! (PIC)

farm2.static.flickr.com — After NBC/Universal demanded that Apple charge $5 per episode for content, NBC shows will no longer be sold on iTunes. Consumers will love the new distribution system that will be used instead...

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  • Oakes, on 10/10/2007, -246/+24NBC makes more in a single night from TV ads than they made in all of 2006 from iTunes sales. They don't give a ***** about your bitching. Stop threatening to steal their content and just do it you big babies.
    • EvilAnimator, on 10/10/2007, -13/+101You are an idiot.
      • brownr21, on 10/10/2007, -42/+2no u r! Dumbass.
      • DJCult, on 10/10/2007, -10/+8I accidentally dugg you up while trying to down-digg you. Just thought you should know.
      • dionhewson, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1can we get an accountant to do the magic on this??? no one here seems to understand dollars and cents...
    • jmhyer51, on 10/10/2007, -3/+112I'd like to see the numbers on that.
      • Oakes, on 10/10/2007, -22/+9A single 30-second primetime ad brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars for NBC. Each hour has about 15 minutes of ads. Estimates for 2006 iTunes sales hover around $10 million. You do the math.
        • Cerpin_Taxt, on 10/10/2007, -4/+36revenue != profit
          iTunes sales are purely profit, while only a slim fraction of ad revenue is profit.
          • alefox, on 10/10/2007, -25/+1no, apple still has to pay the artists for the sales of the music
          • Terc, on 10/10/2007, -0/+22Hurray for missing the point.
        • pauleric, on 10/10/2007, -4/+10Cerpin_Taxt: No, the cost of producing the show is the same regardless of how they distribute it (on-air or internet). I'd like to see numbers too, but I suspect the cost of broadcasting is largely paid by local affiliates, and the cost of distributing on the internet is paid by NBC (although granted, it's probably negligible).

          To actually compare numbers you'd have to look at broadcast ratings and how much money ads bring in per viewer. But I don't care enough to actually do that. But I'm sure NBC has.
        • Oakes, on 10/10/2007, -4/+14You're wrong. Profits are calculated after the expenses for producing the content are deducted. Whether they put their content on iTunes or on air, IT HAS THE SAME FIXED EXPENSES.

          iTunes is not "pure profit" for the same reason TV ads aren't; they needed to make the content in the first place.
        • lengau, on 10/10/2007, -4/+4@pauleric - you forget that having some servers and a whole lot of bandwidth (which Apple pays for anyway, and they probably get a better deal) is cheaper than broadcasting analog TV all over the country.
          If you really want to compare the two different systems, you have to take that into account, too.
        • Cerpin_Taxt, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2@pauleric. You just proved my point. The cost of making the show is always covered by tv ads. NBC has never depended on itunes for funding a show. My point was that this was just free money for NBC. The demographic that watches on itunes is not the same as the ones that watch on tv.
    • loconet, on 10/10/2007, -1/+26sure, until more and more people just download sans ads and those companies who advertise realize they're wasting their $ :)
    • thuang513, on 10/10/2007, -16/+11ughh what a dumbass, its not about which way makes more money...its all about maximum profit, if you make $100 million on tv ads and $50 million on iTunes of course you give a ***** about the $50 million...
    • thuang513, on 10/10/2007, -21/+2ughh what a dumbass, its not about which way makes more money...its all about maximum profit, if you make $100 million on tv ads and $50 million on iTunes of course you give a ***** about the $50 million...
      • tjdoom, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Sooo...it's not about making more profit, it's about making the most profit? You're contradicting yourself, it seems.
    • NoahK, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7Oh, it's not a threat. Since I don't own a DVR, and work while shows like The Office and Heroes are airing... it looks like I'm being forced to use BitTorrent to watch the shows, either that or buy the DVD.. but I live in America, and we like our things NOW.
      • wageslaven, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2You can get it legally elsewhere.
        • allywilson, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Who's calling legality into this? If it's free to air, it's free to distribute.
    • tech42er, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Well, if they're not making anything, why would they care if we pay for it?
    • coolcash2005, on 10/10/2007, -5/+1Do you work for NBC or something?
    • krypritcmind, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2Good point buddy, ignore the dumb hippies;)
    • wassapp, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1All episode online.
      http://tv-links.co.uk/listings/1/103
    • calbff, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Ah yes, even the stupidest opinions are so much more convincing when rudely worded. You've certainly convinced me, because I'm an idiot!
    • Calcularius, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Your ass is sideways and it's lips are moving and this noise keeps coming out.
    • Kelmon, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Of course they care. The sales might not be great now but I don't think anyone will argue that that they are increasing and any publisher that willing gives up sales when advertising revenues are falling is obviously mad. NBC made their play and Apple were having none of it. It's pretty likely that they'll be back later when they sort this out. NBC just had it's bluff called.
  • streak, on 10/10/2007, -6/+82Jeff Gaspin is the genius at NBC behind the recent decision. He's been in the job since February 2007, with a more recent change of position at the end of July.
    • Tripacer, on 10/10/2007, -18/+3http://www.itorrents.com/
    • Wasyu, on 10/10/2007, -0/+44Then Jeff Gaspin is an effing moron because no one in their right mind would by $4.99 to dl a tv episode heck I wouldn't even pay that much for a PPV movie.
      • apotropaic, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Ya ever think they were just looking for a way out?! $4.99 an episode is ridiculous and they know it! They will still be $2 an episode on their new method of distribution.. you'll see.
    • toetagger, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1For second I thought it read, "Jeff Gannon".Oh, well... same *****.
    • natch, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Buh-bye, NBC!

    • cplkai, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Looks like he's going to have another change of position pretty soon here as well.
  • diggstown, on 10/10/2007, -7/+215Anyone other than NBC fanboys have anything to say on this topic? $4.99/episode is robbery and there's no genius behind that stupidity.
    • TheCount, on 10/10/2007, -2/+64I just love how NBC tried to seem bigger than Apple by announcing that they were pulling off iTunes, and failed to mention why that is. It's like the preemptive break-up in hopes of avoiding looking like the one that was dumped.
    • Gabberwok, on 10/10/2007, -29/+3You should bring your sarcasm meter in for a tuneup...
      • mtheoryx83, on 10/10/2007, -1/+13You should just stay silent until spoken to.
    • fantasticFlan, on 10/10/2007, -2/+31Even if they sold at the iTunes price, they're still asking me to go to an unfamiliar site and download an unfamiliar format that almost definitely won't play on my iPod, so when I miss Scrubs or The Office, I'm headed right for the torrents.
    • UltraMegaFilms, on 10/10/2007, -37/+5"NBC fanboys"? What the ***** are you talking about? Why are all you iKids so whiny about this! AND WHY WOULD YOU EVER PAY FOR SHOWS THAT ARE BROADCAST FOR FREE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!
      • TheCount, on 10/10/2007, -4/+26Your caps button seems to have gotten stuck half way through your comment.
      • thuang513, on 10/10/2007, -3/+19because its not broadcasted in every single place in the world...
        • terrordome, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Neither does Apple sell TV shows in other countries than the US and the UK. So I only have one option.
      • thuang513, on 10/10/2007, -19/+1because its not broadcasted in every single place in the world...
    • stigma15, on 10/10/2007, -2/+44NBC fanboys?
    • molecool, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2diggstown - ever heard of the concept of cynicism?
    • Bleeblaow, on 10/10/2007, -6/+24That is kind of funny, because I keep seeing the same articles vilifying NBC appear on the Apple section of Digg. And you're asking about NBC "fanboys." What the ***** is an NBC "fanboy" anyway? I mean, I enjoyed The Office and Heroes. Does that make me an NBC "fanboy"? Or does it make me an NBC "fanboy" because I don't really see what the big ***** deal is about a company deciding they want to charge more money for their product. I don't use iTunes. I've downloaded NBC shows illegally. I've also watched them legally, for free, on my television. Point being, I have not paid a dime directly to NBC to watch their shows (all I pay is time and money for cable television).

      So, please indulge me, what would an NBC "fanboy" have to say about this? Because I think that you're confusing the idea of an NBC fanboy and someone who is not an Apple fanboy. You know that it is possible to be a rational thinker and not really give a ***** when one company stops doing business with another, right? And instead of posting a twenty paragraph rant on our blogs or sitting on Digg.com and burying any comments that don't berate NBC for their business decision, we may choose to, I don't know, not give a *****.

      And if that makes me an NBC fanboy, despite the fact that I watch television very little and when I do it usually is not NBC, then kudos to your new and extremely loose definition of fanboy.
      • cleverboy, on 10/10/2007, -3/+7Good for you. If you were paying for cable, let's say for example, $25 a month, and cable decided to charge you next month $50 per month, its your right to complain. Believe it or not, that's actually how the market works. Closed mouth don't get fed. Just because, in this instant, you don't HAVE cable, and don't see a problem with them raising rates to over double, just means you have nothing invested in that distribution method. What if terrestrial television doubled the ads in each episode and lessened the amount of story material, and you had to play a tug of war in determining where the commercials were?

        Boy, that would probably annoy you. See, because what your missing? Is a sense of empathy. Personally, I say boycott NBC content. These execs get big ass egos though, so that might simply choose to destroy themselves instead. iTunes doesn't compete with their other avenues. As ABC said when they "got it", its about making content available in so many avenues, people don't have a reason to steal or pirate it. Pulling out of iTunes will make me spend less on NBC programming, not more. I don't watch much tv, and generally despise watching it on the web. It's ok... but far from ideal (though again, ABC does a great job of it). Likely I will miss the new season of Heroes after I miss an episode here or there. Unlike the lunch I just had, I won't be able to view an episode on my iPhone as I eat, just to catch up. Unless I "steal" it, or otherwise record it from the TV for free. It's just amazing stupidity on their part.

        So, NBC thinks most content on iPods is pirated? So... the answer (were this even true) is to... stop selling content through iTunes? People AREN'T sharing iTunes purchases you geniuses! And further more, my iPod is filled with my legal music and video purchases and with podcasts. Dumbasses.
        • wageslaven, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4Let me work out who the villain in this situation is really quick for you.

          Best Buy (retailer) sells 23 Episodes of Heroes (plus extras) on a physical DVD (easily ripped) for $32.
          Apple (retailer) sells 23 Episodes of Heroes (no extras) with DRM, for $46.

          What do we think is occurring here? Digital Distribution product is cheaper to make and sell, yet, Apple gets more from the customer than Best Buy.

          My bet is that NBC was tired of getting pennies for their Product, and wanted to raise the wholesale price. Apple makes this totally bogus announcement that "NBC wants to sell the product for $5!".

          No, APPLE wants to sell the product for $5. We dont know what NBC wants to sell it for. Based on the prices we know for DVDs ($1.40 RETAIL for a better product) -- how can we possibly think that NBC is getting the lion's share of that $5 if Apple chose to offer it?

          IN this case, I'd bet apple wants to maintain a fixed mark-up. And, NBC knows that normal Retail doesn't work that way -- Apple has to compete with other retailers, and reduce their markup.
    • bobcrotch, on 10/10/2007, -11/+3I guess I'm the weird one who would be willing to pay 5 dollars an episode.
    • brainboy77, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6i dont get it. you can watch all the episodes of this season on the nbc website. duh.
    • sophiaperennis, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2For $5 an episode, I would expect minimum 720p HD quality crystal clear episodes. Even than, that price for 22 minutes of The Office would be too expensive. With this move, NBC has made it harder for people to legally download their favorite show; that is where the idiotic realization didn't settle in with the NBC execs.
  • nouns, on 10/10/2007, -22/+20More than double the price!?!?!? Sign ME the Hell up!
    • gcnaddict, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I think the internets collectively rejected your sarcasm.
  • jmhyer51, on 10/10/2007, -3/+88Free is nice
    • jeriqo, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1Unfortunately, producing these series cost money.
      No buyers = no demand = no offer.

      Free is not nice, you always pay in a certain fashion.
      • jmhyer51, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Your logic bores me.


        Psst.. I was kidding
  • devinjohnson2, on 10/10/2007, -3/+160NBC is asking for it, you can't expect people to pay those outrageous prices.

    Oh, not only is free nice, but you can get them in hi def.
    • TomRemixed, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3I've been doing that a for a while now.
    • bobcrotch, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3You should steal cars and houses too, those are also costly.
      • DDRSkata, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Intellectual property is not property.
  • hoa801enator, on 10/10/2007, -13/+301wait a minute. That's not a real ad at all! This must be some sort of sarcastic joke implying that we're going to illega.....oh...
    haha..i see what he did there.
    • Archon810, on 10/10/2007, -27/+15The "I see what he/she/they did here" joke is getting a bit old now. There's been one in every recent digg article.
      • kingvik, on 10/10/2007, -1/+47I see what you did there.
      • BlackOp, on 10/10/2007, -19/+2Yep. been blocking nearly everyone who says it for a few months now.. same with the lolcat *****. Unless its actually funny or different of course.
        Gimps.
        • LaueOfficer, on 10/10/2007, -2/+17That's cool. Just thought I'd let you know I blocked you for being an idiot.
        • tech42er, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5I see what you did there.
        • patthew, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Im in ur comment thread, bein a smartass.
        • leetdood, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3i c wut u did there.
        • BlackOp, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Very funny. Look, there are lots of forums where you can go and endlessly repeat those annoying "memes", so why drag digg down to that level.. all the time?
          It would be ok if we didn't have to read it in every single ***** thread, but nowadays they're always there. Always. ZZZzzz.
        • patthew, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1That actually is a valid and good point, although now you'll never know that you've made me agree with you.
    • evi1, on 10/10/2007, -3/+30But "I see what you did there" is still going strong.
    • cleverboy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I sware, someone needs to create a Torrent client that looks like this.
      SongBird mod, anyone?
      • Heymbit, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I've been trying to find programmers to make one like that. It would be awesome
  • TheCount, on 10/10/2007, -1/+237Well that's odd, I guess I've been beta testing for a while now and didn't know it.
  • dheaddy, on 10/10/2007, -2/+23This is quite appropriate after the UK just received TV shows on iTunes, which are going for £1.89 each which is around $3.80. Torrents ftw it seems
    • zabouth, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8yep apple really needs to get a better currency converter we pay 2x for songs as well
    • aristotle0dude, on 10/10/2007, -3/+32You also get paid twice as much for a minimum starting wage and your pound sterling goes a lot farther when you travel abroad. Where is that famous stiff upper lip the brits are famous for? When did you all turn into a bunch of whiny pussies?

      Stop using online exchange rate calculators to compare foreign prices. Those exchange rates only matter when you actually travel abroad or actually buy something from overseas and even then you will "never" get that rate on a purchase or currency exchange transaction.
      • spuggy, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Not to mention that every single time that someone brings up the discrepancy in prices from the US to the UK (or generally anywhere in Europe) that they conveniently forget that pesky VAT, which is rolled into the price as well.
      • dailygringo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Every Aussie knows the English are a bunch of whinging poms.
        • zabouth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11 i was not whining it was a attempt and humour like I really give a ***** about prices on itunes.
          2. As for the strong pound thank Gordan Brown the new PM
    • stmiller, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7"yep apple really needs to get a better currency converter we pay 2x for songs as well"

      This has to do more with international royalty rates. Blame the lawyers and BMI/ASCAP, not apple.
      • bobthegorilla, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Better, blame both. When both sides add a little extra for the UK, that adds up to a surprisingly hefty increase. There is a good point about currency conversion though - the discrepancy is much larger right now because of the weak dollar/strong pound. I propose comparisons be made in the international standard McDonalds Cheeseburger (CHB). One TV show episode is a little over 2CHB here in the UK. What is it across the pond?
  • Systematic1, on 10/10/2007, -8/+29I'll probably be dugg down to the pits of hell, but why not just watch them when they're on tv? I mean, I have a Thursday night class, but I tape the office and watch it friday afternoon. It's not that hard, and with the exception of vhs tapes (which cost like $3 for 500 of them anymore) , it's free.
    • osiris911, on 10/10/2007, -2/+83Erm...What is this V-H-S you speak of?
      • Virak, on 10/10/2007, -0/+59A long-obsolete porn distribution technology, used many years before the creation of civilization.
      • patthew, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3It's like a torrent but you can only download it at a certain time of the day.
    • SourWorm, on 10/10/2007, -1/+46What's the difference between me recording it or someone else doing it and then getting it from them.
      • omgitsfletch, on 10/10/2007, -9/+2This.
      • fusama, on 10/10/2007, -1/+21legality
      • reed311, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1You are only allowed to make a copy for yourself. You can't make a copy for your friend and that friend makes a copy, then his friend makes a copy, etc etc.
    • Tripacer, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7OMG
      ITS THE NON BELIEVER!!!!
    • calcha, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1Some of us live far enough out that we simply can't receive most channels OTA. I used to download episodes of The Office and a couple other shows thru iTunes while I was at school, but now it looks like I'll either 1) not watch it or 2) find a torrent.

      I'd love to pay a decent price for content that I enjoy, but it looks like I can't do that.
    • danasghar, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0http://cinemassacre.com/NEWS/YesToVHS.jpg

      Systematic1?
    • flyingrandom, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0I don't have cable and I get no reception. I specifically refuse to pay at minimum $40 to some hijacked cable distribution for what is 98% of the time airing absolute *****. However, I have no problems paying for the shows that aren't. In the long run it's cheaper to have a few season passes for the shows i like rather than having to flip through 200 channels of stupidity. But if they don't *want* to let us pay for them... ah well.
    • EruLabs, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Cable costs 80$+ a week for the plan that includes Comedy Central....
      Internet service = (total cost of 3/768 w/ static IP) = 30$/month
      So...
      $80+ a month + scheduling time to watch the show, OR
      $30 a month + Internet connection + any other tv shows + watch any time

      Hrm.
      • lintmonkey, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1$80/week for Comedy Central? Propaganda much?
    • Systematic1, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I don't know where you live or what the deal is, but I get NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX etc for free...
  • portwojc, on 10/10/2007, -2/+69Odd that NBC now turns away from the very thing that saved at least one of it's shows.

    http://www.tuaw.com/2006/10/31/how-itunes-saved-nbcs-the-office/
  • Fourbin, on 10/10/2007, -3/+27Unbelievable. My friend and I were just discussing how now NBC is just FORCING us to grab the torrents.
  • arctic, on 10/10/2007, -24/+82photoshoped.
    • fezzasus, on 10/10/2007, -27/+6you are a moron
    • Tripacer, on 10/10/2007, -4/+24lol
    • UTPinky, on 10/10/2007, -16/+4Thank you Captain Obvious...
    • godlygoalie, on 10/10/2007, -19/+0i hope you fall down a flight of stairs.
    • omarciddo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+27You flamers really have no sense of sarcasm, do you?
    • louiemantia, on 10/10/2007, -3/+25The image was manipulated using Adobe® Photoshop® software.
      • Strykar, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0($649.99)

        Are we missing something? ;P
    • p0tent1al, on 10/10/2007, -11/+2A horrible Photoshop job I might add. It was definitely funny, but you can tell obviously where they made changes.
    • DJCult, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I can tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in my time.
  • djrbx, on 10/10/2007, -26/+10I personally hate how iTunes look and feel, I'd rather use MediaMonkey.. But hay, I wouldn't mind using iTorrents though..
  • RST1123, on 10/10/2007, -3/+6Volcano insurance anyone?
  • abaddon, on 10/10/2007, -8/+8i find it funny when a company (IE NBC, music label and such) wish to make a profit but ignore all the customer suggestion and in turn dose not sell it since there afraid of it being stolen so in the end they make nothing not beacuse of use stealing a selling product but one that is not being sold..... look at book authors, you can read just about any just about any for free at a library or torrents (lots of legit one to) and may good author are still ranking in the bucks..but this is just my 2 cents tho
    • yurishoujo, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2No, there aren't that many raking in the bucks. For every Stephen King/Clive Cussler there is 100 equally talented (or more so perhaps) writers that are unknown and unpaid.
      • ggnictee, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3yes but they aren't unpaid because people can get their books at libraries, they're unknown and upaid because a. no one has heard of them. or b. their book stinks. The point he was trying to make wasn't that every show will make money just that you can make money even with free sources of your product available.
        I think the book/library metaphor is really apt. but also see: bottled water.
    • lrdntwnd, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Dugg up, but you should work on your grammar and spelling/typing. It would be much appreciated. Thank you.
  • orca94, on 10/10/2007, -11/+2NBC is pretty active about catching people that download their stuff. I got caught while downloading BSG.
    • ericdano, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13I didn't
    • orca94, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1Congrats?
    • Roger, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5So what happened after you got caught?
    • orca94, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2Luckily the college I was attending had this 3 strikes policy where they refuse to give out your personal information the first 3 times you get caught. That was strike 2.
      • TenebrousX, on 10/10/2007, -0/+25if you got caught twice, you're doing something wrong
    • orca94, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0Well seeing as how I downloaded around 2-3 TB worth of stuff throughout college off of bittorrent it could just be that I download a lot.
  • PaulPinfield, on 10/10/2007, -10/+0Love the mock-up (*****-up??).
  • GuinnessGoblin, on 10/10/2007, -3/+69That actually looks like it would be a cool bittorrent application. An iTunes look alike with aggregated bittorrent files? Sweet!
    • astrosmash, on 10/10/2007, -4/+8http://www.xtorrentp2p.com/
    • g3r4, on 10/10/2007, -6/+12Why does everyone like the looks of iTunes? I love the functionality, but the Interface itself hasn't grown on me at all.
      • maiku00, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4HERETIC
      • Bleeblaow, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Dugg down for having an opinion!!!!
      • macslut, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7It's not so much that iTunes is all that great in terms of looks, but the mockup in the post implies a level of ease of navigation, discoverability, integration and reliability that's relatively present in iTunes as compared to the myriad of bittorrent sites, clients and various file formats.

        Sure, torrenting is easy if you spend a bit of time with it, but it's not brain-dead simple like iTunes.
      • tech42er, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2BURN HIM!
      • HypocriteDigg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1People like it for the same reason you don't like it, because everyone is different. Understand robot?
  • Schmapdi, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2I didn't know there was any other way to get them! Actually - NBC should be thanking pirates, after watching the first ***** episode of the Office when it premeried I quit watching all together.

    One day I was super bored though and downloaded the first real season of the show - (which is a million times better) and I've barely missed an episode since actually watching them on NBC commercials and all.
  • MaverickC17, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9I always buy the season pass before the first episode even airs. Not anymore. FREE FREE FREE! Do you really going to think we are going to wait for the DVD's to come out...I don't think so. Friggin MORONS!!
  • JasonCox, on 10/10/2007, -21/+14"$4.99/episode is robbery and there's no genius behind that stupidity."
    Anyone who was even paying $1.99 is a moron.
    • avihappy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+159.99 for 16 episodes of the daily show is not moronic.
    • badken, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15Yes, I'm a moron for supporting shows that I like and helping in some small way for the people who produce those shows to continue making TV that I enjoy. I buy DVDs, too... man I must REALLY be stupid!
      • ShinRaTDR, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Fund the hypocrisy if you must with you 1.99 per show, just shut up about it.
    • quaxon, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2exactly, i dont understand these moral-mallys that crie foul to downloading tv shows off bit torrent, yet recording to a tivo or vhs is fine. why is one medium illegal and the other not? it's all about corporate greed, dont be stupid, torrents are the best thing that ever happened to the internet.
  • Wasyu, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4$4.99 and episode ha they can go to hell just tivo it and burn that to a DVD or record it with a VCR this is 100% legal despite what some festering pile of feces might say.
    The $4.99 will only encourage more piracy and now the apple said hell no to it yes more people will use torrents proof that NBC is being ran by morons.
    • fogster, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5I bet those morons at NBC don't even know how to use punctuation
  • detro1tjok3r, on 10/10/2007, -22/+4I hate explaining this to people, but a torrent isn't something you do. It's not a verb. You don't torrent a TV show.
    • over90000, on 10/10/2007, -0/+21Language evolves. Torrent is now a verb just like how Google is officially recognized as a verb.
    • benijuana, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9google was once a noun
      • g3r4, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5It still is.

        I went to google to search it. - Noun
        Just google it. You're bound to find something. - Verb
    • Engival, on 10/10/2007, -0/+18I guess you've never SSHed to a server, FTPed a file, or VNCed to your desktop. Face it, protocols have been used as verbs for quite a while, with quite a clear meaning of their intent. This is what language does, it communicates a meaning.
    • ideapower, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Thanks for HTTPing on us with that helpful info. Anyway, if you hate explaining it to us, then why are you??
    • stmiller, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3"I hate explaining this to people, but photoshop isn't something you do. It's not a verb. You don't photoshop an image ."
    • tech42er, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Torrenting is not something *you* do.
  • mediaploy, on 10/10/2007, -4/+0good riddance
  • Beatmiser, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7For some reason I lack the patience to wait week after week for a show. Honestly I prefer to take a complete season and watch it all at once...but to do that I must either download from iTunes, buy/rent the dvd set (Which I've only ever done for one show), or set my computer to torrent a complete season, walk away and watch when ready.

    Now, If I could say get a complete season for $10 via download I'd pay it. But $5 per episode or $40 - $75 for a set of dvd's aint gonna cut it.
    • g3r4, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9$10 for a season? With no ads to support it too, right? Ha.

      You'll never get a price like that, barring torrents (free, of course).

      What NBC SHOULD do if they're not going to be distributing via iTunes is just set up their own torrents with the ads still embedded in them. It'll be the same thing that's on TV, so they really couldn't complain about it. And the argument about people being able to now fast forward through the commercials doesn't really matter, because you can already do that with PVR's.
      • EntangledPhysx, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1You raise an interesting point...
      • sonicdevo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I saw a paper written on a new method of TV distribution using bittorrent, and "throbber" ads. It looked quite feasible, and frankly, I think the TV Co's should try and get used to the idea now. That's where it's going, whether they like it or not.
  • jofaz, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13NBC is screwed when people figure out they can get an unencrypted mpeg2 HD feed of all of the NBC shows for free right out of the air in most areas of the country.
    • carbonhazard, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Wow dude I didn't even think about that... Weird,.
  • testbenchdude, on 10/10/2007, -0/+27Hm. Whenever I miss a show, I often resort to BT. The way I see it, what's the difference between my fast-forwarding through commercials with a DVR or downloading them without commercials via BT? Nothing. I'm not making any money off the download and neither is the seeder. We're simply choosing to watch what we want, how we want. There is an alternative, however. I somehow missed the entire run of season 1 of NBC's sitcom "30Rock", but stumbled upon it on their website. They let you watch the entire season, in its entirety, with each show divided into three chunks. There are thirty-second ads preceding each chunk, which I will take ANY TIME over the 2-4 minutes of commercials every 7 minutes which I would have had to sit through during the network broadcast. This to me is the perfect balance between ads and programing. I can only hope they do this with more shows.
  • Ricroar, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6This is just plain stupid. With the $1.99 price per episode, it is practically the same price if you were to wait the season out and buy it on DVD. At $4.99, almost anyone would rather wait the season out and buy the DVDs (if you want to keep it legal) or they'll find the torrents for the show.
  • MagicCake, on 10/10/2007, -14/+1No way. Most people that use iTunes won't turn to torrents. They either don't know how or won't do it because they feel they're above it or are afraid. It's "piracy", remember? It's a joke to those that spend a lot of time on the internet, but it's a bad scary word for most people.
    • kbro, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1I am in the "above it" category.

      It is expensive to make an episode of "The Office". And I want Steve Carell to get his checks.
      • TheMadCow, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah Yeah, they spend money to make each episode. The show also would have been canceled within the first 4 airing if the ratings didn't perform as NBC wanted. That being a given assumption, let's look at the revenue streams:

        1 - Show Sponsors
        2 - Halo support that this show offers to the other shows, in terms of ratings and sponsorship dollars for their other timeslots when the execs are selling to the affiliates. This is soft money that is actually being generated on the "juice" the show in question. It's actually making money for the other timeslots.
        3. DVD Season releases.
        4. Syndication: This is the cash cow for the Studios. This makes back everything that was spent to produce the series. Example: Seinfeld & Friends. These two shows had some huge salary pays for each episode. But, you know, I'm pretty darn sure that with syndication alone, they've covered their nut for each of these already.
        4. Internet/Interactive content.
        5. iTunes Store.

        As you can see, NBC is just being greedy and is running scared because of the digital age. Apple is currently their best chance to leverage the sales of online content at a price point that actually makes it (mostly it does, I wouldn't drop a dime on The Office - that's just my preference) easier to get the legally that would be to go download it. It balances a reasonable DRM and a fair cost. What they don't like is that Apple is now the 600lb gorilla and that gorilla favors the end consumer over the Studios and can call the shots. Of course they're free to walk, but it's a game of chicken that they can't win.
  • SquigglyP, on 10/10/2007, -1/+43Anyone else expecting a photo of a TV?
  • kbro, on 10/10/2007, -23/+2NBC is not charging $4.99 an episode -- Apple is.

    Does anyone know how much Apple would be paying per episode? I like Apple products, but Apple is doing a great job of distorting reality on this in order to get better rates from NBC.
    • ideapower, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7They said the wholesale price was more than doubling per NBC. Anyway, it's NBC that would be forcing Apple's hand to sell them for $4.99 because of this, so you're only partially right.
    • astrosmash, on 10/10/2007, -0/+33 dollars more than they're paying now.
    • elipabst, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4NBC was trying to force Apple to raise the price from $1.99 up to $4.99. Apple balked which was why NBC backed out. Technically Apple is the one doing the charging, but they're forced to charge whatever the content provider (NBC) wants. Frankly I give Apple props for not agreeing to give its customers the shaft.
  • Dilz, on 10/10/2007, -6/+3detro1tjok3r -

    You should know that language is in constant change. Simply because you're supposed to "seed" a torrent doesn't preclude "torrent" from becoming the verb through inevitable simplification.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbification
    • astrosmash, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3I like how you wiki'ed your comment.
      • carbonhazard, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Wiki is 100% factual, give him credit for knowing where to look.
  • iamdiggenit, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4What a stupid move by the network that came in # 4 in ratings!
  • ocharry, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2lol at the most seeded torrents section...
  • insomniac8400, on 10/10/2007, -20/+2This has to be a ploy. No company that was demanding 5 dollars an episode is going to turn around and offer them for free. In a few months they will be charging.
  • goodgame, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3insomniac8400 - Do you think this is serious? LOL.
    • Hybred1234, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I think you're just about as dumb as he is.
    • ZigVicious, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1do you think he's trying to reply to someone?
  • saga, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4it should be free! it's freaking re-runs!
  • Heilige, on 10/10/2007, -6/+1Easy fix to the whole thing.. JUST DON'T WATCH THEIR STUFF ANYMORE
  • TheMadCow, on 10/10/2007, -8/+2Got a snicker for the Photoshop redo of iTunes. Buried because it shouldn't BE on the front page.
  • merrymaker, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I think NBC is being tricksie. I think they are trying to increase the perceived value of their programs. It's like when you buy a car or a box of cereal. One cost more, one cost less, which is better? And/or, they are trying to get people to actually watch at the given time and therefore see the adds.
  • LoganT, on 10/10/2007, -7/+2Wait, why the ***** is everyone talking about this as if it's not photoshopped?
    • natch, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Same reason people say "game over" when the clock is still running but the outcome is obvious. Same reason people say "I'm there, dude" when they really mean they intend to go somewhere. It's a vision of the future that is, with obvious near 100% certainty, going to be real very, very soon. Just a manner of speaking.
    • carbonhazard, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Wait that's a shop? OH SHI-
  • errdayimhustln, on 10/10/2007, -5/+0nbc sucks who cares
  • indiepenguins, on 10/10/2007, -1/+18This is so ***** stupid. I pay 4.99 a MONTH for HBO. That is, about 10 channels, including one in HD, and HBO OnDemand. Thats all the HBO I can watch with no commercials either. No way would I ever pay $4.99 for one 22 minute show.
  • prisoner24601, on 10/10/2007, -1/+16My perspective on this is almost as a "neutral outside observer" because I don't watch The Office, I don't use torrents, and I don't use iTunes. NBC and Apple having this spat, and if/when it ever gets resolved will have basically no impact on my life whatsoever, so I really am an almost completely disinterested third party on this subject.

    So having said that, I see this as probably about the most idiotic mistake NBC could have possibly made. The massive number of "I think I'll just torrent this" / "where do I get torrents?" / "here's my favorite torrent client" comments here should just scare NBC (and the other networks) to death. This is unquestionably the most damaging event in the industry's overall efforts to develop a stable base of repeat and paying content purchasers in many months. That NBC could have blundered this badly stuns me. The notion that people will pay more that $2 is absurd. The notion that they will be willing to use more than one interface is absurd. (Imagine having to have one account with NBC on their site, another on ABC, another... etc. Laughable!) What's amazing is how NBC has managed to pick the core group of the exact online users they were hoping to have (paying consumers) and directly convert them to exactly what they DON'T want (pirates) in one fell swoop! It's like watching a train wreck...
  • reed311, on 10/10/2007, -13/+3As if you kids were actually buying them off iTunes anyways. You would be stealing them regardless if they were 1.99 or 4.99. Don't lie.
    • prisoner24601, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8Your response seems to be exactly what NBC execs were saying in some boardroom about this. "People who are honest will pay, and people who are dishonest will pirate" as if it were a Boolean argument.

      It's a continuum. There's a large pool of people who say "if it's easy, and it's reasonably priced, I'll buy it." Make it hard, and you lose some. Make it expensive and you lose some more. Make it very expensive and you lose many. No one at NBC ought to be consoling themselves with "well pirates pirate and that's all pirates do" as if charging $20.00 per episode and having that flop is evidence that "no one is willing to buy content at a reasonable price." Because that's NOT a reasonable price. $2.00 was probably pushing the limit in the first place.
    • DCUK, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6It's not stealing you stupid *****. Copyright Infringement != Stealing
  • bshock, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Assuming you're sufficiently brain-damaged and unambitious enough to watch network tv, it's questionable whether you actually have the intelligence to operate a computer.

    But even if you use computers and still want to watch the condescendingly mindless garbage that network television excretes, you can't possibly be foolish enough to use a network television-sanctioned interface for it.
  • addicted68098, on 10/10/2007, -3/+41. I believe IP holders have the right to do whatever they want with their IP
    2. Nobody is going to pay $5 for one 22min show
    • Terc, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4That may just be the least insightful comment of the day.
    • natch, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2>I believe IP holders have the right to do whatever they want with their IP

      Sorry, that's just plain dumb.

      Let's say I hold the trademark to the phrase "Hey! Fire!"

      I don't have the right to yell my trademarked slogan in a crowded theater, even if I want to.

      Let's say I hold the patent on a life-saving drug.

      Now according to you, I have the right to do whatever I want with that IP. That could include withholding the drug from Mormons, children of interracial parents, and libertarians.

      I don't think IP holders have that right.

      >Nobody is going to pay $5 for one 22min show

      Thank you, Captain Obvious, on this at least we agree.
      • adamruth, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1"I don't have the right to yell my trademarked slogan in a crowded theater, even if I want to."
        What if there's a fire?
  • brian69420, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Be carefull, I got a letter from Comcast stating that someone from NBC caught me downloading their TV shows. Be carefull of certain trackers that contain eztv in them. Also don't dl torrents from http://www.sharetv.org. You've been warned.
  • Rcreveli, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I manage the digital end of a printing company. Sometimes I have to work 2nd or 3rd shift to get a job done. Often this entails sitting around while the machine churns out books. It's at these times that I was happy that I bought the season pass for heroes from iTunes. I could watch it anytime I had my ipod or laptop. I will not be getting this season. I may not even watch it. I am not on NBC's schedule they are on mine
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