Sticking it to Apple’s iTunes: NBC to offer free downloads of shows
I don’t know if Apple can fire back at this: It seems NBC is going to start giving its shows away for download at no cost to the user.
The entertainment industry is beginning to learn the hard way that people want their content the way they want it, and if they don’t get that way, they’re going to get it illegally for free. NBC is finally shaping up to keep up with the time.
The service will offer shows like "Heroes", "The Office", "30 Rock", "Friday Night Lights", and more. Reasonably, the downloaded file will come tethered to DRM, expiring one week after the show’s initial broadcast on TV, so don’t be surprised if NBC sneaks an ad or two into your viewing experience. Although, if it means free, HD shows that I can watch on my own time legally, I wouldn’t mind a couple of quick commercials.
According to the press release, the beta, which takes advantage of a closed P2P distribution network, will launch in October, and currently it only works on Windows machines, with Mac and HD support coming soon.
It seems the tables have turned in the Apple/NBC bluff war with NBC coming out on top if this goes through along with NBC’s deal with Amazon. Now that NBC’s keeping up with the times, when will Apple catch up? Paying for DRM content is dead.
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October 2nd, 2007
How does that work? NBC complains that they are not making enough money through iTunes, then they go and give the contact away, for free… what`s the catch? or are they just stupid…