NBC will offer TV shows for free
A small revolution in the anti-piracy world has just started: NBC will start offering limited free downloads of shows such as “Heroes” and “The Office” as part of its bid to expand the digital distribution of its programs and compete with Apple Inc.’s iTunes Store, the network announced Wednesday. The new service, dubbed “NBC Direct,” will allow users to download episodes to computers running Microsoft Windows software for up to a week after the show has aired on television. The file will contain embedded advertising that cannot be skipped. Seven days after the episode’s TV debut, the digital file will expire.
The new service will launch in a test version in October and be expanded in coming months to let users subscribe to shows and download them automatically. Upcoming versions to be introduced by year’s end will also allow viewers to move the file to a portable viewing device or watch them on a Mac computer. High-definition shows will eventually be available through peer-to-peer technology, which will speed the download of larger files, NBC said. A special software player with filtering technology will prevent users from playing illegally downloaded videos. Other programs that will be available at launch include “Life,” “Bionic Woman,” “30 Rock,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Respect for NBC!
Source: AP
Comments(30)
NBC = RETARDED…
iTunes was one thing for the occasional show… it worked in my iPod…
Fuck that though… Scene releases FTW…
i dont understand why networks dont air shoes on the internet before it would be aired on TV and have their advertisements embedded into the movies they are streaming — that way tits a pretty much win win for them!!
Great news. Any information if this will be for US users only (not that it would stop anyone, but make it would be a bit more “work”)?
Anyone know when “heroes” season 2 is coming?
I wonder how long it’ll take to crack this system?
…and yes, it will be usa only.
If they released em in normal video format (xvid/avi) then people would just wait for… The proper, where someone just cuts the ads out and lowers the file size by 20% or so.
Still, scene released are better than this. I don’t want to watch ads >_
Heroes Season 2 is next week:
http://next-episode.net/Heroes/show/276/overview.html
Thanks aquilina, apreciated.
props to NBC for attempting to come to some sort of truce with the internet pirates, its a smart move but like most of the people in the scene, we will still want more (no ads smaller files) and in the end will probably fail, however its nice to see a media company take some proactive action instead of just suing everyone.
This of course is the dumbest idea ever – When itunes sold the files online NBC got revenue from the files.
No one had to suffer through adverts and you could keep it and watch it as much as you liked.
If you wanted to collect them all online rather than buy the dvd at a later date you could – then watch through your mac or your iTV player or whatever its called now.
This is backwards thinking.
Its like having tv on demand but under the network control to expose you to adverts of what they want to sell you.
The idea being eventually when the dvd comes out you will buy the show anyway or have too cos your file shelf life will have run out.
They can then charge what they like for anything they sell on dvd. It wont be cheaper thats for sure but it will be under NBC control.
Digital storage is the future – not cumbersome dvds everywhere – they dont get this and more fool them.
When the NBC shows used to be sold for use on Macs mainly through iTunes.
All this will do is cut all the iTunes buyers off the market for NBC show and that is just dumb.
Giving it away for free this isnt!
its a delayed watching system under control by microsoft windows.
Of course not living in the US this doesnt affect me but i can see how stupid it is of NBC to somehow think they are being clever or cool – or try to look like they are.
They are not – they are stopping their own income from the shows they want to sell and advertise.
This wont stop pirating of shows in fact it will probably increase torrent downloads.
Torrents
Free versions with no ads you can keep.
iTunes
Versions for NBC sell with no ads you can keep.
NBC new
Free versions with ads that have a time limit.
Some genius at NBC thought this was a great idea?
Wait for the backlash when they realize how much they are loosing.
Increase viewers (windows)
Decrease piracy (download it for free from NBC? why not?)
Increase revenue (advertisers, itunes didn’t make them much money)
Make me happy (no more out of sync files, propers, nukes, blablabla)
This is a good idea. Accept the goodness. And digital storage IS the future, but I filled up my 250GB external with High Definition movies. So should I burn them or go buy another Hard Drive, Skeev? Dur.
I don’t see how this stops piracy, and who the hell give a crap about pirating tv shows, I pay $120 a month for cable, so what is the difference if I record it onto a DVR and skip the commercials or download a copy with commercials cut. Plus. NBC really isn’t a “premium” channel, hell, you can pick it up in full HD with an antenna.. Showtime I can see.. The ONLY reason they would need to curb piracy is to stop people from getting the show before it airs in their respective country. Yet, come on, the amount of TV pirates is pretty low, it is just plain stupidity to counter it.
“Fuck you, you’re not from the US”
That’s what I got when trying to watch “30 rock”
Oh well…
well its a windows media file so fairuse4WM might work. ( youll prob have to use the latest most recent one with the vista fix) and then it is undrmed,then cut out ads and boom. Free, ad supported shows wont beat scene releases but for people who dont wanna mess with torrent or whatever then having these area nice option, heck you could sit in your office at work and watch ‘em then goto the water cooler and be part of the conversation about whatever dumb show. I still prefer the xvid hd tv rips for my tv shows, its a damn shame the hdtv rips almost always have lower third graphics cuz they are higher quality (same file size though) as most dvd rips.
Why ‘o why they have to make everything so god damn complicated.
Keep the adds but release as regular .avi torrent in mininova for example, and NO, people would NOT wait for pirated PROPER if there would be legit alternative…
But its not because it would be legit but because it would be the first torrent available.
After all, we are the most important target audience for almost every single tv-show there is
Anyway, its still nice to see that not every studio is afraid of the internet
I don’t understand why NBC, or any network for that matter, subtitles their shows on TV but not on the net! Why? What about your deaf/hard of hearing audience? Thanks a lot!
Expires after a week?! pffft!!
Ads that can’t be skipped through?! Gimme a break!!
Why the hell do they think I cancelled my cable TV subscription in the first place? If this were to become the only option for downloadable TV shows I’d actually stop downloading them and just get my cable back – at least I can change the damn channel for a few minutes to make the commercials more tollerable. Where’s the benifit of downloading the episode if it’s even MORE limited than what you can get from basic cable?!
Just another example of the consumer demonstrating interest in buying a car, and the corporate buddy-system answers with offering them a cardboard box. That’s a good enough “compromise” in their eyes.
And the funniest thing of it all is that you’ll likely find a lot of (American) idiots who actually think this is a good fu**ing idea!!! ROFL.
the ads does not matter, what nullifies their attempts is their moronic fear that allowing WORLDWIDE DOWNLOADS would somehow affect the ability to sell series to foreign TVchannels
US downloads are very small percentage of total p2p traffic
@18: I agree with that.
This seems like a good idea. Sure, most people who are used to pirate their shows will still do so. However, this could be seen like a way to make sure you don’t penalize people who don’t pirate but wants to watch an episode they missed.
Wow that is such a great idea. I will defiantly check it out. If the advertising is to obtrusive then i will go back to pirating but if it’s good then heck i would download those versions of the shows.
Wow that is such a great idea. I will defiantly check it out. If the advertising is to obtrusive then i will go back to pirating but if it’s good then heck i would download those versions of the shows. FINALLY one of the big TV studios got there heads out of there asses and realized a good way to monetize free downloaded shows.
All you guys here bashing this move have to understand one thing: This is NOT meant to target YOU. You (and I) engage in piracy because we want free premium content with zero restrictions. Chances are, most of us will never go back to anything that even remotely gives the network money or control. We are pirates and users of piracy for life. This is targeted towards the %98 of viewers that watch shows on their TV and are looking for ways to take their TV with them, so to speak. Whether this is a move in the right direction does not matter; they are not playing on our board nor do they have a reason too.
Way to take a cue from Showcase a year after they do… You have been able to download entire episodes of Showcase series (Trailer Park Boys, Billable Hours) for quite some time now.
Here’s a thought…What if this experiment fails?
How many more bad shows will be released just to cover the cost of this little experiment or even worse how many good shows will be canceled when this fails?
But then again does NBC have any shows that are worthwhile watching. I’m having a hard time to think of just one and I still don’t have a name to put here.
GAY idea.
Microsoft Windows = Required
…no thanks, to be honest like has already been said, best to just get them from release groups. probably be online quicker that way anyway.
I’ll stick to scene releases on torrents and IRC (and another *cough* place of which many here already know of so its not worth repeating here. hint: you have to pay for it), thank you.
BTW: PREAIRs FTW!!!
But yes, this will be good for people that don’t know shit about any of the above, and use sites like youtube and tvlinks peekvid, etc…
Which brilliant jackass thought of this?
(1) Windows only
=> As a Linux user…Yeah well, FUCK YOU NBC. (I’m sure Mac users will feel the same way).
(2) DRM’ed up the wazoo
=> No one likes this shit and yet you still use it! When are they gonna get it? No one wants DRM. (Ads are fine as they need to make money, but DRM’ing the content just sucks).
(3) File self deletes or expires?
=> You know what I call an application or file that self deletes or no longer functions correctly without user permission? Malware. But then again, if you use Windows, you should know the EULA says they can do this on YOUR system!
yep, once again stupidity prevails…windows only makes it unavailable to a lot of people who actually may want to use it and have the money (mac users that is), and forcing people to watch ads…good luck with that, most people who would like to watch tv on their computer actually do know about sites like piratebay.org and so on, at least in europe, so i guess thats one reason they don’t offer it here.
I feel sorry for you, US residents, that you have to live in such a backwards country
“High-definition shows will eventually be available through peer-to-peer technology, which will speed the download of larger files,”
hehe .. as though that oesn’t exist now. XD