OK, I was wrong, CBS won't be joining iTunes.
According to an article over on Yahoo!, an unnamed source within Google has informed The Wallstreet Journal that Google
is going to be making video content from both CBS and the NBA available for purchase from their video search, sometime
in the near future. Now, that was a lot of "maybes" and "I heard it from her who heard it from him
who....," but you get the picture. Regardless, I could still see this becoming a reality. CBS seemed to test the
waters last September when they released the entire premiere episode of Everybody Hates Chris for free in the search giant's video download
section. That doesn't mean I like it, though. First off, I don't like that Google is charging for content that just
strays too much from what they're about. Plus, I'd much rather have all of my content in one place ala iTunes or the newly launched (and Bill Gates endorsed) Vongo from Starz. That's just my two cents, but let
me know what you think.Google selling out (TV that is)
OK, I was wrong, CBS won't be joining iTunes.
According to an article over on Yahoo!, an unnamed source within Google has informed The Wallstreet Journal that Google
is going to be making video content from both CBS and the NBA available for purchase from their video search, sometime
in the near future. Now, that was a lot of "maybes" and "I heard it from her who heard it from him
who....," but you get the picture. Regardless, I could still see this becoming a reality. CBS seemed to test the
waters last September when they released the entire premiere episode of Everybody Hates Chris for free in the search giant's video download
section. That doesn't mean I like it, though. First off, I don't like that Google is charging for content that just
strays too much from what they're about. Plus, I'd much rather have all of my content in one place ala iTunes or the newly launched (and Bill Gates endorsed) Vongo from Starz. That's just my two cents, but let
me know what you think.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-05-2006 @ 1:14PM
Alan said...
I don't care how we get there, I just want to be able to cancel my cable. I agree a one stop shop for all my TV needs is nicer, but a handful stop shop is worth it if it gets the job done.
Reply
1-05-2006 @ 1:27PM
doc said...
Actually, what I would like to see is Google as another affiliate. For example, make the entire CBS schedule available via Google, complete with the national advertising and allow Google to inject their own advertising in place of the normal local adverts that we get. Give the viewers the content for free, and make the money on the advertising. It's an intriguing idea because you would need to log in with your Google account to download a show, and given the Google database that has tracked your likes and interests they could target the advertising much more effectively. The problem with the iTunes model of selling episodes for $2 just after they air is that it really isn't that much trouble to record the shows to VCR, DVR, or PC, so there is little incentive to actually purchase them at what amounts to a premium price.
Free, advertising supported, shows also help with the piracy boogieman. If I share an episode CSI with my pal in Alabama they are still getting the advertisements, and that is one download that Google/CBS doesn't have to pony up bandwidth for.
Reply
1-05-2006 @ 5:48PM
Zarquon said...
Getting all downloaded shows from one source, like iTunes, is convenient, but it doesn't encourage competition. Paying $2 per show is expensive compared to buying the whole season on DVD when it comes out; especially since the iTunes downloads aren't the right quality for watching on a TV screen. I'd like to see a model like A la carte cable, where I could subscribe to the shows I like and download full-size versions of them every week. There could be advertising too if that would sweeten the deal for the networks.
Reply