NBC.com today announced the launch of its new service, “NBC Direct,” which will allow users to download and view NBC’s primetime and late-night entertainment programming on their desktops for up to one week after broadcast. The announcement was made by Vivi Zigler, Executive Vice President, NBC Digital Entertainment.
“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 consumer their favorite entertainment,” said Zigler in the press release. “Not only does this feature give them more control, but it also gives them a higher quality video experience.”
Mac users ignored
The first version of this new feature, which will begin beta testing in October, will allow users to download full length episodes for viewing on Windows based PCs. Each original episode will be licensed to users for viewing through “NBC Direct” for one week following broadcast and will then expire. The downloaded file will provide users with an improved overall viewing experience compared to traditional streaming video. The list of programs available at launch will include “Heroes,” “The Office,” “Life,” “Bionic Woman,” “30 Rock,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
NBC: “Must DRM TV”
Later in the beta launch, users will be provided the free subscription option that will allow them to pre-select their favorite NBC programs they want to watch. Those shows will be automatically delivered to their computers as soon as they are available after the original broadcast. The downloadable player will also have filtering technology, which will prevent it from playing any stolen copyrighted material.
Future Mac support promised
Future versions of “NBC Direct,” which will roll out over the next several months, will provide expanded platform functionality and will allow DRM (“digital rights management”) protected versions of its programs to be downloaded to Macs and portable devices in addition to PCs. NBC.com plans future enhancements such as high-resolution versions of programming made available via a closed P2P (“peer to peer”) distribution network. Using closed P2P will ensure that the maximum number of users will be able to view consistent, high-quality content directly from their desktops. Later in 2008, NBC.com plans to offer other business models for downloaded content in order to provide its users multiple options to consume their NBC programs. These paid business models may include download-to-own, rental and subscription.
Visiting NBC Universal’s site with an Apple Mac currently generates the error message that reads, in part, “We’re Sorry the requested download is unavailable. Downloads are only available to users located in the United States that have a Microsoft operating system and Internet Explorer web browser.”
MacDailyNews Note: NBC shows currently remain on Apple’s iTunes Store pending the results of ongoing, publicly-contentious negotiations.
“…which will allow users to download and view NBC’s primetime and late-night entertainment programming on their desktops for up to one week after broadcast. …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 consumer their favorite entertainment,”
Man, these fuckheads are really out to prove that they are fuckheads. Let’s see, consumers have VCRs and DVRs which can record the shows such that they do not expire and allow fast-forwarding over commercials, so somehow this service, which expires after a week and will force you to watch the commercials is a viable alternative?!?! WTF?
Oh, yeah!! It’s better than streaming! Wow. Having a friend mime the show is better than streaming. Rebroadcasting the show black and white at 3 am is better than streaming.
Acknowledge? Right. This is like acknowledging a broken leg with an aspirin.
I don’t see why NBC could not have simply launched this site as an alternative to iTunes while maintaining the iTunes deal. If their new model is so great the viewership would make use of it, while those with a need for portability could still drive additional revenue via iTunes. So they couldn’t get Steve to go for $5 an episode, but now they’ll get nothing. How does that make sense. I doubt that advertisers willing to support their web project had an issue with the content also being sold on iTunes. Instead of opening more channels for profitability they are closing a proven channel while gambling on a model that has no past history of success. Shareholders where are you?
@Spark
Well let’s see, there’s real money, then there’s Monopoly money, then there’s MS money.
Finally, a TV show download program created just for meeee!
You can see where this is going. Free episodes until they’ve established a sizable user base. 12 months later, NBC announces a ‘restructured’ NBC Direct program to better service the individual needs of their users:
“Now, get unlimited free episodes (still only playable for 1 week) with your $12.95 yearly subscription to NBC Direct. Or, upgrade to commercial-free* episodes (again, only playable for 1 week) for just $18.95 per year. Download, hi res HDTV-capable video episodes for just $2.99 per episode ($29.95 for a show’s full season) with your $15.95 annual subscription.”
Subscribers will also benefit from loads of spam from NBC Direct promoting other great NBC shows you’re not gonna want to miss PLUS links to cast interviews, deleted scenes, and special subscriber-only sneak previews! Yay!
*Commercial-free, that is, for the length of the episode. NBC Direct reserves the right to place bumper ads before and after each episode purchased.
F–k NBC and the peacock they rode in on.
Zucker sucks as much as ‘Heroes’ rocks.
YES, and greedy too.
May they suffer lost money, lost ratings, and die in disgrace. Have a nice day!
Wooo Hooo Fellow Fanboy. NBC is TOAST!!!! They are finished!!!!!! The 2.3% of the world who run Macs can’t access their site. WOOOOO HOOOOO!!! How will they be able to sell anything when their site is only accessible to 97.7% of the world’s computers???? They’re FINISHED!!!! So is Universal Music!!! Wooooooo Hooooooo!!!!
Goooo Steve!!!!!!
Here’s hoping for a CW surge. I’d love to see NBC fall to 5th place. Bastards. Work something out with Apple, soon.
… dusting off the old Torrent software …
of NBC NEWS
just cancelled my daily DVR of your NBC network
be sure to tell your advertisers people who own macs have money to spend but will never see the product on NBC
they should partner with itunes and apple if they want to get my $$$$$ fu NBC fu NBC
How will they be able to sell anything when their site is only accessible to 97.7% of the world’s computers?
How will they be able to sell anything when their product is free? Hello, Bueller??
Dude, your cover is blown. You clearly work for MS.How will they be able to sell anything when their site is only accessible to 97.7% of the world’s computers?
How will they be able to sell anything when their product is free? Hello, Bueller??
Dude, your cover is blown. You clearly work for MS. Go back to making cute internal PowerPoint shows, or whatever it is you Redmondites do.
user base?
install base?
as far as New Computer sales are concerned they have a 20% base.
But that is quickly changing, this time next year, they could have 40%.. thats damn close to 50%!!
MDN magic word: Season (as in its the season for change)
@ tt
But that is quickly changing, this time next year, they could have 40%.. thats damn close to 50%!!
Wooooo Hoooooo, Fanboy, I agree!!! Maybe by next year Apple will have 60% of the world market!!!! Woooo Hooooo… Man tt, you really know your stuff!!!!!!! Why aren’t you a technology writer for a major news service????
Do ya think iWork will totally replace that Crappy MS Office by mid 2008 too!!!!! THIS IS HUGE!!!!!!!!! I say iWork will have at least 90% of the office market by 2009!!!! Woooo Hoooooo Macs will have the majority of the world’s market share in 6 months… (anybody who disagrees with that is a MS troll!!!!)
And ya know it’s true cause you read it here on MDN by a genius called TT!!!!
WOOOOOO HOOOOO STEVE…. MS is TOAST!!!!!!! I’m glad I come here to MDN!!! You guys tell the real story that the rest of the world don’t want to hear!!!!!
“…viewers want to be in control of how, when and where they consumer their favorite entertainment,” said Zigler…”
I consumer a lot of stuff.
MDN MW: “island” – there isn’t much to consumer on an island
ABC’s online player works great on the mac. They use a combination of flash, which I don’t love, and movenetworks video player. It streams in at 720p if your connection supports it. And I haven’t figured out a way to copy the video. There is not reason NBC coudn’t make this work on Mac also.
“”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 consumer their favorite entertainment,” “
By sidestepping the 75% of users of digital media device users who chose iPods.
Geniuses, these guys.
Magic Word: “will” as in “NBC will regret starting another failure based service that ignores Macs and iPods.”
This is not a rational decision. It smells of a vendetta against El Jobso. Good luck with that NBC. My bet is with the folks on Infinite Loop Way. Trying to control the public in a way that screws them eventually shows through.
For instance, today at work I tried to cut and past from an Adobe Acrobat file into a Word document. Not dice. All the formatting disappears. Now that Acrobat file had originally be created in Word. Adobe did not screw me and prevent me from importing to their product. M$ did though. Guess who I think are the A__ H___s?
But this service was soft launched about 7 months ago. I worked for the company that was doing it. The user experience will suck, the downloads will take forever, the DRM will get in the way, etc. etc. Nothing to see here, must be just some news to please the shareholders.
I guess they have a flash version too. http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/video/episodes.shtml
How weird.
I think the real action will happen when the independent writers, producers, etc, who sell their shows to NBC sue them over the lost revenues.
Apple launched the iTMS in Japan without Sony. Without the biggest music publisher in Japan. Within the week, Sony had a revolt on their hands, as the musicians on their label made it crystal clear that by keeping their records off the iTMS, they were failing their contractural obligations to make their best efforts to market their clients’ music.
As I recall, Sony only held out for about a month.
-jcr
“as far as New Computer sales are concerned they have a 20% base.”
Maybe on planet tt, on planet Earth they have about 3% worldwide share of sales.
“Man, these fuckheads are really out to prove that they are fuckheads. Let’s see, consumers have VCRs and DVRs which can record the shows such that they do not expire and allow fast-forwarding over commercials, so somehow this service, which expires after a week and will force you to watch the commercials is a viable alternative?!?! WTF?”
“DRM Sucks” hit it on the head with this comment. I have a hard time understanding how this is progress. If anything, this seems a step back in the user experience. Quite honestly, just using a VCR sounds more simple and more flexible for my viewing habits than this laughable scheme.
I can’t understand who would really fall for this.
windows may be 90% of the pc market, but more than half of those peecees are in the workplace and will never access NBCs site to watch tv.
I would say that my DVR solves this problem, however I never watch NBC so its not a problem.
Yawn…….
NBC has screwed up big time. Don’t they know that people prefer to pay for TV shows on iTunes rather than to watch them for free on their PCs?
I just went to nbcdirect.com and watched 30 Rock on my IBook. 9/19 10:30PM