“Such deals would be a coup for Apple, which failed to convince content owners to slash rates for the sale of TV programmes ahead of the iPad launch this year,” Li reports. “It also failed to secure the creation of a subscription service, which would have offered top shows through the iPad for a monthly fee.”
Li continues, “A broad array of content owners including CBS and pay-TV networks such as Time Warner’s Turner have also resisted the TV plan in its current configuration. Apple will offer TV show rentals 24 hours after their initial airing and make them available for 48 hours after a customer starts playing the download. The launch of TV rentals will coincide with the introduction of the latest Apple TV device on September 7.”
MacDailyNews Take: He probably means September 1st, not 7th. See: Apple to hold special media event on September 1st – August 25, 2010
Li continues, “[The new Apple TV device] is expected to significantly improve on earlier models by running software applications such as video games made for Apple’s iPhone and iPad, a person familiar with the plans said.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The move to iOS and App Store compatibility sound a hell of a lot more compelling than do the 99-cent day-old 48-hour-timebomb rentals as described above and elsewhere. Hopefully, there’s something more on the content end that will be revealed on September 1, but iOS and App Store compatibility will be more than enough to seal the deal regardless.
For .99¢ one can at least keep a song. Rent, bah. Cable, bah. Pay for something that expires? Bah. Rather buy something permanent.
Versus a $40 or $50 cable bill, I’d pay .99 cents for the few shows I like. Who cares if they expire? Normal cable/over-the-air TV isn’t permanent either.
iOS…App Store compatibility…my next flat panel TV better have an accelerometer!
How would you play games on the tv? use your iphone/iPad as a control device? Will it offer multiplayer like a Wii?
Built in DVR to record the rental for repeat viewing if desired or view when convenient …
I thought ownership of TV shows would be my preference, but I keep deleting the shows that I’ve purchased from iTunes. Two schools of thought… 1) I probably won’t watch them again, so why keep them around?… and 2) if I really did want to watch them again, I will just pay the $1.99 price since I want to live my life with affluence and not be cheap.
No streaming of live events such as news and most watched – sports – makes this a non-event solution.
I’ll continue watching Burn Notice and any other such shows via online streaming sites.
As more and more TV’s start delivering easy ways to browse the web, and fewer people watch shows and content via the networks, that is when the networks will start to crack.
Only then will we be able to sign up for pay-per-view networks per month, etc…
My problem with this is the 2 day limit. I paid for it, I should be able to look at the show at my leisure.
Maybe that “7-inch” iPad is going to be a game controller ?
Why pay .99 when can download and keep forever thru torrents!
Sorry Apple and TV execs…but I can down load your content for FREE. And I WILL.
Simple Solution. I canceled my Cable TV and only pay for internet. If we all did that, then the studios would be more than happy to provide their content via download or streaming. The reason they “choose” to stick with cable is because we continue to “choose” to give them our money that way.
Just say no! Stop paying for cable TV. You’ll see how quickly they will change their mind and give us a product we are willing to pay for. Right now they ARE giving us what we are willing to pay for–Cable TV !
Agree with the last statement cancelled cable and download what I want when I want. Has turned out to be cheaper and I no longer watch mindless trash anymore Yes, that was my problem anyway but mow it is not there
Free vs .99 either u watch just 1 or2 tv shows uwin but how many watch 8 or 10 every week Free vs .99 u kidding me
lets do the math – cable for me was about 60/month. (not including the DVR – so not permanent and you had to watch on the networks schedule). So that is equal to 60 programs/month with the proposed new Apple pricing. That works out to 15 shows per week or about 2 shows every night. Overall sounds pretty good to me. Now only thing we will have to see is what networks will agree to this.
The only thing you don’t have access to is live sports via ESPN – not a big deal for me, although this will make it a no go for many people.
one other thing – I get local programming free OTA – so I am not missing any of the local network stuff.
Eff DVR capability if I can order what I want on demand and watch whenever.
99c rentals is exactly what I want, but they also need to step up the offerings.
I don’t really care about iOS games or apps on iTV, but I can see the appeal for others.