[ffejnosliw]

Looks like Apple is trying to rope the TV networks into allowing them to provide access to all their TV shows for $30/month. I am conflicted on this, but perhaps only because there are almost no details and no networks have agreed. For me to even consider it, every network and every show must be available on it. Also, the shows better be available at the same time they air over cable. I'm not waiting a day to watch something if I am home when it airs. Basically I want a service where I can watch shows when they are supposed to be on or I can watch them later if I miss them. You provide that for $30/month and I will tell Comcast to go...ummm...well, you know.

Good luck getting NBC on board with this though...remember that whole Comcast looking to buy a majority of shares of NBC Universal story from not too long ago? Yeah, I doubt Comcast would let NBC shows be part of a subscription service that would directly compete with their cable business.


Read on:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/02/a...-the-networks/

[Paul Holm]

LOL, I wouldn't get your hopes up too high Jeff. Not @ $30/month anyway.If that service existed it would kill the cable industry. Heck the cable systems don't even offer those services now.

[ffejnosliw]

Comcast actually has a fairly good VOD selection so they do provide something similar to this. They just don't have every show of every network available...and it isn't anywhere near $30/month of course. My point is for it to be worth $30/month to me it has to be more than just access to TV shows after the fact. I might pay $10/month for that...but only if Hulu didn't already exist because I can get almost every show I care about on there for free. I'm not just handing my money out to people unless they provide me with something of real value.

[Paul Holm]

Eventually it will an ubiquitous "on demand" world. It's just inevitable. The only question is how much are we willing to pay for it? The appleTV will not be able to offer all the content of the cable companies(which are probably the same that are providing the bandwidth to a allow apple to stream said content) for less than big cable is already charging. It just can't happen. Now if Apple were to say, offer an "all you can eat" deal from the iTunes video store, that could be interesting.

[~Hazdaz~]

If this turns into more of an alternative for Cable TV, then it sounds like a great deal... getting anything but the most basic cable plan around here is gonna put you in the $50/mo neighborhood.. and it skyrockets from there.

(there is the extremely low-end plan which is only $15/mo, but it's basically the same local stations that you could get free with a DTV converter box and a set of rabbit ears).

But if this is more of just a DVR-on-steroids or simply an alternative to Hulu or downloading torrents of TV shows, then it's way over-priced. Then again, Hulu is turning into a pay-service come 2010, so who knows how much they are going to try charging for that.

[Locutus]

Originally Posted by ~Hazdaz~

Then again, Hulu is turning into a pay-service come 2010, so who knows how much they are going to try charging for that.

I don't believe that has been confirmed yet.