RSS Feeds
Online
NBC Hooks Up With Netflix to Deliver More TV on Your PC
Posted by Matt Buchanan at 7:45 AM on November 30, 2007
NBC has become quite the digital distribution whore, like they broke up with their longtime lover and are slutting it up to make them jealous or something. Their latest partner is Netflix.com, where subscribers can watch Heroes eps the day after they air—the release curiously avoids the word "stream"—as well as past eps of 30 Rock, The Office and others. Okay, this might've been cool last year, or even a couple months ago, but nothing so far indicates how the Netflix deal is at all different from what you get on Hulu or NBC.com or NBC Direct, though the guess is that Netflixsters might be spared annoying ads.
It's not a bad deal, just a seemingly redundant one on NBC's part—how many sites do we need to be able to watch Heroes on? From the Netflix side, it's pretty good though—it gives them more content on the digital distribution front, which might entice eyeballs to it that might have otherwise not strayed in that direction. Moreover, it might draw other networks into a deal with them if it proves to be click-sticky.
That said, I wonder if Netflix realised when NBC promised them "exclusive subscription video-on-demand rights to [Heroes]" that it was already available at 76 other sites. Don't worry Netflix, it's not you, it's them. They just came out of a really rough divorce, and they're just not ready for a real commitment right now. [Variety via NewTeeVee]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Amuro
Posted 5:05 PM 29/11/07
Oh its not that good, the game was better. But you are right, prime time on monday night is a dead zone...
Amuro
blachole
Posted 5:01 PM 29/11/07
I have a NetFlix account and this has been available for awhile. I've watched the new episodes of Heroes on NetFlix and they are much faster and higher quality then what NBC.com or Hulu has and they are AD free.
blachole
NNTPgrip
Posted 4:47 PM 29/11/07
Thirded
NNTPgrip
Redwraithvienna
Posted 4:29 PM 29/11/07
@KriKit: I second that. Lazy americans press the journeyman button... i cant ... :(
Redwraithvienna
omg-ponies
Posted 4:01 PM 29/11/07
Sure, they're spared having to watch annoying ads, but they still are watching an annoying show.
omg-ponies
KriKit
Posted 3:55 PM 29/11/07
For the love of God people, please start watching Journeyman so it doesn't get canceled. It's the best thing on Mondays.
KriKit
color_guru
Posted 6:23 PM 29/11/07
The only thing they offer is Heroes?!? 30 rock and The Office are all last seasons, they don't have current seasons up, F that. I watch Heroes on tv in HD I want Journeyman and Life, thats what I want to watch online at work.
Confirmed: NBC streaming sucks.
color_guru
sonicwind
Posted 5:58 PM 29/11/07
Confirmed: the NetFlix quality is better than the NBC streamed version.
sonicwind
Andy S.
Posted 5:38 PM 29/11/07
Now if only the "Watch Now" service could be used through any browser other than IE. That alone is a show-stopper for me.
Andy S.
92BuickLeSabre
Posted 8:50 PM 29/11/07
@ghmlco:
"Oh hey NBC, what're you doing there?"
"Um...nothing."
"Really, it looks like maybe you're putting some music on your iPhone with the Starbucks WiFi."
"Um...no...well, I mean....damn it Apple. I miss you."
"Well, you know WHAT?!?!..*hangs head*...I miss....I miss you too NBC. I really do."
End Scene.
92BuickLeSabre
ghmlco
Posted 8:21 PM 29/11/07
Yes, NBC is acting like a jilted lover, but when do we get to act III, where NBC and Apple run into each other at the local Starbucks, start talking, and realize it was all just a horrible misunderstand?
ghmlco
AmishPhysicist
Posted 7:52 PM 29/11/07
Trying to watch anything on nbc.com via your browser hooked into your TV is such a pain. To make the ads worse, there's the unavoidable break outs of full screen which make you have to get up and click around again in order to get things back to full screen. Hella weak.
If the office had current eps up on Netflix, I'd definitely watch it there. But they don'y, so I"m sad. I guess that's one good thing about the writer's strick, I don't have to sit through the same two ads at every break on NBC.com. Target and fabreeze can crawl into a hole and die.
aaaand I'm spent.
AmishPhysicist
Bobby Bokista
Posted 9:40 PM 29/11/07
I'm wondering why this just got picked up as news today. This season's episodes of Heroes have been available on Netflix since the season premiere. I prefer to watch them there, as I don't have to watch any commercials and the quality is really good.
Bobby Bokista