Each episode will cost £1.89 (about $4), and will be made available online eight days after they’re broadcast.
For the life of me, I cannot understand why the local TV networks aren’t jumping up and down trying to get their programming online. Even if it means they just start with local productions and work out licensing for international programs later. Obviously the ABC does this already in the form of video podcasts (hurrah for Aunty), but by working together with someone like Apple, they could seriously create an extra income and reduce piracy in one swift movement.
In any case, judging by how long it took for the networks to agree for their EPG to be broadcast and how long Channel 7 took to let Foxtel rebroadcast their signal, we should have local programming online by about 2020. Hell, I’m being positive here.
David D.
February 19, 2008 at 1:29 PM
As long as they continue to ignore the factors that push people to pirate in the first place, the pirate will always find a way around whatever checks they put in place. OK, so there are some cheap bastards out there who would never pay for anything that will continue to rort the system but there are many who will buy the content as long as it is provided in a timely fashion (i.e. not 1 to 5 years after being available elsewhere) and at a reasonable price i.e. not 2 x the US price without justification.
The media companies have to join the 21st century and release content at the same time universally to remove the stupid region encoding of content. I would gladly pay a couple of bucks for an epsiode of a show rather than pay around $5 or more per episode when it eventually comes out on DVD some time down the track.
While iTunes is a big step in the right direction, the excessive cost compared to US and the fact that different catalogues are available in different countries is frustrating.
The TV studio schedulers also have a lot to answer for as well continuously moving shows around, breaking the schedule for a few weeks for seeming no reason, interleaving old and new episodes to stretch out the season.
Until they address these and the many other reasons people pirate, then the piracy will continue.
Report PermalinkMicky D
February 19, 2008 at 2:54 PM
While ABC has been providing downloads of their TV shows (ABC developed ones only that is, unfortunately none of the BBC shows), I noticed that channel ten is not only offering downloads of some episodes…there’s supposed to be some US shows as well (I only noticed supernatural, and haven’t really checked on the website either…)
It seems to be another step in the right direction, even if their “direct streaming” is still 3-4 weeks behind
Report PermalinkA nonny mouse
February 19, 2008 at 4:15 PM
The ABC is in fact developing a browser-based streaming media platform at the moment. I’m not sure whether this will replace the current video offerings of ABC shows, but it will provide a centralised way of browsing through various ABC programs. At the moment it has three ‘channels’: one which provides access to ABC shows(and maybe other stuff, like some BBC shows?) which have been broadcast on both ABC1 and ABC2; a sort of ‘documentary channel’; and one which shows previews of stuff available at ABC shops.
Report PermalinkI’m not sure how long it will be before it goes live, but it’s in beta testing at the moment. The best thing about it is that it’s flash based so it’s cross-platform. At the moment though, it’s only streaming, you can’t download the videos, so it’s not perfect – I dont know if this is going to change. So while this isn’t making stuff available in itunes (which I don’t like much any way because it locks you in to using itunes and an OS that will support it), I think it’s a big step towards alternate delivery of media.
Feral
February 19, 2008 at 4:47 PM
No reason why aussie content providers cant slap some advertising in free downloadables.. But I wont hold my breath for an affordable quality alternative either.
Report Permalinkzacislost
February 21, 2008 at 1:38 AM
Australia’s technological evolution is directly disproportional to the rate of international reporting on what were missing out on
Theres plenty of great ideas, but the wrong people in charge of implementing those ideas
Plus in relation to this matter, we basicaly only have 2,7,9,10,SBS
Britain and America have at least quadruple that many free to air channels – what’s motivating the backwards Australian TV networks to evolve ? They don’t have to, theyre making plenty of money as it is
Why change if im making this much money now
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