Paid TV online?

[Andrew Green]

Music & MP3's made it big on computers, downloading songs off the internet through peer to peer services and online music stores (itunes, allofmp3, etc) has kicked its way into the mainstream despite heavy resistance from parts of the industry.

Is TV to follow?

Would you pay a few $$'s to download your favorite shows legally rather then pay the cable company to show them?

Advantages are obviously being able to watch what you want, when you want. Commercials? either non-existant, fast forwardable or some other system gets introduced.

I could see a subscription service where you subscribe to a series and episodes are automatically downloaded in the background as they are released. When done it gives you a message that it is either ready too watch or burn to disc.

Would you go for it rather then traditional tv? Instead of a flat monthly fee perhaps you pay $30 for season xx of the simpsons, or $5 / individual episode if you don't get the season. As it is released it is downloaded to your system.

Providing the set up was DRM free this type of setup would likely end my tv subscription right there...

 

[Ping898]

Actually you can already do this on several sites, download a per episode thing for a few $$ after the show has been broadcast on TV, from sites like Amazon.com and iTunes. Also some shows are available online for free for you to watch after they broadcast, like Heroes, Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy from the website for whatever station they play on. That said, I haven't bought any episodes online and am not likely too, cost-wise my satalitte is cheaper. If that changes over time, like if I am interested in less shows, I might be more willing to buy online especially if I get a set up where I can buy online, but still watch it on my TV....

 

[Andrew Green]

I learn new stuff

Guess I got to pay more attention to those sites, looks like a good start, I think I may be giving Amazon a try...

Anyone try this? does the DRM (looks like there is one) allow you to burn it to DVD?

 

[Andrew Green]

Well, I answered my own question, from the faq:

Can I make a DVD from my Amazon Unbox downloads?

You can store your downloaded files on a DVD or other removable computer storage device for the purpose of backup in the same format as the original files. However, any DVDs that you burn with Amazon Unbox files will not be readable by a DVD player. You can only view the files using Amazon Unbox installed on the computer that originally received the downloads..

looks like iTunes is the same idea, lower quality, locked into there player. So, I will stick to my claim, when someone does this right, meaning in a useful way that doesn't lock me into one player only and prevent me from being able to ever play it on a DVD player, I'll likely surrender my cable service.

What I don't get is who thought this would be a good idea?

No one is going to pay to download something that is of lesser quality and has a ton of restrictions and limitations when they can download a free copy of higher quality that they can do what they want with, regardless of the legal issues.