Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, Video
iTMS $1.99 price point shifting with new shows
In case you missed David's earlier post, there are some new shows on the iTMS, and along with them there would appear to be a bit more wiggle room with the pricing.Conan O'Brien is expensive! $27.94 for 6 episodes. That's much more expensive than the $1.99 we're used to paying for each download from the video section of the iTMS. The kicker? Only 2 of those episodes are longer than 15 minutes in length. The just over an hour long 10th Anniversary Special runs $9.99, as does The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Too high of a price point if you ask me. And $1.99 for under 15 minute clips?
Come on, Conan / NBC. You're not a music video, and you're not a Pixar short. Give us full, hour long episodes for $1.99 like everyone else, please. We're not buying at this price.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Victor Agreda, Jr. said 11:07AM on 12-06-2005
Not when you can get them for free on the interweb. Nice move NBC, you're going to prove Steve Jobs right. There IS a point at which people just won't buy. Now let's see songs go up to $1.99 a track. Although I seem to recall some people will pay upwards of $3 for a soda in some places...
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error said 11:16AM on 12-06-2005
How about $1,99 for 5.37 minutes of Jay Leno... Anyways, you can buy the Conan O'Brien '10th Anniversary Special' for $10 on a dvd. The iTunes Music Store just copied the dvd notes: "Bonus Features: Extra Comedy and Guest Footage, Bonus Remotes, Hidden 'Secrets' and Surprises"
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KissTheRing said 11:23AM on 12-06-2005
Right on, there is no way I'm paying $1.99 for a 12 minute clip
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Steven said 11:25AM on 12-06-2005
Freaking ridiculous.
$27.94 for 6 episodes = $4.65 an episode. That's WAY too much.
Get a clue you stupid TV execs.
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sterling said 11:25AM on 12-06-2005
This could a good thing. ABC's show will continue to sell well and NBC's will not. When the news sites start running stories about how ABC is killing NBC in the online TV download battle NBC will wise up. Then we'll not have to worry about some moron trying to gouge us for a year or two.
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John Laur said 12:25PM on 12-06-2005
Remember, 4 times the price, only 1/4 the number of people have to buy it for them to have the same gross sales (Really it's also net sales too since there is virtually no distribution cost).
However, I suspect they will sell significantly fewer than they expect even at this price.
Maybe if they were full-on HD resolution people would pay that much?
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buster said 12:42PM on 12-06-2005
Man, a one hour show for $1.99 with no commericals seems awfully cheap now that this has been introduced. I hope they are just testing the waters with this pricing scheme.
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Chris said 1:44PM on 12-06-2005
DirecTV is offering shows for 99 cents, beating the itunes price. Ofcourse, you cant keep for ever.
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Extensor said 1:56PM on 12-06-2005
Does anyone else think it's time to change the name from the iTune Music Store to the iTunes Media Store?
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dirk long said 2:19PM on 12-06-2005
Way to expensive!
NBC should offer "My Name is Earl" show!
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Metanaut said 3:10PM on 12-06-2005
It seems that NBC is experimenting in iPod video sales a little differently here than the others. The two videos in the Conan O'Brien library, "The 10th Anniversary Special", and "The Best Of Triumph", were in fact each released on their own DVD some time ago. They can be found in Amazon's inventory for $10.99 and $9.99, respectively.
Unlike the other offerings, these two Conan videos are more like "full products" (the first of their kind to be offered in the iTMS, with identical alternatives in the market) than "episodes" of a series (a fraction of the content on the DVD). And as presented this distinction is quite unclear. Maybe they need have different "sections" of the store for "episodes" and "shorts" on the one hand, and "DVD's" on the other...
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phi said 4:30PM on 12-06-2005
How come no one isn't whining that sitcoms that are half in length of dramas are going for the same price? I for one would raise hell on that too.
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rjcarr said 4:33PM on 12-06-2005
NBC isn't really gouging here ... the two specials they are selling for $10 on iTMS they also sell on DVD for nearly the same price.
Comparing this to LOST, at $2 an episode, for what 22 show, comes out to be $44, also about the price of the DVD set.
They are just pricing the iTMS close to the same as the DVD package costs. Argue this point, if you like, but don't call it price gouging as it is really the same thing as before.
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FogNvi said 4:41PM on 12-06-2005
Why should we buy these shows anyway? I'm pretty sure they are 320 by 240. That's not worth $2. That's tiny on my 1920 by 1200 screen. Full HD would be the only way I'd buy. You can't get HD on DVD yet. Most of these shows are available on DVD except for the current seasons.
What's up with the "partial season" under Battlestar Galactica Season 1?
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turnerm5 said 5:25PM on 12-06-2005
Oh, FogNvi, I'm so sorry that these little shows are so tiny on your GIANT ASS monitor. And I'm sorry that you will only be happy with full progressive HD, I am perfectly content watching a damn TV show on a little screen, after all it is just that, a damn TV show.
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Mikhail Swift said 5:58PM on 12-06-2005
turnerm5- 320x240 is tiny by any standards, unless being used on a video playing device such as the video ipod. I use 1280x1024, which is pretty much standard these days, and 320x240 just doesn't cut it, because when you maximize it, it gets all pixelated.
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Mike said 6:04PM on 12-06-2005
my thoughts here http://www.utopiaoverip.com/?p=99
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bob said 6:09PM on 12-06-2005
"What's up with the "partial season" under Battlestar Galactica Season 1?"
Nothing, you're just reading it wrong. Season 1 is complete. Season *2* is a "Partial Season" because the season isn't over yet. It continues in January.
Season 1 is quite complete. I have the DVD set sitting here on my desk and just verified it.
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Kyle said 7:08PM on 12-06-2005
That's horridly over priced.
Sorry NBC, no money is coming from me.
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FogNvi said 7:18PM on 12-06-2005
Ok, then there is a mistake in the store, because if you're looking at the Season II Episodes 1-10, Season I says,"
Battlestar Galactica, Season I
Category: TV Shows
Total Episodes: 13
Partial Season
".
I went to Amazon to see if the DVD's of Season I had 13 episodes and it did, but I was still confused. Now I'm not. Thanks, bob.
turnerm5, I have a 5th Gen iPod and I have no problem watching the tv shows on it small screen, but one of it's advertising ploys is being able to watch the shows on the computer or plugging the iPod into the TV and watch there. If 320 by 240 is the only size available then a computer or tv screen will not play the video to a quality worth $2 in my opinion. If you don't agree that's fine by me. I only want bigger and better for less money. I would think anyone would agree that is better.
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