Disney to offer shows online free

[Bierboy]

Story found here (http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/10/news/companies/disney.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes)

[ChuckyBox]

"In the future, consumers will rely more and more on strong brands to help them navigate the digital world, and we have some of the strongest brands in entertainment," said Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC television group. "Stay tuned ... because this is just the beginning."
Translation: "We desperately, desperately hope that in the future, consumers will rely more and more on strong brands to help them navigate the digital world, because otherwise we are seriously screwed. This whole "long tail" thing scares the crap out of us, and if someone like TiVo or Google comes up with a good individualized, preference-based search with Flickr-like collaborative tagging and rating, our cost structure is going to kill us."

[marksman]

Translation: "We desperately, desperately hope that in the future, consumers will rely more and more on strong brands to help them navigate the digital world, because otherwise we are seriously screwed. This whole "long tail" thing scares the crap out of us, and if someone like TiVo or Google comes up with a good individualized, preference-based search with Flickr-like collaborative tagging and rating, our cost structure is going to kill us."

Huh?

It is about the content, not the distribution of the content. Those with the content will rule the day, not those who have the coolest way to distribute it. We will eventually be at a point where all content is viewable on-demand. This is a step in that direction.

Perhaps some day Google will be soliciting original quality programming content, but until then the traditional channels that adapt are going to be the winners.

As for TiVo, on-demand is about the worst thing that can happen to PVRs. They are going to be the death nail for them eventually. People may use PVRs as an archival method, but the way they are used now will not be how they are used 10 years from now. Most people will have no need for a pvr when they can watch whatever show they want when they want to watch it.

[jmoak]

In '05 cbs offered streams and downloads of march madness for 20 bucks. Not much interest, not many takers.

In '06 cbs offered streams and downloads of march madness with unskippable commercials for free. One point three MILLION signed up for the service.

Now disney is getting on the boat.

Is the content industry finally waking up?

Will they do it right or kill us with never-ending commercials?

Only their hairdresser knows for sure.
;)

[MikeMar]

I have no problem having to watch commercials if it's free. If I have to pay, no commercials.

[MickeS]

I hope it's at least on par with the 720*480 XviD HDTV rips that are available of these shows. If it is, I'd be OK with being forced to watch commercials. Otherwise, I'll stick to the pirate copies.

[HDTiVo]

I hope it's at least on par with the 720*480 XviD HDTV rips that are available of these shows. If it is, I'd be OK with being forced to watch commercials. Otherwise, I'll stick to the pirate copies.
While its on demand, it may not be "On Demand Your Way" :eek:

[MickeS]

I guess not. Maybe their goal isn't to compete with the pirate rips, just to increase viewership of their shows and sell commercials. In that case, a substandard (compared to the often excellent pirate copies) product will probably suffice.

[ChuckyBox]

Huh?

It is about the content, not the distribution of the content.

Exactly. I'm talking about content and the ability to find it, not the distribution. The networks have been losing viewers for years, and that trend will continue as long tail content becomes increasingly available. How will Desperate Housewives, at $2 million per episode (or whatever it is) compete with a hundred niche shows that each cost far, far less? Will people really sit through thirteen minutes of ads per hour when 1) they can skip them completely with a DVR or 2) download shows whose cost structure allows them to make a profit on only 2 minutes of ads?

As for TiVo, on-demand is about the worst thing that can happen to PVRs. They are going to be the death nail for them eventually. People may use PVRs as an archival method, but the way they are used now will not be how they are used 10 years from now. Most people will have no need for a pvr when they can watch whatever show they want when they want to watch it.
That will only happen when bandwidth allows it, and that is a long way off for most people. In the meantime, the search-and-download model will be the likely winner. Finding content that is interesting to you, and of high quality, will be the key (because there is going to be a ton of content available), so personalized search, and collaborative tagging are going to be big factors in making this whole thing usable to the masses.

I do agree that the traditional PVR will have morphed into something quite different ten years from now.

IMHO. ;)

[cwoody222]

I hope it's at least on par with the 720*480 XviD HDTV rips that are available of these shows. If it is, I'd be OK with being forced to watch commercials. Otherwise, I'll stick to the pirate copies.

I wouldn't hold your breath on that.

Most consumers don't care (esp if it's free) and those files are awfully big.

[MickeS]

People may use PVRs as an archival method, but the way they are used now will not be how they are used 10 years from now. Most people will have no need for a pvr when they can watch whatever show they want when they want to watch it.

I agree with thise, but I wouldn't say that just because PVRs would only be used for archival purposes, they're somehow "old technology". Just look at streaming vs downloadable content on the internet. Streaming is fine for some things, but if you want to be sure that the movie, show or whatever is there next time you want to see it, you better save it. Things can be removed without notice. I imagine the same will be true for "on-demand PVR" media over cable. All of a sudden a lawsuit from someone can lead to the erasing a whole season of something you've saved...

[dswallow]

It would be better if they'd run the shows with no commercial interruptions but instead have an expanded screen showing their advertising side-by-side with the show; that'll increase exposure a lot and people who might otherwise find alternatives or try to FF over commercials would be exposed to them. Of course the typical commercial format of full screen video would have to change.

[HDTiVo]

Huh?

It is about the content, not the distribution of the content. Those with the content will rule the day, not those who have the coolest way to distribute it. We will eventually be at a point where all content is viewable on-demand. This is a step in that direction.

Perhaps some day Google will be soliciting original quality programming content, but until then the traditional channels that adapt are going to be the winners.

As for TiVo, on-demand is about the worst thing that can happen to PVRs. They are going to be the death nail for them eventually. People may use PVRs as an archival method, but the way they are used now will not be how they are used 10 years from now. Most people will have no need for a pvr when they can watch whatever show they want when they want to watch it.

There is a naive conception about the replacement of old-line content sources with new technology. You know - the way the internet completely replaced the daily newspaper, the weekly magazine, the book, television, radio, the telephone, Universities, paper, pencils, and pens... ;)

That's often associated with the idea that $50,000 shows can compete on a consistent and significant level with $2M shows, or that the producers of $2M content can't adjust themselves to produce $1M content to fit the new circumstances. Then there is the idea that viewership is being lost when it is acutally mostly being spread to affiliated channels.

Finally, in the end a small percentage of consumption goes to newer forms not coopted by incumbent players, but mostly is additive to the marketplace.

Regarding the PVR, it too will evolve into something else to fit the changing world...it already has started to. Whether TiVo will evolve it???