NBC ‘unboxes’ new plans for iTunes alternative
-
- September
- 5
When NBC pulls its content from Apple’s iTunes Music Store in December, as the two feuding conglomerates announced this week, it’s hard to imagine what’ll be left at the iPod content portal. That’s because Peacock-generated content seemingly dominates iTunes’s video offerings.
Chances of their divorce turning out to be mere bluff and bluster seem dim, especially now that NBC is touting a new partner outlet for its popularly downloaded shows.
According to a press release, “TV content from NBC Universal is now available on Amazon Unbox, Amazon.com’s digital video download service. Amazon Unbox and NBC Universal are offering customers a variety of content packages, including up to 30 percent off when purchasing full seasons of their favorite TV series. ”
Shows already available include The Office, Heroes and 30 Rock. Beginning Sept. 10, Unbox customers can get free downloads of the pilot episodes of Bionic Woman, Chuck, Journeyman and Life, before they air. New episodes will be available the day after they air, but complete seasons won’t be available until the season concludes, according to the release.
NBC isn’t saying yet what the price per video will be. That was a major sticking point with iTunes, whose reps have said NBC wanted to charge as much as $4.99 for a single episode download. NBC has denied the claim.
Additional shows from NBC Universal’s networks  including Bravo, Sci Fi, and USA  will be added to Amazon Unbox regularly. Amazon Unbox has offered movies from Universal Pictures, Rogue Pictures and Focus Features since September 2006.
I suspect Unbox videos won’t play on my iPod.
Not to leave you too bummed out, here’s an awesome 30 Rock preview video Jane Krakowski gave TVGuide.com.
(Screen captures are of the Unbox, Apple iPod and NBC Web sites.)
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, September 5th, 2007 at 1:19 pm by Brian Howard.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print
| 
Email
