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Daily DigVid Review: Why NBC really went with Zune
May 7, 2008
NBC Universal went with Microsoft and Zune to sell TV shows because Microsoft is willing to include software that will keep the Zune from playing any video that’s unlawfully gathered, reports the NY Times. That means if you downloaded the latest episode of Heroes on BitTorrent and didn’t pay for it, the Zune won’t let you play it. Apparently, Apple wasn’t willing to offer similar concessions (or flexibility on per-episode prices) so NBC U picked up its toys and went home.
I have close hacker friends that may call me a corporate shill and then stop speaking to me entirely for admitting this but I don’t see why media companies should put up with their content being downloaded for free and played illegally. An episode of TV is expensive to produce, and media companies, like all other companies, are in business to make money. If consumers get their content for free, then they don’t make money and they go out of business. If they go out of business, we consumers don’t get any content. See how it works? Consumers have grown to believe that content comes free because advertisers have footed the bill for so long, but if people want commercial-free, on-demand programs, they may have to ante up a little cash. Sorry all my beloved hacker friends, I just think that’s fair.
CNN.com has entered a co-marketing and content alliance with personalized news aggregator Mixx.com (think customized Digg.com) to give consumers an easy way to add CNN.com headlines to their Mixx pages. Visitors to CNN’s site just need to click the Mixx link to add the story to their page. Mixx is a cool enough idea but I already have so much news coming at me – personalized, aggregated or otherwise – I’m not sure I can remember to go to another source. And Mixx has a ways to go before it equals the breadth and depth of Digg and other aggregators.
Finally, if you care deeply and want to read every possible detail about the cratered Microsoft-Yahoo! deal, go to Kara Swisher’s VERY COMPREHENSIVE blog, All Things Digital.
Posted by Paige Albiniak on May 7, 2008 | Comments (0)
