Comments on: What video iPod revolution?

Mashboxx founder Wayne Rosso says the studios know they need to revamp their business model--but they're not going to rush things.

[Roamerick]

Adoption may not be as slow as you may think

"BitTorrent really isn't that a huge concern because it still takes about a week to download a feature film" is about ar arcane a concept as the guilds' use of feet to measure video footage.

I don't know about the U.S, but with the average bropadband connection you can now get in the UK you're looking at a few hours, or a day at most, for a popular movie download in full high-resolution glory.

The reason why television programming is so well suited to the portable medium isn't because it's easier to download: it's because it'e easier to pick-up-and-drop, to watch in few minutes' bursts while waiting for a cab or sitting on the train.

In any case, the one-million plus videos sold through iTunes in its first 20 days of offering them is a sign that the adoption rate isn't as slow as you may think. In fact, recent announcements by AOL, NBC and Nickelodeon offering their own content for download would indicate the contrary: now that Apple and Disney have opened the floodgates everyone's jumping on the bandwagon, fearful of being left behind.

[revry]

They just don't get it.

Sure there have been and will continue to be portable video
players on the market. But NONE, repeat: NONE of them have
anything close to the coolness factor of the iPod (not to mention
ease of use).

You want to make a teen-age girl cry cry this Christmas? Give
her any portable player that ISN'T an iPod.

Want to sell MILLIONS of tv shows at a couple of bucks apiece?
Get them on the iTunes Music Store. It's quite simple. The
reduced file size & crystal clear video (on the iPod, at least),
makes it hard to resist downloading these shows on impulse.

Ask any grocer about impulse buying -- put cheap, small itmes
at the checkout counter -- make it EASY.

There's nothing like the lure of $$$$$ to make the networks
stand up and take notice. Getting the shows on iTunes is a no
brainer -- just between air date and DVD release.

Putting Gilligan's Island on AOL is not going to make the bucks
that throwing shows on iTunes will, and this much will be
obvious by January to anyone.
-=-Mister Ron-=-

[Thomas, David]

The Author ... FOS

Consumers don't give a rats -ss about the guilds, and especially
the commercials.

In addition, it seems to me the story was slanted pro-studio,
and anti-writer. Is not part of the video hold-up, NOT the
guilds, but rather the desire of the studio execs who think the
same business model applied to DVDs, and VHS should be
applied to digital format?!

This story has more spin on it than a eletro-magnetic
accelorator! The studios want to include the same trumped
up costs for distribution, manufacturing, promotions, packaging
etcs. on the digital media. Hell, they've even quoted that
everything is fine! After the "costs" are added into it, the
studios come up with a magical number that leaves the
remaining percentage of a "possible" net. If I was the guilds,
representing the authors, and performers of these materials, I'd
be stressed over the financial manipulation as well.

For those of you who are not getting this point. Digital media
has a zero, I repeat ZERO storage, reproduction, and delivery
costs. Consumers are clamoring for content WITHOUT the
damn commercials, and other crap they have to swallow.

So what is the authors beef about?! I think he's trying to spin a
new topic, after Apple had over 1 million videos, in 20 days.
Those numbers must have woken some suits up, and this article
is merely THE BEGIN OF THE SPIN.

[lwvirden]

Certainly there are costs for the digital media

Mr. Thomas states:
Digital media has a zero, I repeat ZERO storage, reproduction, and delivery costs.

But that's rather a naive view. First, there is the cost of disk drives, backups, maintenance.
Then there are web site costs, bandwidth costs, staffing costs, costs for electricity, and other infrastructure.

Few if any of the companies are currently providing massive download sites, with rollover servers, etc. There's plenty of costs.
Certainly sales of advertising will cover some amount of the costs. But it remains to be seen if enough sales of advertising will be generated to cover all the costs. And even if advertising sales income covers the costs - the costs are still there.

I do agree, however, that the costs of digital distribution are, overall, less than that of physical media, and should be more cost efficient after the initial infrastructure is in place.

And I agree with Mr. Thomas that the companies do not appear to be considering the differemce.

[lwvirden]

Video on the iPod vs other players

The writer complains that the media is over hyping the video ipod - that video players have been available for a long time. While that is the case, they haven't been owned by all that many people.

So, is this merely a media overhype? Doesn't appear to be the case to me. Instead, it appears that finally some company making a video player has gotten the average customer interested in the idea of portable videos. Are there technically better solutions than iPod? Certainly there are grounds for arguing that perspective. But Apple has the mind share and the built in customer base to make a serious run for the field.

Will customers be satisfied spending $2 a file for something they already pay for in another format (aka satellite or cable)? Some portion of customers will. But IMO there seems to be less market for selling current television series than selling music videos. When pricing becomes more reasonable, and the selection becomes wider or at least exclusive, then changes in the market place are more likely to appear.

[SystemsJunky]

DooDoo

Apple = Always Overhyped.

[OS11]

Don't forget, the iPod of 2001 didn't set the world...

a fire... Be realistic people. The iPod of 2001 took awhile before it became the dominant MP3 player. It will likely take the same amount of time before the viPod becomes dominant over Video Content. It WILL happen, SJ loves this stuff too much for it to fail.

The Media giants don't understand what is happening here. Apple with Video iPods, Intel Based Macs, plus "Front Row" spells the end of TV, Movie distribution as we know it. Just like that little thing called "www", that came out of a Steve Jobs machine 15 years ago.

At this point it's just best to sit back and watch :)

Predicable perspective from Tech Dork.

It doesn't take a genius to see through Mr. Mashboxx's so called
perspective. I would be trashing the iPod too if I had a P2P
agreement with Sony that I was trying to get off the ground.

Gawd.

This is what passes for journalism these days?! Get someone
who is clearly unfair in his assessment but call it 'perspective'
anyway?

I dare anyone to read the first 2 paragraphs of his press release
over his Sony BMG deal. YAWN.

Do wait for the real Video Ipod -- the one with the wide screen
coming up and for films - then you'll see a video iPod revolution.
Mashwhat?

How premature in speculation can you get? It took years for the
original iPod to catch on. YEARS.

Tiny tiny screens

Jose Eber writes "Do wait for the real Video Ipod -- the one with the wide screen
coming up and for films - then you'll see a video iPod revolution.Mashwhat?"

Sony has a 7" and 12" portable tv system that works via a wireless network called LocationFree® TV that because of the screen sizes i think is much more atractive(flexability wise). Plus you can record and watch whatever you want. I don't understand why people want to watch video on these tiny eye-straining screens anyway.

[Soupir]

Predictably Lame

"It took years for the original iPod to catch on. YEARS."

Wrong, superfunk. The first iPod, released October 23, 2001, overtook the marketplace nearly on impact, overturning every other competition mp3 player around. Barely a year and a half later, with the release of the 3G iPod, Apple skyrocketed to the megafame we're used to now. But YEARS to catch on? Hardly.

We live in a different world. The tech industry is so breakneck speed that these kind of predictions are hardly EVER premature. Wrong, perhaps, but premature? Read "Business at the Speed of Thought" by Bill Gates and get a paradigm shift. You sound old fashioned and strangely bitter.

And it's predicTable, anyway.

[joeldm]

Deja Vu

Every time one of these guys writes about an Apple product it's
always with the same line:

"Reading coverage of the introduction of the latest video iPod,
one might think that the wheel had just been invented. Portable
video devices have been around for a couple of years, and
many--like the fantastic Samsung devices--far exceed the video
iPod both in form and functionality. But you rarely hear a word
about them in the mainstream media."

Here is a catch-all paragraph to fit any Apple product hype
complaint insert your device:

Reading coverage of the introduction of the new (Powerbook,
iMac G5, Powermac G5, iPod, Mac Mini, Airport) one might think
that the wheel had just been invented. (Laptops, all-in-one
computers, professional grade workstations, MP3 players, low-
cost desktop computers, wireless routers) have been around for
a (long time, forever, couple of years), and many like (fill in
appropriate device) far exceed the Apple (Powerbook, iMac G5,
Powermac G5, iPod, Mac Mini, Airport) in both form and
functionality. But you rarely hear a word about them in the
mainstream media.

I pity the poor monopolists . . . .

JoeL

[R. U. Sirius]

Sony and Mashboxx

Like I care what a Sony shill has to say about Apple. Mashboxx signed a deal with a company that is either corrupt or incompetent, as witnessed by the recent rootkit fiasco.

As a consumer, at this point I want nothing to do with Sony products, and by extension their industry shills. If I want music that is produced by the Sony label, I will not buy their CD's or their "P2P" spyware. I have another place I can buy it: iTunes.

[ChasmoeBrown]

A Slow Revolution

I think you glossed over it without realizing it.

If I want every episode, I'll wait for the DVD. It will be cheaper.

But if I need one episode, like last night when the local affiliate
turned into the Weather Channel because a tornado was spotted
two states away, I can get it.

And that's not going to happen all that often, so why pay the
monthly Tivo subscription fee.

The truly wonderful thing is that I now have another choice, so
that I can enjoy TV without it running me.

[cooldogjones]

Troops and Civilians..

It's amazing how people don't "Think" outside the box. You
gotta love Apple's "Think Different" Campaign. You editors,
writers, and critics need to get a clue, of course, if you had ever
been in the military and deployed anywhere you would stop
criticizing Apple and praise them for the good they do the good
people in Service of our Country.

Let me explain. Over 200,000 troops deployed worldwide, to
mention U.S. Civilians and do you think they have access to
Satellite TV everywhere, nope. I was in Iraq and DVD players
don't last very long in sandstorms, dust storms. Hello! WE
LIVED IN TENTS! I am now in Afghanistan and I've gone through
2 Xboxs already. This environment is murder on the DVD drives.
You know what has not been replaced. My original iPod made it
through Iraq and here in Afghanistan. The video iPod is the
Soldier's/Civilian's solutions to damaged DVD players and
scratched up discs. Can you imagine what family will do for
another family member deployed in harms way? Let's download
legal content off of ITMS and convert existing movies onto the
iPod Video and send to GI Joe in the desert. Now Private Joe
Gadget can view and listen to content so he/she can forget
where they are for just a little moment. They can hook it up to a
TV and watch them with fellow soldiers/civilians. With internet
access they can download TV shows off of iTunes days after it
airs in the U.S. Then define REVOLUTION for me.

Okay Apple Computer is going to make a little profit but they do
something other companys don't with there profits.
INNOVATION! As long as produce really awesome stuff, we will
buy it. Maybe the answer to his REVOLUTION is INNOVATION. If
he had it he would know.

[cooldogjones]

Troops and Civilians..

It's amazing how people don't "Think" outside the box. You
gotta love Apple's "Think Different" Campaign. You editors,
writers, and critics need to get a clue, of course, if you had ever
been in the military and deployed anywhere you would stop
criticizing Apple and praise them for the good they do the good
people in Service of our Country.

Let me explain. Over 200,000 troops deployed worldwide, to
mention U.S. Civilians and do you think they have access to
Satellite TV everywhere, nope. I was in Iraq and DVD players
don't last very long in sandstorms, dust storms. Hello! WE
LIVED IN TENTS! I am now in Afghanistan and I've gone through
2 Xboxs already. This environment is murder on the DVD drives.
You know what has not been replaced. My original iPod made it
through Iraq and here in Afghanistan. The video iPod is the
Soldier's/Civilian's solutions to damaged DVD players and
scratched up discs. Can you imagine what family will do for
another family member deployed in harms way? Let's download
legal content off of ITMS and convert existing movies onto the
iPod Video and send to GI Joe in the desert. Now Private Joe
Gadget can view and listen to content so he/she can forget
where they are for just a little moment. They can hook it up to a
TV and watch them with fellow soldiers/civilians. With internet
access they can download TV shows off of iTunes days after it
airs in the U.S. Then define REVOLUTION for me.

Okay Apple Computer is going to make a little profit but they do
something other companys don't with there profits.
INNOVATION! As long as produce really awesome stuff, we will
buy it. Maybe the answer to his REVOLUTION is INNOVATION. If
he had it he would know.

[Matt Vog]

thanks for the expert prediction

Mr Russo must really have some impressive interlocutors in the industry as the day after he treated us to this drivvle NBC Universal signed an agreement with Wurld Media's Peer Impact, legal p2p.

[Dream Weaver]

OPEN MOUTH INSERT FOOT

Why does CNET let this guy comment on anything. He's managed to name a company nothing else...

NBC Teams With P2P Distributor
by Gavin O'Malley, Friday, Nov 18, 2005 6:00 AM EST
NBC UNIVERSAL ON THURSDAY ANNOUNCED plans to distribute full-length movies through the peer-to-peer file-sharing service Peer Impact. Come springtime, consumers will be offered 24-hour access to new and archived films for an as yet undecided price.

While movie download services already exist--like Cinemanow and Movielink--the deal is a first for both Universal and Peer Impact, which is owned by Wurld Media.