Comments on: Will you pay $3--or more--for TV episodes on iTunes?

HBO becomes the first network to break the $2 per episode barrier on iTunes. But is anybody willing to pay extra for the network's shows?

[eidylon]

Not for a digital copy; as said above, with a DVD, at least you get replay value, physical media, extras, commentaries, maybe even little booklets, and so on and so on. With a digital file, you just get ... the digital file.
Standard TV shows i just watch the episodes online, and any shows i REALLY want, such as BSG i will still buy just the plain, good old-fashioned DVDs, thank you very much.

[Aeirlys]

I wouldn't pay $1.99, let alone $2.99. Not with all the options to stream it.

[PPNSteve]

Will you pay $3--or more--for TV episodes on iTunes?

No

[turoa76]

When the content providers (e.g. HBO, NBC) get to set the price (which will be > 1.99) then I think they'll find sales will plummet. Of course they (and world) will blame Apple for this. At that point HBO/NBC will sell direct off their own websites for cheaper, thereby giving Apple a kick in the guts.

Go figure.

[make_or_break]

Since HBO had ZERO shows for purchase on iTMS prior to this deal, HTF will sales "plummet", if they've never had an opportunity to take off to begin with?

The fact that Apple was willing to even DO this deal suggests that they are starting to feel concern if not actual pressure from other media providers. I have no idea if a lousy three bucks is an automatic deal breaker. But hey, I DO KNOW from the commercials that you CAN buy three artery-clogging cheapo sandwiches of some kind from KFC with that same amount.

Pretty heady stuff, that...(not)

[jbf1974]

not when i can get it from netflix. Also some of these shows itunes is selling are free to watch on the net. Why pay? I hope it fails as i dont want to have to start paying for what i watch for free now.

[MadLyb]

Ummm, yeah. Pay for TV shows. That's funny, tell me another one.

[markdoiron]

I wouldn't pay $3/episode to watch one time. I wouldn't even pay $2. I would (and already do) buy the DVDs. However, if there were a subscription service which covered a lot of TV shows for a modest, flat fee per month: I'd do that just to get away from the advertising, especially while the show is running on the screen (including those annoyingly ubiquitous network icons).

Let's fantasize for a moment: $15/month and you receive all sci-fi shows. Old stuff, classic stuff, new stuff, all of it. That would be worth it to me in a heartbeat.

[ericinnj]

Every dollar the companies move from free, the more people will be hitting bit torrent or whatever else comes out next week.

[glenrjr]

yeah exactly! i've got a "friend" who downloads entire seasons of TV shows. if these studios were smart, they would upload their shows as torrents "with" advertising. otherwise people like "my friend" gets to watch all of his favorite shows commercial free without having to pay those ridiculous prices. let's make the advertisers pay the bill for the cost of production. two and three dollars an episode is friggin ridiculous!

[superswiss]

Paying for something that I can get for free or less money is a non-starter for me. I don't understand this trend. Even for HBO. Get a DVR from your cable company for a nominal monthly fee, subscribe to HBO and you are at around $15/month, but it's an all-you-can-eat deal and you can watch it over and over again until you delete it. Or you can go for a more elaborate setup like Vista Media Center and a clear-QAM tuner for your local channels plus a CableCARD tuner for premium channels. Use something like Lifextender that automatically analyzes your recordings and removes the commercials. This won't work with CableCARD recordings as they are encrypted, but it works with all your local channels if you record using a clear-QAM tuner.

[bigmc6000]

You're totally missing the point. The sopranos and Rome are at the top because they are from a PREMIUM channel. You can't get these shows for free. People are happy to pay $2.99 because 3 x 12 (36) is actually noticeably less than the DVD season as opposed to normal TV shows that don't retail for that much when they have only 12 episodes. Add in the fact that HBO isn't getting paid by advertisers for their programs. The only way they make money is if their shows are good enough to get people to get HBO as a premium service. the $1.99 pricing for shows that are FREE over-the-air has nothing to do with the $2.99 pricing from a premium channel that has no commercials...

[cheapsils]

Thank goodness for hulu.com. Apple will soon all of the media industry. Great.

[mafisher]

hell NO!

[strongpimphand]

Are you serious??? I'd rather just download it from various "illegal" sources.

For most shows, advertising pays for the program. Some shows sneak in advertising subliminally, so even if you do get the illegal version, you probably already saw your favorite character do some amazing driving in a Toyota Tundra with it's 4WD option.

Plus, let's say the show runs the standard 20-22 show course. Simple math: 2 X 20 = 40. Box sets can sometimes drop as low as 20 dollars on Amazon (TV DVD week as of right now for example!). That means the consumer paid twice as much for something not as portable and restrictive.

That's lame

[Renegade Knight]

Heck I'm so far behind on TV shows I can pick it up used for 20 bucks when I get to it. Far less than the cheap iTunes price. If I can't wait, Netflix. If I really can't wait DVR.

[Faztang]

3 dollars for a tv show is insane. 1.99 is even pushing it. like you said there is very little replay value in a tv show vs. a song. a .99 cent song that you really like is something you will play over and over again for years and years. how many times are you going to watch a $3 episode of an HBO show???

[D.A.W.]

DVD's are fairly easy to burn. If you have a DVD burner (which almost everyone does) and Netflix, why would you ever buy an episode from iTunes? Sure you loose some picture quality in compression, but for TV shows this is rarely important.

[sillycal]

I think people are being really impulsive and not realizing that eventually $3 per episode is too much. come on, it is a TV show and with shows like the Sopranos you pretty much need a whole season or every season if you are ever going to enjoy watching these episodes again. I just can't imagine paying $3 for one episode and 3 years from now be satisfied by watching just that ONE episode and not wanting to see the before or after!! sounds like people really just don't care about manipulation. I was happy when Apple stood up to evil NBC and held its ground on flat pricing, believe me, I was NOT happy to see "The Office" leave iTunes, but hell if I was going to pay more than $2 for each episode. So what was so special about HBO?!?!?!?! oh well, good bye $2 episodes and let the $3 hike take place. I for one will probably not buy anymore iTunes TV if it goes to $3!

[upyourego]

I already pay £1.89 for TV shows on iTunes which is $3.60 so .. yeah I would.

[AppleSuxLeo]

I already pay for cable , so it is real easy to record to my HDD with a video capture card....then burn to DVD if I want.
Apple preys on people who have no tech skills. Oh Mr Genius bar guy...can you install my $500 Apple-RAM ? Bwhahahahaha !!!!

[AppleSuxLeo]

I already pay for cable , so it is real easy to record to my HDD with a video capture card....then burn to DVD if I want.
Apple preys on people who have no tech skills. Oh Mr Genius bar guy...can you install my $500 Apple-RAM ? Bwhahahahaha !!!!