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Apple Plans To Give Away Original Content For Free To Device Owners as Part of New Digital TV Strategy, Report Says (cnbc.com)

Apple is planning a new digital video service that will provide original content free to its device owners, CNBC reported Wednesday. From the report: Apple is preparing a new digital video service that will marry original content and subscription services from legacy media companies, according to people familiar with the matter. Owners of Apple devices, such as the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV will find the still-in-the-works service in the pre-installed "TV" application, said the people, who asked not to be named because the details of the project are private. The product will include Apple-owned content, which will be free to Apple device owners, and subscription "channels" which will allow customers to sign up for online-only services, such as those from HBO and Starz. Apple plans to debut the revamped app early next year, the people said. As Bloomberg reported in May, the subscription channels will essentially copy Amazon's Prime Video Channel Subscriptions. Customers will be able to access all of their content from within the TV app so they won't need to download individual apps from multiple media providers.

24 of 50 comments (clear)

  1. How will that work worldwide? where rights are not by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    How will that work worldwide? where rights are not same all over the place?

  2. uTorrent is my 'TV App' by HornWumpus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Fuck walled gardens.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  3. Just cant wait by oldgraybeard · · Score: 2

    I am thinking they will be shows along these lines, here are your 2 free episodes each of Bridezilla, Love the Wedding Dress, 14 Kids and Counting, Madam Secretary. My wife will love it.
    No need to say, we don't watch TV together very often.

    Just my 2 cents ;)

  4. It's Apple content only by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    As the summary notes, it's just Apple content they are giving away free so there are no international rights concerns at play - I'm not sure why this is considered new though, as Apple has already been doing this for some time with Carpool Karaoke. They are just expanding the content they will offer for free, but you'll get it the same way.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:It's Apple content only by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      There certainly are international rights issues at play. Consider Carpool Karaoke, in many places that kind of content needs to licence the music for performance. Same with music used on dramas and documentaries.

      They will have to get licences for jurisdictions they want to stream/sell into, same as Netflix. It's a major hassle for Netflix, especially on shows like Luke Cage where there is a lot of music that is really important for the show and can't easily be replaced.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  5. Re:How will that work worldwide? where rights are by omnichad · · Score: 1

    Did you miss the part where what's free is the Apple-produced content? They probably gave themselves worldwide rights, since they were feeling generous.

  6. Re:How will that work worldwide? where rights are by EvilSS · · Score: 2

    If it's Apple Owned content, then they can distribute it as they see fit. For add-on subscriptions it would be based on what's available in the region.

    --
    I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  7. I can just by RickyShade · · Score: 1

    pirate that shit like everything else, right?

  8. Re:The more things change the more they stay the s by Wycliffe · · Score: 3, Informative

    So it's the over-the-air network TV model all over again.
    The content was free then if I had the hardware ( TV and Rabbit ears)

    No, the content was ad supported not free and you could get the hardware from anyone or even build it yourself with enough know how.

    This on the other hand is an attempt at vendor lock-in. Basically, like Amazon and Netflix, if they can have some Apple exclusive hits then they are hoping that it will encourage people to own an Apple device. What Apple doesn't seem to realize is that even at $8/month there is a limit to the number of services a person is going to subscribe to and the more fragmented it becomes, the more likely people are just going to start pirating the shows they don't have access to especially if you have to have a multi hundred dollar device in order to access the show you want to watch.

  9. I really hope... by JDShewey · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...it is a new U2 album!

  10. Give away... for *free* by slipped_bit · · Score: 1

    I guess that's better than giving it away for a price...

  11. Congratulations...you invented the "Smart TV" by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

    >> ...and subscription "channels" which will allow customers to sign up for online-only services, such as those from HBO and Starz

    Congratulations...you invented the "Smart TV".

    But it's an iPhone and/or AppleTV, so it's just like a Vizio...only smaller...and more expensive.

    1. Re:Congratulations...you invented the "Smart TV" by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

      And (yes, I am going there, because based on the Many Worlds hypothesis of the multiverse; this is the universe where I post this) a lot more LGBTWhatever focused content.

      --
      This space unintentionally left blank.
    2. Re:Congratulations...you invented the "Smart TV" by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      >> ...and subscription "channels" which will allow customers to sign up for online-only services, such as those from HBO and Starz

      Congratulations...you invented the "Smart TV".

      But it's an iPhone and/or AppleTV, so it's just like a Vizio...only smaller...and more expensive.

      Nope, sorry. This is Apple-original content.

      And the Appie TV is a set-top streaming box. It uses your TV screen.

      Do try to keep up. It's only the 5th generation of Apple TV...

  12. Re:How will that work worldwide? where rights are by vlad30 · · Score: 1

    Actually I'm waiting for Asimiov's foundation from apple https://www.theverge.com/2018/... it might be the reason i finally buy an Apple TV

    --
    Your'e all thinking it, I just said it for you
  13. What Apple devices? by Vegan+Cyclist · · Score: 1

    The only Apple devices I happen to still have kicking around are an original iPad, iPhone 4 and old iPod Touch (which has been repurposed as an alarm clock by my bed..actually works fairly well, battery lasts a few weeks in airplane mode!)

    Will I be able to watch these on my iPad, or use my account to log in and watch these elsewhere? Or is it only for recent Apple purchases?

  14. Football by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    As an Apple investor, I've been saying this for years. Next time streaming rights to NFL come up for big, Apple should use their huge cash reserves and outbid everyone. Include free streaming on any Apple device (or pull a Sunday Ticket and make it free for a new device for a year or two, then some astronomical price after that). The number of Android converts (along with Apple's per-device margin) would more than make up for the cost.

  15. So, no one pays? by reanjr · · Score: 1

    It seems unlikely to me that Apple is going to find many subscribers outside of their own device network.

  16. Sunday Ticket commercial rights vs home by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    Sunday Ticket commercial rights vs home.

    In Canada streaming only failed (for home use failed) and they started to offer it on cable / satellite again (for commercial it never left them)

    Also if they want commercial they need to be ready to for people to have 8+ devices on one account (with beatable to show 8+ games at the same time on the same account). and deal with people who don't have the bandwidth to stream.

    ATT has a big cell network + satellites + FTTH (Fiber to the Home) andFTTN (Fiber to the Node). Apple does have not any of that.

  17. apple needs apple TV with atsc 3.0 + usb/esata. by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    apple needs apple TV with atsc 3.0 + usb/esata storage add on ports also needs gig-e. They all ready have Dolby Atmos

    local storage is need for DVR + buffering / local downloading of shows from Amazon and Netflix etc. As lots of people don't really have the bandwidth to live stream 4K or higher.

    1. Re:apple needs apple TV with atsc 3.0 + usb/esata. by Wycliffe · · Score: 3, Insightful

      apple needs apple TV with atsc 3.0 + usb/esata storage add on ports also needs gig-e. They all ready have Dolby Atmos

      local storage is need for DVR + buffering / local downloading of shows from Amazon and Netflix etc. As lots of people don't really have the bandwidth to live stream 4K or higher.

      Who cares about 4K? Most people don't yet have the equipment needed to fully do 4k anyways. I pay for the Netflix SD plan because I don't even see an advantage of paying the $2/month extra for the HD plan. 4k is way overrated. The only reason to buy a 4k TV is as a cheap way to get a large desktop for your pc. People can barely tell the difference and even if you can tell the difference, does it really affect the enjoyment of the show?

  18. Re:How will that work worldwide? where rights are by antdude · · Score: 2

    I wonder if this is Apple's own contents.

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  19. Re:haha by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

    price of content free
    price of service 50 a month or more
    price of iphone 2000 dollars

    look on users face after paying : PRICELESS

    What Service are you talking about?

    And an Apple TV box is only $149, not $2000.

    Stop with the Hate.

  20. CK shows they already have all that worked by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    There certainly are international rights issues at play. Consider Carpool Karaoke, in many places that kind of content needs to licence the music for performance

    That's a good point about Carpool Karaoke, but that is the most complex case - most other content would need to license a small number of songs at most and would mostly have original scores.

    Since Apple already published Carpool Karaoke, it seems like they have ironed all that out anyway.

    They will have to get licences for jurisdictions they want to stream/sell into, same as Netflix.

    Since, again, Carpool Karaoke exists and is available in "over 100 countries" (not sure of exact number), it seems like Apple has already worked that out.

    There is also a pretty large distinction between Netflix and Apple here. Netflix is selling access to content but Apple isn't selling anything here, no money is changing hands. The content is for free for anyone that has bought an Apple device which means all of the money aspect is wrapped up in Hardware sales which Apple already knows how to do worldwide.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley