Pricey Daily Show, Colbert Report now on XBLM
Xbox Live owners looking to download some Tek Jansen goodness today might be pleasantly surprised to see last night's Daily Show and Colbert Report available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The Comedy Central favorites cost 160 MS points ($2) per episode and will be made regularly available "within 24 hours of each original airing" according to a notice from Microsoft.
While we're happy to see some more quality video content available for our Xboxen, we think the pricing might be off for such a short, topical show. At $2 an episode, buying both shows four days a week costs $64 per month. For that kind of money, you could probably swing a complete basic cable package, with a little left over to put towards a Tivo subscription. Considering iTunes users can get the same double dose of direct download comedy goodness for about $20 a month, we've got to wonder why Microsoft thinks their system is worth the extra money.
While we're happy to see some more quality video content available for our Xboxen, we think the pricing might be off for such a short, topical show. At $2 an episode, buying both shows four days a week costs $64 per month. For that kind of money, you could probably swing a complete basic cable package, with a little left over to put towards a Tivo subscription. Considering iTunes users can get the same double dose of direct download comedy goodness for about $20 a month, we've got to wonder why Microsoft thinks their system is worth the extra money.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hvnlysoldr @ Apr 17th 2007 5:56PM
They keep touting XBLM is an i-tunes killer that's why.
JodyAnthony @ Apr 17th 2007 5:59PM
forget tivo, I get digital cable tv and a DVR through my cable company for $55 a month. (with internet its $70)
JimyD @ Apr 17th 2007 5:59PM
$2.00 a show is a joke. Just TiVo it.
Brandon @ Apr 17th 2007 6:04PM
When will Canadian XBL members be able to finally download movies/tv shows, etc... Feeling pretty left in the dark.
Lewis @ Apr 17th 2007 6:09PM
re-runs = free.
also torrents of bits.
Ocho @ Apr 17th 2007 6:16PM
As someone who doesn't have cable, and someone that likes to watch one of these shows once every week or two, $2 works for me.
However, they'd be smart to setup some sort of subscription or bulk-episode discount ala iTunes.
Ian Von Porter @ Apr 17th 2007 6:18PM
$64 a month, $110 for the full guitar hero ... makes the $180, 120gb look cheap... not.
And, you dont OWN the content either.. you're licensing it from MS. ie. try making a copy of it. not happening, you dont own it.
waLLy @ Apr 17th 2007 6:38PM
If you don't already have cable TV, I could maybe see this being useful, though pricey. But does anyone who connects to XBL through a high-speed connection not already have cable TV in their homes?
So, yeah, this seems pretty stupid. Especially when you factor in that Comedy Central replays "last night's" Daily Show and Report at least four times the following day.
waLLy @ Apr 17th 2007 6:40PM
@ #4,
When y'all give in and become the 51st state. : )
Seriously, though, I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunity to give MS your money in the near future.
EihBeir @ Apr 17th 2007 6:43PM
Not
A
Chance.
GJM @ Apr 17th 2007 6:49PM
Ian Von Porter, nobody take advice from trolls. I think $2 is too much. supply and demand will dictate if that changes.
eric @ Apr 17th 2007 6:55PM
While I love digital distribution of TV shows, networks still seem to price it as only supplemental to broadcast tv.
I honestly don't mind paying for TV shows rather than download, and I have season passes to Daily Show and Colbert Report on iTunes, but if I were to pay $20/mo for ever show I want to watch I'd be paying more for TV than rent.
I look forward to the day when digital shows aren't price gouged like crazy, and I can buy season passes to my favorite shows and forget about cable.
Tomas L. Martin @ Apr 17th 2007 6:56PM
especially silly considering that comedy central airs most of the clips from each show for free on its website's 'motherload' feature.
There's a lot of greedy grabbing in this early part of the market. I guess they know they haven't found the right price point yet but they might as well reach for a price that'll get em a bit more cash in the meantime...
As soon as someone comes up with a '$20-40 a month for specific content download' service, it's going to be like this. Sooner or later someone is going to say 'you pay me $30 a month and you can download every daily show, 24, lost, south park, etc in that month' and there'll finally be a decent business model for all this.
Morgan @ Apr 17th 2007 7:02PM
Okay. Can someone tell me where the hell the Tek Jansen clips are?
Sometimes I really hate the XBLM interface.
Benjamin Heckendorn @ Apr 17th 2007 7:19PM
Yes, considering the outrageous prices we all pay for cable (which still includes commercials) this sort of stuff should be free. If companies nickel and dime consumers on this while still expecting us to pay $65 a month for 70 channels we don't want then they shouldn't be too surprized or outraged when someone eventually makes a "Napster for TV" and rocks the industry.
required @ Apr 17th 2007 7:24PM
GJM, supply and demand don't mix well with digital content since there is unlimited supply.
Ratchet the Lombax @ Apr 17th 2007 7:39PM
Although I love "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" there is no way I would pay to download it. If I didn't have cable then I would get it though torrents or newsgroups. If I happen to miss it one day then all I have to do is wait until the next day because Comedy Central re-runs them at least three times along with like 5 episodes of MAD tv. So if you want to see it then you have plenty of chances. Although I do have all of the Mythbusters episodes on a hard drive I just love that show.
GJM @ Apr 17th 2007 7:46PM
required,
if there is *demand* for more shows, they will *supply* them. The *supply* in this case is the amount of programs available.
Grant @ Apr 17th 2007 7:52PM
seriously, $2? for a 22-23 min episode?
I can 1 up your Tivo price a say that my Media center PC can record it, i can watch it as much as i want, and it costs me only as much as the PC originally cost, which i needed anyways.
at $2 an episode, i must be saving about $120 a month, especially since i can stream the content to my 360 as a media center extender.
I love what ABCs done, offering recent episodes online with a few commercial breaks, maybe XBL should try a small frame around the player that has a sponser name and reduce the cost of episodes to free or nearly such.
Required,
supply and demand may not apply, but economics still does apply,and since it costs them little to nothing to sell, anyones who knows about cost/return knows they should make the entry fee as accessible as possible to benefit from the sales volume, which is something they won't see with unreasonably high prices.
embassy @ Apr 17th 2007 7:56PM
i have a feeling the prices have to do with licenseing fee's, just the songs for GH2..so its really up to Comedy Central's parent company and affiliates and how they work out percentages..so im sure that puts MS between a rock and...a harder rock.
mark @ Apr 17th 2007 8:09PM
That basically how much I pay for DirecTV, DVR, and HBO a month. lol.
BloodyDuck @ Apr 17th 2007 8:15PM
The point is similar to one I was making earlier - except that for me, at least, $60 will actually cover digital cable, *including* a DVR.
Why you'd pay so much when you can get so much more for it, I have no clue...
-Geoff
http://www.alinktothefuture.com
Billy @ Apr 17th 2007 9:52PM
I'm sorry but what a rip off. They really need a subscription option like iTunes, except it needs to be even more affordable - 62 cents/episode is still way too much money.
polly @ Apr 17th 2007 11:36PM
It's great that they're offering it no doubt, but until they come up with an unlimited tv show downloads per month subscription fee that undercuts the cable companies, it just isn't worth it. DVR or TIVO it, or just watch reruns. Even Comedy Central's Motherload website has recent show clips for free. Seriously, if they added HBO series like Entourage, etc, and Discovery Channel in HD, I'd drop cable altogether for a reasonable monthly fee.
David @ Apr 18th 2007 12:27AM
Have you seen the cable prices recently?
x876543 @ Apr 18th 2007 8:36AM
I'm pissed that the videos on YouTube from the daily show were removed. I've been trying to find that clip of the "Internet Tubes" explanation that a senator gave and have graphics showing a tube. They don't have it on the CC 'Motherload' website and I can't find it anywhere else.
zeonchar @ Apr 18th 2007 4:27PM
I'd rather watch it on iTunes.