As I was cruising my favorite bargain Web site for things I won't buy, I came across this interesting new marketing development. Apparently, you can now buy all the episodes of the current season of 24 on amazon for $1.99. What does this remind me of, some fruit company...
Itunes has a "season pass" feature for 24 and a lot of other shows. If you buy the season pass, after an episode airs every week, the itunes store automatically downloads the episode onto your computer. I think you also get special features, like extra songs and previews. So while I commend amazon for trying to compete with Apple, because I suppose someone has to, I don't see the appeal of this. Buying from itunes allows you to then put the episodes on your ipod and watch them whenever and wherever you want. My understanding of the amazon option is that the episode would be restricted to your computer. Amazon has to offer something Apple isn't.
This was almost as odd to me as the discovery that the first four episodes were available for sale the same week as the premier. I can't imagine the person who needs to own this the week it comes out, especially with tivo and other tivo rip-offs and that ancient technological relic the VCR. I can see the appeal of the itunes store making single episodes available in case you miss one, but the DVDs seem odd to me. Like so many things in life, I can't decide if this is a brilliant or stupid marketing move.
I think this shows the direction that television is going in. It's my belief that the "television time slot" is slowly dying, with tivo, TV on DVD, filesharing, and Web sites that offer full episodes for free. All of these mediums are becoming increasingly more popular, especially since you don't have to watch commercials or obey someone else's schedule.
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