NBC, via MobiTV, intends to offer cell phone television show rentals. Deployment is scheduled for Q2, though Forbes reports no wireless carriers have signed on. I’m obviously not the only one who thinks the model is flawed and the pricing is extreme:
For one thing, the shows seem expensive, going for a minimum of $1.99 per episode, which will buy users only a 24-hour viewing period. That’s the same as most shows go for on Apple, but iTunes downloaders own those programs — meaning they’re not limited to a 24-hour viewing window. With Apple’s iPhone due to hit the market soon, NBC’s plans to offer 24-hour rentals of its shows isn’t likely to lure many early adopters.
Even if I didn’t own a Slingbox (and didn’t work for Sling Media), I’d tell you this is ridiculous. How many times must one pay for the same content, and at such unfavorable rates? Thank goodness there are (granted, less mainstream) alternatives to move recorded shows to portables such as TiVoToGo, Windows MCE, etc. Hey Mari, what’s up with Moto’s Follow Me TV service? Anyone implemented the cell phone content portion yet?