Amazon Announces Cloud Player and Cloud Drive

[blue_skies]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Frankly, I wouldn't mind paying $.99 an episode for quality shows... although I may be in the minority. I wonder how much ad revenue is when broken out per viewer for a show. Is that info out there anywhere?

I wouldn't mind paying $.99 for a television episode I like, as long as I can watch it on Hulu first to make sure it's for me, and I can own and access it permanently. So although I hate the idea of cloud computing... if I could download and locally store shows I bought, but also have an additional layer of backup on Amazon servers, I might consider purchasing shows by episode rather than DVD.

If I couldn't record over the air broadcast, I would sign up for a subscription service like Netflix or Hulu Plus, rather than pay a monthly cable fee.

I mainly borrow or buy shows on DVD, or record shows and skip the commercials. I see no ethical issues with skipping commercials. My viewing does not count toward the ratings, and I would not buy any of the products advertised anyway... and no amount of commercials would change my mind. I support the shows I love by making sure I eventually buy the DVDs.

I haven't watched live television since 2003, and I'd rather throw out my TV than watch commercials.

At the same time, I have a strong appreciation for the companies that do product placement to support my low-rated but critically-acclaimed favorite show. (If I ever decide to eat fast food or drive an oversized vehicle, I might even consider purchasing those products.) But if I was somehow forced to watch commercials? My appreciation would turn to utter disdain.

[FizzyWater]

I didn't notice if anyone commented on this, but I see that if you buy your MP3s from Amazon, they don't count in your space usage (for the 5 GB free or for the paid accounts). So to me, this is like having an MP3 bookshelf.

I don't use iTunes, so I don't know how that works. Does iTunes do the same (allow you to redownload MP3s you've purchased?)

Since I do use Amazon for the MP3s I buy, I'll happily take advantage of having free online storage for them. Don't have to use up my Dropbox GB for my music collection now!

[kjk]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I didn't notice if anyone commented on this, but I see that if you buy your MP3s from Amazon, they don't count in your space usage (for the 5 GB free or for the paid accounts). So to me, this is like having an MP3 bookshelf.

I don't use iTunes, so I don't know how that works. Does iTunes do the same (allow you to redownload MP3s you've purchased?)

iTunes does not allow you to re-download purchased music (but if your hard drive crashes, they will make a one-time exception) And, until you mentioned this feature, neither did Amazon. Or Zune Marketplace for that matter.

Sounds like something new, and that feature is actually one that I am curious how Amazon is going to get around the record companies with, because no major digital music vendor (to my knowledge) has negotiated re-downloads with the major record labels.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by kjk

iTunes does not allow you to re-download purchased music (but if your hard drive crashes, they will make a one-time exception) And, until you mentioned this feature, neither did Amazon. Or Zune Marketplace for that matter.

Sounds like something new, and that feature is actually one that I am curious how Amazon is going to get around the record companies with, because no major digital music vendor (to my knowledge) has negotiated re-downloads with the major record labels.

That's weird. The apple app store remembers your app purchase so you can delete an app and if you decide to download it again you won't be charged. But I guess music is a whole other kettle o fish.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Barty

That's weird. The apple app store remembers your app purchase so you can delete an app and if you decide to download it again you won't be charged. But I guess music is a whole other kettle o fish.

Apple is able to force developers to allow unlimited downloads. They are also able to force the book publishers to allow unlimited downloads. They are unable to force music, movie or TV show studios to allow unlimited downloads. Yet.

If Amazon can do it, then hopefully both Apple and Microsoft will be able to as well.

[FizzyWater]

Well, it seems to me, this offering "cloud" storage is Amazon's way around not being authorized to allow re-downloads. I get to have "cloud" access to my purchased MP3s and Amazon isn't officially allowing re-downloads. They're just giving me a place to save the MP3s and access them there myself.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by blue_skies

I wouldn't mind paying $.99 for a television episode I like, as long as I can watch it on Hulu first to make sure it's for me, and I can own and access it permanently. So although I hate the idea of cloud computing... if I could download and locally store shows I bought, but also have an additional layer of backup on Amazon servers, I might consider purchasing shows by episode rather than DVD.

ninety nine cents is probably still a bit too high. I dislike advertisements as well, even though I realize that your post as well as mine is an advertisement in its own way.

What you are asking for is an abolishment of copyright as it pertains to a current form of intellectual property. I agree with you here. Personally I feel there is enough "money" going around to fuel the creators and then some. Buying some cloud space to store television shows along with other things would probably work pretty good.

We will have to be convinced that we are paying for the space and not show.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

We're everywhere. We've even infiltrated Angry Birds Rio.

Check this monkey painting: http://my.deviantart.com/messages/#/d326pgn

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Personally I feel there is enough "money" going around to fuel the creators and then some.

Where would this money come from without advertising revenue?

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Check this monkey painting: http://my.deviantart.com/messages/#/d326pgn

Needs a password.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Where would this money come from without advertising revenue?

Is advertising still really the main source of income for TV? I would have thought all those phone in and vote so you can influence the outcome of a pre-recorded talent show, or phone in to guess the answer to the question what colour is green sort of things would generate a large proportion of it. Most of the advertising revenue went online years ago, that was why they started having product placement instead.

[HarryT]

That certainly works for programmes like "The X-Factor", but it doesn't really apply to most commercial TV. The Advertising Standards Authority has just given approval for product placement to be used (with strict controls) on British TV, so I'm sure that it will play a role in the future, but it's not currently permitted.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Needs a password.

Sorry, guess you have to have an account.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That certainly works for programmes like "The X-Factor", but it doesn't really apply to most commercial TV.

When all those vote the outcome of pre-recorded programme scams were outlawed for a few months a couple of years ago ITV's profit dropped £100million, so I think it does account for a quite large slice of their revenue.

Their profit for last year was £321million, so it looks to me like phone scams are responsible for at least a third of that, but more likely about half? They were only outlawed for a few months, not a full year.

[kjk]

Amazon to record labels...back off
http://www.bgr.com/2011/04/12/amazon...not-necessary/

“We are not looking for licenses for Cloud Drive or Cloud Player as they exist today — as no licensees are required.”