USA distribution -CBS All Access discussion

[The Overlord]

We sure have things easy, compared to the old days when TV had three networks and there was no way to record anything. If you missed a show, you had to wait who knows how long until they aired it again!


You can get Roku.

Or, what about playing on a computer and connecting to the TV via HDMI? Will CBS All Access permit that?

Kor

I never liked this argument, that because back in the 80s or 60s we did not have the convenience of streaming sites and Star Trek was harder to watch back then, means we should accept inferior streaming options for Star Trek, when there services doing it better.

Its not the 80s or the 60s anymore, Netflix has changed the entertainment landscape, comparing this era of media entertainment to 30 years ago is not relevant, Netflix has changed the game, I care about the media landscape now, I don't care how hard it was to watch Star Trek back in 1987. CBS should try to make their service competitive with Netflix, not make it seem like an after thought that is undermined to protect the dying DVD market. CBS really seems behind the curve with its streaming service.

A spin off The Good Wife is also heading to All Access next year.

I have no interest in that show. I'm not sure CBS All Access will ever the same variety of content that Netflix has, CBS is not willing to make the same type of deals that Netflix will make without outside parties to get new content.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

At the moment, it is conjecture, based on how the networks have handled internet distribution of first run weekly series to services such as Hulu and their own websites. This model preserves the financial or monetization chain by ensuring that limiting access to their series on these services, will not jeopardize the disc sales period that follows the end of the season's airing.

This.
The Overlord I was coming up with probables for what CBSAA will do based on what they expect subscribers will do. They are looking for gains each quarter in their business. I am not happy about it but I will subscribe to watch the series. Unsure now unless I really like it if I would buy the blu-ray. I fully expect CBS Home Entertainment to release by November 15, 2017 a season 1 Blu-ray with Value Added Material by Roger Lay, Jr (who produced the special feature documentaries for ENT and TNG-R Blu-rays). I think all fans would like audio commentaries on every episode to make it worthwhile to own. The wishlist for the blu-ray is a separate thread though. (and it is on Future of Trek forum not DSC forum...yet)

 

[Balok's Decoy]

I guess I understand people's concerns. But for me, $5.99 per month to watch new Star Trek is a fair trade. I mean, do I wish it were on Netflix or some other more established streaming service? Obviously. But I think this is the way of the future anyway: cable tv is going to die and people will just pay for five or six streaming services that feature the content they actually watch, rather than shell out upwards of $110 for a big cable package that you only use for like three or four shows. I guess for some people DSC isn't enough of an incentive. I like Game of Thrones whenever I happen to see it, but I don't like it enough to pay for HBO -- some people pay for HBO just to watch GoT. And that's the value of that show for them. For me, DSC is worth six bucks. Meh.

 

[milo bloom]

This is atrocious business planning. We already have Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime. We buy some shows per series on iTunes.

I will absolutely not pay $5.99/month to watch one show. There is literally nothing else on CBS we want to see, and even paying that much for one network's library and there are still ads?

There is a thing that will happen to this show, I won't say the word to keep the mods happy, but that word will happen. It will happen thousands and thousands of times over and over again. And when the CBS execs see only a smattering of subscribers and then the thousands of people doing that word I won't say, they'll say they were wrong to try to bring back Trek and it will be cancelled.

 

[Pondslider]

This is atrocious business planning. We already have Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime. We buy some shows per series on iTunes.

I will absolutely not pay $5.99/month to watch one show. There is literally nothing else on CBS we want to see, and even paying that much for one network's library and there are still ads?

There is a thing that will happen to this show, I won't say the word to keep the mods happy, but that word will happen. It will happen thousands and thousands of times over and over again. And when the CBS execs see only a smattering of subscribers and then the thousands of people doing that word I won't say, they'll say they were wrong to try to bring back Trek and it will be cancelled.

I think Moonves or someone with CBS said a while back that the show has already turned a profit based on the foreign distribution rights alone. I don't think the show will get cancelled, but I hope CBS All-Access is a huge disappointment for them because of what you're talking about.

 

[Pondslider]

I guess I understand people's concerns. But for me, $5.99 per month to watch new Star Trek is a fair trade. I mean, do I wish it were on Netflix or some other more established streaming service? Obviously. But I think this is the way of the future anyway: cable tv is going to die and people will just pay for five or six streaming services that feature the content they actually watch, rather than shell out upwards of $110 for a big cable package that you only use for like three or four shows. I guess for some people DSC isn't enough of an incentive. I like Game of Thrones whenever I happen to see it, but I don't like it enough to pay for HBO -- some people pay for HBO just to watch GoT. And that's the value of that show for them. For me, DSC is worth six bucks. Meh.

I pay for HBO Now in part because of Game of Thrones. HBO has a lot more content than that though. Besides all the current shows and comedy specials that air on HBO there's a big back catalog of shows like Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos, Rome, Band of Brothers, Sex and the City. There is usually a short ad for another HBO show at the beginning of an episode, but it's not intrusive and the episodes don't get yanked from the service when new ones air. There's also a catalog of recent and older movies that aren't on Netflix or Amazon Prime. In my opinion quality-wise from what I've seen of CBS's catalog they can't compete with HBO's.

 

[TrekE]

It feels like whoever is in charge of CBSAA doesn't understand the point of a streaming service. You'll still get commercials. You'll still get one episode per week. But unlike cable, you won't have DVR so you can't record and watch later while fast-forwarding through them. And with no DVR, you either watch an ep soon after it airs or too bad, you missed it. If anything, it sounds like they're planning to make CBSAA more restrictive than cable.

They need some younger blood in their meetings to explain to them why so many people are leaving cable for the streaming experience. Yes, cost is one (big) factor. But so is the way people want to watch tv. There's a reason Netflix is so insanely popular... part of it is because Netflix is way cheaper than cable, part of it is because Netflix has a wide variety of new content that appeals to many, and part of it is because Netflix gives people the ability to watch what they want, when they want, without being interrupted by commercials or worrying about whether an episode is still avail.

 

[Starbreaker]

http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/cbs-all-access-showtime-8-million-subscribers-1201730792/

They're not looking for huge subscription numbers here. Only looking to have about 4 million by 2020. That's just enough to directly fund a Star Trek show, basically. This is an experiment.

 

[Navarro]

I never understood the logic behind CBS All Access. Network television has always been based on providing a free product to the customer, paid for by advertising. I realize that broadcast television is on the way out, and for that matter so is cable and satellite, so online streaming makes sense, especially for tech-savvy Trekkies. However, why should it make sense to switch from advertising income to a paywall? Years ago I watched TOS on the CBS website. It was free, and as always, paid for by advertising in the same fashion Hulu was at the time and YouTube is now. It's not like they don't understand they can run commercials. They've been doing it for decades on broadcast television and they've done it in online streaming.

Seems to me they're just going to end up alienating customers, and will make less money than they otherwise could have with commercial and banner advertising not to mention the all-important merchandise sales.

 

[The Overlord]

This.
The Overlord I was coming up with probables for what CBSAA will do based on what they expect subscribers will do. They are looking for gains each quarter in their business. I am not happy about it but I will subscribe to watch the series. Unsure now unless I really like it if I would buy the blu-ray. I fully expect CBS Home Entertainment to release by November 15, 2017 a season 1 Blu-ray with Value Added Material by Roger Lay, Jr (who produced the special feature documentaries for ENT and TNG-R Blu-rays). I think all fans would like audio commentaries on every episode to make it worthwhile to own. The wishlist for the blu-ray is a separate thread though. (and it is on Future of Trek forum not DSC forum...yet)

Then what's the point of signing up for CBS All Access, if you only get all the episodes at once on Bluray in a timely manner? If I pay for a streaming service, I expect that the original series produced for that service will not lose episodes in order to support the DVD market, otherwise it feels like I like am spending 6 bucks a month on nothing. If you are a Trek fan, there is no reason to get this service after the first couple of episodes disappear.

I guess I understand people's concerns. But for me, $5.99 per month to watch new Star Trek is a fair trade. I mean, do I wish it were on Netflix or some other more established streaming service? Obviously. But I think this is the way of the future anyway: cable tv is going to die and people will just pay for five or six streaming services that feature the content they actually watch, rather than shell out upwards of $110 for a big cable package that you only use for like three or four shows. I guess for some people DSC isn't enough of an incentive. I like Game of Thrones whenever I happen to see it, but I don't like it enough to pay for HBO -- some people pay for HBO just to watch GoT. And that's the value of that show for them. For me, DSC is worth six bucks. Meh.

As mentioned before, HBO has far better content then CBS does.

I don't think most people will get a streaming service just for one show, especially one where the episodes will disappear before new episodes come out. People would not be happy if old episodes of Daredevil and Stranger Things disappeared when new ones came out.

This article outlines why Netflix is a better choice then CBS All Access for cord cutters:

http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/09/08/cbs-ad-free-all-access-shows-the-value-of-netflix.aspx

 

[Starbreaker]

CBS isn't trying to compete with Netflix. They're competing with crap like Shudder and some of the other niche stuff. Nobody in their right mind is going to drop Netflix and pick up CBSAA.

 

[Spider]

The pilot episode aired over the air on CBS better be good, or I'll be waiting until it's available on Amazon or Netflix.

 

[The Overlord]

Here is another thing, Netflix picked up Stranger Things, after it was rejected by 15 other networks and I bet that includes CBS.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-deman...-rejected-15-to-20-times-before-being-picked/

So here is a good question, will CBS be daring and experimental like Netflix can be with service (even though Netflix does make some lowest common denominator shows like Fuller House) or will CBS just play it safe all the time with this service? So far the two big shows they have announced for their service are spin offs of properties they own.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

With the ST DSC delay until May 2017 what this may mean:
Big Brother Over the Top will be the first spinoff series on CBSAA starts September 28.
The Good Wife untitled spinoff series will debut as the first original series on CBSAA before ST DSC.

CBS All Access announced today that their new edition of “The Good Wife” will debut in February 2017, essentially switching launch windows with STAR TREK: DISCOVERY

The new “Good Wife” will premiere with a special broadcast on the CBS Television Network, and then move exclusively to CBS All Access.

Hmm I wonder if all CBSAA original series will get a CBS linear TV channel debut of their premiere?
also

Following its May 2017 premiere on the CBS Television Network, all episodes of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY will be available in the U.S. exclusively on CBS All Access.

SOURCE
Star Trek DSC will be the 2nd original series on CBSAA. Does this also mean CBSAA may not implement a GUI redesign and upgrade behind-the-scenes hardware and software to allow Dolby AC-3 5.1 streaming on the apps until Winter or Spring sometime?
I guess we'll see how CBSAA handles Watch full episodes on demand for Big Brother OTT
and The Good Wife untitled spinoff series. Hopefully Star Trek DSC will follow suit.

“We have an amazing inaugural slate of originals for CBS All Access and world-class creative teams behind each of our shows,” said Marc DeBevoise, President and COO, CBS Interactive. “

Maybe this also has to do with when other shows will premiere such as the week ST DSC ends another new show some or half of Trek fans may be interested in around Labor Day weekend to keep people subscribing. CBS All Access is on a track for releasing a new original series every quarter for investors.

The CBSAA commercial-free product started already:
again keep in mind: CBS is differentiating between "commercial free" and "promotional interruption-free". with "select shows have promotional interruptions."

Is the CBSAA DSC long-term plan possibly to have season 1 story arc complete by writers to go into production and get season 2 story arc penciled in and have the writers continue working on scripts all during 2017 to go right into production in Summer 2017 after a 3-week hiatus for the production crew for a late Autumn start to release season 2? Will we expect 2 10-13 episode seasons per year? Will season 2 start in February so CBS can promote it during Superbowl 2018?
Even if Bryan Fuller "wants" todo 10 episodes a season the executives higher up at
[Marc DeBevoise, Executive Vice President/General Manager – CBS Interactive, Jim Lanzone CEO and President, CBS Interactive, & Rob Gelick, CBS Interactive Entertainment Senior VP and General Manager of Digital Platforms ] may have plans for distribution of a guaranteed number of episodes to foreign TV (Canada) and Netflix possibly per calendar year rather than per season, hence the idea that a second season may start before February or May 2018.

How will this play into marketing & promoting season 2?
July 20th-23rd, 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Aug. 2-6, 2017 Las Vegas - Star Trek Official Convention
I guess the season 1 better be done by August 2...
Hmm unless they will use the Trek convention for a 10 1/2 hour marathon screening of all of season 1's episodes on a big screen? In UHD 4k projection (yeah, right). I wonder what kind of interest they would have if they sold tickets to this on day 1 of the 2017 Vegas Trek convention? The convention chairs wouldn't be comfortable enough like cinema seats.

Here is an interesting thought:

Releasing Star Trek as a binge series could lay the groundwork for CBS All Access to actually become the thing Les Moonves and his partners want it to be.

Netflix proved not even linear rollouts are a barrier anymore.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Needs To Be Released All At Once In May For The Good Of CBS All Access

 

[Spot's Meow]

I guess I have a different perspective because I am already a CBS All Access subscriber, and it's for more than one show. Primarily I subscribe during the summer months for Big Brother live feeds. I also subscribe because I enjoy watching the catalog of older shows/seasons, such as going through all of Family Ties at the moment.

Another good reason for me to subscribe is because I don't have cable, but my walls are lined with brick so I get terrible antenna reception for certain channels, CBS sometimes being one of them. I make great use of the "Live TV" feature, which basically allows you to watch an online stream of your local CBS station. Along with a Chromecast I can watch it on my TV. However, using the developer tools in Chrome you can change your location so that you can watch live streams in other markets as well. I am on the west coast and sometimes use this to watch an early east coast feed. They may find a way to close this loophole in the future, but it works for now. I also have access to past episodes of Big Bang Theory and other shows when my DVR fails to record something because of the crappy reception.

Typically I cancel when Big Brother isn't running, but they've hooked me for the next few months because of the new spinoff, Big Brother: Over the Top, which will air entirely on CBS All Access. It will have live feeds but also a live episode every Wednesday evening (7pm PST/10pm EST). I expect that most watchers will be watching it live, but if it works like other Big Brother content on CBS All Access, the episodes will be available for watching at any time.

The current Big Brother season has been airing since June and all episodes are available to stream right now. They don't disappear after any time. In fact, ALL episodes of Big Brother ever produced (going back to 2000) are available to stream right now. The same is true for other shows, for example American Gothic just finished its TV run and all aired episodes have been available for streaming from the start. I could subscribe for one month just to watch all episodes of this show and then cancel if I wanted to.

I do understand the worry that CBS may go a different route with other shows and only allow viewing an episode for a couple of weeks, but that isn't how they have been conducting business so far on All Access. Is it possible that they change this model for Discovery? Of course, but I think it's unlikely. Let's not work ourselves into a tizzy until we have the facts.

I also don't understand the need to compare this service to Netflix. It's not an either/or choice. I subscribe to both services for very different reasons. I also have Amazon Prime, also for different reasons (mostly for the shipping and currently watching older seasons of 24). The one major service I don't subscribe to is Hulu, because I don't see a value in that one. I get reception for the channels that post episodes there, so I just record them on my DVR, and they don't offer enough other content to make it worth it.

 

[Anthony Sabre]

But for me, $5.99 per month to watch new Star Trek is a fair trade.

In the short term $6 is not a big deal. but it adds up to $72 per year. Assuming the initial pricing point for the Blu-Ray is in line with previous Trek seasons, we're looking at $60-$70. $130 per season will make it the most expensive Trek to own & watch in history. I do have a problem with this.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

In the short term $6 is not a big deal. but it adds up to $72 per year. Assuming the initial pricing point for the Blu-Ray is in line with previous Trek seasons, we're looking at $60-$70. $130 per season will make it the most expensive Trek to own & watch in history. I do have a problem with this.

Again, it's a question of the value one places on X show(s). What is X show worth to the individual. For example, DSC is worth the money to me -- and it helps a lot that the other Trek shows are on there as well. I don't pay for the Netflix account I use (I'm a user on a family account) but if I did, I'd cancel Netflix in favor of CBSAA simply because the majority of my Netflix use is just Star Trek, at least for the foreseeable future (I'm watching every series rn). And it's only $130 if you buy that Blu-ray at brand-new MSRP, which let's face it, is not a smart use of your money if you can watch all of it streaming at your leisure, indefinitely. So I question the $130 price point argument.

Also I want to start watching Colbert again, so when allocating that $72 across 6 Star Trek series and 1 late-night talk show, that puts DSC at around $10/year rounded. Not too shabby.

As a cord-cutter, I'm glad they're not airing DSC on regular CBS. Because then I'd have to shell out a ton of money for a cable package that I really don't want. That would suck. I'm fine with six bucks.

 

[eyeresist]

With the ST DSC delay until May 2017 what this may mean:
Big Brother Over the Top will be the first spinoff series on CBSAA starts September 28.
The Good Wife untitled spinoff series will debut as the first original series on CBSAA before ST DSC.

They really need another sci-fi/fantasy show to make CBSAA an attractive package for genre fans.

 

[shapeshifter]

In the short term $6 is not a big deal. but it adds up to $72 per year. Assuming the initial pricing point for the Blu-Ray is in line with previous Trek seasons, we're looking at $60-$70. $130 per season will make it the most expensive Trek to own & watch in history. I do have a problem with this.

Just subscribe for the 4 months Discovery is on then cancel when complete.
With ads= $24
Commercial free= $40
Assuming the BDs are $60 (will probably be less) the maximum total yearly cost to view first run episodes, be part of online discussions while current, and own on video when released: $85 to $100 a year. (probably less!)

Heck I spent that much for each season set of Trek back in the 90's so there is value here.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Just subscribe for the 4 months Discovery is on then cancel when complete.

And they'll let you do that, will they?

We all know how "retention specialists" make it difficult to cancel any services from your own provider. Do you really believe this will be any different?

And even so, if you cancel, don't you lose access to all content? What if you want to keep DSC episodes? iTunes will let you do that, but CBS probably won't.