Forbes Article: Why One Should Pay for CBS All Access

[MvRojo]

This is a pretty good article on Forbes about Star Trek Discovery and CBS All Access. Even if you don't agree with it, it's an interesting read.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottm...ces-pay-for-star-trek-discovery/#49bbe5884e94

You can argue that CBS should have aired this show on their standard free broadcast stations, but they didn’t. I get the opposition to paying a monthly fee to subscribe to a channel that offers a single show that entices you, even if I imagine that plenty of folks have done just that for Game of Thrones or Homeland or The Handmaid’s Tale. But, if you like Star Trek Discovery, or at least you’re enough of a fan of the brand or the folks in front-of-or-behind the camera, you might want to consider paying for the immediate access. If we don’t pay for the art we enjoy there will be no money to create the art we crave.

...

Moreover, folks who are paying $6-$10 per month to subscribe to CBS All Access aren’t paying to watch Star Trek: Discovery. They are paying to watch Star Trek: Discovery at the first possible moment that it is available. Those wanting to wait until it becomes available on a VOD outlet or physical media are absolutely free to do so. But if you want it right now, you got to pay up accordingly. This is no different than folks upset that Game of Thrones isn’t available right now, even on a pay-per-episode basis, for those who don’t subscribe to HBO. In an era when TV shows are released on DVD and VOD after airing, subscribers are paying primarily for immediate access.

 

[guyute03]

I have no problem paying for Trek, and I tend to agree with the first paragraph. What I'm hoping is that they realize they need to keep subscribers during Discovery's hiatus, and start producing mini-series and one off tele-movies to fill that space. That we get a huge opening up of the entire Trek universe. And that content is used to keep people subscribing.

 

[Krandor]

I have no problem paying for Trek, and I tend to agree with the first paragraph. What I'm hoping is that they realize they need to keep subscribers during Discovery's hiatus, and start producing mini-series and one off tele-movies to fill that space. That we get a huge opening up of the entire Trek universe. And that content is used to keep people subscribing.

Agreed. Some rogue one type miniseries and stuff would be a great addition.

 

[donners22]

I'm paying for Netflix solely for Discovery; I'd expect anyone who wants to support the series and ensure its survival ought to fork out the small fee for it if they are able to.

At the least, I'd like people to stop justifying piracy with lame excuses, like the oft-repeated line that Netflix has already covered the costs.

 

[Mirror Mirror]

I already have it. I went the cheap 6 buck route, but its not a big cost to watch star trek. It also gives me a live TV channel I otherwise don't have( lacking cable and all that). Really, most folks waste 6 bucks at a gas station getting drinks.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

I got Netflix for many reasons, but Discovery was important reason for me. Netflix just offers so much more than free to air television.

 

[Jayson1]

Even with added Trek content I still don't know if it will be enough to keep people paying all year long. You could most likely get by with the service 4 months or so out of the year. Also I don't think anybody has mentioned this but people will be sharing their passwords so that will dip into the profits as well.

Also people keep saying they need added content besides Trek but since it is CBS and has to deal with government censorship then how are they ever going to really compete against HBO,Netflix etc that allows their shows to have more creative freedom?

Jason

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

If Discovery had hooked me, I would only pay month to month during its initial run. Paying a full year's subscription for one show makes no sense. I don't watch much TV as it stands.

 

[Jayson1]

You know another thing that people can do is just do the free trial over and over when they have them and I suspect they will have them as a means of getting people to try their service. Even HBO which might be even more of the king at this stuff than Netflix always offers free trials.

I also wonder if they will try and add movies or will it just be tv shows they try and get people to watch.

Jason

 

[Spider]

If it's worth it, I'll pay for it. That's why I don't have cable and do strictly streaming, and only pay for what I want. If Star Trek makes me want it, then they'll have my money.

 

[Apparition B5]

Right now, I'm paying for two CBS All Access commercial-free subscriptions, just for Star Trek: Discovery. One for myself, and a second for a friend who legitimately couldn't otherwise afford. It's not much, but every bit helps I suppose...

 

[tomalak301]

I don’t know how to post memes but I’ve seen a meme going around Facebook that shows a picture of a room filled with Star Trek stuff and I don’t remember the exact wording but it was something along the lines of you pay for all this junk, but you draw the line at a streaming service.

I went to the convention in August and the people who would be in the vendor room buying collections and pins. I heard people were spending hundreds of dollars for collectibles. Also I got autographs for my birthday but what do you do after you get the autograph. I have displayed mine on a book shelf but it’s collecting dust.

I wonder why it’s ok to spend so much money on trek merchandise but when it comes to getting value every week some fans draw the line and say CBS is greedy and the like. I don’t mind paying for Trek mainly because I’ve been paying for Trek pretty much my whole life. To hopefully get value out of it every week is an added bonus. If I don’t like the series I will stop paying for it.

 

[Jayson1]

I don’t know how to post memes but I’ve seen a meme going around Facebook that shows a picture of a room filled with Star Trek stuff and I don’t remember the exact wording but it was something along the lines of you pay for all this junk, but you draw the line at a streaming service.

I went to the convention in August and the people who would be in the vendor room buying collections and pins. I heard people were spending hundreds of dollars for collectibles. Also I got autographs for my birthday but what do you do after you get the autograph. I have displayed mine on a book shelf but it’s collecting dust.

I wonder why it’s ok to spend so much money on trek merchandise but when it comes to getting value every week some fans draw the line and say CBS is greedy and the like. I don’t mind paying for Trek mainly because I’ve been paying for Trek pretty much my whole life. To hopefully get value out of it every week is an added bonus. If I don’t like the series I will stop paying for it.

I think the issue is if you pay for cable and you pay for CBS it means you in theory already paid your fair share. Putting it on a streaming service feels like double dipping. Plus the difference between all that other stuff is that you buy that Trek merchandse but this is more like renting and you have to keep paying for it over and over.

Jason

 

[tomalak301]

I think the issue is if you pay for cable and you pay for CBS it means you in theory already paid your fair share. Putting it on a streaming service feels like double dipping. Plus the difference between all that other stuff is that you buy that Trek merchandse but this is more like renting and you have to keep paying for it over and over.

Jason

While I have it because my family has it, people are cutting cable. They are paying for streaming services already, having another one is still less than cable. Kinda depends on what streaming services you want.

 

[The Overlord]

I live in Canada, I just watched it on the Space Channel website.

 

[tomswift2002]

I agree with the argument about paying for the art.

But for me, really, I'd rather have something physical to show for my money. Plus a lot of times, at least some of the shows that I've downloaded, don't come with 5.1 surround sound, or other options that you get on Blu-Ray/DVD.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

As soon as my budget allows for it, I'll gladly pay CBS-AA for a subscription so's that I can watch DSC. I'm just too impatient to wait for it to turn up on iTunes - although it's obvious that it will one day do so.

At least with an iTunes season pass, you can keep the episodes forever. With a subscription service, OTOH, you lose them when you stop subscribing.

I agree with the argument about paying for the art.

Do you feel personally obligated to do so? It seems clear that even if you, or I, don't immediately subscribe, there are plenty of other fans who will. They'll pick up the slack, so we don't have to.

 

[RobertCardassian]

I cancelled my subscription to All Access. Moonves will not see another dime from me until he stops messing around with canon.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

I pay for merchandize, I own it.
I pay for an autograph, I own it.
I pay for blu-rays, I own it.
I pay for a streaming site for a show, I don't own it.

So I will wait until it's released to a format I can physically own (is that even a guarantee?) But not a crappy streaming site that may or may not be around in 10 years.

 

[Vger23]

I don’t know how to post memes but I’ve seen a meme going around Facebook that shows a picture of a room filled with Star Trek stuff and I don’t remember the exact wording but it was something along the lines of you pay for all this junk, but you draw the line at a streaming service.

I went to the convention in August and the people who would be in the vendor room buying collections and pins. I heard people were spending hundreds of dollars for collectibles. Also I got autographs for my birthday but what do you do after you get the autograph. I have displayed mine on a book shelf but it’s collecting dust.

I wonder why it’s ok to spend so much money on trek merchandise but when it comes to getting value every week some fans draw the line and say CBS is greedy and the like. I don’t mind paying for Trek mainly because I’ve been paying for Trek pretty much my whole life. To hopefully get value out of it every week is an added bonus. If I don’t like the series I will stop paying for it.

ITS TEH PRINCIPAL OF IT ALL, THO!!1!1!!!!