Miracle Day - what if I don't have Starz?

[Bones]

I've canned Cable and do all my TV/Movies over the internet, via itunes, netflix, amazon, etc.

From what I can tell, Miracle Day isn't available on iTunes or Amazon On Demand.

Any idea how I can see it in the US? (other that wait until November until it comes out on DVD)

 

[Sindatur]

I've canned Cable and do all my TV/Movies over the internet, via itunes, netflix, amazon, etc.

From what I can tell, Miracle Day isn't available on iTunes or Amazon On Demand.

Any idea how I can see it in the US? (other that wait until November until it comes out on DVD)

Starz will be streaming the first episode on their site, I believe.

I'm in the same boat regarding Starz (Though I have regular cable for BBCA and SyFy). Dr. Who episodes were often posted on YouTube shortly after airing on BBCA, so, I'll try that

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Starz is streaming the first episode for free on their website starting tomorrow morning. Beyond that, I don't know.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Ugh! Just seeing one episode and having to wait six months is a terrible idea. Much better just to wait for the whole thing.

I'll take a look at the first ep - I like to check out everything - but waiting is no biggie. November is a pretty quick lag time, less than six months. I've been watching many cable shows that way for a long time and the wait usually seems longer.

I've dropped all the higher-level cable outlets (even Showtime, sorry Dexter ). Netflix is so much cheaper it's worth the wait. $20/month for just one channel is sheer lunacy.

 

[Saga]

let me put it to you this way...the internet is a big place.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Dr. Who episodes were often posted on YouTube shortly after airing on BBCA, so, I'll try that

Wouldn't Starz yank them off YouTube in a hurry? They'd have to be asleep at the switch to allow their business to be undercut like that. The whole point to airing this show is that they're hoping to convert fans into subscribers (or keep current subscribers happy, but I don't see a lot of crossover with the Spartacus crowd here - I think Starz is going for new subscribers).

Piracy is another thing. I'm sure they'd stop that if they could. But YouTube is a real business and has to worry about legal action, so Starz should have no problem in lowering the boom.

 

[Sindatur]

Dr. Who episodes were often posted on YouTube shortly after airing on BBCA, so, I'll try that

Wouldn't Starz yank them off YouTube in a hurry? They'd have to be asleep at the switch to allow their business to be undercut like that. The whole point to airing this show is that they're hoping to convert fans into subscribers (or keep current subscribers happy, but I don't see a lot of crossover with the Spartacus crowd here - I think Starz is going for new subscribers).

Piracy is another thing. I'm sure they'd stop that if they could. But YouTube is a real business and has to worry about legal action, so Starz should have no problem in lowering the boom.

It's merely one thing I'll try, as, like I said BBCA airings of Dr. Who have often popped up right after airing.

I've never had Starz, do they play their Series over and over and over again, or do they air an episode for only 2 weeks (The original week, and the following week)? If only for 2 weeks, then once they stop airing that episode, it wouldn't really hurt them, and besides, YouTube is not the most desirable method of watching something (10 minute chunks, I don't really enjoy watching shows on the computer...). If they do appear for anylength of time on YouTube, then it must be OK, ebcause as you say, YouTube would pull them down right away if ti wasn't OK.

And as Praetor Shinzon says, the Internet is a big place.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I don't get Starz, but I bet they do exactly what all the other premium cable stations do - play every new episode about ten thousand times.

But the only way they're going to convert potential viewers to subscribers is to be draconian about "alternative viewing" that doesn't result in revenue back to them. If people have an easy, free alternative, why send $20/month to Starz? Without that revenue, what's Starz' motive to continue funding the show?

If only for 2 weeks, then once they stop airing that episode, it wouldn't really hurt them

It hurts them if people watch the episode instead of subscribing to Starz like they would if they really wanted to see the series and couldn't see it any other way.

It will be interesting to see how the numbers pan out.

 

[Sindatur]

I don't get Starz, but I bet they do exactly what all the other premium cable stations do - play every new episode about ten thousand times.

But the only way they're going to convert potential viewers to subscribers is to be draconian about "alternative viewing" that doesn't result in revenue back to them. If people have an easy, free alternative, why send $20/month to Starz? Without that revenue, what's Starz' motive to continue funding the show?

If only for 2 weeks, then once they stop airing that episode, it wouldn't really hurt them

It hurts them if people watch the episode instead of subscribing to Starz like they would if they really wanted to see the series and couldn't see it any other way.

It will be interesting to see how the numbers pan out.

I was just thinking that with spoilephobes and "Can't wait" folks, if only shown for a limited time, those folks would subscribe, 'cuz 2 weeks would be an eternity (Shoulda seen the outrage when BBCA delayed airing Dr. Who a week due to Memorial Day, heh).

But, yea, if they're gonna show it 10,000 times, that does make a difference. Next thought, I'll be checking with Friends if they subscribe

 

[ClayinCA]

I'm surprised to hear it won't be available on iTunes--I could have sworn I remembered reading somewhere that it would be.

 

[Whofan]

Would it be available on Netflix streaming? I think they have a content agreement with Starz. Plus the first three Torchwood seasons are there.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I've found it pretty easy to avoid spoilers for shows I'm watching on DVD by just avoiding any threads about those shows and not reading articles on them. It helps that TrekBBS is the only discussion board I visit. Others might not be as disciplined.

The one type of spoiler that nobody can avoid is the dreaded "actor for killed-off character gets another job on a show you watch (or an upcoming show that you're interested in)." Kinda hard to avoid the inference there. That's how I got spoiled on a plot twist for Game of Thrones before the stupid thing even started airing, so subscribing to HBO wouldn't have helped.

As for streaming, I believe that's on the same delay as DVDs? It wouldn't make sense for streaming to kick in sooner. Streaming, not DVDs, is what frightens cable TV and movie studios. Netflix is definitely a threat to their ongoing business model.

Why cable companies see Netflix as the enemy.

Netflix claims that its services are complementary to cable subscriptions, rather than competitive. But research is beginning to suggest otherwise.

A new report from The Diffusion Group showed that 32 percent of Netflix users plan to cut at least some part of their cable subscription, twice the percentage that indicated they'd do so just one year ago.

...Sixty-one percent of these users cited online video as the reason for the downgrade, with 66 percent of those users citing Netflix specifically.

Not sure how significant this is:

Netflix vs Starz scuffle.

I checked Netflix - Torchwood S1-3 is available both DVD and streaming; S4 isn't even listed yet (usually shows are available for wait-listing several months before they are released.)

 

[Bones]

Thanks for the info everyone!

It looks like I'll be watching the first ep from Starz website and take it from there.

They are broadcasting the season over a couple of months so it won't be cost effective for me to add basic cable plus Starz. Might as well wait for the DVD. Or even better it its available on iTunes.

OT: I bought a mac mini as a media center about 18 months ago and dumped cable. I went from spending $150+ /month to $75 for a 25meg internet connection. The mac mini paid for itself in less than a year. This is the first time I've had trouble finding content. No biggie and well worth the investment.

 

[Savage Jaw]

Starz have recently put in place a policy that means it will be at least 90 days after first being transmitted on their cable network before a show will be available on Netflix, and presumably any other legal internet ways of watching like iTunes.

UK viewers will have to wait a week after US broadcast to watch the show, but at least the show will be available on demand for 7 days immediately after broadcast has finished on BBC One on the BBC iPlayer.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Starz have recently put in place a policy that means it will be at least 90 days after first being transmitted on their cable network before a show will be available on Netflix, and presumably any other legal internet ways of watching like iTunes.

Ah thanks. I knew there had been some sort of announcement like that from Starz.

 

[Admiral_Young]

"Doctor Who" episodes are no longer available on Youtube. They stated getting yanked just prior to "The End of Time" airing. Space Cast here in Canada has both "Doctor Who" and will be having "Miracle Day" online but I don't know if they're available outside the country though.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

My guess is they won't be. I don't understand why they don't make the shows available on iTunes. The price per episode charge won't be the same as a subscription but people only interested in one show generally don't want to subscribe. Why not try and at least make some money off of them?

 

[SG-17]

There are a plethora of alternate means to view television programs.

 

[Mitty]

None of you are trying very hard, I'm very disappointed in all of you.

 

[Avalon]

You can watch it through Netflix --you have to use the "Live Starz Channel" when Torchwood is playing on the Starz channel.

So: Netflix > Watch Instantly > Starz Play > Live Starz Channel. But only when it's actually showing on Starz. It's not accessible other times.

ETA: Oh, and if you tune in early, you may get a message that "you can't view this program due to licensing" (however they word it). Be patient and don't panic; it doesn't apply to Torchwood.