Will Star Trek:Discovery be on iTunes?

[Starscream2112]

I wonder if Star Trek: Discovery will be available on iTunes. I do not like subscriptions but I do like to buy season passes on iTunes. That is how I watch Rebels and Walking Dead. They are available the day after the episode airs. But shows on Netflix are not available until the next season starts. I hope it will be on iTunes the day after it is available on CBS All Access.

 

[Ovation]

Doubt it, if the goal is to motivate subscriptions to All Access. Likely available on iTunes when blu-ray set comes out.

 

[Starscream2112]

That's what I was afraid off. Looks like I will be a season behind.

 

[Shalashaska]

That's what I was afraid off. Looks like I will be a season behind.

Why don't you just subscribe?

 

[Ovation]

That's what I was afraid off. Looks like I will be a season behind.

I don't know this for certain, of course. I just think it is the most likely outcome given CBS' goals for their streaming service. However, as I don't live in the US and Canada is the only place in the world where it won't be streaming without commercials, if it is available via iTunes during the season, I plan to get it that way. If not, I'll rely on the PVR and hope it doesn't mess up (season long recording programming invariably messes up on things I really want to watch).

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Why don't you just subscribe?

Because that's just one more account you have to worry about. And I can only assume that when you stop subscribing, you lose all access to the show.

With iTunes, OTOH, you get to keep all the episodes - permanently - and there's no subscription. Just buy a Season Pass and it's all good.

 

[Kemaiku]

With iTunes, OTOH, you get to keep all the episodes - permanently - and there's no subscription. Just buy a Season Pass and it's all good.

DRM'd to only play on your account and iTunes itself, but yes.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

DRM'd to only play on your account and iTunes itself

True dat. But it's better than CBS All Access, where you lose everything as soon as you stop subscribing.

 

[Kemaiku]

Yeah, it's stream only with them. $6 a month but I'm not sure if there are fixed subscription periods or a rolling one.

$72 for the 12 episodes that will be exclusive to CBS-AA, playing out over only 12 weeks (11 for 2 part finale at once) leaving you with months of stuff you don't want, that you'll loose all access to including Discovery, is a little much if it is one fixed year.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I assume that CBS will be wise to the idea that fans will subscribe just to watch DSC and then cancel again. Will they make it easier, or harder, to do so?

Think about it. They're not gonna want to lose subscribers, are they? So they'd anticipate Trekkies' wishes to see DSC and nothing else. Do you really think they'll make it EASY to cancel after the show is over?

 

[Kemaiku]

It's $5.99 for the monthly "basic" package with 12 minutes of ads per hour, or $9.99 for the ad free version, so they're going to milk this for every penny they can get.

It'll likely be a yearly fixed contract with the option to cancel. Which will take weeks of phoning around to get it done and get refunded on the second charge they "accidentally" made while you were chasing them up on it.

 

[.:: TSN ::.]

How many of the streaming services in the US are on yearly contracts?

HBO Nordic tried yearly contract in Finland, but after about 6 months they switched to monthly contracts similar to Netflix and other streaming services around here.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Which will take weeks of phoning around to get it done and get refunded on the second charge they "accidentally" made while you were chasing them up on it.

Exactly. They'll make people jump through hoops like you wouldn't believe. Just like most Internet/cable providers and their "retention specialists". You know it ain't gonna be easy to cancel CBS, so I'm forced to wonder why it wouldn't be easier to wait for iTunes. And it's obvious DSC will end up on iTunes, someday.

That said, I'm wondering if it might be possible to subscribe to CBS but put it on a prepaid credit card or something? They can't keep billing you if the prepaid amount runs out and the number stops being valid...

 

[Ovation]

Exactly. They'll make people jump through hoops like you wouldn't believe. Just like most Internet/cable providers and their "retention specialists". You know it ain't gonna be easy to cancel CBS, so I'm forced to wonder why it wouldn't be easier to wait for iTunes. And it's obvious DSC will end up on iTunes, someday.

That said, I'm wondering if it might be possible to subscribe to CBS but put it on a prepaid credit card or something? They can't keep billing you if the prepaid amount runs out and the number stops being valid...

Such cards have numbers that reveal their nature and are almost always rejected by the subscription service, for the very reason you describe.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Damn. Well, it was worth a try.

 

[Tim Thomason]

That said, I'm wondering if it might be possible to subscribe to CBS but put it on a prepaid credit card or something? They can't keep billing you if the prepaid amount runs out and the number stops being valid...

Debit card. Second checking account. No overdraft privilege. CBS can try to charge the card, but they won't be able to if you close the account or keep it below $5.99. They'll probably send you a "friendly" error message telling you about the issue and asking you to update your credit information.

If you're lucky, you'll get a free month out of the deal. More likely, your service will be cut off at the end of the (already paid for) month.

 

[Apparition B5]

Such cards have numbers that reveal their nature and are almost always rejected by the subscription service, for the very reason you describe.

Not true in my case. I use a prepaid credit card for Amazon Prime (and Comic-Con HQ and Starz), Hulu, Netflix, and the WWE Network. All take it just fine.

 

[Ovation]

Might be a Canadian thing.

 

[JD]

Exactly. They'll make people jump through hoops like you wouldn't believe. Just like most Internet/cable providers and their "retention specialists". You know it ain't gonna be easy to cancel CBS, so I'm forced to wonder why it wouldn't be easier to wait for iTunes. And it's obvious DSC will end up on iTunes, someday.

That said, I'm wondering if it might be possible to subscribe to CBS but put it on a prepaid credit card or something? They can't keep billing you if the prepaid amount runs out and the number stops being valid...

Such cards have numbers that reveal their nature and are almost always rejected by the subscription service, for the very reason you describe.

^ Damn. Well, it was worth a try.

Not true in my case. I use a prepaid credit card for Amazon Prime (and Comic-Con HQ and Starz), Hulu, Netflix, and the WWE Network. All take it just fine.

Hmmmmm, I'm considering trying this.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Might be a Canadian thing.

Not sure how that would work, since merchants in the US and Canada freely accept each other's credit cards and I'm not aware of the numbering system in one country's cards being different from the other...

Debit card. Second checking account. No overdraft privilege. CBS can try to charge the card, but they won't be able to if you close the account or keep it below $5.99.

I don't have a debit card, and I wouldn't recommend anyone else use one either. They are unsafe and insecure. And you don't get the same protections with a debit card that you do with credit cards.

They'll probably send you a "friendly" error message telling you about the issue and asking you to update your credit information.

I just thought of something else. If you sign up for a service like this and give them a billing method that eventually expires, won't they send it to a collections agency and go after you anyway?