...Originally Posted by Lee
The external hardware unit for storage, playback to companion their site: iPod
...
The external hardware unit for storage, playback to companion their site: iPod
Be Who You Are!
I am completely behind the idea that the content becomes unusable once the membership is terminated. The content in our membership area is for rent, it is not for sale. Otherwise, there is no reason to even continue a membership. I believe that is a flaw that was built into the overall membership model from day one. If you pay Blockbuster for a movie, you can't go in there and bitch because you could not copy the movie. We have all read this example: Join a site for 20 bucks that has 300 videos for for 15 cents each. Next month they add 6 more for which you pay 3.30 each. So why not wait 6 months and get a big pile of videos for a low unit cost again? Bounce from site to site till your hard drives are bloated and you then upload the entire library to RapidShare deleting the ones that are not our absolute favorites and start again.
It all depends on how we as site owners value our product. Manifest videos are not easily downloaded by people who don't surf the net looking for instructions. Yet our retention rate is fantastic. But since day one we have made it clear that the videos are being rented not sold. This has cost us a ton of points at review sites which continue to pursue the notion that content should be downloaded and kept by members. This sense of entitlement is being perpetrated by our industry and it is biting us in the ass. This "all you can eat buffet" is turning our sites into the Golden Coral. If we do not respect our content, if we do not place a high value on it, why should the public.
Therein lays the problem with DRM abuse.
You asked why iTunes was so successfull, you got given the answer and didnt like it. The fact is, surfers have the mindset where they are 'buying' the content NOT renting it which is where filesharing starts happening.
A business model like iTunes whereby the member has access to whatever content they download and after they cancel that content is still usable so long as the DRM license information is stored on their machine is what iTunes does, that is why iTunes is so successfull, its buy to own (with limitations), not buy to rent (with limitations).
You used the analogy of Blockbuster movie rentals, Blockbuster are actually starting to migrate away from the traditional movie 'rental' business model and will be launching a download to own business model within the next 12-36 months, just like Vongo, they have to if they are to stay in business, just like we have to adapt if we're to stay in business.
Regards,
Lee
It is not a question of liking the answer. You are answering a different question in my opinion. If you sell a clip then it is sold. You can not go to the itunes store and download the entire library for one fee. The model is not the same thing. We will soon offer surfers the option as members to buy the clips in full quality with digital watermark at a reasonable cost. But we are talking about membership sites. We are not talking about online stores. That is the big problem. They are not the same thing.
You are right they arent, but to the people that matter, the surfers, they ARE the same thing in their minds, they dont differeciate between 'renting' and 'purchasing'.
A surfer expects to go to a porn site and download ALL of the members area content for $30.... Because that is what they are told they can do when they join 'download billions of images and movies'. They arent told 'download billions of images and movies and as soon as you cancel they become unusable'.
A surfer expects to go to iTunes and pay $1 for 1 song. Thats just what they get.. One song.
We need to adapt our business practices to start getting the surfer in the mindset that porn site members areas are no different to iTunes but we arent going to be able to do that so long as they keep getting screwed with DRM that cancels the usability of the content the second their membership ends.
Regards,
Lee
Can't you set the DRM license to never expire? I'm pretty sure I've heard of that being done. But maybe the Xanax just kicked in... I shouldn't be posting while sedated. :drunk:
You can yes, its what iTunes does, thats what im saying, in itself DRM ISNT bad, a member of a paysite can download content and even after their membership has ended, still use the content, so long as the license information is located on their machine.
DRM has become a 'bad' thing because it was used to FORCE members to keep rebilling to continue using the content.... Thats why surfers dont like it.
Regards,
Lee
People are used to buying and owning music, there is no real history of renting music. They are however used to renting films and DVDs, as well as purchasing and owning them.
The problem becomes one of marketing and how you present the various purchase offers to the consumer. As long as you are honest and give people the information upfront about what it is they are really getting then you should not have much problem.
You have to be very clear and honest with your customers. The hype may get them in the door, but if they feel tricked they are not going to stay around very long. All you can do is give them the information upfront so they can make an informed purchasing decision. If they only want to "own" the files and you only allow "viewing rights", then they need to know up front so they can make their decision. Better to lose a customer upfront then have a pissed off one later on.
But again, specifically with Flash DRM, its going to be abused, meaning that within 6 months of it being adopted, it will be looked at as a bad thing by surfers because Flash DRM will be used by most program owners as yet another way to try and force the member to continue rebilling.
In my opinion, forcing a member to continue rebilling using DRM or the content becomes unviewable, is no different to what used to happen with dubious companies continuing to bill the surfer even after they cancelled their membership... Another reason why 'rebilling' is looked at as a bad thing by the surfer.
Regards,
Lee
In my opinion it is all about setting and meeting expectations. I was a member of many sites prior to entering this business 2.5 years ago and never felt that I was my right to harvest the videos on a site for my own use after my membership expired. I certainly never saved them and then gave them to others for free. Hell I paid, why shouldn't they.
"That which costs you nothing is worth exactly nothing to you" Grandfather was a smart man.
Flash DRM technology would work for PPV. Perhaps all paysites should convert to PPV.. sounding better every day but lack of rebills would suck SO run high quality PPV with DRM and a paysite with the same content but smaller resolution :drunk:
What do ya think?
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