http://yahoo.reuters.com/financeQuot...n056692_newsml


Thu Jan 5, 2006 12:46 PM ET

NEW YORK, Jan 5 (Reuters) - News Corp.'s (NWS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Fox Entertainment Group on Thursday said it plans to make some of its cable and broadcast television shows available to DirecTV viewers for a fee.

The owners of the FX cable network and Fox Broadcasting will begin selling episodes of FX's "The Shield" and "Rescue Me" up to two days before they air on the network for $2.99 per show to DirecTV customers who own new digital video recorder from the satellite TV operator.

Fox will sell access to episodes of "24" and "Prison Break" for six to seven days after the initial broadcast for 99 cents.

"For the very first time, viewers will be able to watch their favorite shows before the rest of the world," Peter Chernin, president and chief operating officer of News Corp. said in a statement.

The service will launch later this year, the company said.

Media companies have begun offering more of their programming over the Internet and on digital media devices following Apple Computer Inc (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) began selling episodes of Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" last year for its iPod digital music and video player.

DirecTV is controlled by News Corp.


© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.


Chris

You think someone that important would have heard of "wild feeds" before.

How about the unaired episodes of shows they have prematurely cancelled?

What are these 'wild feeds' that you speak of and where can I get them? Please e-mail me.

Chris

I don't know about anyone else but I would never pay $3.00 to see a single episode of a show to see it a day or so earlier than the "free" version.

It does make paying $9/month for 4 weekly episodes of an HBO show (plus, I don't know... Lot of movies) sound like a bargain.

Though it's not on the list, how many people do you think would love to pay $3 or more to see a Lost episode, let's say the Monday before (since Monday is a weak night on ABC now).

Chris

Oh no, i can see it now. People will be buying episodes early and posting spoilers in the episode threads and fucking it up for everyone.

Welcome to the New Media World!

Chris

Here's some articles about "wild feeds" and other forms of feeds:

http://www.nmia.com/~roberts/tvro-dx

http://archive.salon.com/tech/featur...29/wild_feeds/

I think what Falcon was referring to is what the first link calls "recurring feeds," which are basically the feeds a production company sends to the network via satellite of a show, sometimes as much as a few days before the show is scheduled to broadcast. If the owner of a traditional satellite dish knows where and when to point, they can receive these feeds.

I would if it meant it was commercial free - then I'd just zip it off onto a DVD-R.

Yeah. THERE is the catch. Not available if you have a DirecTivo. Lame. They're going to have to pry that DirecTivo from my COLD DEAD HANDS!!!!!!