NBC debuts free digital download service

NBC Universal announced it will offer consumers free digital downloads of many of NBC's most popular programs immediately following an episode's broadcast debut. The service, dubbed NBC Direct, will launch in November following an October beta trial, and arrives on the heels of NBC Universal's decision to withdraw its programming from Apple's iTunes digital service, an alliance that splintered over Apple's pricing policies as well as piracy concerns.

With NBC Direct, consumers may download programs like Heroes, The Office and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on the evening an episode is broadcast--each file will remain available for viewing for seven days, and will include commercials. The files will not be transferable to disc or another device, and will degrade after the seven-day viewing window closes. "Kind of like Mission: Impossible, only I don't think there would be any explosion and smoke," said NBC Universal Television Group president Jeff Gaspin in an interview with The New York Times.

At launch, NBC Direct content will be downloadable only to Windows-based PCs, but NBC said will soon make the service available to Mac units, iPods and other portable devices. Sometime in mid-2008, NBC will release premium episode downloads that consumers would own--these files may also be transferred to other devices.

For more on NBC Direct:
- read this New York Times article

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