CBS All Access...

As a lifelong Trekkie, I was quite happy when a new series was announced. Then, I was a little peeved when CBS said it would only be on their app. Why peeved? It's a matter of principle. Are you really telling me that any program you're airing over-the-air in the 9:00 or 10:00 o'clock primetime slots on Friday or Saturday are better than this new show? You want us to pay for an app that has ads? Aside from a new show or two, the bragging rights are the ability to stream the same channel I get for free on my tv, a lot of old CBS shows and a handful of movies. Bullcrap. I waited for the new Trek show to come to DVD and borrowed from the library...problem solved.
Now, a new Twilight Zone show and a second season of Discovery has me intrigued. I noticed that Prime was selling CBS All Access subscriptions for $2.99 per month for 3 mos. I took the bait. Be warned, you get access to all access only through Amazon. It renders the actual CBS All Access app useless, which is kind of lame. I wanted to see the interface and comment on that, but oh well. Content is EXACTLY how I described. Considering how much "stuff" is available on Netflix, Hulu and Prime, I don't see how CBS All Access expects to survive the pending streaming wars. I will get caught up on the shows I like and maybe do this next year to watch Picard.
Any comments? Discussion?

 

When I compared the two (a few months ago), the CBS app was terrible compared to the Amazon Prime app, at least on the XBOX One. Plus the Amazon stream is in surround sound, and the CBS app isn't (unless it's changed recently).

 

This app offers nothing other than new Trek shows. They should offer all of their CBS Sports Network programming for starters. I honestly thought the content was a joke or that I’d done something wrong, like “this is it?”

 

Ya, I got it just for the Star Trek content. I was hoping that there would be a lot of vintage stuff that I might want to watch, but other than Perry Mason I didn't see much. I guess rights issues keep them from putting a lot of stuff on there except for the newish shows, which I don't have much interest in. But the adding of a few more Trek shows over the coming year will make it worthwhile for me.

 

they really don't have much on there....don't they own the shows? Disney is supposedly going to go all in with their programming why couldn't cbs?

 

I like a few shows on CBS All Access; Star Trek Discovery, Good Fight and Twilight Zone. The new Twilight Zone series wasn’t that great but I really liked Star Trek and Good Fight. It’s normally $9.99/month commercial free, however my AMEX Card credits me $5/month so it’s just $4.99/month. That works out to just $1 per weekly episode. Pretty cheap if you ask me!

 

I suspect the "big eye" is more in it to benchmark the platform, than really invest their time into it. Oh yeah, they do want to make a profit, and show success, the worst thing for them would be to be caught failing at it. But I don't buy the fire was even in their eye(s) when they started to dip their toe into this pool. I think it's more about branding their service and not flailing about, than it is committing themselves to the future (has it ever been with these guys? Even back when they were tiffany, I feel it was more about just beating the Red and the Blue than it was following a vision). They always seemed more in love with their idea of being on top, than actually earning that distinction.

I've always seen CBS as the sort of organization whose pinnacles were often more about accidentally getting it done (I'm winking at you, Lear...!), and mostly about throwing bigger fish into the water to make a bigger splash, with the right money yelling at the right lieutenants until they performed up to their expectations.

 

The only show I am interested in on CBS All Access is The Good Fight. I was a huge fan of The Good Wife and was very annoyed when this spinoff was put on the streaming channel. But I waited them out, and now the regular CBS network is broadcasting the first season of this show every Sunday this summer. I am watching it and enjoying it, but I will not subscribe to yet another streaming service. It still blows my mind that CBS chose to put a program like this behind a paywall, but whatever, I’ll wait them out again for subsequent seasons.

 

Again, it’s the principle. 1: Make it a free app. Promote the networks, or 2: bulk up the content. They could actually be groundbreaking here. Live sports, additional footage from Colbert and the karaoke guy or 3: put these shows on the air or 4: merge with their Showtime app.

 

Not true! “The Good Fight” & “Why Women Kill”; both original programming exclusive to CBS Access.

 

Woohoo

 

Both better than “Star Trek: Another Boring Remake...For The Millionth Time”.

 

Not living my life denying myself of experiences “on principal”. Not sure why people expect things to be free. Writers wrote the script, videographers shot the video, audio guys/gals recorded the sound, editors edited the footage, actors acted, etc, etc. I could go on and on, but my point is people like to get paid. I know when I work, I like getting paid. Expecting it to be free is just not realistic.

 

It’s also why they don’t have all the episodes of a certain show either. Take Touched By An Angel for example.

 

You’re completely missing the point.

 

ViacomCBS Plans International Streaming Service and Expanded CBS All Access Originals — ADWEEK

 

Linking to a story you can't read because it doesn't like your AdBlocker, is very similar to the experience I had with CBSAllAccess when I tried all day to take "advantage" of the free month they had "given" me, where I couldn't access it on either teevee, couldn't sign up properly on the computer, or my tv's browsers, and couldn't get any help from their so-called "tech support".

Now that's corporate synergy for ya. Welcome to "the future", Tiffany-network-style. Would you like some Angela Landsbury along with that...?

 

ViacomCBS Taps Droga5 to Rebrand CBS All Access — ADWEEK

 

Apple to Launch TV+ Bundle With Showtime, CBS All Access: Report — TheStreet