One of the most recognizable names in music entertainment has maintained a “No Downloads” policy ever since Apple’s iTunes revolutionized purchasing music on the Internet. AC/DC does not support the download format, and definitely not Apple’s iTunes service. In Australia however, BigPond has added 16 AC/DC albums to its line-up, available in MP3 and WMA formats (some sell as WMA only).
“Since iTunes came into existence, we’ve actually increased our back catalogue sales without being on the site. We were sternly warned by our management team and our record label that the complete opposite would be the case,” Angus Young said in a recent interview.
“Maybe I’m just being old-fashioned, but this iTunes, God bless ‘em, it’s going to kill music if they’re not careful,” Brian Johnson told Reuters. “It’s a…monster, this thing. It just worries me. And I’m sure they’re just doing it all in the interest of making as much…cash as possible. Let’s put it this way, it’s certainly not for the…love, let’s get that out of the way, right away.”
According to AC/DC representatives, the “No Downloads” policy does not just apply to Apple, but to all other companies selling music on the Internet. BigPond music is selling 16 AC/DC albums at $16.50 a piece, but the new album will not be available on the service and no single tracks are available to download. “AC/DC Live” is the number 17 album for BigPond this week.
Result for: ad format
JVC has announced they have finally stopped production on VCR standalone players, marking the end of an era for the now dead format.
There are, of course, still other manufacturers producing combo VHS/DVD players or even combo Blu-ray and VHS players, but JVC was the last to make complete standalone VHS players.
The VCR is 33 years old, and over its lifespan 900 million VCRs were produced, 50 million by JVC.
Thanks for the memories, standalone VCRs.
Result for: ad format
Google has announced that it will begin offering full-length TV episodes through its YouTube platform beginning this week, thanks to a content deal with CBS.
“This is what the users want,” noted Jordan Hoffner, the director of content partnerships for YouTube.
The videos will of course be free to YouTube users but will have advertisement before, during and after the episode, similar to rival video site Hulu which promotes NBC Universal content.
Shiva Rajaraman, a senior product manager for YouTube, added that the company is still searching for the “right ad format for the right content experience.” For the time being it remains committed to in-video overlays for short clips but is still experimenting with longer videos.
Users heading to the CBS page on YouTube will find classic shows such as “MacGyver” and “Beverly Hills: 90120″ as well as newer shows such as “Dexter” and “Californication.”
