The bets are on! - How long before Microsoft's Movies and TV is going to shut down

[spaceOpia1]

Seeing Microsoft's decisions nowadays, I can't help but thinking Movies and TV will also retire. I mean, why should it still exists. Amazon, Netflix, Google AND Apple have huge parts of the video streaming market. No reason why Microsoft should be there either.
So, what do you think ?

 

[spicypadthai]

The only difference is they are making money on Movies and TV. While I'm not willing to bet much it won't be shut down, it's at least profitable right now.

 

[spaceOpia1]

Thanks for your input. I am curious about how you know about that (Movies and TV being profitable). Is there an official place where we cas see actual profit results on Microsoft Activities?

 

[theefman]

The only difference is they are making money on Movies and TV. While I'm not willing to bet much it won't be shut down, it's at least profitable right now.

What's your source for this claim?

Sent from mTalk

 

[spicypadthai]

Thanks for your input. I am curious about how you know about that (Movies and TV being profitable). Is there an official place where we cas see actual profit results on Microsoft Activities?

Daniel's Groove postmortem article from last week. He says he talked to people at MS and he "was told that Movies & TV does quite well, and the dynamics of maintaining that catalog (versus the one for music) are vastly different."

 

[Ejay Lozano]

Well what about the movies on my Xbox? There's should of been a standard windows media player.

 

[spicypadthai]

What's your source for this claim?

Sent from mTalk

See my reply above with the link to the WC article.

 

[theefman]

See my reply above with the link to the WC article.

Right, same people who parroted"we are committed to mobile" for months or another group? Like their word counts for anything.

Sent from mTalk

 

[spicypadthai]

Right, same people who parroted"we are committed to mobile" for months or another group? Like their word counts for anything.

Sent from mTalk

Well, they are committed to mobile. Currently that means bringing their apps and services to iOS and Android. Anyway, if you don't believe the article, fine, and please move along to another thread and bust someone else's balls about some other issue which has contributed to your jaded attitude.

 

[theefman]

Well, they are committed to mobile. Currently that means bringing their apps and services to iOS and Android. Anyway, if you don't believe the article, fine, and please move along to another thread and bust someone else's balls about some other issue which has contributed to your jaded attitude.

Please, get over yourself. When a user asks Microsoft a direct question about their own platform W10M and Microsoft gives a reply to that question are people supposed to have to decipher that Microsoft actually means supporting rival platforms over their own? They don't expect some vague platitude to be repeated for months implying the platform has a future when the opposite was true. But keep on being "loyal" and "believing", I'm sure they value your allegiance highly......

Sent from mTalk

 

[spicypadthai]

Please, get over yourself. When a user asks Microsoft a direct question about their own platform W10M and Microsoft gives a reply to that question are people supposed to have to decipher that Microsoft actually means supporting rival platforms over their own? They don't expect some vague platitude to be repeated for months implying the platform has a future when the opposite was true. But keep on being "loyal" and "believing", I'm sure they value your allegiance highly......

Sent from mTalk

I was being sarcastic about mobile. I've dealt with Microsoft on the business side for 20+ years and their abilities to change strategy on a dime and parse words would make any politician proud. But that doesn't mean I inherently disregard everything they say, especially when it's reported by a reputable source.

 

[Bobvfr]

Going back to the OP, it may continue for some time, the difference between "Movies and TV" and a Groove pass is one you purchase the products, the other you effectively rent them, so having purchased something MS would be in a sticky position regards selling you something and then taking it away, they would have to refund pretty much every film they had ever sold.

However I will not buy anymore from them as I no longer have any faith in the company.

 

[spicypadthai]

Going back to the OP, it may continue for some time, the difference between "Movies and TV" and a Groove pass is one you purchase the products, the other you effectively rent them, so having purchased something MS would be in a sticky position regards selling you something and then taking it away, they would have to refund pretty much every film they had ever sold.

However I will not buy anymore from them as I no longer have any faith in the company.

I don't know if that's accurate. Purchased music can be downloaded and kept forever. You just can't download it again after 12/31. I'm guessing the same thing would happen if they shut down Movies & TV. You'll be able to keep your purchased content. The real problem is not being able to download it again. With music, that's not a big deal b/c it's easier to manage/move files. For movies & TV shows, it's more difficult to move content from one device to another if downloading it again isn't an option.

 

[wpcautobot]

Quite well doesn't mean profitable

 

[spicypadthai]

Quite well doesn't mean profitable

Right, to a company that grosses annually $20+ billion, "quite well" = losing money. Could they be lying? Sure, but I doubt Daniel would have included it in the article if he didn't believe them. Do you have sources in the know at MS? If yes, please share your info with us.

 

[aj173]

Um, Android and iOS are mobile platforms. And Microsoft's ongoing development for apps on those platforms does indeed demonstrate their commitment to mobile. Their commitment to mobile didn't happen on your terms, but its very hard to deny. They're developing mobile software at a breakneck pace.

But back to the main point of the article, Microsoft's Movies and TV has one thing going for it that Groove didn't: an audience. The Xbox is the sole entertainment console attached to many people's TV, and with more people cutting the cord, MS Movies and TV is uniquely positioned to be a sole provider for digital content in a way that Groove wasn't. Most music streaming is done on people's phones, and Groove didn't have a built-in fan base since nobody owns Windows Phones. A service like Groove will never be able to break into such a saturated market without a strong mobile ecosystem, but the Xbox's strong living room presence might be enough to keep their Movies and TV service afloat.