NBC decided to dump iTunes because they wanted to go down their own path.

Why offer consumers, viewers and customer convenience when consumers will do ‘whatever we at NBC say?’

NBC – we’re so good – people should jump through flaming hoops to watch us!

iTunes was oh so simple and boring.

Sure, ONE CLICK could buy, download, sync and load onto an iPod but who wants portable downloading TV as convenient as normal watching TV?

We at NBC can add so many more steps!

Okay, ready to watch NBC Direct on your computer?

Here’s all you need to buy first:

A Windows PC

Then you will you will need to download and install a few things:

Internet Explorer
The .NET Framework
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player Security Update

Five restarts later … and a quick prayer your DLL file is not messed up …

NOW, we’re cooking!

Oh wait, the lawyers do want you to know a few more things:

US residents only!
TV shows will be available for 7 days!
Whatever you download dies after 48 HOURS!
We’ve added the commercials you love best (no fast forwarding)!
& of course NO downloads to iPods and no not even Zunes or SanDisks.

NBC’s motto?
“We want to make it so inconvenient you just throw up your arms and watch at home like it’s 1975 … (ah, pre VCR, the good old days …).”

ITUNES – ISH, ISH

The resemblence to iTunes is uncanny … well, for the 3 GE execs who sat down for Zucker’s presentation – they didn’t have to spend 4 hours downloading, re-downloading, scrubbing and patching their PC to get this working. All they had to do was walk into the conference room and see THE OFFICE up & running and sign off on this $15 million project to buy more servers and license the other white meat DRM.

I don’t know what this project actually costs but I presume it’s probably exactly the same amount of iTunes revenue NBC is giving up – just corporate karma.

So, in other words – no iTunes, no iPods, 48 hours to watch, short shelf life, lots of Windows downloading to get it to work and commercials …

This could only be dumber if they hired the Dog Bounty Hunter & Britney Spears to be the spokespersons … but not by much.

GE sure thinks Jeff Zucker is a genius … I am so selling my GE stock.

So, what’s my other choice … what is this TORRENT, TORRENT, TORRENT, TORRENT, TORRENT & TORRENT thing you speak of? How will I ever find a TV show that just aired in HD to load onto my iPod … if only there was an internet solution, if only it weren’t 1975 and I was in some peachy future of 2007 where I was connected to millions of others on some vast network … oh, if only …

Via MASHABLE.

And our thoughts on Zucker.