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Apple Adds New TV Shows To iTunes

Posted by Zonk on from the i-am-mr.-ed dept.

Phaedo00 writes "Ars Technica is reporting that Apple has added eleven new and classic television shows from NBC, the Sci-Fi network, and USA. The new shows include Alfred Hitchcock, Battlestar Galactica, Monk, Surface, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Dragnet, Law & Order, The Office and most importantly: Knight Rider!" From the article: "Steve Jobs took the opportunity to toot Apple's horn, stating that since the inception of video downloads on the iTMS, they'd sold nearly three million individual items. In addition to the sales figures, the PR from Apple stated that their current offering of video stands at approximately 300 episodes. All in all this looks like a slam dunk for Apple as they're rounding up their distribution deals and diversifying their suppliers. If the rumored deals with FOX and CBS are true then Apple will have a dominating lead in this market, much like their current domination in the digital music distribution arena."

89 of 394 comments (clear)

  1. When will the rest of the world sign on? by mattyohe · · Score: 4, Informative

    Evidently TV is still only downloadable at the US iTunes store.

    --
    - what is the definition of simultanagnosia?! I've been meaning to look it up!
    1. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by British · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Which brings up an interesting problem: If this were available in the UK, how would the television license come into play? Would it be rolled up into the cost if you wanted to buy an episode of the UK Office? Since you don't need a tele to play it, just a computer or ipod.

    2. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by IAmTheDave · · Score: 3, Informative

      When will the rest of the world sign on?

      Unfortunately, even if the rest of the world starts releasing programming, it won't be US based. BitTorrent's popularity is driven at least in part due to TV programming restrictions on an international level. Were iTunes to get Dr. Who in the UK, I still doubt it would be available for US users, continuing to leave people no legal way to obtain said programming.

      It's like asking when DVD region coding will go away, and when a DVD/movie will have the same release date internationally. Despite the number of times Finding Nemo (etc) was pirated because it was on DVD here in the states even before it launched in theaters across the globe, people in charge of distribution and licensing will (seemingly) never get that it's a global world now.

      --
      Excuse my speling.
      Making The Bar Project
    3. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by iainl · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I don't remember paying an extra surcharge on DVDs here, so I fail to see this being any different; Apple should be in the clear.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    4. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by BasilBrush · · Score: 2, Informative

      It wouldn't. The TV license is a fixed fee for people who have a television. It isn't needed to watch video files on a computer.

    5. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by Sockatume · · Score: 2, Informative

      Technically it's a licence for people who use a television to recieve TV broadcasts. If you don't have an aerial hooked up and are willing to claim you only use the TV for, say, DVDs and videogames, you don't have to pay a licence. Inspectors are quite clear on this although neither the TV licencing site nor the BBC's spokespersons are especially keen to be.

      Man, I'm pedantic.

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    6. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by Von+Helmet · · Score: 3, Interesting

      If you have a TV licence for your house, then it covers all TVs within that house, as well as any and all TVs that can be powered solely from their own internal power source i.e. batteries at any other location. The iPod would qualify for that, so as long as you had a TV license at home (which you almost certainly would) then you'd be OK. If you didn't, then they might have to re-think things. That being said, it would only affect BBC programmes, as the license fee is only there to support the BBC as other channels are supported by commercials, so it would be entirely up to the BBC whether they even made their programmes available via iTunes.

      Here's a Google-HTML-ised-PDF from the BBC website about some of the above.

      Also, there has been talk - I think it's even been posted here on /. - of altering the TV licence to cover computers too, given that TV shows can be acquired (legitimately or not) through them, though I think it got smacked down at the time and I've not heard any more about it since.

    7. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by frostilicus2 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Here's what wikipedia has to say:

      "In the United Kingdom, these fees are set by Parliament and go directly to the funding of the BBC, enabling it to run without the need for market competition. The licence fee, initially for radio sets (exempt since 1971), was mandated by the 1904 Wireless Telegraphy Act. The fee was originally 10 shillings (£0.50) and in 2005 was £126.50 for colour TV and £42 for monochrome TV. There are concessions for the elderly (free for over 75s) and blind people (50% off). Only one licence is required per household. It is believed that approximately 5% of TVs are unlicensed. With the BBC's increased worldwide output (including its online services) there has been a debate as to the abolition of the TV licence, which has been denounced as a violation of the freedom to receive information without inteference. Generally, competing television companies favour the licence fee since it means the BBC will not compete with them for advertising or subscriptions. Proper debate of the licence fee is consistently suppressed by the BBC from its own airwaves. Numerous polls show significant public opposition to the fee.

      According to the definition of TV receiving apparatus [1], a licence must be obtained for any device which is "installed or used" for receiving broadcasts, which potentially covers devices such as a tuner card in a PC or a portable television. However a television installed and used for some other purpose, such as a closed-circuit monitor, video player or a games console, is exempt provided the owner can demonstrate it is not used for receiving broadcasts.

      Enforcement in the UK is provided by Capita Group and the AMV consortium. Capita agents are paid bonuses on the basis of the convictions they secure. AMV is an advertising and public relations agency. Several hundred thousand prosecutions are brought each year. Observations at magistrates court show that a very large proportion of those prosecuted are single women on benefits. Capita maintain a database of all addresses in the country, with electronics retailers being subject to large fines if they do not pass on the addresses of anyone buying television receiving equipment. Addresses with no licence are assumed to have a television, and are subject to repeated threatening mailshots and visits by the enforcement agency. In addition to the database, the BBC claims that electronic detectors are used to pick up the small amount of energy re-radiated by the local oscillator in the tuning circuitry. There is no evidence of any prosecution ever having been brought on this basis of this warrantless electronic surveillance and it is widely suspected that the famous detector vans are no more than mock-ups designed to intimidate viewers. It's open to doubt how well the much advertised detectors would work on a TV tuner card within the electrically noisy Faraday cage enclosure of a PC: the simpler method of calling round and looking for the aerial or an operating television would seem more effective. Note that, since the inspectors are not police officers or any other type of government official, they have no right to enter private property unless invited. Some feel that the scheme is as a regressive tax, in that the very poorest are those least likely to have a licence, and least able to pay the fine for not having a licence. A report ("TV sinners", March 1998) by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux pointed out that failure to pay the fine is the single largest reason for the imprisonment of single mothers. However, supporters of the licence fee claim that it helps maintain a higher quality of programming on the BBC compared to its commercial rivals. Some also claim that it also leads to better programmes on the commercial channels as they seek to draw viewers/listeners away from the BBC's output."

      Any other questions should probably be directed here.

      --
      Nothing sucks like a Vax, nothing blows like a PowerMac G4
    8. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by Fahrvergnuugen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So the question I have is, Will americans have a shot of being able to download BBC shows like "Top Gear"? (instead of having to watch the edited / censored version that the discovery channel plays).

      If not, I'll have to continue to download top gear via bittorrent...

      --
      Kiteboarding Gear Mention slashdot and get 10% off!
    9. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by lowrydr310 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Pick up a Philips DVP-642. They're about $60, can play MPEG and DivX movies from data CDs, and you can either remove or reset the region code with a few presses on the remote control. They're not exactly portable, but at that price you can buy two and keep one here and one there.

    10. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by whitearrow · · Score: 2, Informative
      What's the quality like?

      I downloaded the post-cancellation episode of Night Stalker from iTunes. The quality is only ok. 320 x 240. It looked acceptable on my 42" HDTV via TV out on my laptop, but far from great. Certainly not nearly as good as a Divx-encoded .avi from an HDTV feed. This service certainly isn't something I'd use as a replacement for my HD-DVR, but in case of emergency or unavailability elsewhere (as with the NS episode) I'm glad it's there. (Cancelling Night Stalker in the middle of a two-parter was particularly cruel on ABC's part, but I'm glad they made the second half available. Even if it did cost $2.)

    11. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by PriceIke · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Perhaps the "analog hole" applies to video as well.

      If you're on a Mac, buy yourself the full version--as in the video-capture version--of Snapz Pro X. Open Quicktime and watch the show, while Snapz captures the video to MPEG. You'll be left with a very large file, but at least it should be DRM-less.

      I have not tried this yet, so I'm not certain it will work, but it's worth a shot. Does anyone else who has a similar utility (Mac or Windows) want to try this and report as to its success/failure?

      --
      It's not a lie. It's the truth with lossy compression.
    12. Re:When will the rest of the world sign on? by SquadBoy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I have a couple of videos for mine. Including one music video that I bought, just to have something to show people you can't show pr0n to.

      The quality is really good. Crystal clear, good framrate, stays in synch, all that good stuff. The stuff from suicidegirls was filmed for it and thus looks really good. The video loooks good but it's an old song (500 miles). All that said I could see watching a sitcom on it but certainly not anything like BG. It's just too small. That and watching video sucks battery at a prodigious rate.

      I bought mine cause the time had come and it's the one that was best for the amount of dosh I wanted to spend. That said I would not get one *for* the video but at this point it's a nice bonus.

      Oh and for the menu system the screen just *rocks*.

      --

      Cypherpunks: Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics. Those who live by the sword die by the arrow.
  2. Important question... by meringuoid · · Score: 3, Insightful
    The Office

    WHICH Office?

    This is an important issue here! One is a funny show, the other is the funniest show since Basil Fawlty...

    --
    Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
    1. Re:Important question... by jelloshotgun · · Score: 2, Informative

      The new (Steve Carell) Office. It would be awesome if they got some BBC stuff up there... I already have Fawlty Towers on DVD, but I'd want it up there just so I can tell people to get it!

      --
      Sometimes I feel like +1 Reasonable should exist.
    2. Re:Important question... by Angostura · · Score: 4, Informative

      A quick peek at iTunes shows that it is the U.S office. Getting the UK Office would require Apple to do a deal with the BBC. And wouldn't *that* be a great day.

    3. Re:Important question... by meringuoid · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Getting the UK Office would require Apple to do a deal with the BBC. And wouldn't *that* be a great day.

      Thinking again about this... probably not. The BBC are planning to roll their own online distribution system, and probably wouldn't want to get tied in to a single system like iTunes.

      I wish they'd get on with it, though. I want to watch Hartnell-era Doctor Who eps online, dammit!

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
    4. Re:Important question... by modecx · · Score: 2

      Hell, if that happened, I'd be all over Top Gear, even though I don't have an iPod. The Brits have some great shows, and this one is up among the best. I have yet to find a collection of the many seasons shows that wasn't (illegally) ripped from TV. The video quality sucks, the sound sucks and is often mis-aligned.

      Why the heck can't they just give us a set of region-free DVDs to horde--just direct cuts from the aired shows? I'd buy like a dozen sets as gifts, and another dozen just for me! I was starting to like discovery channel version, even though they compressed the show for commercials and sucked most of the fun out of it... Goes to show that it's a great show regardless!

      --
      Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
  3. iTMS dominates now that they feature.... by presearch · · Score: 5, Funny

    International Superstar David Hasselhof.

    1. Re:iTMS dominates now that they feature.... by generic-man · · Score: 4, Informative

      They've had FOUR of his albums and one EP before Knight Rider was available. (Link requires iTunes.)

      --
      For more information, click here.
    2. Re:iTMS dominates now that they feature.... by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 3, Funny

      Man, I hope these shows will be available in the German market...my AAPL stock will bust through the roof like KITT through a brick wall!

      --
      Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
    3. Re:iTMS dominates now that they feature.... by DikSeaCup · · Score: 5, Funny

      There needs to be a "+1, Scary" moderation.

      --
      I talk about stuff.
    4. Re:iTMS dominates now that they feature.... by andreMA · · Score: 2, Funny
      my AAPL stock will bust through the roof like KITT through a brick wall
      Roof Kitt? That was Sony BMG, not Apple.
  4. Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by hal2814 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apple's has the opportunity to take a big lead in this new trend just for going out of the gate with it. Here's an idea that will eventually have to take hold. With large bandwidth, modern compression, and the "Media Center" role PCs are starting to play, there will be a market for video-on-demand via the computer. It was obvious, but Apple will get out there first and build a big lead in this market just because they went after it.

    1. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by justin12345 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Apple! Increase the frakking resolution of the video! I would love to download Battlestar Galactica but I won't do it if its only going to look good on my iPod. I want video that will look good anywhere I play it, including my DLP projector.

      --
      Cool art gallery, if you're into that sort of thing.
    2. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by hsmith · · Score: 4, Insightful

      People may want to deny it, but on demand content like this IS the future. Sure, it has DRM, but most people don't care at all. It is about convenience.

      Jobs sees this and he has taken hold of it. the success of the iPod proves it, people will pay a moderate sum and be locked in to propriertary content and players. Not even i really care, i'd rather d/l instantly with iTunes and scour the net for 1/2 hour for a song. Move this into other media formats and Jobs is solitifying the long term future of apple. They can move from just computers and ipods to tvs, dvrs, ect. this is the future and he is making apple the leader of the pack

    3. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Would you pay extra for it?

      Money does, after all, talk. $1.99 for TV quality, $2.99 for DVD quality, and $3.99 for HD quality, perhaps?

      --

      GPL Deconstructed
    4. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by Lumpy · · Score: 2

      nobody is noticing what this is doing elsewhere. companies like comcast had better be scared shitless as this is what their costomers will want.

      If you ask everyone that for what they pay for CableTv they could get a service where they simply subscribe to the TV shows they want... both Stargates, Mythbusters, Lost, Bullshit, etc... and they get the shows as well as some freebie teasers of new shows or "highlighted" shows in the "what's new" section they would buy it in droves. CableTv sucks there is maybe 12% of all the content that a person watches, the rest is useless to them either because the shows are on when they can not watch them, or the viewership is too small to dedicate airtime.

      I hop that jobs is working on a higher res version for in home that people will want to tturn to and turn off their cable Tv and sattelite Tv.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    5. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by goofy183 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I would, and I'm sure I'm not alone. If apple gets this working and I can download HD shows $4/show I'll cancel my HD cable subscription. With that costing me $80 / month I could download 20 HD shows a month, watch them whenever I want and be very happy.

      The only thing I would be missing is sports. Someone gives me a la carte sports channels and I will be a very happy person.

    6. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Funny, consumers have already shown that quality for convenience trumps price with regards to the music store:

      $0.99 for slightly less than CD quality sans liner and jewelcase.

      It hasn't stopped the music jaggernaut any.

      --

      GPL Deconstructed
    7. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by utexaspunk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      CableTv sucks there is maybe 12% of all the content that a person watches, the rest is useless to them either because the shows are on when they can not watch them, or the viewership is too small to dedicate airtime.

      It's way WAY less than 12%. If you have 100 channels and you watch your TV 24/7 without sleeping, with picture-in-a-picture turned on, you're still only utilizing 2% of the content you're getting (not accounting for reruns, etc). Most people with cable get more than 100 channels, and don't watch TV anywhere near 24/7. I'd wager the average cable TV subscriber views less than .1% of the content that is piped to their home.

    8. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by Seanasy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This raises a question for me:

      If I buy a Battlestar Galactica episode from iTunes and then go and download the same episode in HDTV resolution via BitTorrent, am I breaking the law?

    9. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by kannibal_klown · · Score: 2, Informative
      . $1.99 for TV quality, $2.99 for DVD quality, and $3.99 for HD quality, perhaps?

      But DVD is essentially TV quality, just progressive and you don't have to worry about reception. Unless you mean like DVD-writable, at which point I'd gladly pay an extra $1 to be able to burn it to DVD.

      US TV and DVD's both store only 480 lines, though our TV signal is interlaced which the DVD is progressive. So as long as the picture is "clean" (no static) and it's progressive then it's probably already DVD quality.

      As for HD, I don't know how they'd swing it. 1hr (42min after commercials) shows would still be REALLY big and would take a massive bite out of their bandwith.

    10. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by eclectic4 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      My wife and I watch Lost via iTunes on our TV, and it's not bad, not bad at all. There are a few gradation anomalies in dark areas, but other than that, it's definetly watchable to say the least... I used to BT recent HDTV grabs, and then convert to mp4, but the time it took wasn't worth the $1.99 to have Apple do it as well as I could.

      Spend the $1.99 and try it, it's not that bad at all.

      --

      "The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel Boorstin
    11. Re:Apple's going to take the lead just for trying. by Jherek+Carnelian · · Score: 2, Interesting

      $1.99 for TV quality, $2.99 for DVD quality, and $3.99 for HD quality, perhaps?

      I would pay more for HD, but $2 for TV quality is too high a baseline. I'm thinking $1 for 480p (DVD) and $1.50 for 1080p at the very most. Here's why:

      Production costs for Lost are under $3M per episode and it is considered the most expensive show on TV today.
      Citation: http://starbulletin.com/2005/01/26/news/story2.htm l

      Lost has been averaging over 20M viewers per episode this season
      Citation: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051117/n ews_lz1c17nielsen.html>

      If we presume that for-pay tv downloading will become the dominate form of distribution, then at $1/episode that would translate into about a 700% return on investment - that kind of ROI is absolutely unheard of for a TV show - I mean it is so ridiculous that the entire management structure at ABC would die overnight from overdosing on the cocaine they bought with their bonuses if that should ever come to pass.

      In fact, most shows, probably even including Lost today, lose money during their initial airing and only become profitable during syndication. It is those profitable shows that enable the funding for a lot of riskier and ultimately money-losing shows like Firefly, for example. Ultimately a ROI of 5-10% is probably close to what hollywood averages over all tv shows.

      Thus even $1/episode is a heck of a lot for a popular show, although it might be appropriate for a show with a much smaller, niche market.

      (and before any points out that I am ignoring infrastructure costs, they are in the noise at this level, particularly if a bandwdith-borrowing mechanism like bittorrent is employed).

  5. I want Firefly! by Lispy · · Score: 4, Funny

    And while youre at it, I want new episodes.

    1. Re:I want Firefly! by Mercano · · Score: 2, Informative

      Sure, they have the money for it, and probably the inclination, too, problem is Universal Studios (who, I belive, is corperate cousin of the SciFi chanel) only has the movie rights to the franchise. Fox still has the TV rights. They'd need to get Fox to sell them.

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      #include <signature.h>
  6. As a non-itunes user... by imsabbel · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Are those shows downloadable in decent quality, or only in poststamp ipod format?

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    HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
    1. Re:As a non-itunes user... by Ahnteis · · Score: 2, Informative

      320X240 size IIRC.

      If that resolution isn't exact, it's around that size. Works for cartoons, a bit too small to really enjoy other shows on your TV.

    2. Re:As a non-itunes user... by stevenprentice · · Score: 2, Informative

      I have a new iMac G5 with a 20" flat panel screen. The TV shows I've downloaded look great at full-screen. This is not HDTV, but if you've been viewing standard TV for years, you won't notice the difference.

  7. Adam-12 by MrFreak · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow, the entire first season of Adam-12! I've been waiting for this.

  8. Are the TV execs thinkin about the future? by Suburbanpride · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Many music execs now regret agreeing to stanard pricing acorss the board.I wouldn't bee suprised if the TV execs left themselves room in the contract to mess arounf with prices once video downloading really starts to take off. I think its reasonable that yesterday's "Lost" would cost more than an old episode of Knight Ridder.

    In the meantime, Im happy to see more shows on itunes

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    sorry 'bout the mess...
  9. David Hasselhoff show, but not Baywatch??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can't believe it. I mean, I like Knight Rider as much as the next guy, but if I had to pick one David Hasselhoff series it would be Baywatch. Call me crazy.

  10. This will be news when... by blinder · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... when they lock up some kind of deal with rhino to distribute mystery science theater 3000.

    yeah... now *that* would be a dream come true? need a quick manos fix? go to itms... and watch on your ipod.

    *thinks about productivity*

    perhaps that isn't such a great idea.

    but yeah... wonder if mister jobs is a misty?

    --
    sad robot making broken music
    1. Re:This will be news when... by SilentChris · · Score: 3, Informative

      www.dapcentral.org All of the episodes that haven't been released by Rhino. Best Brains (the company that made the show) encourages "tape trading" so they don't mind the service (as long as no one makes a quick buck off it).

      I currently have about 40-50 downloaded episodes, some near-DVD quality. Great resource.

  11. Hasselhoff? by sczimme · · Score: 5, Funny


    Just when you thought you'd never be able to get live action David Hasselhoff on your iPod video

    s/thought/hoped

    --
    I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
  12. After all the years by Southpaw018 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    After all the years of insanely stupid business decisions, lagging in the markets, struggling to compete, and relying on loyal users to keep it up, look at Apple now. ITMS dominates, and it does so for the right reasons - good software, good hardware. No acts of Congress involved. Good for them.

    --
    ACs are modded -6. I don't read you, I don't mod you, I don't see you. Don't like it? Don't be a coward.
    1. Re:After all the years by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 5, Funny
      ...and it does so for the right reasons - good software, good hardware.

      And you even forgot the most important reason - David Hasselhoff!

      --
      That is all.
  13. Danger! Danger! Non-uniform pricing!! by ZachPruckowski · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'd like to point out that most of the Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien stuff is $1.99, which means it costs the same as 45 minutes of LOST. But they are selling two roughly hour-long specials from Conan for $9.99. This is a big example of non-standard pricing, and I wouldn't be suprised to see more of it in the future.

  14. Kind of nice. by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 2, Informative

    I suppose this is fine for missing a single episode, but for me and episodes of currently running series, I'm thinking a DVR is going to be a better way to go. I have MythTV set up 95%, I've just been putting off finishing it up, and for those that don't go for self-flagellation like installing Myth, there are commercial DVRs too that don't seem too bad. For TV shows that aren't run anymore, the DVDs are better deals anyway, I'm hoping there will be easier conversion software.

  15. Thought for the day... by pubjames · · Score: 3, Interesting


    Everybody is talking about possible future Apple products - the iphone, icamera etc. I think there is a more logical and much more interesting product apple could make - an Apple TV.

    Think about it - Sony and Microsoft are currently battling it out with gaming machines assuming that it's going to become the "media hub" for the home. What if they're completely wrong?

    Apple have got many of the pieces of the puzzle already - Frontrow, itunes, a rock solid OS to base things on.

    I can imagine my old mum and dad buying an Apple TV, but they would never in a million years buy an XBox or playstation.

    1. Re:Thought for the day... by NotFamous · · Score: 3, Funny

      I think there is a more logical and much more interesting product apple could make - an Apple TV
      ...called the iCandy

      --
      Some settling may occur during posting.
  16. How about some free downloads too? by digitaldc · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why not offer some episodes for free as an incentive to download the others?

    For example, why not offer some freebies of more unpopular shows as an incentive to download the popular ones?

    Why can't NBC/SciFi/Steve Jobs just give some things away as a way of saying thanks for all the millions of dollars they make?

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
    1. Re:How about some free downloads too? by j-beda · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I would think that some of the things listed at Public Domain Movie Database, which includes a number of Dragnet episodes would be perfect for free distribution, in all the markets where the iTMS operates.

    2. Re:How about some free downloads too? by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 4, Funny

      Why not offer some episodes for free as an incentive to download the others?

      Because if I'm Steve Jobs, slashdot is the first site I click each day for marketing advice.

    3. Re:How about some free downloads too? by porcupine8 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Notice that there always is something you can download for free on the iTMS. Just not in the video section - yet. Remember that 1) This is a very new thing, with very, very limited content. Whatever content they can get their hands on is very valuable to them right now. 2) Downloading a video costs them more bandwidth than a song, so free episodes are going to cut into their (probably already thin) profit margins more than free songs. I'll be once bandwidth prices fall a bit and they have the range of content they have in music, they'll have a few freebies.

      --
      Warning: Apple/Nintendo fangirl. Likes her electronics cute & cuddly. May be rabid.
  17. Important Add-on comment by ZachPruckowski · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'd like to point out that most of the Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien stuff is $1.99, which means it costs the same as 45 minutes of LOST.

    The important part of that sentence is that the Leno and Conan stuff is 5-10 minutes long for the same price.

  18. Kudos to Apple again by thunderpaws · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Apple leads the way again. Quality and simplicity, giving people what they really want. Microsoft will get into this market and mess it up with complexity and buggery. Others will join the fray, and some will be taken and some will be left, while the press and pundits will forsee Apple's demise again and again.

  19. Re:Not for me. by mr100percent · · Score: 2, Informative

    You CAN play it outside iTunes, I'm looking at Jay Leno in Quicktime player right now. You're right about not being able to export it, however.

  20. Battlestar Galactica by Hektor_Troy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I thought it was the old show ...

    But no.

    Season 1: $25.87
    Season 2: $1.99/episode

    *drools*

    --
    We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
  21. Re:Not for me. by richdun · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Sorry, but I have to rebutt this.

    h.264 will be the format of choice with the next-gen video cards with hardware support for h.264.

    FairPlay does sort of suck, since you can't do anything with it, but at least it works, and doesn't get the movie/music people are bent out of shape.

    Mac + Windows represents virtually all the _consumer_ market. Plus, iTunes can run on Linux via CrossOverOffice and others, so this point is not all that strong. The market just isn't there for solid native Linux support.

    You can play these videos are FAR many more devices than the 5G iPod, like EVERY PC and Mac with iTunes. Yes, the videos right now are built for the iPod, but if you think the iPod is the only intended device, you've missed the point - the iPod is just a test.

    Why do you need to burn a DVD when you can hook up your PC/Mac to your TV/HDTV, or even better yet, watch them on your nice high res monitor? Most people don't have HDTVs, so their computer monitors are as high res as they go. And you can burn the files to a data DVD to take wherever, or network share, or whatever. The DVD isn't tomorrow's technology - it's barely even today's. These videos represent a physical media-free environment, so again, whether this is a good thing or not, I think you're missing the point.

    HDTV downloads would take FOREVER. Of course, if reports from Front Row-equipped iMacs streaming in HD trailer without stuttering or loading times is true, Apple is two steps ahead of us on this already.

    Point is - this isn't meant to be a be all that ends all offering. This is a test, this is only a test. Why the heck else would they pick such a crazy variety of shows to test many potential demographics?

  22. What Technology is Behind iTMS? by johnthorensen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm curious as to what technology underlies the iTunes Music Store. Are they using Apple hardware on the hardware side? WebObjects on the software side? If it's an "all-Apple" solution that's a major success story that they ought to be leveraging to sell their server products.

    -JT

    1. Re:What Technology is Behind iTMS? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yup. It's all us. Bit customized on the software side, you understand, but there are just racks of Xserves serving up media.

    2. Re:What Technology is Behind iTMS? by ediron2 · · Score: 4, Funny

      The deep-down URLs in apple.com usually mention webobjects, so that's a safe bet, but nobody sane would actually run a farm of business-critical servers based on BSD. Get real. </snark>

    3. Re:What Technology is Behind iTMS? by amichalo · · Score: 4, Informative

      iTunes Music Store is using Web Objects. Macworld reports in this article that it runs on Xserve and Xserve RAID and every investor knows Akamai (AKAM) is the bandwidth provider.

      --
      I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
    4. Re:What Technology is Behind iTMS? by adpowers · · Score: 2

      Yep. And even though they are running their computer store and music store on WebObjects, they don't seem to be trying to sell it to anyone else.

  23. SD Quality Downloads by Frobozz0 · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's Standard Definition (SD) quality television. In fact, it can look a lot better than SD if you play it through an HD set with upsampling or other quality improving technologies.

    For example, I have a Sony 50" LCD Projection HDTV (Love it, BTW.) I also have a PowerBook. All I do is plug the S-Video cable from my computer to my TV and play all those episode of LOST I love. I had never seen LOST prior to downloading on iTunes, so I thought I would DL a couple and try it out. I was really impressed by the quality. It's better than a normal SD broadcast, the colors are amazing, and the compression is almost never noticable.

    So, yes, I would like HD quality downloads for video (nominal charge is fine for bandwidth) and I'd like higher quality AAC's (norminal charge fine) as an option. But this is a great start and will prove the validity of the concept.

    --
    "Politicians find new names for institutions which under old names have become odious to the people."
    1. Re:SD Quality Downloads by nidhogge242 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Well actually, the standard definitions of Standard Definition are fairly rigid, and are only varied between different regions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/576i

      --
      -any creative production that doesn't leave you with a bleeding ulcer is solely due to lack of determintation-
  24. Re:Can stop Paying by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2, Funny
    I think your housemate might be making you pay the entire license, and pretending you're only paying half. The license fee this year is £126.50 - a lot less than £200, and under 50p a day. I haven't watched TV since the last season of Doctor Who ended (and will probably end up watching the next one via the live web stream), but the license fee seems worth it at the moment for the news RSS feeds.

    In case you haven't noticed, the cost of videos from iTMS is £1.89 - almost twice the price of the American equivalent, for a more limited selection of content. This works out at just under 67 episodes for the cost of the license - and episodes recorded from the TV have no DRM.

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  25. Re:Not for me. by Hrvat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    'FairPlay' DRM? Not good. I can't play it outside iTunes.
    It's an Apple service intended for video iPod users. Why would they want you to have it anywhere else?

    Open and accessible store? Nope. You need iTunes which is only available for Macintosh and Windows.
    Hm, Mac OS X and Windows. That covers how much market?

    Compatibility with many devices? Nope. Only one: the iPod 5G.
    Here's an idea. Lets build a time machine and go back and build in video functionality in the old iPods.

    Well at least I can create a DVD, like iTunes lets me burn a CD with my purchased songs, right? Nope. No burning. Only playback.
    Hrm. Let's see. Can you play a DVD on your iPod? No?

    Well at least the new episodes of Law & Order, which are filmed in HDTV, will be shown in brilliant 1280x720 resolution, right? Nope. 320x240.
    Again, you're talking about a service for the video iPod. The resolution it can display is only so high.

    Good for you, Apple. Welcome to the 19th century. I'll be over here with my trusty BitTorrent client.
    19th century? Wow. I guess you're trying to make your point. Yet Apple is the first company to offer something like this.

    As for BitTorrent, grow up. Do you seriously expect that everyone would work for free to create these shows?
    Imagine if half the audience for Lost suddenly started watching the shows only on BitTorrent. The advertisement rates for the slot would drop, creating less cash for the network and the show, probably causing the network to pull the show because it's not creating enough revenue.
    That is one of the reasons I shell out $40 for the seasons worth of Battlestar Galactica. I know I can get a reasonable quality copy off BitTorrent, probably even the very same DVD images. However I'd like to see more of the show. Thus I pay some money so the actors and the crew and the network can earn some money and be encouraged to create another season.

    --
    TANSTAAFL
  26. Re:Not for me. by Chicane-UK · · Score: 2, Informative

    Let me just get out my handy-dandy little red pen, and use it to illustrate a few points which you seem to have otherwise overlooked.

    I think the most important one is this - we all know that bittorrent is out there and that whatever solution that the movie & television studios and their affiliates come up with will never give us the freedom / choice that we currently have. But right now its a LEGAL WAY OF DOING THINGS, and maybe you should accept that there will never be a legal system that just gives you every TV show, ever aired, whenever you want it.

    You're a fool - Apple are at least making the effort to get something off the ground that could potentially bloom.. yeah, right now its a bit lousy that its only in low res and you can only play it on your iPod but its step one - and only complete ignorami like yourself would completely overlook the bigger picture in this case, and sing about the same old song about not being able to play it on your Linux PVR or being able to burn it to DVD.

    This, like it or not IS the 21st century. Get over it.

    --
    "Hey! Unless this is a nude love-in, get the hell off my property!!"
  27. Re:Not for me. by Ironsides · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Well at least the new episodes of Law & Order, which are filmed in HDTV, will be shown in brilliant 1280x720 resolution, right? Nope. 320x240.

    Hell, we're using computers. They might as well offer it in 1080p for those of us with big enough monitors.

    --
    Fly me to the moon Let me sing among those stars Let me see what spring is like On jupiter and mars
  28. Re:Meanwhile IPod porn is exploding. by circusboy · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm impressed, how'd they get video on that older model ipod?

    --
    -- it's ridiculous how many people misspell ridiculous... (damn, damn, damn...)
  29. Soon in France... by Sylvain · · Score: 4, Funny


    Apple was about to open the TV shows download service in France but backed out at the last minute after a market analysis showed that nobody would care unless Apple offers all seasons of MacGyver in HD.

  30. Overpriced! by utexaspunk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    These shows are ridiculously overpriced. Do the math- we'll look at the highest-rated show, Desperate Housewives:

    Average number of viewers/episode: 17.44mil
    Number of ads per show: Probably about 10min of National ads (20 30-second spots), 5 of local ads (10 30-second spots)
    Price per 30-second National spot: $560,000
    National ad revenue per show: $11.2m
    Value/viewer: $.64!

    Now, this isn't counting the value of the local ads (which sell in the tens of thousands of $/spot, depending on the market and timeslot), what the show will make in syndication, or DVD sales, but neither is it counting the costs associated with broadcasting television, which are far greater than the cost of hosting a file. I just can't imagine a single show being worth more than a dollar. $2!? I think I'll find [ahem!] other ways to get the shows for a better price point.

    I'd gladly pay a quarter for the rights to watch a 30-min show ad-free for 24hrs, encumbered with DRM and everything. If there were a huge database of these shows, I might even go back at a later date and pay to watch them again. A system like that would have to be at LEAST as profitable as broadcast TV, if not moreso...

  31. Re:Not for me. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    Well at least the new episodes of Law & Order, which are filmed in HDTV, will be shown in brilliant 1280x720 resolution, right? Nope. 320x240.

    Good for you, Apple. Welcome to the 19th century. I'll be over here with my trusty BitTorrent client.


    My great-great grandfather wrote in his diary how long it took to download Kinetoscope episodes on his steam-powered Babbage Analytic Engine using the latest version of BitCanal. The old episodes of Baywatch were simply scandalous for thier time...The lifeguards swimsuits barely covered their knees!!!
  32. Leno and Conan by jessecurry · · Score: 2, Informative

    it seems that the episodes of Leno and Conan are not actually episodes, but collections of segments. I would've really liked to be able to download entire episodes, but at least this is a start.

    --
    Those who know, do not speak. Those who speak, do not know. ~Lao Tzu
  33. Re:Not for me. by danaris · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's get out my handy-dandy little red pen here.

    Sure, let's. I'll get out my bright green pen and join you.

    h.264 format? I guess that's okay.

    Oh, you're too kind.

    'FairPlay' DRM? Not good. I can't play it outside iTunes.

    Well, actually, you can play it in QuickTime. A much better video player.

    Open and accessible store? Nope. You need iTunes which is only available for Macintosh and Windows.

    And...Apple should cater to the 1% of computer users who run only Linux with this why, exactly?

    Compatibility with many devices? Nope. Only one: the iPod 5G.

    Um, actually, it's compatible with those 99% of computers running Windows and Mac OS X.

    Well at least I can create a DVD, like iTunes lets me burn a CD with my purchased songs, right? Nope. No burning. Only playback.

    I'll admit that this is kind of annoying, but I have little doubt that it will change, given time. Don't forget, this is still a very new service.

    Well at least the new episodes of Law & Order, which are filmed in HDTV, will be shown in brilliant 1280x720 resolution, right? Nope. 320x240.

    Ah...well, you may have a nice fat OC3 to download shows on, but many (if not most) of us are still stuck on nominally 784kbps pipes, that actually turn out to be more like 80kbps most of the time if we're lucky. Oh, and most of us don't have HDTVs to watch them on, either.

    Good for you, Apple. Welcome to the 19th century. I'll be over here with my trusty BitTorrent client.

    And I'll be here with my copy of iTunes, watchin' the next Law & Order legally in what I, and many, many others consider to be a perfectly acceptable resolution and format, on my laptop, or maybe plug my TV into it and watch it there (it'll probably be higher quality than what comes over the cable anyway).

    I think your real problem is that you are both rich and extremely myopic. You seem to think that Apple's (essentially) brand-new service should provide the absolute top-of-the-line product to be worth purchasing at all, when in reality, most people either couldn't use that product ('cause it would take them 3 days to download the file) or it wouldn't be any different, for them, than what they're getting ('cause they don't have a 60" 1080p HDTV with 9.2 ultra-surround--they have a 28" analog TV with ordinary stereo speakers).

    So take a peek outside your soundproof, well-upholstered, $30,000 technological paradise and glance at the real world once in a while, and you'll see why Apple is doing this. Then stop being such a whiner.

    Dan Aris

    --
    Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
  34. Re:Yawn... by mblase · · Score: 2, Informative

    I've downloaded episodes of "Lost" for viewing on my computer, since I don't own/can't afford a video iPod. I was pleased to see that I could watch it on my 17" monitor from several feet away on the couch and enjoy it -- the quality is comparable to a medium-quality home VHS recording. You could see the pixelation in, say, the stubble on Jack's chin, but printed text was completely legible.

    Now, keep in mind that a 45-minute episode of "Lost" takes 10-20 minutes to download. You want twice the resolution, that's almost four times the data and would take an hour to download, if not longer. Most customers aren't going to want to download video if it takes longer than the episode itself to do so.

    iTMS' current resolution for video is "good enough" for viewing at home and on a portable device. It does the job it was meant to do. If you want it higher than this, you're honestly better off spending the money on the DVD set or a good cable TV connection.

  35. Even their DRM sounds pretty tame, though... by maillemaker · · Score: 2, Informative

    From the iTunes web site:

    http://www.apple.com/itunes/videos/

    "Browse featured listings or search the archive to find just what you want, then click to buy. Once you do, you get stutter-free, ad-free video delivered directly to your desktop. From there, the sky's the limit, because you own purchased video forever. Watch as many times as you choose, share between five computers, burn to data CDs or sync to the new iPod. Instant gratification never looked better."

    -> "...because you own purchased video forever." -

    Steve

    --
    A work that expires before its copyright never enters the public domain and thus enjoys eternal copyright protection.
  36. Only 300 episodes? by yardbird · · Score: 2, Funny
    the PR from Apple stated that their current offering of video stands at approximately 300 episodes.
    That can't be right: with Law & Order, it must be more like 30,000.
    --
    Free, legal music for iTunes users.
  37. moderation by markdowling · · Score: 3, Insightful

    there isn't a -1 Whiny option.

  38. Re:Important question... (OT reply sorry!) by gibbsjoh · · Score: 2, Informative

    modecx... why not order some region 2 dvds from here (UK) and rip them (straight up, no compression, just a VIDEO_TS folder), and re-burn as Region Free? Not the ideal solution but better than a kick in the trousers :). MacTheRipper will do this on MacOS X, Im sure there's a Windows/Linux package to do the same.

    FWIW I love Top Gear too!

    JG

    --
    -- "...I'm a bad guy because I, well, I sing some rock-and-roll songs." M. Manson
  39. ESPN thinking Apple by kherr · · Score: 2, Informative

    I have no idea what kind of content they'd be considering, but apparently ESPN is thinking about Apple's video distribution. Now if only that means seeing stuff like The Ocho would be showing ("If it's almost a sport, we've got it!").

  40. Re:Resolution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Wrong! I just plugged my 5G iPod video into my standard (not HD) 32" TV and played an episode of Lost. Broadcast quality ... not HD mind you. But the same pciture quality I normally get on my TV. And guess waht ... now I could take this episode to a friends house and plug my iPod into her Tv and she gets to see it too. Make sure you know that facts before pronouncing the technology stupid, stupid.

  41. Re:Danger! Danger! Non-uniform pricing!! by adpowers · · Score: 2, Informative

    The two approximately hour long episodes are: 10th Anniversary Special, and a Best of Triumph episode. The short clips (15 minute) include a few Triumph clips and some other skits. All of the skits offered for download (at $2 a pop!) are pretty old (4-5 years?). I'm a little disappointed.

  42. Just bought some shows off iTMS... by d0n+quix0te · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was expecting the quality to suck, but the quality surprised me...! Connected my Powerbook to our board room projector (800x600).... the quality is much better than I anticipated. Granted its not DVD quality, but the image is much better than most TVs.

    I don't know what apple is doing, but the 320x240 video looks better than TV quality. The images are crisp, colors are quite lush and yes, no blotchy spots from bad encoding.

    Took almost 20 minutes to download a 40 min episode... and this on a shared T1. The files are between 110-120 MB each. I can see why they are not doing HD quality... 400-600 MB would take for ever to download... (not everyone has an OC-3 pipe at home....; stuck with Comcast at home....).

    All in all a good compromise between speed and quality. Pleasantly surprised, is more like it!

    1. Re:Just bought some shows off iTMS... by pherth · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Using h.264 a 40 min episode in 700x400 resolution would be about 300 MB, which would be doable with DSL. That resolution would make me a really happy shopper :)

  43. Do the math ... properly by podperson · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Let's suppose you use Myth TV. My guess is that you'll probably waste ... oh ... 10h getting it working. In a couple of years you'll need to rebuild it from scratch. So let's call that 10h @ $50/h = $500 + $500 worth of hardware. Both of these figures are conservative.

    So that's $1000 for 2y of PVR.

    Or you could buy a TiVo. That's $50-300 + $200 of subscriptions for 2y of PVR (by which time TiVo is bankrupt...). And sales tax. Yada yada yada.

    Then there's your cable TV bill (or are you doing all this for broadcast?). Let's call that $50/month. So now we're at:

    $50 x 24 = $1200.
    $250 - $1000 for PVR.

    Add a bunch more for premium stations. Add a bunch more for more than one PVR.

    This will buy you, say 29-44 SEASONS of TV on DVD @$50/season or 725-1100 episodes of iTMS video. I just don't watch that much TV... So it's already cheaper to buy TV content on DVD (but you have to wait for it to come out and miss stuff that never comes out) or iTMS (but it's not HD and it's arguably not quite broadcast quality -- but you do get to keep it).