The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Consider the Battlestar Galactica podcast. It offers commentary by Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore, and when listened to during the broadcast of the show, results in an experience not unlike the audio commentary feature we see on so many DVDs. I love the idea, and apparently I'm not alone: the Galactica podcast for last season's final episode was downloaded about 80,000 times via iTunes, according to Craig Engler, general manager of SciFi.com.

If I'm willing to sit through an entire movie twice, once with and once without commentary, then I'm definitely going to do the same with a thirty-minute television show. I can see Apple striking a deal with the television industry that would result in a regular offering of commentary podcasts in iTunes, resulting in more customers for Apple and guaranteed eyeballs for the network suits. Or maybe a PVR port of iTunes that would, among other things, allow for download of/subscriptions to commentary-enhanced shows. Imagine, for example, that you're using a TiVo. Click the "TiVo" button to jump to the TiVo menu (Watch Live TV, Pick Programs to Record, etc.) and select the "iTunes" option. Now you're browsing the iTunes Music Store (or perhaps a stripped down version) right there on your TiVo. Navigate the podcast section and subscribe to your favorite show's commentary podcast.

Now think of it from the iTunes end of things. iTunes 4.9 can play videos, and Apple has begun to make good use of this feature. The latest Foo Fighters album, for example (it's great, by the way), includes a mini documentary that features interviews with the band, who discuss the making of the album. It's really cool and I've watched it a few times now. This could work for television as well. Imagine you subscribe to the Arrested Development podcast (if there was such a thing). You get the audio commentary, sure, but there's also a video element that allows you to watch bits of the show, interviews with cast members, writers, etc. I'd certainly watch that.

This is all conjecture, of course, and as such it depends on a lot of things falling into place. Not least of which is the willingness of the people involved to even record the commentaries in the first place. Podcasting is such a new form of media. It can go in so many directions. It seems like it's all potential at this point. We'll see who will be the first to really send it into the stratosphere.