Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, Video
NBC "In talks" with Apple
According to this article (paid subscription required) in the Wall Street Journal, Apple is courting NBC for video content to add to the iTunes Music Store. The availability of television shows in iTunes was, for me, the big news yesterday. When the iTunes Music Store was initially launched, people (rightly) questioned whether or not such a service would work, and attract people who had been downloading free (and illegal) music. I'm not suggesting that piracy has been eliminated by iTunes, but the store has demonstrated that people are willing to pay for online music. If Apple could do the same for television - demonstrate that people will shell out a couple of bucks for an episode of their favorite show (I will) - we'll have a huge change in the distribution of media. For me, two bucks is worth not having to weed through torrent files just to find what I'm after.On a personal note, I'd really like to see Arrested Development and many of the FOX shows added to the music store. Famiy Guy on my iPod? Yes, please.
[Via iLounge]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
phi said 12:10PM on 10-13-2005
i wonder when apple's going to up the resolution when they realize people want better resolution when they're sitting down to their iMacs with Front Row
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Nick said 12:13PM on 10-13-2005
I agree with everything you said, but there is one thing missing...
Higher resolution.
I am just not the type of buyer who can/will go out and trade my current iPod for a new one. It is a cost that I would rather not pay. Therefore, I am going to be forced to watch these shows on my computer (eMac 700 MHz, 640mb ram, etc). It is not a problem for me to watch on my computer, aside from the fact that these videos are REALLY freakin' small resolution.
Am I right, or am I missing something?
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Samual Icky said 12:38PM on 10-13-2005
I think no HD shows will be what people will download and watch... at home atleast... while the HD shows will have a bigger draw for those who mass communite daily. But I can't see for the life of me why someone would download an ITM-TVshow if they normally grab a torrent to grab the latest showes... after all those torrents are well HD... well widescreen.
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Asian Orange said 12:21PM on 10-13-2005
I would love to see iTunes gain NBC's show like 'My Name is Earl' or 'The Office'
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David said 12:30PM on 10-13-2005
I downloaded a pixar film this morning, and it would not play. My account was charged, but the clip was only a grey screen with NO sounds. I emailed apple, and I am waiting to hear back. Anyone else have this problem?
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Luke said 12:29PM on 10-13-2005
I know the files are not of the highest quality. Nor are they huge when you view them in iTunes. However, I think many people are missing the scalability of the h.264 codec. If I'm watching video on my computer normally I don't full screen it unless I'm watching a dvd on my laptop in an airplane or watching the movie only when a tv is not available. Usually, when I watch torrents or now files from the ITMS I'll keep it smaller because I'm usually doing something else while watching the movie. I will talk on ichat, browse the web, write a paper, or even play a game at the same time. Yesterday even i as watching the webcast for the apple event while playing WoW (world of warcraft for the uniformed) I have scaled the movies to see what looks good in m opinion and and if you double or even triple the size the movie still looks good, not HD good but not VHS quality either. Yes, I still hope for HD versions or High rez versions but for now this is a great start and the resolution issue at the moment doesn't seem to bother me. I say download a music video or one of the Pixar movies and play around with it. The rez isn't THAT bad as people are making it out to be.
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Jay Contonio said 12:42PM on 10-13-2005
Resolutions will get bigger when the real video device comes out. This is a test bed for Apple and the TV industry. If it's even partially a success, expect huge developments I would say.
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Nick said 12:57PM on 10-13-2005
Maybe...
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Harsh said 2:21PM on 10-13-2005
Nice! Hopefully we'll be able to watch Scrubs on our iPods soon.
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John Connuck said 7:39PM on 10-15-2005
For the grey screen, make sure you have Quicktime 7.0.3 installed. The apple site is really vague, but downloading quicktime will give you the new version. System Update should also have it.
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Jack said 2:48PM on 10-13-2005
Law & Order: Shuffle Play
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Nik Fletcher said 3:15PM on 10-13-2005
I'd love to have the new series of 24 come to iTMS. That would be awesome!
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Sk8rCai said 2:53PM on 10-13-2005
What I'd like to see is the televisual boundaries brought down. Being a UKer I'd like to be able to buy US shows from whats being aired at the moment. Take for instance Threshold, I like that show. But we cant get it in the UK just yet. I'd love to be able to download this from Apple and watch it when I like. To me $1.99 is a absolute bargain and if I can do it without having to trawl through torrents and stuff...thats cool too. Higher resolutions would be nice, but I'm sure that will come in time and as the format develops further.
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bertram said 2:57PM on 10-13-2005
You're looking at huge file sizes when you up the rez. It'd be nice to have a choice: low rez for the ipod people and the non-videophiles, and high rez for people who want to view it larger, play with it, pet it, etc.
So far the only gaf I've noticed with the ITMS shows are that the tv shows are much louder than the videos. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
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Tony Ward said 3:06PM on 10-13-2005
There really are a world of possibilities here. Let's imagine, shall we?
"The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" while you work. MLB.TV and the NFL network getting on board and delivering your favorite games to your iPod through iTunes. Yes, "Family Guy" (I am so with you on that one!!). Major news networks offering interviews for posterity. Classic TV (all 6 episodes of "Poilce Squad" for $9.99?) I personally would download a copy of "Breaking Bonaducci" and purposely delete it for the sheer satisfaction of knowing I destroyed it.
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Sagamiman said 3:52PM on 10-13-2005
I do not watch TV, period. My lifestyle and 2 young kids do not allow it. However, I would most definitely download episodes of 'Arrested Development' or BBCs "The Office' or 'The American Experience'. Yes, I would do it in a heartbeat. This could be big....real big.
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The Jeremy said 3:40PM on 10-13-2005
Remember that NBC also owns SciFi. I'm sure Apple would prefer *Battlestar Galactica* over *Joey* as an iTunes Store offering.
Then again, who wouldn't want Drea DeMatteo in their pants, so to speak?
Where's the BBC with *Doctor Who*? Are they seriously that asleep-at-the-wheel?
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Blue Balloon said 3:53PM on 10-13-2005
I hope for Monk and subtitle. :[
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Kate said 6:29PM on 10-13-2005
I don't have cable TV at home (I'm a college student--if asked to choose between broadband internet and basic cable, I will take broadband every time), and while I sporadically go out on the web to keep caught up on the Daily Show and Family Guy, but ordinarily, I just wait for the DVD release. I think iTunes is going to have to figure out how to negotiate the difference between weekly and daily shows on the store. For example, $1.99 for each episode of the Daily Show (and I would definitely buy it and watch it), suddenly becomes $32 a month--if I watched some other show as well (like family guy or something), that's nearly as much as basic cable in my area. I think $.99 is a more reasonable price point for nightly shows.
I'd also like to have a "Subscribe" sort of option on TV shows--like, I could subscribe to House for a season, and then just have it delivered to my laptop when it's released on the store.
I'm also with Tony above about classic TV and Big Games--most of my favorite shows fall into the category of "Cancelled" (Firefly, DS9, Homicide) or "Once Great" (The Simpsons)-if I could buy selective episodes of Homicide and the Simpsons, I'd do it and never regret it.
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Matthew Goodwin said 6:22PM on 10-13-2005
Yes, iTunes needs Arrested Development!
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