Dec
06
Apple adds new iTunes TV offerings. Adds NBC and others.
Written by: Adam Christianson
Categories: News
Looks like Apple just greatly expanded it offerings for TV shows on iTunes. I was just looking at iTunes and saw the splashes for NBC, USA Networks and SciFi Channel shows. I clicked and was thrilled, they are actually there! The NBC offerings include, Law and Order, Jay Leno and classics like Knight Rider just to name a few. I also saw Monk and the Battlestar Galactica Mini series. This is BIG. I can see my bank account depleting as I type this. Bring on the content!
Yee – ha – first post from Bangkok.
This is awesome – i’ve got my 60gb Video model and it rules – i’m got all sorts or ripped tv content on it already and it rocks for commuting. Anyone who says an ipod is no good for watching video on a regular basis should wake up and smell the downloads. Apple has done it again!
Sadly no international content as yet though! I urge Apple to work on European and Global video solutions. I know that in the UK, the BBC are considering distributing their older content. However due to the unique way the BBC is funded by UK citizens paying a TV license, I get the impression that they feel they ‘owe’ content to the public who actually paid for the programmes to be made. So maybe this would not sit so well with Apple’s $1.99 or £1.89 (which is ludicrously disproportionate!) per show.
I think this is fantastic in the way that finally this content is available online, but it is far too expensive.
In the same way that Music is in my opinion still too expensive.
But they are 2 arguments and my argument for TV being free is: It actually can be on a economical basis that is proven.
You know how you always have these small icons of the Channel your watching somewhere on the screen and your looking at it all the time?
Or sometimes you even have animated commercials of the shows coming up at the bottom of the screen or even all over the screen during the show?
So instead: The shows distributed on iTunes for example or some other service build on BitTorrent could make all these shows available free for download with commercials of the kind I mentioned. E.g. CocaCola everybody would be looking at the sign all the time and it would burn itself into our minds for the companies its the best commercial ever. Kinda sucks still for the viewer because now we are all drinking coke instead of Orange Juice but at least we got our TV content free on your iPods, PSPs, Macs, computers and othe rconsumer devices. Oh and NO DRM!!! Because why would you want it? The more people watch it the better for the advertiser CocaCola in this case :D
I really thought Apple was going to wait and give this to us at MacWorld… I guess this means this is a larger test to get more shows on it.
Here we go again!
I’m looking forward to being able to download video content in the UK, yeah Pixars great, but the thing is I have those shorts (extra features on DVD’s).
Well heres hoping Apple branch out to the UK.
In regards to MacWorld I guess they may have more on the way and this is just a taste of whats to come.
well if they would have waited until MacWorld think how much money they would have “lost” now they can sell these shows all over christmas and new years to all the new iPod owners who will find their luck under the Christmas tree
Way to go Apple. I really like that Sci-Fi TV shows are offered. I thought NBC would offer SNL I would really like to see some of the old shows.
As cool as this is I have to say that I’m disappointed with the Conan O’brien and Jay Leno content. Instead of full episodes it looks like they have just a handful random (and short) bits. The few things that are an hour long are $9.99!!! What’s up with that??
i LOVE it … now if only we could have a Video Store in Aus :(
Its great news but we want to see content in the UK, and not at £1.89 i feel £1.49 would be a more fair price….
Anyway i think we’ll see steve give some non US iTuners some content in macworld january…
Looking forward to the next cast Adam,
Peace
To Kenneth-
Apple and NBC will offer some SNL skits (that means not whole shows) soon in the future. They will also offer “The best of Bravo.”
How did i get this? Apple and NBC and a new TV add on Apples website.
Go here: http://www.apple.com/itunes/ads/nbc_uni/
When they say, “the best of Bravo… SNL… and much more,” look at the small video boxes featured for split seconds and you will notice current SNL actors and a clip of Queer Eye For The Straight Guy.
Hope this helps and good job apple.
Please Apple try to convince the studios to agree to doing this in other countries. In the 70’s I thought Knight Rider was cool and wouldn’t mind seeing it again (and some of the other stuff hasn’t made it to Australia). I would love (and I’m sure I’m not alone) if this made it to Australia.
Just what we need on the US airways, more Law and Order!! :D
Great Site!!
Congrats!!!