“Today’s Apple content deal with NBC not only adds more hot TV shows to iTunes, but some programs typically only available on cable, such as ‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘Monk.’ In my neighborhood, analog cable costs about $60 a month, or the equivalent of 20 TV shows from iTunes. While most people probably wouldn’t chuck cable for iTunes downloads, the new content certainly increases source choices,” Joe Wilcox writes for JupiterResearch’s Analyst Weblogs.
“Back to the topic of iTunes and video, the real question is what’s next? Apple got many things technologically and functionally right with the original iPod. But Apple didn’t have to supply content because consumers had hordes of CDs they could rip to MP3s and transfer to the portable music player. Video is different, because there are few sources for legal video content. As Apple begins to provide content, next step would be to extend the approach to the living room as with the rumored new Mac mini. The hardware won’t be so important as the content and software delivery mechanism. And if Apple adds much more content, why shouldn’t the company release real video iPod? Apple doesn’t call the fifth-generation iPod a video iPod, which suggests to me there is more to come. I’d like to see a real video iPod with larger screen–even touch screen–capable of playing high-resolution content,” Wilcox writes.
Full article here.
JupiterResearch’s Michael Gartenberg also writes, “Another solid win for the folks in Cupertino. More legal video content means more folks are comfortable making the iPod purchase. Look for more folks to be making the pilgrimage to Cupertino to get their content onto Apple’s devices. Of course, all that content flow really begs for some sort of Apple branded hub in the digital home, doesn’t it… like something based on the Mac Mini?”
Full article here.
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Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.00.
Related articles:
NBC Universal & Apple offer new shows on U.S. iTunes Music Store, iTunes video sales top 3 million – December 06, 2005
Apple adds NBC-owned TV Shows to online iTunes Store – December 06, 2005
Rumored Apple Mac DVR should be fully wireless with ultrawideband – December 01, 2005
So, where are all the new TV shows on Apple’s iTunes Store? – December 01, 2005
Analyst: Microsoft should be concerned about Apple’s rumored Mac mini DVR – November 30, 2005
Is Apple working on a DVR or not? – November 30, 2005
RUMOR: Apple preps ‘Kaleidoscope’ digital hub ‘TiVo-killer’ for January Macworld Expo debut – November 29, 2005
Apple’s brilliant, deceptively simple Front Row software has a bright future and raises questions – October 28, 2005
Downloaded an episode of The Office today.
~M
This was the first time I have downloaded video from iTMS. It took several minutes with a very fast cable connection.
Is this normal, or could the site be especially busy with the new announcement?
It was great by the way: The Fight, I recommend it. My wife doesn’t get the humor of The Office all of the time, but I really like it.
Makes me wish I had seen the original version. Does anyone know if it is on DVD and if it is worth it?
~M
Yeah, a nice touch screen… Don’t we have enough problems with people touching thier screen?!?! There’s already complaints about scratching, and those are screens that you don’t have to touch for any reason…
“I’d like to see a real video iPod with larger screen–even touch screen–capable of playing high-resolution content,” Wilcox writes.
“I’d like to see an iPod that would create all the Mint Double Stuff Oreos I can jam into my fat little cake hole,” Yardrocks writes.
Lets do some quick math. Cable tv is $60/month which is 20 shows/month, BUT with tv you get about 50% advertising as well. What is that worth? I’d say that is worth another $30/month or 15 more shows. Also, iTunes has the benifit of watching the programs whenever is convenient, and rewatching the shows whenever. Drawbacks include image quality at higher resolution, and getting the shows to your Television. I expect the latter to be solved shortly. To me, this is a no brainer – I’m ditching cable for iTunes very soon…
I’m still waiting for oTunes. o for oreo.
Yes, the office is on dvd and while I’ve never seen it, everyone I know who has says it’s hilarious.
The video capable iPod can handle higher resolution that the 320×240 Apple specifies. I’ve encoded typical NTSC (640×480) video at 544×416 and transferred it to the iPod and played it back on a TV. It’s not quite full resolution, but a lot better than 320×480. I have also encoded widescreen video (720×480) video at 720×304 and transferred it to the iPod and played it back on a TV at full resolution. Of course the price you pay for this higher resolution is larger files. Generally speaking a 2 hour movie encoded at 1600 bps will take 1.45GB of disk space on your iPod.
Downloaded an episode of The Office today.
I hope it was the original English one–the US one is just that— US
Do you see the classmates.com ad? What is up with that second chics hair? If a family of chipmonks popped out that could possibly explain.
The british season of the office is availiable, and is funny.
The first seaon is similar to the american one.
Once again the humor is about the same, awkward kinda humour.
My parents say the new american one is better.
But it is availiable in Britain, just make sure you get the Worldwide version on DVD
jb
When did twenty times 1.99 equal 60? Am I retarded? Probably. I thought that you could download 30 shows for a month of cable?
This is fantastic!
In the Conan stuff – I finally got the Triumph the Comic Insult Dog video where he is making fun of all the Star Wars geeks waiting in line for the movie to open.
Brilliant stuff. Spock’s appearance is my favorite part.
Forget entire episodes. This is the kind of thing that I see most useful for DL of video. Short 5 – 10 minute comedy sketches. More practical to download.
I’d love to see some of the classic skits from SNL, Kids in the Hall or UCB available like this. Maybe even a segment or two from the Daily Show after each broadcast.
Brave new world…bring it on!
I’d like to see instant replay on video ipods at sporting events. Gotta figure out how to pipe the video feed from the cameras to the ipods, though.
Keep the surprises coming!
But aren’t people already touching their screens when they download a Playboy bodcast?
Guys, the British version of the Office has been available on US DVD for years.
now lets go back to Paul Thurrott who claimed Front Row was nice, but only because Apple ommitted a huge feature: TV Tuning.
With these kinds of downloads coming (obviously) in the next 30 days.. what does this mean for Apple’s ‘lack’ of TV tuning capability?
Now factor in MS’s fugly fugly integration and their *ahem high price tag..
Front Rows starting to look okay..
Time for the Mac mini hook up
What’s next is ripping DVD’s.
Handbrake does a great job if you use a Mac or Linux. You pick the resolution, compression of audio ect. and Handbrake does the rest. Experiment with the compression ratio and codec that best suits the equipment you will replay the video on and rip away.
Remember, ripping DVD rentals is not fair.
Don’t forget to get an external FW/USB2 500 GB drive for extra room and portability.
Downloading sporting events seems to me the next logical step. I can’t bring myself to pay $60/month just so that I can get ESPN, but a smorgasbord of choices from last night’s local broadcasts of hockey matchups would be a couch potato dream. Any game, any time…. what sports fanatic wouldn’t lap this up?
Why is everyone downloading Office? You should use Nisus Writer instead — it’s a much more Mac-friendly word processor.
The original British “The Office” available on DVD. And at Netflix!
I am thrilled with this announcement. I am going to be ditching cable in favor of downloading the shows I want. I’d been hanging onto cable because of Battlestar Galactica, but now I don’t need it. I’ll keep basic cable so I can watch the rest of the broadcast shows though. But, my total TV budget will go from $42 (for standard cable) to $16 (basic for $8 and upto $8 for BSG). And, they don’t always show 4 episodes a month – maybe only about 36 episodes a year. Yearly savings is about $336 – hopefully about half the price of a new Mac based DVR….
Just downloaded an episode of Knight Rider today. I am so pleased.
the british version of office is hilarious
the american version… sheesh!!!
wtf is wrong with your country?
I’m waiting to see what DRM will apply to movies. If I can’t keep it or burn it, well … there are other ways. MW: music.