Anaylsts: Apple’s NBC content deal prompts question of what’s next from Cupertino?

“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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