Apple today announced that hit television programming from Germany’s top networks, including ProSieben, Sat.1, ZDF Enterprises, Brainpool and US broadcasters ABC Studios and MTV Networks is now available from the iTunes Store in Germany. iTunes customers can choose from a wide range of award-winning primetime programming including “Stromberg,” “Tramitz and Friends,” “Switch!,” “Shaolin Wuzang” and “Kaya Yanar-Made In Germany,” as well as the Emmy Award-winning US programs “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “South Park.”
“iTunes is the world’s most popular online music and TV store with over four billion songs and 125 million TV episodes sold,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes, in the press release. “We’re off to a great start with over 35 TV shows available on the iTunes Store in Germany.”
Television shows purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store can be viewed on a Mac or PC, iPod nano with video, iPod classic, iPod touch, fifth generation iPod, iPhone or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV. Television shows are priced at €1.99 and €2.49 per episode. Television programming on the iTunes Store in Germany includes favorites such as:
• ProSieben’s Deutscher Comedypreis-winning comedy “Switch!,” “Tramitz and Friends;”
• Sat.1 comedy show “Zack! Comedy nach Maß” and action-drama “GSG9;”
• ZDF Enterprises’ kids animation “Shaolin Wuzang” and documentary “Update 2057 – Unser Leben in der Zukunft;”
• ABC dramas “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Criminal Minds;”
• MTV Networks hits “South Park,” “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Avatar: The Legend of Aang;” and
• Brainpool’s Deutscher Fernsehpreis-winning comedy programs “Stromberg” and “Dr. Psycho” and comedy program “Kaya Yanar-Made In Germany.”
iTunes 7.6 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Store and is available as a free download from iTunes in Germany. Purchase and download of songs and videos from the iTunes Store requires a valid credit card from a financial institution in the country of purchase. Television shows are available in the US, UK, Canada and Germany, and video availability varies by country. Television shows are €1.99 and €2.49 per episode in Germany. TV shows from the iTunes Store can be viewed on a Mac or PC, iPod nano with video, fifth generation iPod, iPod classic, iPod touch, iPhone or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.
Meanwhile, you can quietly watch Microsoft’s new tech charade game on the Zune called “Shhh ITV”…..
somewhat slightly repetitive somewhat
Hey,, did you notice the variable pricing?
finally! they promised that for 2007. remember anyone? but better late than never. price is ok compared to the prices of seasons-dvd-box-sets, but you can rent dvds nowadays for 1 euro a day at a local video-store here in germany. so lets say you rent a dvd of lost (4 episodes) and bring it back the next day (if i don’t manage to watch 4 episodes in a row i use handbrake to convert it to apple tv) that makes 2 euros for 4 episodes vs. 10 euros via itunes. so i’ll stick with the videostore for now but am looking forward to movies being added (probably 2009). they should make it 2,99 euros though (at least here is hoping). 1 euro more for the convenience would be ok.
How long until Knight Rider is #1?
Oooops, too late.
It really suprises me that more TV shows haven’t been downloaded, just like I don’t understand why the average number of songs from iTunes per iPod is so low. Just based on the number of free songs and shows that have been available in the US, people should have loads. I have hundreds.
Wow, so now I can watch crap…synchronized? No thanks. I wonder how long it will take until they realize that quite alot of people can’t take dubbed material. Also, it’s a shame that I can’t decide what language+subtitle I would like to watch – now that everything is digital. I can only hope that Apple realizes that, should they release movies in Germany, quite a lot of people prefer the original material. I mean, Southpark in German…please!
zheCrap: I can only hope that Apple realizes that, should they release movies in Germany, quite a lot of people prefer the original material. I mean, Southpark in German…please!
South Park is actually not that bad in german; But it’s just not Apple’s choice to make – the usage rights are partitioned according to regions by the rights holders.
I love iTunes. I can’t wait till every freaking TV show and Movies are there to buy.
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So when might we see some of the popular but still missing series – The Simpsons and Smallville, for example – on the US site?
“Television shows are €1.99 and €2.49 per episode…”
That´s U.S. $3.10 to $3.89 each. !!!!!!
One has to be somewhat desparate to download those when you can get rent DVDs for about the same price. (And 99% of the German-made shows are crap.)
Amazon Germany offers unlimited rentals per month (1 at a time) for 9,99 Euro; 3 videos at a time -unlimited per month for 19.99 Euro plus free shipping.
Let’s say it’s a start … but wait for the version 2.0 of that one.
The prices are not reasonable, the selection is poor, very poor – not to say just crap. The US Store started with a small selection to, but with good shows. One and only one season of ‘Lost’ (Nr. 3) – please ?!
In many respects, the studios may be responsible. But it’s hard to understand, why Apple needs a full day AFTER the announcement of “up and running” to get the TV-Shows-Page in iTunes working. That’s very encouraging – but early adopters are as usually not Apples friends.