RSSApple Adds More TV Show Downloads
By Nate Mook | Published December 6, 2005, 10:53 AM
Apple has beefed up its video downloads on iTunes through a deal with NBC Universal. The agreement brings 11 TV shows from NBC, USA Network and the Sci-Fi Channel, which include current primetime hits as well as classics such as 'Dragnet' and 'Knight Rider.'
iTunes now offers more than 300 different episodes for download across 16 television programs. Each show costs $1.99 and can be viewed on a PC or the new fifth-generation iPod, which can output to a TV.
The new shows add to Apple's previous content from ABC and include, NBC's 'Law & Order,' 'The Office,' 'Surface,' 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien,' the USA Network's 'Monk' and Sci-Fi Channel's 'Battlestar Galactica.'
Classic episodes from 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and 'Adam-12' are also available in addition to 'Dragnet' and 'Knight Rider.'
In just two months, Apple has sold more than 3 million videos despite its relative lack of content. However, hit shows including Desperate Housewives and Lost have helped spur downloads.
Commenting on Tuesday's expansion of video content, Jupiter Research senior analyst Joe Wilcox says Apple's iTunes could some day rival cable. "Today's content deal not only adds more hot TV shows to the 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," said Wilcox.
The new television shows are available for download now through the iTunes Store.
Just get a video capture card for your pc and convert them to mpeg4 yourself. You can have all you tv shows on your ipod for free (well, you do have to pay for the tv tuner card).
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|What fantastic news! I agree with BklynKid - having a low-res movie is certainly a limitation -- it's one of those things that you have to weigh -- having your favorite shows on demand and portable so that you can enjoy them on train ride to work or during your lunch break is a reason to welcome the low-res movies.
It wouldn't make sense for them to offer content that is not design for the iPod, so offering high-res downloads would not make sense at the current time. The lack of high quality releases also helps Apple's niche though - where DVD sales will still exist along side portable sales. This is the same issue for PSP Movies, right?
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|I just can't justify paying $2 for some low-res crap...
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|Ofcourse it's not going to look great on your computer, TV's run at 640x480 res. and most monitors are configured at at least 1040x768 so full screening an iTunes tv show is going to look crappy, but it's not iTunes with the problem. Once more shows go to HD (which i think runs at 1040x768) content will look a lot better on your computer.
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|No, your average TV is not 640x480. It has 525 interlaced lines (more or less, dependent on NTSC or PAL).
It's actually less than 640x480. Much less. If you've got a plasma, LCD or high-def CRT, then the story is a little different. But your average TV is absolute crap in terms of resolution. No comparison to a PC monitor. Hell, some PDAs have better res.
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|Actually the resolution is 1920x1080 on 1080[p/i] HDTV's. I just thought I'd let you know.
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|This rox.
I'm so glad for this. 'Bout freaking time I can choose what I want to watch without commercials.
Too many "pop-ups" and other scrolling BS on TV these days.
Thanks Apple!
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|You have a computer and still watching show on TV on their schedule? How out are you?
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|Great news, but too bad the video quality is crap on a PC. You'd be better off getting it on DVD. The same goes for music videos. And they're trying to compare iTunes to Cable? Yeah, everybody cancel their cable for iTunes.
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|Hey smartguy,
THey are made to be played on an iPod, not your computer.
However I've played them on my PC with a 17" flat panel in full screen mode and it looks fine from 10 feet away :)
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