iTunes survey asks about instant streaming video

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
A new Apple customer survey asks iPad users about instantly available video from iTunes, possibly hinting at upcoming streaming or cloud-based services.



The survey, reported by Engadget, questions consumers about their "satisfaction" with iTunes video purchases or rentals on the iPad.



Since the iPad currently requires iTunes video files to finish downloading before playback, one of the available answers, "Titles are available to watch instantly," is inaccurate. An instantaneous iTunes video feature is unavailable for the iPad at this time, but is supposedly in the works.



The timing of the survey is of particular interest, as it comes just days before Apple's annual September media event, where the Cupertino, Calif., company is expected to refresh its iPod Touch and iPod Nano offerings.



Apple is reportedly in talks with content providers to offer 99 cent streaming rentals of TV shows, which would be offered alongside an updated Apple TV, recast as the iTV. It remains unclear whether streaming video and the iTV set top box will be announced at Wednesday's event.



Although some industry insiders expect a cloud-based iTunes service by the end of the year, recent reports point to an iTunes update focusing on new features that are "social, not streaming."



Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    exponentexponent Posts: 13member
    The title of this article is a bit much. I think the survey is just noting that you have instant access to video, rather than needing to drive to the Blockbuster and/or get mail from NetFlix....
  • Reply 2 of 9
    sheffsheff Posts: 1,407member
    Yea could be like TV where you hit play wait like 30 sec and you get your HD movie streaming to you. Doubt they would ask about weather people want such a feature this close to the unveil.
  • Reply 3 of 9
    mr. jeffmr. jeff Posts: 44member
    This is a question about iTunes on the iPad, asking what features they already like. What the purpose of this question is for is to ask about iTunes as it already is, where if you purchase something off of the iTunes app, you get it instantly as opposed to having to either travel to get it or order it online and wait for a physical copy. I really don't think this is asking what you think it does.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    techapocalypsetechapocalypse Posts: 60member
    With all the competition, I'd be surprised if Apple didn't do this.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    If this story is indeed true, is there really a point to it? I mean, did you expect that people might say, 'no, we don't want it'!?
  • Reply 6 of 9
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by techapocalypse View Post


    With all the competition, I'd be surprised if Apple didn't do this.



    What 'competition?' On which planet?
  • Reply 7 of 9
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    What 'competition?' On which planet?



    When it comes to streaming there is a lot of competition out there from Hulu, Netflix, YouTube is pushing into that market, all the major stations seem to have their own full length shows. It?s amazing the number of years of NOVA episodes on PBS you can watch. Then there is streaming from VoD services on cable (I?m not sure if satellite has that, too).



    I think competition for streaming is so common that I doubt Apple would go this route unless the content owners really forced the issues during negotiations or if Apple saw streaming over downloading as their longterm goal to win online video and/or the living room like they did with the iTunes Music Store and the iPod.



    Where Apple seems to be standing alone is with downloadable content that be moved between certain machines and viewed without commercials and without being online. There are some streaming services that offer no ads (eg: Netflix) and there are some movie rental services that offer downloaded content (eg:XBOX Live) but I netiher of these seems to be a match for the number of devices that can playback FairPlay protected content.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    Bringing anything "social" (given what that word means on the web today) to iTunes, is the dumbest idea i've ever heard.



    Then again, so are Facebook and Twitter (dumbest, ever).
  • Reply 9 of 9
    mac_keeper_fan_modmac_keeper_fan_mod Posts: 57member
    Some research firms do seed their polls with pairs of answers that can be answered in contradicting ways, and answers that demonstrated that the respondent does not actually own something they claimed to own.



    So this question could simply be a question part of identifying the proportion of people who say they have an iPad when they don't.
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