Apple UK set to flick the switch on iTunes movie downloads

[AppleInsider]

It's been quite some time coming, but Apple Inc. later this month will finally extend iTunes movie and TV show downloads to iTunes customers in the United Kingdom.

Citing "trusted sources within the company," ArsTechnica reports that UK residents will have to wait just a couple more weeks before their local iTunes store begins serving up feature films and television shows. The backend technology and media catalogs are said to be in place, and all that's required to get the ball rolling from here on out is a simple 'flick of the switch.'

iTunes customers in the UK have been waiting patiently for the proliferation of digital video downloads to make its way overseas. Apple's customers in the United States have been privy to TV show downloads since October of 2005 and feature films since last September.

While licensing issues are believed to have delayed the rollout thus far, Apple Europe boss Pascal Cagni in April went on record in saying that Europeans would gain access to movie downloads through local versions of the iTunes Store by the end of the year.

As Ars notes in its report, the verdict is still out on when other European countries will be given access to Apple's vast catalog of commercial video content. Similarly, details are scarce on specifically which shows and movies will initially be made available in the UK.

During a question and answer session with members of the media on Tuesday, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs hinted that his firm would "have some news" related the company's video-centric Apple TV digital media hub in the new future, but that a Mac event was not the place to make such revelations.

Apple's U.S.-based iTunes service is presently the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store featuring a catalog of over five million songs, 550 television shows and 500 movies.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[ Digg this story ]

[Shaun, UK]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

It's been quite some time coming, but Apple Inc. later this month will finally extend iTunes movie and TV show downloads to iTunes customers in the United Kingdom.

[studiomusic]

'Bout bloomin' time eh govnah?

[Dazabrit]

Deffo... About Ruddy Time!!!!!!!

Cam on Appull u slags... Serve em up b4 I slice u up

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by Dazabrit

Deffo... About Ruddy Time!!!!!!!

Cam on Appull u slags... Serve em up b4 I slice u up

Speak English... oh, never mind.

[Hujib]

CANADA

[Porchland]

More evidence of an iTunes/music/video/iPod/Apple tv event in September.

[mono]

Cor, Blimey! Mary Poppins?

(actually I already have that on DVD)

At last!

I hope they have some BBC content.

[hardasflint]

But will the beeb put content there? My guess is no.... it would show how crappy WMP - sorry, iPlayer really is. Too bad...US tv comedy shows don't cut it for me

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by Hujib

CANADA

What? Blame Canada? OK. Wankers! It's your fault.

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by hardasflint

But will the beeb put content there? My guess is no.... it would show how crappy WMP - sorry, iPlayer really is.

I would guess no too although it'd be cool if Apple did what the BBC couldn't do and deliver the BBC's content cross platform, for free to licence payers of course.

Originally Posted by hardasflint

Too bad...US tv comedy shows don't cut it for me

I didn't know they had any.

[bluedalmatian]

Originally Posted by hardasflint

But will the beeb put content there? My guess is no.... it would show how crappy WMP - sorry, iPlayer really is. Too bad...US tv comedy shows don't cut it for me

Yeah, I doubt there's going to be anything worth watching on it. Apple may long for the death of the DVD and for Apple TV to become as popular as the iPod but until they get some decent video content on iTunes theres no chance.

[netdog]

Just in time for Lost season 4 and 24 season 7.

[mbaynham]

wooo hooo!! 'bout bloody time if u ask me.

[dutch pear]

Originally Posted by netdog

Just in time for Lost season 4 and 24 season 7.

-- warning: completely off-topic --

Cool, I didn't know there is going to be another Lost season!! I just figured that was it after the end of the last episode!

[SpinDrift]

Originally Posted by dutch pear

-- warning: completely off-topic --

Cool, I didn't know there is going to be another Lost season!! I just figured that was it after the end of the last episode!

Yeah, I thought.. "After all that, what a crap ending!"

[loic.sf]

For instance, Orange (France) has more than 1,500 feature movies available + all major network TV shows. I guess having 24Mb/s bandwidth (ADSL2+) helps.
So, I doubt that most European are waiting for iTunes to download legally TV show and movies... Since all major ISPs have there own set-top-box, subscribers can see their show on TV or computer.
More competition is always good though.

[Walter Slocombe]

Quite simply "Fank Thuck!"

[smokeonit]

loic.sf:

of course people are waiting for iTS in the EU to deliver video!!!

the french, german and british solutions until now SUCK BIG TIME!!!!

it's about time apple showed the "big" ISPs what "ease of use" means!!!

for my part i will get an appleTV when US TV series are available in the EU undubbed, dubbed is fine, but i like the undubbed version....

if apple chooses to deliver dubbed only i will stick to EZTV bittorrent delivery, LOL:-)

apple needs to deliver HD content ASAP... if they start in the EU with lower than SDTV resolution i will not be buying either...

[smokeonit]

and another thing loic.sf:

the ADSL2+ lines, which i have @ my home, help apple as they help any content provider... germany even has 25 and 50Mbit VDSL lines which would make HD distribution much faster... but 16-24Mbit ADSL2+ lines are fast enough for h.264 HDTV content... h.264 720p/1080i is normally encoded @ around 8-10Mbit/sec, so there's plenty of bandwidth for web surfing and VoIP or other stuff while downloading HD resolution video from whatever source!!!!

europe is ready for apple and their video iTS content...

[reidster]

Canada!

[Walter Slocombe]

Wow this news is still good first thing in the morning.

I hope they bring some of the old US shows like Time Tunnel to the UK as you can't get stuff like that on DVD here at all and I'm sure I'd do a season pass of that for starters.

But at the very least I'll be able to get a look at the quality (feel the width) of the downloads, and at long last be able to take a look at Star Trek TOS remastered and see what all the fuss is about I'm a happy spider pig if this turns out to be true. Almost makes up for the iMac and wireless keyboard let down.

[Shaun, UK]

A lot of the good stuff on the BBC is made by independent production companies now so we may well see these on iTunes. Plus having just lost out on the licence fee rise they wanted, I suspect the BBC would be happy to embrace any new revenue streams. Who Knows.

I wonder if we will see any announcements re more film studios joining in? I had a look at the movies available on the iTunes US store and there wasn't much to shout about.

[boompub]

I am so tired of Apple and Canada not "playing nice". What is the deal with Apple? Why should the UK get iTunes movies before the US' neighbors Canada? I just don't get it. YEs another reason NOT TO BUY an Apple TV for myself. While I'm ranting, when the hell is iTunes going to stream/rent movies? This would be an Blockbuster-killer move IMO.

[roehlstation]

Originally Posted by boompub

I am so tired of Apple and Canada not "playing nice". What is the deal with Apple? Why should the UK get iTunes movies before the US' neighbors Canada? I just don't get it. YEs another reason NOT TO BUY an Apple TV for myself. While I'm ranting, when the hell is iTunes going to stream/rent movies? This would be an Blockbuster-killer move IMO.

What makes you think it is Apple keeping that from happening?

[moonmonkey]

bout bloody time! hehehehe

I can't wait for this. I hope we get a good chunk of the american shows, i.e south park, daily show etc etc. I personally don't think there will be much BBC stuff on there due to their iPlayer, and I'm guessing a factor to it taking this long is due to negoations with the Beeeb!

hehehe.....I really can't wait for this. Long time coming, will finally justify buying an Apple TV

[ajprice]

Will definitely be interesting to see which UK channels are on board. BBC has iPlayer, and Channel 4 has 4OD so will either, both or neither be on iTunes. Haven't heard anything about ITV or Five. There would be some obvious UK shows on the major channels that could go onto iTunes the same way as Lost and Desperate Housewives in the US (Doctor Who & Torchwood, Rome, Shameless). Will be interesting to see how many American shows get onto the UK listings too, as a lot of US series are on Sky and not terrestrial TV (BSG, Lost season 3).