Apple adds Warner Bros. favorites to iTunes
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and Apple Computer on Tuesday announced that classic hit programming from Warner Bros.' vast television library is now available for purchase and download on the iTunes Music Store.
The new content features favorites such as the hugely popular sitcom "Friends," sci-fi epic "Babylon 5" and some of the most popular sketches from "MADtv," as well as animated classics including "The Jetsons" and "The Flintstones."
Also available is the never-before-seen pilot episode of "Aquaman" -- a grounded, contemporary reinterpretation of DC Comics' Aquaman mythology from the acclaimed writing/producing team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar ("Smallville").
"We're thrilled to add hit programming from Warner Bros. as we continue to grow our video catalog with the best current and classic television programming," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. "iTunes is the world's most popular online video store with over 35 million videos sold."
Including the latest additions, iTunes now offers over 150 different TV shows for $1.99 per episode for viewing on a computer or iPod.
The new content features favorites such as the hugely popular sitcom "Friends," sci-fi epic "Babylon 5" and some of the most popular sketches from "MADtv," as well as animated classics including "The Jetsons" and "The Flintstones."
Also available is the never-before-seen pilot episode of "Aquaman" -- a grounded, contemporary reinterpretation of DC Comics' Aquaman mythology from the acclaimed writing/producing team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar ("Smallville").
"We're thrilled to add hit programming from Warner Bros. as we continue to grow our video catalog with the best current and classic television programming," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. "iTunes is the world's most popular online video store with over 35 million videos sold."
Including the latest additions, iTunes now offers over 150 different TV shows for $1.99 per episode for viewing on a computer or iPod.
Comments
Updated iPods? Laptops? New iWorks?
- Jasen.
Originally posted by jasenj1
I think the announcement machine is cranking up pre-WWDC.
Updated iPods? Laptops? New iWorks?
Warner Bros ...don't they produce movies
p.s. people keep on mentioning New iWorks, new iWorks came in Jan '06 and the new new one wont be here 'till Macworld Jan '07.
They are locking themselves into the ultra-low quality and won't be able to compete with it in the future.
What's your reasoning for thinking Apple is locked into never using higher-bandwidth video in future?
Originally posted by nathan22t
Another terrible announcement. Their catalogue of shitty quality video continues to grow. They are locking themselves into the ultra-low quality and won't be able to compete with it in the future. Although... people are supposedly buying these shows now, so who knows. Seeing as how you can barely make them double size, let alone full-screen, people must have lost their minds. For the quality offered, I'd say they are worth about 30 cents tops. And that's only if it's an episode that you really really want to see.
er... I always watched my Battlestar Galactica episodes from iTunes on my 19" at full screen. On my CRT it was even indistinguishable from the cable I used to watch it on before moving. (Granted, it was pretty shitty cable.)
Originally posted by nagromme
What's your reasoning for thinking Apple is locked into never using higher-bandwidth video in future?
If they did increase the video resolution, then they would be potentially tipping their hand as to the capabilities of their next portable media device.
Originally posted by nagromme
What's your reasoning for thinking Apple is locked into never using higher-bandwidth video in future?
First off, I hope they switch to higher-quality tomorrow, or as soon as some new iPod device comes out. But they haven't yet upped the quality of iTunes songs, besides a few minor behind-the-scenes revisions to AAC. Seeing as how Steve likes to keep things simple, I'm not sure how they are going to have two different qualities in the store at the same price. Particularly when there is already so much content in the store already. And no indication that Apple has the ability to increase the quality of the existing content, since they don't own the masters or whatever.
Sure, they could just go for it... and have two different qualities of video and let consumers deal with it how they may... but I think Steve's ideology prohibits that from happening.
Originally posted by nathan22t
Another terrible announcement. Their catalogue of shitty quality video continues to grow. They are locking themselves into the ultra-low quality and won't be able to compete with it in the future. Although... people are supposedly buying these shows now, so who knows. Seeing as how you can barely make them double size, let alone full-screen, people must have lost their minds. For the quality offered, I'd say they are worth about 30 cents tops. And that's only if it's an episode that you really really want to see.
1. It's no worse than the TV most people watch.
2. There's a trade-off between quality and download time.
3. They certainly could, and obviously will, offer higher quality in the future.
Originally posted by BRussell
It's no worse than the TV most people watch.
You say you're from "the Rockies". I take it you recieve an old TV signal up there. It's worse than normal tv, noticeably worse.
Originally posted by Ireland
You say you're from "the Rockies". I take it you recieve an old TV signal up there. It's worse than normal tv, it's noticeable.
No, Europe uses PAL which has a higher resolution than American NTSC broadcast (although a lower framerate).
This is the rest of the world here.
Any chance we can have a few TV shows aswell please????
Originally posted by nathan22t
And no indication that Apple has the ability to increase the quality of the existing content, since they don't own the masters or whatever.
Sure, they could just go for it... and have two different qualities of video and let consumers deal with it how they may... but I think Steve's ideology prohibits that from happening.
What makes you think the versions of content that Apple has on iTMS are the highest quality versions that they have? You think they'd go to all that trouble prepping content just to have to do it all over again later?
We'll eventually been seeing this same stuff from Apple in HD. Book it.
Originally posted by xanthohappy
Grrr... they keep announcing new shows, but they still don't even have one show available in Canada. I'm assuming all of the other countries are the same. How long does it take for them to work out these deals in countries other than the US?
G'day, Australia is missing out on TV show downloads also. It took 2 years for iTunes to arrive in Australia, do we have to wait 2 years for TV show downloads also?
Originally posted by plasmo
G'day, Australia is missing out on TV show downloads also. It took 2 years for iTunes to arrive in Australia, do we have to wait 2 years for TV show downloads also?
This is one situation where I really can't blame Apple. I hope that the owners of the music and videos would wise up on future distribution like this. I don't think it makes sense to frustrate the customers with delayed international releases. Currently, the rights are often divided by region or country and that is a separate set of negotiations or agreements. I really don't understand why the TV series owners would delay the overseas broadcast airings of TV series vs. the US market, especially considering there is no language adaptation needed for the English speaking countries.
i than'k yooooo