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Montanan · Dec 6, 2005, 08:27 AM

So the iTunes store TV show selection has just expanded exponentially ... with a number of old and new series from NBC. Included are:

Adam-12
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Dragnet
Knight Rider
Late Night
Law & Order
The Office
Surface
The Tonight Show

Woo hoo! Now, if only Fox would jump on the bandwagon so I could stop pirating Family Guy every week.

rickey939 · Dec 6, 2005, 08:33 AM

Nice! I'm glad to see "The Office" added.

ShotgunEd · Dec 6, 2005, 08:35 AM

good news

are these US only still?

Krypton · Dec 6, 2005, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by ShotgunEd

good news

are these US only still?

Yes

Montanan · Dec 6, 2005, 08:42 AM

Hmmm ... the Tonight Show and Light Night offerings are mostly just clips, but still for $1.99.

Also, they've added old Battlestar Galactica episodes, and the USA Network's Monk.

the_glassman · Dec 6, 2005, 09:20 AM

Where's the pr0n?

JoshuaZ · Dec 6, 2005, 09:26 AM

hmm... Battlestar.... so nice...

iTunes porn... umm... I believe there are several podcasts for that kind of thing.

ShotgunEd · Dec 6, 2005, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by ShotgunEd

Are these US only still?

Originally Posted by Krypton

Yes

forkies · Dec 6, 2005, 09:55 AM

i just watched a preview of the surface pilot, and it was widescreen. but, the current ep of lost is trimmed.

- - e r i k - - · Dec 6, 2005, 10:07 AM

Not even a single pixar short or music video for Norway. Big meh!

wallinbl · Dec 6, 2005, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by rickey939

Nice! I'm glad to see "The Office" added.

When I saw that, I was hoping they would pay me to watch it. It's a pain like no other (well, it's not as painful as Strangers With Candy).

CaptainHaddock · Dec 6, 2005, 10:26 AM

The good news is that Battlestar Galactica, one of the hottest shows among Internet users, is available. The bad news is that TV-via-iTMS still stucks. Right now, via other online sources (and thanks to the generosity of others), I can download BG and Lost with the following advantages:

1. Available almost immediately after the show airs.
2. Excellent resolution and quality.
3. Free, except for the time involved.
4. No digital restrictions management.
5. Playable and burnable wherever and however I like.
6. Available outside the U.S.

Apple needs to equal or surpass existing sources in at least 3 or 4 of these categories before I'll care to try their service. There's no technical reason they can't produce a better product.

typoon · Dec 6, 2005, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by CaptainHaddock

The good news is that Battlestar Galactica, one of the hottest shows among Internet users, is available. The bad news is that TV-via-iTMS still stucks. Right now, via other online sources (and thanks to the generosity of others), I can download BG and Lost with the following advantages:

1. Available almost immediately after the show airs.
2. Excellent resolution and quality.
3. Free, except for the time involved.
4. No digital restrictions management.
5. Playable and burnable wherever and however I like.
6. Available outside the U.S.

Apple needs to equal or surpass existing sources in at least 3 or 4 of these categories before I'll care to try their service. There's no technical reason they can't produce a better product.

Yes but are they Legal?

CaptainHaddock · Dec 6, 2005, 11:07 AM

Yes but are they Legal?

As far as I know or care, yes.

wdlove · Dec 6, 2005, 11:11 AM

That is a great lineup. Thank you Apple.

typoon · Dec 6, 2005, 11:19 AM

As I posted in the Comments section of the story on the front page. We Mac users will find something to complain about. But Content isn't going to be one of them. WHen it was first released People complained it there was no content for it. Now there is content and content providers are clamoring over themselves to get stuff on iTunes.

BRussell · Dec 6, 2005, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by typoon

Yes but are they Legal?

Not being able to burn them is a very serious drawback for me. I wonder - could Apple put the same kind of copy protection on burned DVDs as currently exists on commercial DVDs? Is that possible? Of course, many people know how to rip the copy protection from DVDs, but it would be hard to complain if it was the same level of copy protection on existing DVDs.

typoon · Dec 6, 2005, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by BRussell

Not being able to burn them is a very serious drawback for me. I wonder - could Apple put the same kind of copy protection on burned DVDs as currently exists on commercial DVDs? Is that possible? Of course, many people know how to rip the copy protection from DVDs, but it would be hard to complain if it was the same level of copy protection on existing DVDs.

I agree. I wish we could burn them too. I guess they had to do that to appease the TV industry so they could get the content up there. For the Convienence factor though it is worth it to some.

Scarpad · Dec 6, 2005, 11:47 AM

Price point on the TV Vids should be no more than .99. I just converted the whole season of Adam 12 from S1 box Set that cost me $23. On Itunes those same 24 eps would be $48, more than Double. Plus my encodes are 480x356 so they at least look decent on other screens.

lavar78 · Dec 6, 2005, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by Scarpad

Price point on the TV Vids should be no more than .99. I just converted the whole season of Adam 12 from S1 box Set that cost me $23. On Itunes those same 24 eps would be $48, more than Double. Plus my encodes are 480x356 so they at least look decent on other screens.

Don't they offer a reduced price for a whole season like with the ABC shows? I'm on my Treo so I can't check.

You have a point about the quality. I'm skipping the video iPod until a later revision, but I've converted my favorite DVDs (like NewsRadio) for use with Front Row using HandBrake.

Montanan · Dec 6, 2005, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by lavar78

Don't they offer a reduced price for a whole season like with the ABC shows? I'm on my Treo so I can't check.

They seem to be doing it in some cases, but not others. Looking at Law and Order, for example, you can buy all 22 episodes of Season 1 for $35.99, but the 10 episodes of the current season are $19.90. For Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the 39 episodes of Season 1 are $54.99.

So it looks like the older seasons are being discounted, but the current ones aren't.

::maroma:: · Dec 6, 2005, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by CaptainHaddock

Yes but are they Legal?

As far as I know or care, yes.

Care to share your source? I think others would like to get in on that.

rickey939 · Dec 6, 2005, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by wallinbl

When I saw that, I was hoping they would pay me to watch it. It's a pain like no other (well, it's not as painful as Strangers With Candy).

To each their own. I love it.

Dork. · Dec 6, 2005, 01:26 PM

Knight rider? Cool.

:cue the david Hasselhoff / Gary Coleman pic :

Ratm · Dec 6, 2005, 02:44 PM

So I guess the only reason why S.J didn't agree with T.V. video capture cards, media centers type devices was because Apple wasn't selling them at the time. Hypocrite.

I'm officially turning in my fanboy secret decoder ring.

"Lemmings, It's What's for Dinner"

jesusbristow · Dec 6, 2005, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by wdlove

That is a great lineup. Thank you Apple.

You've got to be kidding!

http://www.macliberals.com/saucyblog/?p=133

spacefreak · Dec 6, 2005, 04:11 PM

I remeber when people with their iPods used to walk, jog, workout, or listen while working.

Now, the iPod is becoming a tool to convert these once physically active users into displaced couch potatos.

spacefreak · Dec 6, 2005, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by jesusbristow

You've got to be kidding!

http://www.macliberals.com/saucyblog/?p=133

Or you were kidding. There's no post at that address.

Ozmodiar · Dec 6, 2005, 05:08 PM

*yawn*

Wake me up when they have MacGuvyer for episodes for sale.

WhaMe · Dec 6, 2005, 06:47 PM

The apparent success of Apple's video sales, as well as the expansion of the video content offering leads me to believe that an Apple-branded DVR is not on the horizon.

With this current model, Apple can sell the episodes at $2 a pop, and give the studios a cut of that $ to appease the studio execs. Whereas, with a DVR device, Apple might make big bucks on the hardware (though there is a lot of competition in that market), but the owner of the DVR could record hundreds or thousands of shows over the lifetime of the devise, so the money wouldn't keep rolling in.

I still hope that Apple comes out with the rumored Mac mini-based digital hub. I plan on putting together an entertainment system this spring and would like to have an Mac-integrated hub as an option.

davesimondotcom · Dec 6, 2005, 07:15 PM

I'm excited about Law & Order, and have checked out Lost since I don't get NBC or ABC. But I get L&O on USA, TNT, or whatever, depending what type of L&O I'm after.

Lost is pretty good, after watching the pilot. I would think about downloading more, but it may be a bandwidth killer to do the whole season!

jesusbristow · Dec 6, 2005, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by spacefreak

Or you were kidding. There's no post at that address.

Sorry, now there is.

http://www.macliberals.com/saucyblog/?p=133

wallinbl · Dec 7, 2005, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by CaptainHaddock

Yes but are they Legal?

As far as I know or care, yes.

The answer is most likely no. But, if you want to pretend, then have at it.

lavar78 · Dec 7, 2005, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Ratm

So I guess the only reason why S.J didn't agree with T.V. video capture cards, media centers type devices was because Apple wasn't selling them at the time. Hypocrite.

I'm officially turning in my fanboy secret decoder ring.

"Lemmings, It's What's for Dinner"

There's nothing inherently hypocritical about that stance. As someone who used to own a Creative Nomad, I can safely say the iPod was the first good MP3 player.

Goldfinger · Dec 7, 2005, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Dork.

Knight rider? Cool.

:cue the david Hasselhoff / Gary Coleman pic :

Here ya go.

wataru · Dec 7, 2005, 11:59 AM

I love the idea of selling just the funny sketches and whatnot from Late Night, but what's with the pricing on the "Best of Triumph" thing? $9.99 for just over 1 hour? One episode of Law & Order is about 45min and costs only $1.99. I think they should be selling those $9.99 ones for at most $3.99.

BRussell · Dec 7, 2005, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by wataru

I love the idea of selling just the funny sketches and whatnot from Late Night, but what's with the pricing on the "Best of Triumph" thing? $9.99 for just over 1 hour? One episode of Law & Order is about 45min and costs only $1.99. I think they should be selling those $9.99 ones for at most $3.99.

It may be because there's a Best of Triumph DVD that obviously goes for a lot more than $1.99. I know there's more on the DVD, but I presume there's a good amount of overlap.

Montanan · Dec 7, 2005, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by wataru

I love the idea of selling just the funny sketches and whatnot from Late Night, but what's with the pricing on the "Best of Triumph" thing? $9.99 for just over 1 hour? One episode of Law & Order is about 45min and costs only $1.99. I think they should be selling those $9.99 ones for at most $3.99.

I definitely agree ... but I think this entire selection from NBC is basically a marketing experiment, and that $9.99 price point is part of that. They're trying to figure out what will sell in this new format, and how much people will be willing to pay.

Me, I'm definitely not paying $9.99 for a iPod video download!