# Of course, only in the US (TV Shows in iTunes 6)



## MacDaddy (Jul 16, 2001)

*Of course, only in the US*

Of course, certain video is only available in the US store (GRRRR)

Wonder how long iit will take to enter Canada?


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2005)

Do you really want to download TV shows and music videos that bad? hehe


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## emalen (Oct 10, 2004)

forever... look how long it took the crtc to allow satellite radio - or itunes for that matter.... canada blows when it comes to this.. no doubt england and japan will beat us to the punch


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

emalen said:


> forever... look how long it took the crtc to allow satellite radio - or itunes for that matter.... canada blows when it comes to this.. no doubt england and japan will beat us to the punch


The CRTC has nothing to do with this. The delay will be caused by companies that control the rights to the media in Canada.

Plus, adding stuff like "canada blows when it comes to this", makes me wish more people like you would move out of this country.


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## lpkmckenna (Jul 4, 2004)

ok, temper temper, guytoronto. People don't have to leave 'cause they don't agree with you.


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2005)

LOL feeeeel the love


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

mguertin said:


> Do you really want to download TV shows and music videos that bad? hehe


People waste bandwidth on Bittorrent... why not?


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

You are right. Just because people disagree is no reason to leave. I'll just chalk it up to emalen's ignorance.


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## ncoffey (Apr 6, 2005)

guytoronto said:


> You are right. Just because people disagree is no reason to leave. I'll just chalk it up to emalen's ignorance.


Are you sure the CRTC has nothing to do with this? Could they possibly hold something like a TV Show store up? (I honestly don't know, this is a serious question)


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2005)

I'd have to agree in not knowing if the CRTC has anything to do with it, but I would tend to suspect that they do. They had something to do with the apple music store so why not video. They are, after all, "Canada's regulator for telecoms, radio and television services"

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/welcome.htm


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## MacDaddy (Jul 16, 2001)

I agree with emalen 100%. Being in the idustry you learn the hard way how much it sucks to be in Canada for TV/Video sometimes. The lack of funding, the stringint protocols, the CanCon Regulations, etc, etc.
I think it may be ignorance on your part that you do not understand WHY people feel that way about the CRTC.


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## zarquon (May 24, 2005)

mguertin said:


> I'd have to agree in not knowing if the CRTC has anything to do with it, but I would tend to suspect that they do. They had something to do with the apple music store so why not video. They are, after all, "Canada's regulator for telecoms, radio and television services"
> 
> http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/welcome.htm


What exactly did they do to impead the ITM(usic)S ?

The issue has always been that organisations in different countries ( or regions ) hold the copyrights to the music or movies. new distribution ( ie ITMS ) methods require negotiations for the new system. Apple cannot sell a Madonna track in another country just because the have a deal in the US. And, until that new deal is agreed on, nothing will happen. What the government agency for tele-communications has to do with that, I'm really not sure.

Z.


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2005)

see MacDaddy's post directly above yours


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## migs (Apr 2, 2003)

Alternative Method: Drive down to Buffalo - buy iTunes Music Card - set up US account on your Mac - deposit iTunes Music Card into account - buy songs and video from US ITMS. Works well for me!


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## MacDaddy (Jul 16, 2001)

migs, let me know the next time your heading down, ill get you to grab me one too 

wait, dont you need a US addy to setup a US account?


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## migs (Apr 2, 2003)

MacDaddy said:


> migs, let me know the next time your heading down, ill get you to grab me one too
> 
> wait, dont you need a US addy to setup a US account?


Yes but I set up a phoney one because the address is not important if you are not including your US credit card info in your account.


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## BobbyFett (Jan 12, 2005)

I could be wrong but I imagine it's gonna be a long time before the tv content hits the UK. As an expat myself from british shores, i am pretty sure the UK networks pay millions to screen shows like Lost or whatever, even though it's six months after the US screened it. 

However, it's these same networks that are REALLY feeling the bittorrent pinch.


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## emalen (Oct 10, 2004)

wow guytoronto,

you're pretty rude..... you're actually the first person to be a jackass to me online - much appreciated. not sure how much you know about the industry. but the CRTC regulates Canadian airwaves, and plays an enormous role in what we see in Canada - which will directly affect how quickly we see digital downloads.


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## MacDaddy (Jul 16, 2001)

migs said:


> Yes but I set up a phoney one because the address is not important if you are not including your US credit card info in your account.


In that case, let me know when your heading back down


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## Blain_132 (Aug 22, 2005)

oh i dunno if you need videos that are portable honestly is that not kinda poking fun at canada and the us fatness? are we that lazy? i can understand a clour screen to see the album covers and stuff like that but videos......are they really need?


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

emalen said:


> wow guytoronto,
> 
> you're pretty rude..... you're actually the first person to be a jackass to me online - much appreciated. not sure how much you know about the industry. but the CRTC regulates Canadian airwaves, and plays an enormous role in what we see in Canada - which will directly affect how quickly we see digital downloads.


Yes I was. I generally take great offense when blame is thrown around without cause.

From the CRTC's website ( http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/t1003.htm )



> The CRTC does not regulate content on the Internet.





> Broadcasters that provide broadcasting services in Canada over the Internet are not required to hold a licence from the CRTC.


http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/NEWS/RELEASES/1999/R990517.htm



> May 17, 1999
> 
> CRTC WON’T REGULATE THE INTERNET
> 
> ...


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## ncoffey (Apr 6, 2005)

guytoronto said:


> Yes I was. I generally take great offense when blame is thrown around without cause.
> <SNIP>


Good post. Looks like it's just a content provider issue then. I wonder if any of them have contractual issues with offering downloadable TV shows, or if we'll see downloadable TV shows in several weeks or months.

I wonder if the iTunes Movie store will have this sort of problem when it starts out in '06 or '07. The bandwidth is there for some people who have 6.0Mbps connections now to download a movie in a reasonable timeframe so I'd expect it isn't too far off depending on the success of the iPod video and downloaded TV shows in the US. (By not too far off I mean a year or two)

(And what's the deal with 6.0Mbps not being available here in Newfoundland? It's just not fair.)


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

ncoffey said:


> I wonder if the iTunes Movie store will have this sort of problem when it starts out in '06 or '07.


Alliance Atlantis usually does a lot of marketing and distribution for motion pictures in Canada. CTV has the broadcast rights for Lost and Desperate Housewives. I'm sure there are negotiations that will happen soon. It's only 5 TV shows now (and not even full seasons). Give it time.


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## Gerbill (Jul 1, 2003)

Just to get back on track, the premise of this thread is a bit off - you can indeed DL video from the Canada store - I just got the U2 video that was featured in the stream, and the classic Luxo Jr. from Pixar as well.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

Wow! They updated it within the last hour. The option to buy videos wasn't there earlier. I was comparing the Canadian and US stores.


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## MacDaddy (Jul 16, 2001)

Blain_132 said:


> oh i dunno if you need videos that are portable......are they really need?


Apparantly you dont take a 1 hour train/bus ride to work in the morning afternoon (Of course I dont either, but I used to) this would the SH*T for that!!!


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## CompGuy (Sep 19, 2004)

*TV Shows and iTunes 6*

Is it just me or are other people getting a plain black empty screen when clicking on the "TV Shows" section in iTunes 6. Perhaps no CDN availability yet or is it just me?????


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## TCB (Apr 4, 2003)

I don't even see TV shows in the Canadian itunes store...


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## TCB (Apr 4, 2003)

think you're referring to the "TV Shows" tab in itunes 6....that's to show ones that you have already downloaded...and until it's available in Canada, then it'll always be blank


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## CompGuy (Sep 19, 2004)

Yep, just checked a little closer and as mentioned in a previous thread which I missed reading it is not available in Canada as of yet. I switched to the US store and immediately saw the link. Oh well, I hope Canada gets the Tv option soon.


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## Chealion (Jan 16, 2001)

CompGuy's thread has been merged into the existing thread.


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## Strongblade (Jul 9, 2001)

It's purely a timing thing, from the sounds of it. The US will get i first, bu Canada, and other countries, will get it later. So far though there are only 5 shows. Season 2 of LOST, Season 2 of desperate Housewives, a new show premiering this year, Night Stalker (based on the 70's Kolcheck: The Nightstalker) and two Disney-esque family shows that i could be bothered to remember the titles for.

Since ABC (owned by Disney) was the only TV station approached by Apple for the release, I suspect we will ne other shows appear quickly over time. However, I doubt the Canada store will get anything for a while. probably not until 2006...

That said, until the new Battlestar Galactica, the two StarGate shows, and maybe one or two others hit iTunes, it holds little interest for me right now...


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## okcomputer (Jul 18, 2005)

*TV shows in Canada?*

I looked and didn't see another thread about this...

Has anyone else been able to find TV shows in ITMS Canada? I'm guessing there is a delay in the whole thing just like there was for the original store.

Arg.

I would pay for Lost.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

If the Canadian Heritage people get their way you'll probably be watching
"Corner Gas" and whatever other shows the Americans hate to watch.


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## capitalK (Oct 21, 2003)

Or Hinterland Who's Who


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## BobbyFett (Jan 12, 2005)

Great Moments in Canadian History.


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## okcomputer (Jul 18, 2005)

I would love to have the Heritage and Hinterland videos on my iPod. That would be fun. Haha. It really would.

I wouldn't mind being able to download Corner Gas or Robson Arms or some G4TechTV or Discovery stuff.

But is that the real issue that is slowing the process down? You'd think ABC would put it on fast track, but then again Canada is a tiny blip on most US companies radars.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

Perhaps someone should sell a video iPod satellite accessory,
Then we could watch all of the American programs for free.


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## Chealion (Jan 16, 2001)

okcomputer's thread has been merged into the original thread that existed.


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## MacME (Mar 15, 2005)

bah ... why wait? and why pay for crap resolution??? u can already watch all the episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, CSI, Battlestar Galactica, etc all in widescreen all for free. i've been streaming missed TV shows from my PC to my Xbox in my family room, bedroom, living room for years now.


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## okcomputer (Jul 18, 2005)

MacME said:


> bah ... why wait? and why pay for crap resolution??? u can already watch all the episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, CSI, Battlestar Galactica, etc all in widescreen all for free. i've been streaming missed TV shows from my PC to my Xbox in my family room, bedroom, living room for years now.


I just traded in some old Nintendo stuff and got an XBOX. Got it soft modded by a guy down the street for $15. I can't believe I didn't do this years ago. Unleash X is a great dashboard, and Xbox Media Center is unreal! Streaming movies and TV shows to my TV and stereo is SO much better than burning them to DVD/VCD.

I thought the iMac/FrontRow thing was going to be combined with an AiportExpress-type box with AC, RCA out, Audio Line-out, S-Video out, USB out and Ethernet. This would bring the FrontRow interface to your TV and then the remote would be even more useful.

Honestly, who sits on their couch and watches their computer screen, especially if it's 17" or 20? I might sit at my desk and watch things sometimes, but the remote and FrontRow would be a bit unncessary.

I think the VideoportExpress is coming. It HAS to, IMHO.


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## okcomputer (Jul 18, 2005)

Also: it took forever for the ITMS Canada store to even open... and TV/Film companies will be even HARDER to deal with than music labels, IMHO. The bigger issue here is that, as mentioned in this thread already, CTV has broadcast rights to Lost and such. Certain Canadian networks have broadcast rights for certain shows from certain US networks. The negotiations are complex and there is competition. Do you think Global and CTV are going to just sit idly by while iTunes offers shows that they fight for and struggle to come up with the cash for, for a small fee?


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## DP004 (Mar 9, 2005)

I have my 26 inches with a cable input.
Why would I buy a tv show that I can record with my VCR and that will play on my current tv set?
Even if I found something worthy of buying, how will I bring the signal to my tv in the living room upstairs?
And I am not going to watch a tv show on my computer while sitting in my cheap desk chair in front of my cheap computer desk in the basement.
I watch tv upstairs in my sofa. 
I really don't get the practicality of this new idea of having tv shows on your computer.
Of course, having a brand new iMac next to a brand new 50 in. plasma tv in my living room would change my perspective.
I am not there yet.


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## .tony (Apr 20, 2004)

Anyone notice that the price of a music vid on the Cnd store is 2.29$, whereas the US store is 1.99$. I'm not complaining, just pointing out that it looks like they're not going with the same pricing convention as music (ie. 0.99$ everywhere (well, except Japan)).

As for availability of television shows, it'll be interesting to see how that plays out for countries outside the US. For Canada, I recall a while back U8TV.com (or something like that) that aired free television over their web site. I believe they were shut down by the institutions that owned the copyrights to the television show (eg. NFL comes to mind), not the Canadian distributors (eg. Global, although they were part of the lawsuit to shut it down, as well). So there may be hope to license American programming w/out going through a distribution arm in Canada. I dunno, fun to find out tho.

It'll also be interesting to see as Apple releases different sizes of the iPod, how quickly the "standard" format of each video size/format will adopt.


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## MacDaddy (Jul 16, 2001)

MacME said:


> bah ... why wait? and why pay for crap resolution??? u can already watch all the episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, CSI, Battlestar Galactica, etc all in widescreen all for free. i've been streaming missed TV shows from my PC to my Xbox in my family room, bedroom, living room for years now.


And you take your Xbox with you and watch your TV shows when you are riding the bus or train, or waiting in the doctors office (We all know how fast they get people in the office after all!), or waiting for your kids at the pool, etc, etc, ohhh, thats right you cant do that.

So, once again, WHY would people want this? Read above and that will answer your question. Not to mention I will be putting my Demo Reel on it, since I carry it around everywhere. But of course, nobody will buy them anyway right? If your not going to use it, dont worry about it!


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## sccoaire (Feb 11, 2005)

I for one can't wait to have access to TV shows in iTunes. I hate VHS recording because of the un-friendliness of programming shows, and the limitations, and the darn commercials to skip through. I record with a PC/TV capture card but again, the quality isn't all that great. I'd like the technology to get to what is now available in the US: not have to worry about recording one of my favorite TV show. When I'm ready for it, go in iTunes, a very easy and user friendly software, and get my TV shows. 

I don't have an iPod video and don't plan on having one soon (but if I had money...), but can you imagine the ease of use for frequent travellers? Instead of dealing with a bulky laptop in a seat the size of my hand in an airplane, you could just wipp out your iPod and watch your TV shows that you missed for the past 2 weeks because your life has been too crazy to watch them before.

The past 2-3 years has seen very big leaps in home entertainment. It's about time it goes further to make it easy. To be a consummer is to have choices. Apple has just introduced us to a new choice, that no one else is offering, and that's awesome!


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

I would expect a lot of companies to jump on this really fast. Think about how music and TV differ. You can listen to the same song over and over again, and it is just as good. You can't watch the same episode of Survivor over and over. Once they air Survivor, usually that's it (except for maybe it being feed to the syndication market on some obscure cable channel).

Nobody wants to watch repeats of any reality television, The Daily Show (usually just best of clips from that show), game shows (Ken Jennings anyone?), etc.

This is a way to grab a few extra dollars from old properties.


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## depmode101 (Sep 4, 2002)

> Nobody wants to watch repeats of any reality television


i just spent the last 3 months watching amazing race seasons 1-7 on repeats on the game show network.

i may be the exception to that rule - but i do beleive they make quite a bit of money on reality show box sets as well.

i think if the price is low enough, it should be a valuable market.


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## MacME (Mar 15, 2005)

MacDaddy said:


> And you take your Xbox with you and watch your TV shows when you are riding the bus or train, or waiting in the doctors office (We all know how fast they get people in the office after all!), or waiting for your kids at the pool, etc, etc, ohhh, thats right you cant do that.
> 
> So, once again, WHY would people want this? Read above and that will answer your question. Not to mention I will be putting my Demo Reel on it, since I carry it around everywhere. But of course, nobody will buy them anyway right? If your not going to use it, dont worry about it!


if you RE-READ my post, i'm not comparing the xbox to the new ipod video, i'm making reference to the quality of video you are PURCHASING from iTunes for $1.99 US compared to what's already freely available, if you know how to get it. i would NEVER buy such crap quality videos from iTunes, and if i really like my show, i'd never watch it on a 2.5" screen! 

but if you want my opinion on the new iPod video, it's not that hot a thing, not at the current resolution, even with the given video out on it. just a few week-ends ago, i loaded up my episodes on my notebook to bring up north with me to a resort. i'd much rather do that then try to watch it on a iPod video.

btw, most episodes are available the next day, and all are sans commercials. so this new iTunes video offering is a moot point to me.


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## Squisherton Squirk (Jun 17, 2005)

*Practicality*

Personally, the ViPod is not for me. Tiny screen, large price. I'd rather stick to music and have a nano. (I do have a shuffle, which isn't bad, nano would be better though).

I do download and watch al my TV (5 or 6 different shows) on my iBook. I'm perfectly comfy sitting at my desk to watch, but since it's portable, I can take it to bed, or to the couch or to the library, or anywhere I please. If iTunes starts selling more shows for a little less - like a buck fifty CDN per 40min. video, I would be inclined to use the feature (but wouldn't see the use for buying the ViPod, given my mac is already portable and has a bigger screen). At least it would save me from having to chase down new torrent sites every couple of months.

I've been waiting for a service like this for a while. It doesn't make sense that I pay $30 or $40 per month for literally years worth of programming that I don't ever want to watch. Cable is overkill, and priced far too high.


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## elmer (Dec 19, 2002)

So, how good is the resolution on these TV shows? Good enough to display on a TV?


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## DJM (Feb 21, 2005)

From what I understand they are 320x240 (the resolution of the new iPod screen?) Not really good enough to watch on a tv with any quality


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## elmer (Dec 19, 2002)

So, they sell music that's good enough to play on your stereo, but they don't sell TV shows that are good enough to play on your TV?? Why would I want to own those?


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## DJM (Feb 21, 2005)

They're not meant to be played on your TV. They are designed specifically for the video iPod. If you aren't going to buy a video iPod then it wouldn't be a good idea to buy these TV shows from the ITMS. Wait for the DVD sets for TV viewing. At least that's my opinion.


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

DJM said:


> From what I understand they are 320x240 (the resolution of the new iPod screen?) Not really good enough to watch on a tv with any quality


Why not just buy a video and try it. It's not like they're expensive. I wouldn't consider this a great resolution to buy if you want top quality but, for the price, they can't be that bad.

I've ripped DVDs to be played on my PDA and they work okay, but not great, on my computer with output to a TV.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

Thank God...No Giligan's island!!!
On a serious note...I'd love to download some of those audio books.
Didn't see any "Lord of the Rings"
Harry Potter looks kinda pricey.

As for video..."Clerks" would be nice to have on an iPod.


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## DJM (Feb 21, 2005)

Macified said:


> Why not just buy a video and try it. It's not like they're expensive. I wouldn't consider this a great resolution to buy if you want top quality but, for the price, they can't be that bad.
> 
> I've ripped DVDs to be played on my PDA and they work okay, but not great, on my computer with output to a TV.


I have over 1000 music videos, most are at 320x240 and look just fine on my computer, but they don't look very good at that res on my tv in (my opinion) unless the image is scaled down to a smaller size.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

DJM said:


> From what I understand they are 320x240 (the resolution of the new iPod screen?) Not really good enough to watch on a tv with any quality


This is incorrect. I watch a ton of TV shows downloaded at 320x240. Totally watch-able on my 24" TV. My wife agrees.

Some people complain of pixelization. This is more of a result of the codec used than the actual resolution. The weaker the codec, the more pixelization.

DVDs use the MPEG2 format, a relatively old and weak format. The processing algorithms used also affect quality. A DVD process in iMovie will look worse than a DVD processed in DVD Studio Pro, even though the end result is the exact same codec.

I would believe that Apple would only use the best in processing the TV shows for downloading. I have no doubt that 320 x 240 res TV shows will be acceptable for 95% of users.

The other 5% can go buy the DVDs.


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## DJM (Feb 21, 2005)

guytoronto said:


> This is incorrect. I watch a ton of TV shows downloaded at 320x240. Totally watch-able on my 24" TV. My wife agrees.



Hence what I said, "my opinion". I didn't say it wasn't "watchable". I just dont like the quality on my 36" TV. I guess I'm just picky.


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## redeemingspirit (Jun 20, 2005)

I'd have to agree with some of the other posts. Just for the heck of it I downloaded one of the pixar shorts that I thought was kinda neat when I saw it in a theatre (Bounder, I think it's called?). When I ran it full screen on my 20" cinema display it looked pretty gross. I'd imagine on the video iPod it'll look fine, but I certainly won't be downloading tv shows to watch on my 42" TV.

That being said, as a fellow that commutes 45mins both ways, a tv show on the iPod will seriously rock. I do think that the video podcasts will be more interesting than trying to watch battlestar gallactica on a tiny screen.


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## Heart (Jan 16, 2001)

http://www.americafree.tv/

Not fancy, but...


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## flytnx (Oct 9, 2003)

so wait... can you tell me, can you just drop any ol mpg-4 on the ipod video? i was under the impression that apple was going to use some wacky copyright protection, i remember reading something regarding this and a conflict that they had (potentially) with the mpaa and this would avoid it... 

can anyone confirm that you could just drop any ol mpg on there (providing that it is not encoded with some wacky codec which is no supported) ?





guytoronto said:


> This is incorrect. I watch a ton of TV shows downloaded at 320x240. Totally watch-able on my 24" TV. My wife agrees.
> 
> Some people complain of pixelization. This is more of a result of the codec used than the actual resolution. The weaker the codec, the more pixelization.
> 
> ...


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

One issue that hasn't come up is that you cannot archive these shows except to HD. CD and DVD burning is forbidden. Since each TV episode is the equivalent of 6 record albums (250-300 Mb?), the space requirements will build up over time. So you own the show, but at 3 per Gb, are you going to want to store them given the likelihood of watching an episode more than once? This is esp. true of the ipod. In essence, these will be watched and tossed.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

You can archive them to data CD and DVD (already mentioned in this thread - please read back). You can't burn Video CD or DVDs with them.

EDIT
[I had put you can. I meant you can't burn video CDs and DVDs]


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

guytoronto said:


> You can archive them to data CD and DVD (already mentioned in this thread - please read back). You can burn Video CD or DVDs with them.


My mistake (although I saw no reference to this in this thread). On Wednesday Jobs said you could not copy to DVDs and CD (see this capture of the stream at 38 mins) but it appears you can copy as data (not playable video). This is fine for archiving and is the means by which purchased iTunes songs can be saved. The information is not exactly easy to find, but it looks as though you cannot rip in a playable format to DVD/CD (i.e. Fairplay restrictions prevent this). Fair enough.


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## pent675 (Feb 5, 2005)

mguertin said:


> Do you really want to download TV shows and music videos that bad? hehe


 YES!


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## .tony (Apr 20, 2004)

guytoronto said:


> I would expect a lot of companies to jump on this really fast.


Maybe not that fast. Studios might want to wait to see what competitive offers arise before hopping into bed with Apple. They might fear that Apple will "control" the tv side of things as they do the music side of things.

I'm not saying the studios would be right, but the perception is out there.


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## RobTheGob (Feb 10, 2003)

dolawren said:


> If the Canadian Heritage people get their way you'll probably be watching
> "Corner Gas" and whatever other shows the Americans hate to watch.


How would the Americans know that they hate Corner Gas?


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