Apple's TV subscription plan gains potential partners in CBS, Disney
Both CBS Corp. and Walt Disney Co. have shown interest in offering content for Apple's TV subscription proposal slated for roll out sometime in 2010.
Both CBS Corp. and Walt Disney Co. have shown interest in offering content for Apple's TV subscription proposal slated for roll out sometime in 2010.
While Apple is rumored to be working with TV networks on a subscription plan for shows on iTunes, Comcast's intent to purchase NBC could prevent such a deal with one of the big four U.S. broadcast networks.
Apple announced Thursday that all four of the major US television networks are offering primetime programs in high definition on the iTunes Store, which has become the world's most popular online TV service with over 200 million episodes sold, including more than one million HD episodes purchased since last month.
Having buried the hatchet with Apple, NBC last week returned to supplying its content to the iTunes Store — a move that has been met with gangbuster results, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Afraid that Apple will gain the sort of lock on downloadable video that it did with music, Sony and a group of video business heavyweights are planning a new standard that would let copy protected movies and TV from any participating service work with many devices..
Apple is dismissing notions that it gave in to NBC's pricing strategy to get highly coveted TV shows back. Meanwhile, legal entanglements are likely to keep South Koreans away from iPhones until next year, and an Apple TV update for HD television shows is likely.
Apple on Tuesday evening gave those left out of the Yerba Buena Center a video stream of the company's iPod and iTunes introductions.
Microsoft and Sony maneuvers at the Electronic Entertainment Expo now turn their respective Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles into stronger media hubs , and more direct challengers to Apple TV.
NBC has persuaded Microsoft to filter out copyrighted material in its Zune jukebox while Apple refuses the same. Also, PA Semi has allegedly been bought out to design a future chip; VMware has released the first beta of Fusion 2; YouTube is offering iTunes referral links; the iMac has celebrated its tenth anniversary; and AppleInsider is giving away 500 free EverNote invites.
NBC has tentatively dipped its toes back into iTunes' waters. Also, Caris & Company has raised its estimates for Apple; Piper Jaffray sees Vodafone as having no iPhone exclusives; iTunes France may be the next to have a full-fledged video store; and yet another alleged 3G iPhone photo has appeared at AppleInsider's door.
NBC made it clear this week that it would like to resume selling its television programming through the iTunes Store, but only if Apple makes changes to its client software that would allow it to serve as the gatekeeper for all forms of potentially pirated media.
Apple Inc. and video content provider NBC Universal are working to bury the hatchet, according to reports, which suggest that it's only a matter of time before the network's catalog of television programming returns to the digital shelves of the iTunes Store.
Determined to play ball in the digital arena without the help of iTunes, NBC Universal announced plans Tuesday to offer its video catalog through a new service from Apple rival SanDisk Corp that lets users download shows for playback on big screen TV sets.
Introduced last year as the DVD player of the future, Apple Inc.'s $299 Apple TV set-top-box has thus far been anything but a hit with consumers, says one market research firm, which estimates that first year sales have fallen well short of initial expectations.
Apple, having yet to renew its content distribution agreement with NBC Universal, began pulling all television programming produced by the network from its iTunes digital download service this past weekend.
NBC Universal chief executive Jeff Zucker on Sunday urged colleagues to take a stand against Apple's iTunes, charging that the digital download service was undermining the ability of traditional media companies to set profitable rates for their content online.
New NBC shows are surfacing in iTunes despite Apple's original protests. Also, Apple has reworked its online store to make navigation easier and further highlight its best sellers.
CBS Corp. said this week it has no interest in joining the ongoing battle against Apple over the pricing of television shows on its iTunes Store. Meanwhile, ringleader NBC has taken the first step towards launching its own, ad-supported service.
NewsCorp., which umbrellas Fox TV, will not pull its television shows from Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store as rival media group NBC Universal has done over a pricing dispute, a company executive said Tuesday.
{{ summary }}