Apple Brings TV to iCloud With Downloads of Previously-Purchased Episodes

[prestomusic]

Those Apple TV LCD rumors with everything posted today are looking more feasible..wouldn't put it past them to bring the ultimate TV/Internet device.

If anyone can do it, Apple can.

This is such a tricky one. How does Apple succeed in the low margin TV market? Consumers may be willing to pay a few hundred dollars more for a 'premium' mobile device, but what sort of additional cost would we be looking at for a premium internet TV product?

I think Apple could do it, but it would be hard.

Having said that, if they nail this one early on, it WILL be the next coup for Apple to pull off (similar to their success in mobile devices), internet TV is certainly the way of the future for home based video content consumption. A fully integrated internet TV system running on a hybrid OS (Lion/iOS 5) would be awesome and has been on my dream ideas list for about a while now.

 

[CapnJackGig]

another step closer to total content domination.

keep up the good work Apple, and bring on iCloud

Will never happen as long as they keep charging as much as they do. Apple is killing them on video downloads.

 

[iEvolution]

It has been about 18 hours since I last tried to get my purchased TV Show content and it still doesn't work at all its just blank on all fronts, including music. Anyone else having this problem?

 

[brian82788]

I understand what you're saying but I have a question. I pay monthly for premium cable and two DVR rentals. I think the quality on the recording sucks. I download shows I like by bit torrent and watch them using my AppleTV. I have already paid for the right to watch and record these shows IMO. Are my downloads illegal? Am I stealing? This is a real question, not bait. (I also have bought a "season pass" to many shows on iTunes BTW.)

There is also the exec from EMI who has come forward with their study that Limewire users were the biggest purchasers on iTunes. Do you have an opinion about that?

Well this is a really tricky question. Not the question of legality as the letter of the law is easily readable to tell us that it is illegal. Moreover the question of ethicality, which is not always the same as legality. I think most consumers want to purchase content that will belong to the consumer along with all rights for personal use of the content, myself included. But media producers are punishing us all to prevent the actions of why I think is a few (based upon no statistical evidence, although it might be available). In my humble opinion I think if the content producers aree payed for their product, I don't think it's always wrong to download this content illegally in order to personally consume it using the method of your choice. It is possible that my words to the original poster were a bit strong, although my feelings against those who do indeed steal media content are strong; these people are the reason why consumer like you and I must be restricted in how, when and where we consume content for which we pay. However I do not judge those who do pay for their content, and by the manner in which he spoke, he was not one of these people. But on another note many consumers act as if it is a protected right to be able to watch films and TV shows and listen to music, it is not. It is like every thing that is sold within the free market, the seller gives a price and if need be terms of conditions of use and we can agree to these conditions and price in order to consume (use) the product, or not. The "give me my media content how, when, where and for my price or I will steal it" concept is certainly not ethical.

As to this evidence I'm not sure what to think. If you can give me a link to the report I would be happy to give my opinion after knowing the whole of the information.

Oh, and I do want to say I'm neither innocent nor perfect. I once had over a terabyte of stolen (truly stolen with no intention to pay) content. But at some point I realized that this is just as bad as stealing a cd off of the shelf, which I would never have done. So I deleted all of the content and have since purchased a great bit of it legally (through iTunes), and I'm still working on the rest. Also I'm not a rich guy with tons of money to purchase content, I'm on au pair earning less than 600€/month, if I can afford to buy my content, all of the rest can too.

 

[dgalvan123]

cool but sucks because

"Despite the new feature, Apple does still point out that users are responsible for backing up their own content, noting that all previously-purchased content may not be available for re-download at all times."

I'm thinking that's more of a legal disclaimer by Apple, so that when someone demands to stream a show they purchased during some regular maintenance time period for Apple's servers, Apple can say: "sorry, we can't guarantee the system works 100% of the time."

I don't think it was intended to mean that they might stop your ability to stream your purchased shows at any time. . . though I could be wrong.

 

[dgalvan123]

It has been about 18 hours since I last tried to get my purchased TV Show content and it still doesn't work at all its just blank on all fronts, including music. Anyone else having this problem?

Daring Fireball says it might be a "rollout" issue. That is, not all shows became streamable at the same time. If that is the case, I'm left wondering what order is used in determining when a show becomes streamable.

Perhaps not all shows/networks have made the deal to allow streaming of purchased shows?

In my case, I checked on my apple TV 2 last night and the few episodes of Modern Family and Grey's Anatomy my wife purchased within the last year are readily available and stream beautifully.

However, the two episodes of Battlestar Galactica I purchased from iTunes several years ago are still not appearing on the streamable list.

Both Modern Family and Grey's are ABC/Disney shows, while Battlestar is SyFy/Universal/NBC. So perhaps Universal/NBC shows don't have the same deal yet? (It wouldn't be a big surprise that ABC/Disney shows work, as Steve Jobs is the biggest Disney shareholder.)

Or perhaps the streamable feature is only available for shows purchased after a certain date? Or perhaps it is just taking a while for iCloud to go through the lists of all users, and is making the most recent shows available before those purchased a long time ago?

 

[Scarpad]

I'm In off to Buy 2 New ATV's now I can stream and not have to worry about Limitless HD Space , Beautiful. I'll still DL Once and Keep a Back up, but this is Great.

 

[Cigsm]

Um, what other options are there besides Netflix / Hulu to watch your shows?

Here's a list:

1. Watch them on TV
2. Buy from iTunes
3. Buy from Amazon
4. Buy the DVD / Blu-Ray
5. Wait until they're released for streaming on Netflix / Hulu

That's like saying, "What other options are there to buy that new car if it's not delivered to me at my front door, the way *I* want it? Oh, then I"ll just steal a car".

I agree. However, there's also the side of me that says: If the studio wants to be a bunch of retards and not provide their content through netflix/hulu, then what other option is there? I'll pay for whatever content I can pay for, but I'm not going to be at the mercy of some studio.

 

[Cigsm]

No, you've paid for the right to watch it WHEN IT"S BROADCAST, *OR* since you have a DVR, you have a right to "record" it to the DVR and watch it from there. THAT is your legal right. A DVR isn't a tv/ movie archive service. It's time-shifting. The box will eventually go bad or whatever & then those shows go away.

I understand what you're saying but I have a question. I pay monthly for premium cable and two DVR rentals. I think the quality on the recording sucks. I download shows I like by bit torrent and watch them using my AppleTV. I have already paid for the right to watch and record these shows IMO. Are my downloads illegal? Am I stealing? This is a real question, not bait. (I also have bought a "season pass" to many shows on iTunes BTW.)

There is also the exec from EMI who has come forward with their study that Limewire users were the biggest purchasers on iTunes. Do you have an opinion about that?

 

[julianna1973]

I certainly agree that iTunes service should not vary by country and content should be delivered to the world within a reasonable time and at a reasonable price. However price increases are often due to tarrifs and other taxes that are not applicable in the USA. Also, in most (I think all, but I can't definitively say this) European countries the price you see is the price you pay as taxes and all other fees are included. This can sometimes deceive people into thinking prices are much cheaper in the USA, when they are sometimes less, the same or close to the same. This is not to condone wait times nor potential higher prices (neither of which I am denying).

It seems as though the poster in question pirates to avoid paying as he said "anyone with a brain..." and not "anyone outside of the US." Also very few people can afford 10TB of media, he most likely downloaded much more than for what he could actually pay if required to do so. I'm not saying it's impossible, but highly unlikely.

I want to emphasize that I do not like DRM, localization of digital content or excessive control over content for which we pay. But when asked to choose between content producers that make rules, change prices and control the content THEY created and a guy that buys a computer and starts downloading content, that someone else made with the expectation of the consumer paying, without permission and no intent to ever compensate the creators of this content, which would one would any man with the ability to perceive right and wrong choose?

I have 2 Itunes accounts..my main one is in the UK but I also have a small amount of apps & tv seasons in the USA account...when the iCloud is up an running, im unsure if at that time, I can "merge" whats in my library up until then or will I have to choose which account will be used for icloud?

 

[frunkis54]

this is too funny i just received a reply from iTunes about the missing shows i emailed them about on Mon. the issue resolved itself by the next morning but 2 days later i get a email saying sorry for the inconvenience but at this time only music, apps and books can be re downloaded.
guess no one told iTunes that this a new feature

 

[pinshot]

Since the majority of people siphon their gas out of other people's cars or don't pay for concert tickets but find a way to smuggle themselves in, ... sorry what was your point?

If you had the ability to create a gallon of fuel from thin air, without affecting the original gallon, you wouldn't? What's YOUR point?

 

[Cigsm]

If you had the ability to create a gallon of fuel from thin air, without affecting the original gallon, you wouldn't? What's YOUR point?

Because the gallon of gas isn't intellectual property. It's a finite product. Artists / songwriters / producers get paid by people licensing (re: "buying") their work. You just taking it (stealing) means they don't see a dollar.

So you're comparing apples to oranges.

 

[brian82788]

I have 2 Itunes accounts..my main one is in the UK but I also have a small amount of apps & tv seasons in the USA account...when the iCloud is up an running, im unsure if at that time, I can "merge" whats in my library up until then or will I have to choose which account will be used for icloud?

To my knowledge this will not be allowed. We're technically only supposed to have an iTunes account in our country of current residence, but I also have both a US and a German account. But on another note, you can choose your UK account as your main iCloud account and also still have access to all content purchased from the US account.

 

[muon25]

this is too funny i just received a reply from iTunes about the missing shows i emailed them about on Mon. the issue resolved itself by the next morning but 2 days later i get a email saying sorry for the inconvenience but at this time only music, apps and books can be re downloaded.
guess no one told iTunes that this a new feature

6 days later and they're still saying the same thing. I have a bunch of files missing and it seems no-one in iTunes support got the memo yet about TV Shows being added to the cloud. They've now added the missing files twice to my download queue.

 

[dgalvan123]

My Battlestar Galactica episodes are still not available to stream/re-download, while my Gray's Anatomy and Modern Family episodes ARE available to stream/re-download. Both were bought on the same itunes account, so I'm not sure what's going on.

 

[Cuechick]

Dumb question (I hope) but is there a charge to download purchased media? I am downloading my itunes library now and it requested my password and with a "buy" button? Which is why I ask..

 

[InsightsIE]

since the majority of people with a brain use bittorrent to get their online tv content, what im really interested in is an itunes match for video...if only...i got 10tb for em if they ever do that.

+1

 

[dgalvan123]

My Battlestar Galactica episodes are still not available to stream/re-download, while my Gray's Anatomy and Modern Family episodes ARE available to stream/re-download. Both were bought on the same itunes account, so I'm not sure what's going on.

So I figure this out:

Some of my purchased shows are available to re-download for free, no problem (Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family). But the Battlestar Galactica episodes I bought years ago have since been "updated" in iTunes by the source (NBC/Universal). I don't know what's actually different about the episodes now available for purchase on iTunes, and the ones I purchased from iTunes many years ago, but apparently they are different enough that the old ones I purchased are no longer available, and so I can't "re-download" them.

I found this out by sending a message to Apple Tech Support, and got this e-mail reply:

I've gathered that you wish to redownload the episodes in the future because you would be deleting these videos from your computer to free up some disk space. However, the episodes of Battlestar Galactica is not appearing from the list of your Purchased page either of the following reasons:

- the item may have been removed or modified by the vendor since you purchased it
- the item is no longer available for download.

In this case, episodes of Battlestar Galactica has been modified. From time to time, the iTunes Store updates the items in the catalog to ensure the highest possible quality for our customers.

While the iTunes Store gives you the ability to download your past purchases without incurring additional charges, please note that you may only redownload items as long as what you want to download is shown on your Purchased page. To learn more on how to download past purchases, check out this article:

Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519

What I can recommend for you to do in this case is to copy the episodes using an external hard drive. This way you can free up some disk space on your computer. To read more on how to do this, here is an article that can guide you:

iTunes: Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I'll be more than happy to assist you with whatever you need. Thank you for the chance to improve your iTunes experience.

 

[charlituna]

but apparently they are different enough that the old ones I purchased are no longer available, and so I can't "re-download" them.

I found this out by sending a message to Apple Tech Support, and got this e-mail reply:

I ran into this as well. Some of my songs are not available anymore and a few show seasons have been pulled, likely due to Syndie deals because I can watch them on TNT and such. Irks me that the studios aren't getting with it and modifying the rules of play to avoid that conflict (its really about how the contracts are worded) and counting online buys etc to supplement funds from the less than awesome ratings system