iTunes Music Store Selling Videos

[deral]

this happened to me too. i just sent an email to iTunes support. hopefully, they'll let me download the videos…

…if not, there's always limewire.

Damn, yeah, I just bought the song this morning. let us know if you got any success in the free vids.

 

[Trowaman]

I was holding off purchasing Feel Good Inc until the CD came out but this was just too good. Videos are quite funny. Apple, please give QT Pro users the option to download videos now that music videos can play in the jukebox.

BTW, since I upgraded my standard way of saving videos is kinda scrap. Spotlight search does not give me a visibility option in find. Anyone got any ideas how to save music videos now?

 

[Flying Llama]

I don't think so. What would the cost be for? Yes, Apple would be paying for the storage and bandwith for the downloads which would be significant compared to a song, but not really anything in the big scheme. The reason that we have to pay for songs is that the artists and labels expect to get paid for them. However, the artists and labels pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to create music videos to help sell more albums. So, instead of only having their music video play a few times a day on MTV, they could provide them with single or album downloads for free.

If a music video for a song I really like came with purchase of the album, I would be more likely to buy the whole album instead of just the single. This would create more revenue for everyone with really no additional expenses (remember, they are already creating the music videos no matter what).

Unless they sold entire movies (not in HD), then they would be more than $1. A DVD usually costs about $15 here in the US, but I get them for $9
How? I have sources...

 

[jimsowden]

Unless they sold entire movies (not in HD), then they would be more than $1. A DVD usually costs about $15 here in the US, but I get them for $9
How? I have sources...

I get them for $1.20. How? Snaggling.

 

[arn]

Interestingly

Warning Shots' video and song cost $1.98 for both. This means that Apple has added a $.99 premium to get the Video as well as the song.

Warning Shots single is available for $.99 by itself. link

arn

 

[mcmav37]

Unless they sold entire movies (not in HD), then they would be more than $1. A DVD usually costs about $15 here in the US, but I get them for $9
How? I have sources...

We're talking about music videos at this point, not movies.

 

[dotdotdot]

So videos cost $.99, unless included with the album...

I wish they included videos with something I actually LIKE

 

[MacHarne]

I tried downloading the Thievery Corp. single again and it worked.

The video is almost 27MB, but the quality is very nice. The video file type is mp4 and was automatically saved into the folder with the audio track. The file resolution is 480x360. When I resized the window, I noticed very little pixelation, almost none. I am running this on the iBook listed in my signature.

Here is a link to a screenshot I took of the video playing (I changed the preferences so that video would open in a new window): Thievery Corporation Video from iTunes

I am very impressed.

 

[swissmann]

I know this is about iTunes but I think this post relates because people are thinking that the combination of these movies in iTunes, Quicktime 7, H.264, Year of HD, Tiger, etc that we are going to see a movie iPod. We might but here is the reality of H.264 and its scalability. Check out the results of the test I ran using FCP 4.5 (with QT 7 as the backbone) on a Dual 2 GHz G5.

14 second DV master clip
Convert to H264 Time to do File size in KB
DV to DV 2 seconds 51,500
Highest 1 min 33 sec 940
http://homepage.mac.com/jacobcroft/H264/01.mov
Medium 1 min 32 sec 528
http://homepage.mac.com/jacobcroft/H264/02.mov
Least 1 Min 30 sec 252
http://homepage.mac.com/jacobcroft/H264/03.mov
Least 1 Pass 56 sec 244
http://homepage.mac.com/jacobcroft/H264/04.mov
Least 320x240 10 fps 10 sec 140
http://homepage.mac.com/jacobcroft/H264/05.mov
I hope that this makes sense. Basically the highest quality encode was straight DV (not posted to the web). It only took me 2 seconds to encode it but it was 51.5 MB big. The best settings for H.264 took me 1.5 minutes to encode but was only .94 MB and looks awesome. The smalles file took me 10 seconds to encode and is tiny only .24 MB but looks like garbage.

I hope the links work so people can try them out. I also hope I have enough bandwidth to handle it all. I also hope that those people with older machines will be able to play back these clips (at very least the smallest ones) to prove my understanding that they can play H.264 movies (at lower quality). Please let me know how it goes.

 

[andcarne]

I can see a video store coming sometime in the future, but the problem is that A) Apple would need super-fast servers, and the end user would need a good connection as well.

Looking at all the free music videos there, I only get about 38k/s on a 7mbit connection here. They aren't the highest res either, and if Apple's servers choke on that, they'll really die on full videos.

 

[joeboy_45101]

I can't...

1) Apple wont sell H.264 videos in iTunes because only G5s can play them - iPods can't.

2) The files are huge and large quality

3) They will cost more than $1

Answering the first part of your reply: No, not really. I downloaded the HD Gallery movies and then exported them at 1/2 the data rate and frame size and they play fine on my iBook G4 933Mhz. Amazingly, the H.264 codec is so powerful that I cannot... I repeat, cannot tell any difference in video or sound quality between the full High Resolution and Half Resolution films while being played in Fullscreen Mode. There is only one drawback, the encoding is not fast at all. So, it takes a pretty good chuck of my time to get these into a more versatile format. I will be finished with the movies in the next day or so and will post them on my website if anybody wants them they can download it there. I post more when I'm done.

 

[~Shard~]

We're talking about music videos at this point, not movies.

Yes, but this is a step in the right direction. Movies will follow, it's just a question of when.

 

[mcmav37]

Yes, but this is a step in the right direction. Movies will follow, it's just a question of when.

Agreed!! I would sign up for an Apple-branded Netflix-like service (downloading, of course) in an instant.

 

[Nermal]

sorta offtopic, but Feel Good, Inc's actual music video is available in quicktime here:

http://promo.virginrecords.net/artists/gorillaz/quicktime/index.php

Or here, in Apple-encoded QuickTime (option-click to download)

 

[Flying Llama]

Agreed!! I would sign up for an Apple-branded Netflix-like service (downloading, of course) in an instant.

Hmm... that's I actually a brilliant idea!!! Please Apple! Come on Steve!

 

[Nermal]

I hope we get video previews soon, I tried but it lasted 3 seconds with no audio or video

I used tcpdump to take a copy of the preview. I imported it into iTunes and it reported itself as Silent by Slum Village, 0:04, complete with cover art.

 

[dotdotdot]

Or here, in Apple-encoded QuickTime (option-click to download)

I have no clue how to get those quicktime videos... care to inform me? (or PM me?)

 

[jydesign]

Adding videos, images, booklets, all great 'extras' to compete and reward users. I too hope that they offer video.

One thing I've thought of that I think might be an interesting addition at some point to iTMS is the ability to directly track and purchase tickets for live performances by artists (this is after all where bands get the real $). Considering iTMS will already send you alerts about favorite and past purchased artists, it's not a stretch to also x-ref that with your zip code and send local concert ticket updates for these same artist... just an idea...

That would also make a nice 'extra' - buy the new album plus tickets to see the show for some kind of good price, for example. A good upsell opportunity.

 

[DPazdanISU]

it looks quite obvious to me that apple is going to bring out a video cable ipod- at least one that can play these small itunes music video clips- most likely just a firmware update for the ipod photo that allows it to play these

 

[skullsplitter]

Point of possible truth.

The video is good - big ups to 4.8, worth the upgrade.

Still no built in skins.

No crossface for ipods.

Yes some of you just bought those songs and missed out on the video. Yes I have a few month old iMac G5 20" with only 64mb graphic card, less 90GB hd that new model, and that was expensive for me as a student. I will try and sell, find some pocketmoney and upgrade, to winge about wanting a refund or a new machine to be sent out.....nup, just cut my losses and move forward, so just download that damn song again, in NZ we have no music store - yucky for you all that do.

Final comment: No built in artwork grabber - sux.no built in muting/pausing when a primary programme begins using some audio output.

 

[fabsgwu]

I'm not an av expert, but it seems to me that if my G4 can't play H.264 then there is no way the iPod will be able to for some time. If video does get on the iPod it won't be H.264.

Your G4 CAN play H.264; now it might not be able to play the higher quality HD material (like the new Batman trailer), but it will be able to play a scaled down version...

 

[Nermal]

I have no clue how to get those quicktime videos... care to inform me? (or PM me?)

I believe that there's an app that makes it easy, but I don't know what it's called. I use tcpdump (a terminal app), which saves everything going through your network port. I then search through the resulting file to find where the video is coming from, and then copy the link into Download Wizard. If you understood that, you're doing quite well

 

[~Shard~]

Agreed!! I would sign up for an Apple-branded Netflix-like service (downloading, of course) in an instant.

Apple will wait for the right timing and will launch the service the right way. For now though, we'll all need patience - hopefully some music videos will get us by in the meantime.

 

[fabsgwu]

I also like that they have a bunch of music videos and trailers you can view right in the iTMS, for free. I'm sure someone will figure out how to capture the video and download it for free...

 

[Stella]

A business changes and develops its products. If you seriously believe that what SJ says is true for eternity, then you should get into the real world. A business that doesn't change doesn't last for too long.

Additionally, Remember, apple said they wouldn't realise a cheap headless Mac, and they did.. Oh, and Apple also said no one wants a 512MB mp3 player because the memory is too small.. Again, apple released the Shuffle ( very successfully ) to compete with competitors. It was obvious to apple flash based music players is a large business and something they should be in.

but but steve said no video ipod he was cynical about it!??! and steve said he said he said nobody uses flash players that they just throw em in a draw not be used ever again!!! BUT but but....

yeah steve, REALITY BITES...