iTunes video store - A hint to future marketing plans?

[yancey47]

The iTunes store just updated and the fall TV line up os being pushed hard with lots of sneak previews and season passes already for sale. Some decent pricing too with limited time discounts for new seasons of some abc shows like Greys Anatomy for 25 bucks SD and 40 HD. Also, there are a few new HD movies for sale as well. With the ability to now buy video from an iPhone or iPod touch, and the media event next week, i'm thinking that maybe Apple is really going to push the iTunes store ( and AppleTV ) as the future of media viewing. As a fan of digital media, this would be great. What do you all think, is there something to this; or am I reaching here?

 

[Michael CM1]

Just sounds like normal business. AppleTV's software is still too pitiful to really make it a must-have device. It needs a price drop in the worst way, and the software just needs to be rewritten from the bottom up.

The remote control is also a dud. It kinda works on a computer, but it's no good for a primary input device. Introduce a remote that works basically like the MacBook Pro trackpad and you might have a better unit.

I'm just so disappointed because my perfect solution is something like iTunes hooked up to your TV. Yet Apple threw Front Row on there instead. You can tell that it must be unpaid interns working on this "hobby" instead of a top team of developers. I have seen a lot of suggestions for an app store for ATV, which I think would rock. ATV will not gain much more success without extra applications like Netflix. Blu-ray Disc player manufacturers have figured this out, so I don't get Apple being behind the game.

 

[hexonxonx]

This is all normal. It was this way last year as well for the fall season premiers. Nothing new to see here.

 

[NightStorm]

They do seem to have posted season pass options early this year. Instead of waiting for the first episode to air, you can go ahead and "pre-order" a season pass for shows that begin later this month. I wonder if they did this to give people the chance to spread out their season pass purchases over the whole month instead of all at once? "The Office" still seems a little pricey, especially considering the Season 5 Bluray set is only $43. That said, I'll still pick it up as I save over that amount each month by not having cable anymore.

I definitely do not think the AppleTV developers are a bunch of unpaid interns... I think they have been working on something substantial that will see the light of day in the near future. Having iTunes hooked up to a TV would have to be a horrible experience, unless you wanted to have a mouse and keyboard by you at all times.