Apple Announces iTunes 6 With 2,000 Music Videos, Pixar Short Films & Hit TV Shows
By NEWS RELEASE |
October 12th, 2005
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Apple® today announced iTunes® 6, the next generation of the world’s most popular music jukebox and online music store. iTunes 6 lets fans purchase and download over 2,000 music videos and six short films from Academy-Award winning Pixar Animation Studios for just $1.99 each. Also, in a landmark deal with Disney, iTunes is now offering current and past episodes from two of the most popular shows on television, “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost,” as well as the new drama series “Night Stalker” and the two most popular shows from Disney Channel, “That’s So Raven” and “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” for just $1.99 per episode. Customers can now purchase and download their favorite television shows from iTunes the day after they air on TV, watch them on their Mac® or PC, and Auto-Sync them onto the new iPod® for viewing anywhere.
“We’re doing for video what we’ve done for music—we’re making it easy and affordable to purchase and download, play on your computer, and take with you on your iPod,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Right out of the gate we’re offering 2,000 music videos, Pixar’s short films and hit primetime TV shows like ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Lost’.”
“For the first time ever, hit primetime shows can be purchased online the day after they air on TV,” said Robert Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company. “We’re delighted to be working with Apple to offer fans a new and innovative way to experience our wildly popular shows like ‘Desperate Housewives’ ‘Lost’ and ‘That’s So Raven’.”
“Apple is giving music fans a great way to own their favorite music videos,” said Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M. “The people at Apple fully understand the interaction between musicians and their audience.”
Featured exclusive music videos are available from artists such as Beastie Boys and U2 along with more than two dozen classic music videos from Madonna. Music videos are available from hundreds of artists, including classic hits by Michael Jackson and Sting and current hits from Coldplay and Kanye West. The first ever video iTunes Originals is being released with an exclusive performance and interview from Death Cab for Cutie as well as an exclusive video album from Brazilian Girls. Music fans can also purchase the Complete Stevie Wonder digital box set, which contains over 500 songs, a full color digital booklet and three bonus videos, available only on the iTunes Music Store. Movie shorts available from Pixar include “Boundin’,” “For the Birds,” “Geri’s Game,” “Luxo Jr.,” “Red’s Dream,” and “Tin Toy.”
New features in iTunes 6 include expanded online gift options which now allow customers to give specific songs, albums, music videos or their own iTunes playlists to anyone with an email address, a public beta of new “Just for You” personalized music recommendations and the debut of online customer reviews. Now more than 10 million iTunes music fans can read other customers’ reviews, post their own and rate their usefulness.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated Podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. The iTunes Music Store features more than two million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent record labels, 10,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.
Pricing & Availability
iTunes 6 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Music Store and is available as a free download immediately from www.apple.com/itunes. Purchase and download of songs from the iTunes Music Store for Mac or Windows requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. Television shows are available in the US only, and video availability varies by country. Music videos and short films are $1.99 (US) each, and television shows are $1.99 (US) per episode.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.
October 13th, 2005 at 5:52 am
Video, they call that video? 320×240 resolution is not video, thats thumbnailing. When is apple going to realise that it makes no sense in offering people low quality video of episodes for 1,99 each when they can either be seen or tivo’d in hdtv or downloaded using any popular downloadmethod available… for free.
and then they bring out their vision of a media center app… sigh, imac only, so nobody will be able to watch their foto’s and video’s on their hdtv or other big screen as it is not usable on a mac mini, or at least not available…
my vision?
make itunes offer complete movies in hdtv format (720P) and offer those for a few bux. bring out the mac mini with specs decent enough to play this resolution and give it the new remote as a default and hook it up with a HDMI adapter.. oh, and some cablecard support and DVB (S-T and C)would be nice too..
damn apple, how hard is it to listen to your customers, having them wait can create some revenue in hte future. but this is pushing your luck…