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May 13, 2008 Leave a Comment

Apple Signs Deal with HBO

Steve Jobs, unlike his usual self, made a concession to Hollywood, shifting what had been a stringent pricing scheme for TV Show episode downloads.

To date, the standard pricing for TV shows on iTunes has been $1.99, in this new deal with HBO, some will sell for more then standard. Also, episodes will not be available for purchase until the DVD is released.

This week, popular shows like ‘Sex and the City,’ ‘The Sopranos,’ and ‘Deadwood,’ will be available for sale. With most of the library to follow.

The whole situation is pretty interesting, as I’m pretty sure Apple lost NBC as a content provider to its hesitance to allow variable pricing. HBO has been a hold out, with the danger of compromising their rather expensive subscription based service.

Things available for legal download are always a good thing, but I’d be nervous to stray from $1.99 an episode. With TV shows available to download via Torrent, people are hesitant to even pay a $1.99.

Filed Under: News, TV Tagged: , , ,
The Devolution of Hollywood?
April 2, 2008 1 Comment

The Devolution of Hollywood?

Broadly speaking, films tend to reflect the culture that produces them. For example, horror movies when looked at from a distance, plays on our cultural fears. George Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead,’ while outwardly appearing as a zombie survivalist movie, took America’s fear of nuclear war and took it to a next step. More recent films, such as ‘Untraceable,’ play with our culture’s technology fetish and the broader detachment of personal accountability that being an anonymous Internet watcher brings. And what about that Internet? Well, it’s changing things, too. In fact, Hollywood is starting to dip its toes in the sea of change that the past few years’ enhancements have brought about. But before we get into that, let’s talk about what’s changed on our, the audience’s, end. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Editorial, Movies Tagged: , , , , ,
Editorial: Why the Hi-Def War is Actually Not Over
March 24, 2008 1 Comment

Editorial: Why the Hi-Def War is Actually Not Over

Blu-RayEarly adopters beware, there has been a silent force standing by in the war between high-definition formats. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Editorial, Movies Tagged: , , , , , , ,
A New Opportunity for Gaming
March 7, 2008 Leave a Comment

A New Opportunity for Gaming

As a member of the cult that is Apple, I waited with giddy anticipation to see what sorts of goodies Apple had in storewhen they announced the release of the iPhone Software Developers Kit. The thing that surprised me most, was the focus yesterday’s presentation had on Gaming. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Feature, Video Games Tagged: , , , , , , ,