NBC Universal on UK iTunes store

Well this hasn’t been reported much, amid the launch on Zune Marketplace of NBC Universal content. Although NBC Universal are in (a much publicised) dispute with Apple over TV content on the US iTunes store, they slyly added Heroes and House to the UK store, under the moniker “Universal”. Can a return to the US store be too far behind?

At last…

I just found out that Apple have started selling TV “Programmes” via iTunes on the UK store. Disney and Viacom seem to be the only providers at this time. It remains to be seen how often these shows are updated.

Girl kicked out of Big Brother house for using the N-word

Now there is a headline Channel 4 didn’t need. I haven’t been following events in the Big Brother house, so I don’t know the context. But I just received a call from a friend to tell me this was worth blogging about. Some of the females were dancing in the living room last night, and Emily Parr, a housemate of the caucasian persuasion, offered this comment to her negroid (I love that word, cracks me so consistently, up) housemate.

Youtube on Apple TV

Didn’t I write about this a few months ago? Or at least, something very similar. Yesterday Steve Jobs announced new functionality for his floundering Apple TV product. With a firmware update due in mid-June, Apple TV users will be able to watch Youtube videos from the comfort of their sofa. “But I can already do that with my Wii, and it’s pixelated crap”, I hear you cry. Well Apple are in the process of transcoding all videos on Youtube into H.264, their codec of choice. And if it appears in a window like the interface above, that shouldn’t look too bad at all. Apple also announced a HDD upgrade, with a 160gb Apple TV available to order in readiness for all the HD episodes they could/should be offering by the start of the new season. No sign of it on the UK apple store though.

And if you have read about all of this already (and lets face it you probably have), you will be happy to know that TV episodes on the UK itunes store are a mere “weeks” away. I can’t reveal my sources but from the looks of things there will be quite a selection.

European iTunes news

 

Two little things about TV shows and movies on the iTunes store in the UK. Firstly, the company that own the company I work for (huge conglomerate that some people like, a lot of people hate) have been asked to make TV shows ready for the UK store. I know how vague that sounds, but it’s better than nothing right?

And secondably (!), Apple’s vice-President for Europe, Pascal Cagni, has confirmed that movies will be available on European iTunes stores by the end of the year. I originally wrote that it would happen by the Spring, but… what are you gonna do? There is a month of spring left anyway. Or “Printemps”, to Mr Cagni.