Video Ipod Downloads: 3 Weeks, 1 Million

Vibrant video iPod-ing
ITunes sells 1 million downloads in three weeks
By Jennifer Netherby 10/31/2005
OCT. 31

"Three weeks after unveiling its new video iPod, Apple said Monday it has sold more than 1 million TV and music video downloads through its iTunes Music Store.
Among the leading downloads were episodes of ABC TV shows Lost and Desperate Housewives along with Pixar shorts For the Birds and Boundin’ and music videos by Michael Jackson, Fatboy Slim and Kanye West, the company said.
“Selling 1 million videos in less than 20 days strongly suggests there is a market for legal video downloads,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said. “Our next challenge is to broaden our content offerings, so that customers can enjoy watching more videos on their computers and new iPods.”

Reuters Video Ipod Article

Video Ipod Opens Gate On Ad Model
by: Michele Gershberg



NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple's latest iPod, a video-enabled music player that serves up some of the season's hottest television shows without commercials, will likely prod advertisers to get serious about finding a foothold in portable media players, media buyers said.
Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) last week unveiled the new model in its popular iPod lineup. The company reached a deal to sell downloads of top-rated ABC network shows such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" the day after broadcast for $1.99 per episode.
The announcement sent a new chill through an advertising industry struggling to reach consumers amid an explosion of media outlets. ABC and rivals like Viacom's (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) CBS are seeking new ways to deliver entertainment out of the television box, whether on the Internet or with new devices.
The bigger fear, and some say opportunity, for advertisers is how to keep their brand messages in front of consumers as iPods, other portable media players and increasingly sophisticated cellular phones pick up speed and vie for time once dominated by television and the 30-second commercial.
"The idea of consumer-controlled content has been prevalent, said Andrew Swinand, executive vice president at Starcom Worldwide, part of Publicis (PUBP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research). "This is the tipping point in terms of it coming to fruition."
The market-leading iPod built its brand on digital music downloads that can be arranged and listened to like a radio, but without advertising. Portable video game players like the Sony PSP and entertainment content viewed on cellular phones are also gnawing away at television viewing.
But with television audiences slipping, marketers question why they should pay top dollar for commercials on programs that can be watched ad-free a day later.
"It's a great concern to advertisers," said Jason Maltby, co-president of national broadcast for media buyer Mindshare, part of WPP (WPP.L: Quote, Profile, Research). "Why spend a couple hundred thousand dollars for an ad unit on 'Desperate Housewives'? The value keeps eroding."
IF SHOWS MOVE, WILL ADS FOLLOW?
Other experts argue that ABC will pick up new viewers for its shows on the video iPod rather than harm existing ratings. Such technology-forward users have already tuned out the regular prime-time television schedule, they say.
Apple has said it won't allow advertising on its iPod platform, but some experts wonder how long it would hold off on a lucrative new revenue stream. A company spokesman was not immediately available.
"TiVo and satellite radio were not ad-supported but they are loosening their guidelines to accept ads," said Brad Adgate, research director at Horizon Media. "It really depends on the finances of Apple."
Maltby said advertisers might push television networks like Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) ABC for assurances that their costliest ads will remain embedded in a show for some time.
"One could argue that if I'm a sponsor of 'Desperate Housewives', my commercial should be wherever 'Desperate Housewives' goes, whether it's on the phone or an iPod," he said.
Marketers may also offer to pay for video downloads if a viewer watches an ad first, or invest even more to embed their brands into a program's storyline as they have to combat ad-skipping technologies such as TiVo's digital video recorder.
"You would have to make ads much more contextually appealing to iPod users," said Brent Magid, chief executive of consultancy Frank Magid Associates. "It has to be about the environment and the experience iPod users have come to like."

AppleInsider: Apple Unveils Video Ipod

By AppleInsider Staff

True to previous AppleInsider reports and expectations, Apple today officially introduced a new iPod, featuring a 2.5-inch color screen which can display album artwork and photos, and play video including music videos, video Podcasts, home movies and television shows.

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The new iPod holds up to 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos or over 150 hours of video and is available in a 30GB model for $299 and a 60GB model for $399, with both models available in stunning white or black designs.

“The new iPod is the best music player ever—it's 30 percent thinner and has 50 percent more storage than its predecessor—yet it sells for the same price and plays stunning video on its 2.5-inch color screen,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Because millions of people around the world will buy this new iPod to play music, it will quickly become the most popular portable video player in history.”

The new iPod plays music, audiobooks, audio Podcasts, video Podcasts, home movies, music videos and popular television shows like “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives.”

The combination of iPod and iTunes 6 now provides customers with a seamless experience for buying, managing and playing video as well as audio content, including over 2,000 music videos, six short films from the Academy-Award winning Pixar Animation Studios, and five television shows from ABC and Disney Channel, including the immensely popular “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives.”

The new iPod combines all of the features that have made the iPod one of the best music players in the world with new features such as the ability to view video content on a larger stunning color display.

The new iPod features Apple’s innovative Click Wheel for precise, one-handed navigation and the portable design is ideal for putting music, Podcasts, photos, audiobooks, home movies, music videos and popular television shows in a pocket for on-the-go viewing. iPod users can also watch their video content and slideshows of their photos on a television via optional Apple accessories.

Featuring integration with the iTunes Music Store and the iTunes digital music jukebox, iPod features Apple’s patent pending Auto-Sync technology that automatically downloads digital music, Podcasts, photos, audiobooks, home movies, music videos and popular television shows onto the iPod and keeps them up-to-date whenever the iPod is plugged into a Mac or Windows computer using USB 2.0. The 30GB model features up to 14 hours of battery life for music playback and the 60GB model features up to 20 hours of battery life for music playback.*

Pricing & Availability

The new iPods will begin shipping next week for a suggested retail price of $299 (US) for the 30GB model and $399 (US) for the 60GB model through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. All iPod models include earbud headphones, USB 2.0 cable, case, dock insert and a CD with iTunes for Mac and Windows computers.

Optional accessories designed for the new iPod include: Universal Dock for $39 (US), giving users easy access to a USB port for syncing, IR support to work with the Apple Remote and a variable line out and S-video connections for integration within the living room; Apple Remote for $29 (US), providing wireless integration to the Universal Dock and quick and easy access to controls from across the room; Apple iPod AV cable for $19 (US), enabling television viewing of video content in full-screen; the iPod Camera Connector for $29 (US); and Apple Socks for $29 (US) providing six vibrant color socks to dress up and protect your iPod.

iPod requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 and Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 6; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional (SP2) and iTunes 6.

Ipod Video Downloads Coming Soon!

Stay Tuned...