along with new ipod configurations you can get disney movies from the new iTunes 7 movie store they range from 9.99 - 14.99 US with resolutions of 640x480 depending on the aspect ratio of the movie http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/movies.html

Now this is cool...

Unless you live outside the US in that cae you get nada!

This is all good, but the real story was Jobs' "one last thing"

http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/09/12/showtime/index.php?pf=1

“But there is one last thing,” said Jobs, stunning long-time Apple event attendees. “This next thing’s a little unusual for us. It’s a sneak peek for a product that will be introduced in Q1 2007.”

The iTV resembles a short Mac mini. The power supply is built right in to the unit, and it features integrated wireless networking, a power plug, USB 2.0, Ethernet, High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) plug, component video, analog audio and optical audio interfaces.

Awesome! totally missed that lol

It'll be interesting to see what the max video the "iTV" will be able to decode. Somehow I doubt it'll be 1080 60p but who knows, it'll be shipping next year. The HDMI would hint at HD resolutions but that's not necessarily true. If I were to use this I would do everything possible to connect it via Ethernet as opposed to Wireless if the content was big video files.

Here are some good picts and info...

http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/12/apple-to-release-itv-video-streaming-box-in-2007/

Wow, it never occured to me that the iTV wouldn't support hi def. I find it hard to believe Apple would get that wrong. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Looks like it's just the right size to sit under a Mac Mini :-)

Maybe I've got this wrong, but I don't think the iTV does the downloading, itjust wirelessly receives the video stream from your server across the room. I'm assuming that iTunes (or whatever) software handles downloading and serving the files which are stored on your computer's hard drive (which raises the question of whether it will work with both Macs and PC's). Then you could use either WiFi or ethernet to send the video to your iTV which is plugged into your TV set.

I think this is nothing less than Apple's shot across the bow for the cable and satellite companies. If I'm right about where they're headed, soon you will be able to download both free and paid content from iTunes and watch it in full quality on your large screen TV.

“Den, living room, car, pocket. And i hope this gives you a little idea of where we’re going,” said Jobs.

I have read about a lot of delays with the process leading up to manufacturing. They promised a turnover of Ipod models, but this isn't happening. releasing color models is a strategy that has been used in the past to keep up the sales before a new model comes out. I imagine they are trying to extend the life until the new range comes next year, which was being forecast for this year. I still want the 4 inch model, but I wish the Nano was half the price. There has been rumoured a game Ipod, but just some additional game controls on the Nano would have been good.

What about 99c movies, $1.99 maybe even. I can buy 720*560 DVD movies at much less than this, even $1.99, and I get something that would be classified as a backup for an Ipod, a disk.

Wayne, you are absolutely correct. I think this service will be mostly for those looking for the convenience of having easy, reliable downloads and having the content "just work". I might buy one just for the sake of buying one and that's about it, but I'm not even sure about that.

I have been buying my DVDs at Walmart for a long time, rarely do I spend over $10 and most of the time they are $5.50 and these are anamorphic 16:9 decent encodings. Handbrake on OS X makes ripping to H264 and even to the iPod easy... DRM FREE.

I agree about buying physical disks. I'm like you, always looking for something on sale that I want. WalMart, Circuit City, Best Buy, Target, the grocery store... they all have "loss leader" DVD's for $10 and less.

But I'm not everyone else. I've never owned an iPod (have bought two as gifts though), and have only downloaded two albums from iTunes. But fortunately for Apple (and fortunately for me as a shareholder), I'm in the minority. They have had a spectacular success with iTunes and the iPod. I'm guessing they can utilize this momentum to make video a success. And I'd expect there to be free content available for video as well, just like our local radio station that offers free podcasts via iTunes.

But I'm not everyone else. I've never owned an iPod (have bought two as gifts though), and have only downloaded two albums from iTunes. But fortunately for Apple (and fortunately for me as a shareholder), I'm in the minority. They have had a spectacular success with iTunes and the iPod. I'm guessing they can utilize this momentum to make video a success. And I'd expect there to be free content available for video as well, just like our local radio station that offers free podcasts via iTunes.

You and I are in the exact same boat. I have bought some content from Itunes and downloaded a tv show to judge the quality on the first day it came out. Now that the resolution is higher, I might add more to my archive.

Since the iTV device can stream photos, podcasts, and other stuff, I don't see why it wouldn't support HD. In fact, when demoing the photo show capability, he stated up front that 'photos are already HD' as though he was touting the HD capabilities of the device.

I suspect that the movie download technology would be a hit with the college crowd that buys more on impulse and convenience (the honest ones, that is).

-gb-