Download Monkey

Who's it from?

Apple's iTunes music management application has grown up to encompass vodcasts and now fully fledged TV shows.

Where can I find it?

http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/overview/

What does it offer?

A fully fledged music and video store for Macs and PCs that allows downloading of pay per view content that can be watched on upto five machines and your iPod and TV.

So?

If you like TV like we do (and whether or not you're a Mac fanboy), when Apple decide that iTunes will start offering TV shows, you're going to sit up and listen.

Instead of having to own a Windows PC, download and install some new and different software (that may or may not play nice with what I already have) and then learn how to navigate an interface designed by a teenager with ADD, I get to fire up my Powerbook, click on iTunes and see what's cooking. This ability to deliver quality content via a familiar interface cannot be overestimated.

On to the shows then. I always missed Spaced, but am a huge fan of Simon Pegg and co. so lets give it a go. One click, starts downloading and ten minutes later I'm sitting watching it in full quality Quicktime. Um, and that's about it. An effortless experience that takes what I already have (a Mac) and what I already know (iTunes) and marries it up with what I want (to download some quality TV). Just make sure I'm not having a one-off experience I decide to download the entire first series of Black Books. Works like a charm and I lose a sunday afternoon.

Now it's fair to say that iTunes has become more cluttered over the years, but hey - it's still called iTunes and no one at Apple seems to care. We know what it is, we know what it does and we like it. I can move my content around and pop it on my iPod or play it on my TV. Wow! This is way too easy...

OK, so currently there aren't any movies and the programmes that are available are limited in scope and range. But what's there is all great quality entertainment (hand picked classic episodes of Scooby Doo anyone - and not the later crap ones with Scrappy either..) And I'm paying just £1.89 per episode. For the picture quality, convenience and ease of use, that's fine by me.

Speed and Quality

Quality is second to none. Nothing much more to say. One day they'll all be this good. But this comes at a price and the filesizes can be a bit on the large size. Speed of delivery will depend on your broadband connection so your mileage may vary.

Download Monkey's conclusion...

If Apple can do the deals with the content owners - and by that we really mean the Hollywood studios - and keep prices at reasonable levels, this service is a winner. Until then, the limited range of material available will hold it back. What a shame though that someone like Sky or Five or Channel 4 couldn't have teamed up with Apple from day one to offer all it's content via iTues? Even in it's current form though it's worth a look and definitely one to watch.

iTunes Review by Newton

April 2008