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U.S. and HD TV come to Canada’s iTunes, U.S. TV discounts offered

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By Jesse David Hollington

Contributing Editor
Published: Thursday, May 28, 2009
News Category: iTunes

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The Canadian iTunes Store today began to offer television content from several major U.S. television networks in both standard and high-definition. The U.S. networks now showing on the iTunes Store include ABC, NBC, Fox and Warner Bros, and though not all content from these networks is available in Canada yet, the content that is available encompasses many of the most popular TV shows: Heroes, Lost, The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, 30 Rock, Fringe and others. At this time, the available content includes only current-season episodes, and it is unknown whether previous seasons will be added in the future.  Previously, only some Canadian content and a very limited selection of non-prime-time U.S. content was available in the Canadian iTunes Store, none of which was available in HD. TV shows on the Canadian iTunes Store are priced at $2.49 CAD for standard-definition content, and $3.49 CAD for high-definition content.

In related news, the U.S. iTunes Store is offering a “limited time” promotion on certain SD + HD TV programs from the CBS and CW networks. Discounted shows include CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, 90210, NCIS, Numb3rs and Survivor, all selling for $0.99 US for SD episodes or $1.99 US for HD episodes.

Next: Hulu releases streaming HD video viewer Hulu Desktop

Previous: Palm Pre will sync with iTunes

Comments

1

Interesting but wow that’s expensive for a TV show, $3.49 and $2.49!!! I guess CTV Globemedia and Global TV who own the Canadian rights to those TV shows, reached some kinda deal to get a piece of the pie, in order to make them available in the Canadian iTunes store.

Posted by Louis on May 28, 2009 at 9:39 AM (PDT)

2

Finally we get some decent tv shows on iTunes Canada have been waiting for this for a while.

Posted by ipodlover29 on May 28, 2009 at 6:28 PM (PDT)

3

Yes:
Once again the ‘dumb’ Canadian consumer picks up some crumbs offered by the usual Canadian business corporate suspects.  When will Apple do away with the Apple Canada leaches?

Posted by tgarbutt on May 29, 2009 at 12:29 AM (PDT)

4

Wow, this is expensive !  Why should I pay $3.49 per episode, pay for bandwith (Videotron $$), and then pay for the AppleTV so I can watch on my plasma ? 

In this context, renting the DVD (3-4 episodes) for $4.00 remains the best deal.  This is weird, but… ouch !

Posted by Fugazi on June 26, 2009 at 6:40 AM (PDT)

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