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Filed under: Internet, Video, Apple

HBO comes to iTunes, Apple finally gives up on standard pricing

HBO iTunes

Apple has announced a deal with HBO to offer some of the cable channel's premium content through the iTunes store. Normally this wouldn't be all that noteworthy, but this is no ordinary content partnership. Apple has agreed to price some of the TV shows at $2.99, which is the first time the company has been willing to deviate from its standard pricing of $0.99 per song, $1.99 per TV show, and $9.99 to $14.99 per movie.

In fact, it was a squabble over standardized pricing that led NBC to stop distributing its shows through iTunes last year. not every HBO program will cost $2.99. The network is offering up Sex and the City, The Wire, and Flight of the Conchords for $1.99 per download, while The Sopranos, Deadwood, and Rome will set you back $2.99.

The move makes sense when you consider the fact that HBO charges $50 or so for 1 season of these shows on DVD, even though there are typically fewer episodes per season of an HBO show than you get from a broadcast network program. So we're hoping this isn't going to lead to a pricing free-for-all, with networks charging more for popular shows like Lost and less for shows nobody was going to pay for anyway like 'Til Death.

[via Engadget]

Filed under: Internet, Video

HBO starts rollout of broadband video service

HBO Broadband
We like to imagine that one day you'll be able to find pretty much any movie or TV show ever made online -- without resorting to BitTorrent. HBO is bringing us a bit closer to that day by rolling out a new broadband video service to Wisconsin cable subscribers, with a wider rollout scheduled for later this year.

HBO Broadband is free for existing HBO subscribers, and as far as we can tell, it's unavailable to non-subscribers at the moment. While most broadcast networks are making some content available for free on the web, HBO's service requires a PC application. No Mac, Linux, or portable version is available yet. Shows will be watchable for up to 4 weeks after you download them, after which point we assume they explode. You know, or just won't play anymore.

Content will vary from month to month, and each month HBO will make every single episode of one original series available. This month the service is offering some episodes of popular shows like The Wire, Sex and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Deadwood, and Flight of the Conchords.

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