My ApplNion

You certainly heard of the new feature in iTunes, the iTunes LP. Last week I found a web site that is all about this new feature. iTunesLP.NET offers a few free LPs for free. So if you have not see one yet, it is a way to experience it for free. As of this writing, there is five title available on the site.

Even better yet, there is a tutorial on the site to help you or your band produce your own iTunes Lp for distribution. I did not get much time to study the tutorial, but basically it looks like web technology wrapped into a specific bundle baring the “.itlp” extension. The tutorial teaches you how to add background music, how the controls works in iTunes and so on.

A few weeks ago, a rumors spreads the web that Apple was billing the LPs $10,000 to add an iTunes LP to the iTunes store. The rumor have been denied by Apple, so nothing prevents any artist to develop its own LP and sell it via iTunes, or even independently. Even fans can now produce LPs for their own usage, if they have the time and the pattion of doing so.

In hope we’ll see more iTunes LP coming in.

A new analysis from Gene Munster describe a possible Apple TV evolving into a TV set connected to the Internet. First step as a new Apple TV setup box with DVR capability, then TV passes for shows, then as a high end TV connected to the Internet. I personally see a few problems here.

First, to build a DVR, you must be able to record something. That something, for most consumers, comes from the cable or satellite providers. The problem I see here is that most signal are translated to digital. From that moment on, digital mean some sort of encoding. And to protect the content from piracy, some providers may even encrypt the signal that only their setup boxes will be able to decrypt. The cable and satellite providers already offer PVRs capability well integrated in their setup box, so I find it difficult for Apple to make it more simple to use for the end users.

TV passes and subscriptions services using the iTunes Store sounds more likely. There again, Apple will have to compete with other services to make it appealing enough to the consumers. But here, I thing they already have the right start with iTunes and the Apple TV hardware as it is. It just need to be available to the users. HTTP streaming coming to Snow Leopard may also be a feature I’ll see well in an evolution of the Apple TV.

As for a full TV? I’m really not sure. Personally I prefer to buy my components separately. I have an Apple TV, and if Apple offer a new model, I’ll be able to afford it. But if it is integrated in my TV and Apple does not offer an upgrade to it (in case of hardware changes), I’m doomed. Will I change my TV every 3 years to have the newest streaming technology in it? Most likely not.

Yesterday, I was reading this article in which it is describe that Apple may introduce itself into the content production via its iTunes division. At first, I was a bit sceptic, but after thinking about it, I like the idea.

After all, Sony did the same a few years back, when it bought BMG and created its Sony Music division. Sony then became an electronics constructor as well as a music and film production company. In the beginning of the 2000’s Sony was also trying to push its ATRAC media file, DRM protected.

On the other side of the spectrum, other electronics companies sided to the MP3 format. So, for example, JVC was offering CD reader that can also play the MP3 file format. Sony refused for a while to have MP3 capability on its player. This resulted in what I heard as a lost of revenue for Sony, because consumers wanted to play their MP3 files. Sony finally abandoned ATRAC and got into the MP3 bandwagon.

Back to Apple. It is known that Steve Jobs wrote about DRM’s free music, saying that the choice was made by the content producers. Then, Amazon and some others started offering DRM free music (MP3), which finally came to iTunes last year.

If Apple is going to enter the video content producing market, they may change the value here. Is Apple, as the sole content producer and distributor, is forced to apply DRM on their video content? My answer is no. They have the choice to enable DRM free video content that consumers can play and burn to DVD as they which. Like it is now for music.

If such thing happen, Apple may change the way the video industry see the online video distribution. This may lead to DRM free video distribution as well, which may help consumer with more freedom to use their bought content. I’m not talking here about sharing it over the Internet as a pirated material. But when I buy a DVD on a store shelf, if I want to borrow it to a friend, I can. But I cannot do the same with my digital content, unless I borrow it with an authorized iPod. It is pretty rare I borrow a DVD with my DVD player, so why should I do it with my digital content?

I may be dreaming here, but I hope that somewhere I’m right and Apple will again “think different”.