TVSquad

The BBC may be preparing to distribute some of its more popular programs via Apple's iTunes store. The Register is reporting that details on the partnership could be announced as soon as Tuesday.

UK residents can already watch a number of BBC shows online using the iPlayer service, which lets users watch any show that's been broadcast within the last 7 days for free. But the iPlayer is only available to British residents who pay for the BBC's programming with their taxes. Outside of the UK, you have to pay if you want your Doctor Who.

It's not clear right now whether any shows the BBC distributes via iTunes will be available outside of Britan or not. Apple charges UK customers £1.89 to download a television episode, which is almost $2 more than the $1.99 US customers pay. So while it's possible the BBC won't want to sell its content at the lower prices, some money is better than no money, right?

Update: It looks like BBC content is now available at the UK iTunes store, but not the US store.

SyncTV is a spinoff for Pioneer Electronics, focused on providing a video download service that gives customers far more control over how they purchase and view videos than any almost any existing service. We first told you about SyncTV back in November, but over the weekend I got a chance to check out the service which is still in private beta.

The software client does pretty much everything you'd expect. You can browser through several existing channels of content, download, and view programs. There's no HD content, but videos are encoded with the H.264 codec and look decent enough in full screen mode on my 1280 x 800 pixel display. You can watch a video shortly after you start a download and download speeds seem pretty zippy.

What really sets SyncTV apart from the competition is that you can subscribe to channels of content and watch any content in the channel. Or you can purchase individual episodes which you can watch at any time, even if you stop paying your monthly subscription fee. Or you can purchase an entire season of episodes. Unlike many online video stores SyncTV aims to host every single episode of the series it distributes.

Vudu has slashed the cost of its overpriced digital video unit from $399 to a still kind of pricey $295. While the new price is a bit more reasonable, it still feels like a lot to ask for a set top box that only plays videos you have to pay for separately.

The price cut is likely a response to Apple's announcement that the Apple TV is now available for $229. Apple TV owners can also download videos directly to their boxes now, with no computer required. That makes the Apple TV kind of like a much cheaper Vudu with far more features. You can also use it to watch web video or access content stored on your PC.

When it comes to HD video, Vudu has the edge, with 1080i/1080p24 support while the Apple TV can only handle 720p videos.

If you're one of the handful of folks who have already shelled out $400 for a Vudu, you can get a $100 coupon towards video downloads if you've purchased your box within the last 30 days by calling Vudu customer support.

[via CNet]

Netflix has been letting users watch videos watch selected videos on a PC since earlier this year. The service probably cuts down on shipping costs for Netflix, while giving the company a foothold in digital distribution, which may or may not be the future of the video rental business.

But up until recently there have been a few restrictions on the service. You could only watch a limited number of hours of programming, based on your subscription rate. And the selection was somewhat limited. Now it looks like Netflix is addressing both issues. Some users are reporting they've received emails letting them know that they can watch as much programming as they like by clicking the "watch now" button next to selected shows. And the content library is now up to 6,000 movies and TV episodes, which is more than twice what Netflix appeared to have available this summer.

The service is still Windows-only, and there's no legal way to save shows on your PC for transferring to a portable device or for viewing when you're offline.

[via Zatz Not Funny]