The revolution will not be televised, it will be downloaded

by Joe Bramhall, September 15th, 2006, 7:00 am

Our society’s evolution toward push-button gratification took another step forward with the recent announcement that both Amazon and Apple Computer are selling movies and TV shows for download across the Internet. The nascent business of selling and distributing movies on the grid has so far attracted limited attention from investors and consumers alike, but with two of the biggest names in e-commerce getting into the ring, downloading movies and TV shows could soon replace buying and renting DVDs.

While both services look compelling, Amazon’s Unbox has the advantage of a bigger catalog of movies to choose from. Apple, meanwhile, launched its movie service with just 75 titles from Disney and Pixar — two companies Steve Jobs is personally and financially connected to — though additional films from other studios are sure to become available over time. Both services also require proprietary software to work, although Apple’s iTunes system is compatible with both Mac and PC platforms; the Unbox player only works on Windows PCs, so Mac users need not apply.

One big limitation with any system of downloading movies from the Internet is the fact that those files can only be played on a computer, and it remains to be seen if consumers really want to watch a Hollywood blockbuster sitting in front of their computer screen. Apple, though, appears to have provided the solution to that issue and it just might have a few executives at Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, and Netflix quaking in their boots over the loss of DVD sales and rentals.

At the end of his presentation announcing the iTunes movie service, Jobs unveiled a device called iTV (a working title they’re sure to change) that allows both video and audio media to be streamed from a PC to the living room. The whole thing is run by remote control, seamlessly integrating itself into the couch potato lifestyle, and it even supports wireless networking so there will be no cables to run from the office or den or wherever the PC is located. Apple won’t have the iTV ready for shipping until early next year, but it very well could be the manna from heaven we media junkies have been waiting for.

Steve Jobs, I hate you for making me love you.