I have previously been rather pro iTMS (iTunes Music Store), and I believe in paying where fees are due, for various material, be it movies or music etc..
Currently I am residing in Norway, and I know many of my readers live in Europe, or in other words outside the United States. The US being the only country (correct me if I am wrong), where you can currently download TV series and full length movies from Apple’s iTMS. All this means that I have not seen any iTMS movies with my own eyes yet. Although I must admit a lower quality suspicion of movies ready for iPod video has been present. Now the-ish.com/blog has compared pirated material with material purchased on iTMS: iTunes versus Pirates. (Note: The compared material is from ABC material, and may not be applicable to other material.)

First comparison at the-is.com/blog

Second comparison

The first and most significant difference is that a great deal of the pirated material (still mainly TV shows) are appearing in High Definition (HD) quality, while material purchased via iTMS is still in Standard Definition (SD). (In my post Comparing 480p and 720p you can see some of the first hand differences between SD and HD material.)
Secondly iTMS material is in 4:3 and Pirated material is 16:9 (or widescreen). (Perhaps this is partially due to the fact that the iPods and still a number of computer monitors have 4:3 aspect ratios.)

However although this is a superficial comparison it does prove a point, restricting a materials quality, which can be purchased and costs money, will not exactly encourage more people to buy material if they can download better quality material for free. In addition restricting the material geographicly sadly only serves to boost piracy even more. My “superficial” conclusion is iTMS video quality must improve if they want more business.

Previous articles I have written related to iTMS:
Ad and iTMS Movies – Apple Follow-Ups
Domino effect for Apple’s iTMS?
(Via Mac1.)

Among some of the hundred feeds I have been quickly skimming I was going to just mention partly for my own benefit that Walmart was now hitting the Online Movie market. Then listening to the radio I just recently heard that Amazon is partnering with TiVo to provide online content directly to your TiVo. And now TechCrunch has some more on the whole story: Amazon Partners With Tivo; Steals Walmart’s Thunder.

I think all of these online services will be healthy competition for iTMS in addition regarding my post: Domino effect for Apple’s iTMS? & Ad and iTMS Movies – Apple Follow-Ups, I think that it all proves that people are sincerely wanting the possisiblity to be able to buy movies online rather than download pirated material.

After writing this I just recently read Wayne’s post on the matter: Amazon and TiVo partner on video.

Apple just updated their site with yet another Holiday Greeting (Hi-quality), in the spirit of the Get a Mac campaign and Christmas, this ad is about giving up their differences and enjoying the holiday. The previous ad from Apple for their iPod Shuffle came out a little over a month ago. I can’t say this new Holiday Ad, is anywhere close in shear coolness factor to the iPod Shuffle Ad, and compared to other Get A Mac ads, I.E. like Better Results with Gisele Bündchen’s guest appearance.

My second follow-up is in regards to my post Domino effect for Apple’s iTMS? where the hopes have not exactly been realized. But according to NPD’s Press Release Apple’s iTunes Music Store (iTMS) led the market for paid digital video downloads. (With 90% of downloaded, paid videos.) Of the downloaded content: 62% were TV shows, 24% were music videos, and 6% were mainstream movie content. In my head that sums up to 92%, sounds like NPD failed to mention something. Well the number is 6! 6 percent mainstream movie downloads. It’s not much but it’s definitely as good start (especially for a Music Store.)

Via Mac1.no

TheAppleBlog just wrote how hopefully the fact that on the first day, Disney sold 5 million DVD’s of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, would give Apple leverage for convincing other studios to let them sell content on iTMS (iTunes Music Store). The AppleBlog author, Iyaz Akhtar’s point being that DVD’s and digital content, such as the movies sold on iTMS can actually coexist.
He raises that this has previously been of concern to other studio’s, their fear that their DVD revenues would stagnate.

Availability and access being especially attractive for the new Internet generation, has meant films are especially conspicuous on not completely legal torrent and peer-to-peer networks. So as AppleBlog points out this may truly be good news, for those who want the content as quickly, but want to be able to be law abiding citizens.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is available for purchase for $9.99 at iTMS. In comparison Amazon offers it for $14.99.