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“Rent TV episodes from top shows on the iTunes Store, and watch them on your computer, iPhone, iPod Touch, or Apple TV (2nd generation).”

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Now that the dust has settled and you’ve read everyone (Engadget, Gizmodo, Tech Crunch) and their mothers take on the new Apple TV, I thought I’d give my two cents for what its worth. Being an original day one Apple TV owner the news for me today was all about rentals and streaming. Whether it be from our iTunes library, or from Netflix, we’re going to be streaming or renting from here on out. Lets face it, unless Apple introduced a terabyte version of the Apple TV, no form of internal storage would have been enough space. Users would of found a way to fill it up. The content now stays where it most likely originated, on your desktop or laptop computer.

As a father of a 3 year old I can think of a few occasions where immediate access to purchasing a movie or episode of Yo Gabba Gabba directly from the Apple TV came in handy, but those have been few and far between. As it was, purchasing a movie through the Apple TV meant waiting for who knows how long for the content to download. Purchasing from my computer as opposed to the Apple TV doesn’t seem like such a chore. Heck, the purchase can even happen through an iPad or iPhone as well.

Here’s a thought, will purchasing be the only way to get iTunes Extras, and will the Extras be available for streaming?

The one scenario where I can see problems arising regarding streaming is when that main library of iTunes content is no longer present to stream from. With more and more households turning to portable computers your SOL if that laptop or iPad with the main iTunes library decides to take a trip to the local coffee shop. This is where I hope Apple decides to create some sort of Airport media server or that fabled iTunes in the clouds so that your media is always available to stream.

For original Apple TV users who’ve struggled with scrolling through the tons of available content to find that perfect movie title or tv show to download, making the Apple TV a rental only box eliminates a load of extra purchase content to scroll through. This also means that to get a true overview of what movies or tv shows are available, including purchase only titles, you must do your search through iTunes. And lets not forget about Cinemira, I’ll be covering it’s relationship with the new Apple TV in another post.

And what about all this streaming goodness for existing Apple TV users? According to Engadget it looks like your going to have to upgrade to the new Apple TV as it seems Apple has no plans to upgrade existing Apple TV’s. Does that mean the current Apple TV will become valuable for it’s ability to store media locally? Yeah, probably nostalgic wishful thinking on my part.

As I learn more about this new Apple TV and absorb it’s new features I’ll share more thoughts, but for now just enjoy the fact that Apple is paying attention to our now even smaller little hobby.

It’s been Confirmed. (Via the Wall Street Journal)

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This afternoon, the Wall Street Journal has confirmed with “people familiar with the matter” that Apple is set to announce $0.99 rentals during tomorrow’s media event.

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I only have one word to say… FINALLY!

Below is a list of just some of the movies added today to the iTunes Movie Store. For a complete list head over to Cinemira now.

Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too? (SD Rental) (SD & HD Purchase)
Marmaduke (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
Harry Brown

… and more »

This week’s 99p movie is For Your Consideration, it is available in HD on both the iPad and Apple TV.

Below is a list of some of the new movies added today to the iTunes Movie Store today. This list does not include any movies which may have jumped from purchase only to rental, or SD to HD, and don’t forget, to learn more about these newly added titles head over to Cinemira.

Group Sex (SD Rental & Purchase)
Water Wars (SD Rental & Purchase)
Robin Hood (2010) (Pre-Order)
Sesame Street: Happy Healthy Monsters (SD Purchase)
Sesame Street: Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures (SD Purchase)
Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale (Pre-Order)
2:22 (2008) (SD Rental) SD & HD Purchase)
American Cowslip: A Redneck Comedy (Pre-Order)

Head over to Cinemira to learn more about just added titles.

Below is a list of some of the new movies added today to the iTunes Movie Store today. This list does not include any movies which may have jumped from purchase only to rental, or SD to HD, and don’t forget, to learn more about these newly added titles head over to Cinemira.

The Healer (2002) (SD Purchase)
Kassim the Dream (SD Purchase)
The Karate Kid (2010) (Pre-Order)
Strike (SD Rental & Purchase)
The Duchess of Langeais (SD Rental & Purchase)
Toy Story 3 (Pre-Order)
Teenage Dirtbag (SD Rental & Purchase)
Private Benjamin (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
Sesame Street: Zoe’s Dance Moves (SD Purchase)
Nightmare (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
Marked Woman (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
The Back-Up Plan (SD Rental & Purchase)
The Assassin Next Door (SD Rental) (SD & HD Purchase)
Get Him to The Greek (Unrated) (Pre-Order)
Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back (Pre-Order)
Dead Man Running (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
Sesame Street: Ready for School! (SD Purchase)
Mogwai: Burning (SD Purchase)
Worlds Apart (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)

Head over to Cinemira to learn more about just added titles.

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New version of Boxee, including access to thousands of free movies

The Movie Library makes it easy to find, watch or queue movies you like. This new library is still a bit rough around the edges (you’ll notice some movie artwork is missing), but we wanted to share it with you sooner rather than later. Building off this initial foundation, the Movie Library will grow to include movies from additional online movie services and directly from studios. While the movie selection will grow, the experience and ease of discovery will remain the same.

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The event, slated for San Francisco Sept. 1, will be sure to kick the rumor mill into overdrive. So far there are the following items allegedly on deck based on a bevy of reports (mostly with unnamed sources):

A new iPod touch with FaceTime (highly likely);
A $99 Apple TV with App Store (sounds plausible);
Potential TV show rentals for 99 cents a pop (possible, but skeptical);
Cloud-based iTunes (likely);
An overhaul of the Shuffle (something I want and no one else cares about);
New MacBook Air (total wild-card).

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Written/directed by Floria Sigismondi, The Runaways, the true story of rock’s first successful all-girl band (pre-70’s), is a nimble romp through the early days of the genre-busting group. Based in part on the book by former lead singer Cherie Currie, The Runaways is not The Doors with lipstick. Instead it comes off as The Doors as if made by Lifetime. I assumed if there was a movie made about a famous rock band there would be an interesting tale to tell. Rock and roll, right?! Kind of. It all felt very simple to me – like an easy math problem: Desire + Luck = Famous. It isn’t that easy of course or I would be writing for Judd Apatow. My point is the success felt a little too pat for my tastes. But I do remember those days – if vaguely…

I was only 7 or so when heard ‘I Love Rock N Roll’ by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts for the first time. I can remember my older brother making me get up and flip the records back then – his mumbled threats of ‘beating my ass if I didn’t’ so real to me my knuckles would crack I would be flipping so fast. But man she could rock. It was, along with Centerfold by The J Geils band – one of my early favorites. Her videos slammed into my cortex like an 8 ball of grape Pixy Stix (see for yourself). Something about her struck a nerve with me – the dark hair, smoky eyes, fu attitude – it was quite a package. And I was only 7!

Way before girls would become an overwhelming, thought-obliterating tri-breasted (thanks Total Recall) monster in my life – there was Joan Jett (and Wonder Woman. I’ve been told, again, that there isn’t room in my reviews for any of my classic Wonder Woman fan fiction (still waiting for a valid reason why Eddie V) so I will instead make clever use of WordPress and hide a link to my WW erotica somewhere in the review of this watered down, still enjoyable movie). Regrettably, for the next 28 years or so, I would hear ‘Joan Jett’ and only think of I Love Rock N Roll, Crimson and Clover and my brother punching me. Her past rock life was as unknown to me as Divx is to our beloved Apple TVs. But no more – and I am not talking about XMBC.

15 year old (!) Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) runs into a mental record producer, Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) and he takes a bit of a shine to her. Flash forward about a second and they are trolling the teen hangouts/bars for other bandmates. Enter Cherie Currie played by Dakota Fanning. Fast forward another few seconds and they are touring Japan as a one of the biggest acts around. Wha-?

The Runaways is over before you know it and not because of losing track of time in the sumptuous story telling. A tidy 85 minutes in and then a rushed and somewhat confusing 5 minute final act swiftly brings this piece of rock candy fluff to an end. Alas, what could have been. 2 ½ stars*.

*I know, I know. ‘Half star? But you promised! And there aren’t any unicorns!’ Calm down. Watch this movie and tell me the performances of Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon don’t warrant the unusual inclusion of the ½ star.

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Apple negotiating 99 cent TV show rentals ahead of new iTV – report (Via AppleInsider)

The new service, according to Bloomberg, would allow customers to rent shows through iTunes for 48 hours. News Corp. is the owner of the Fox network.

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This week’s 99p movie is My Best Friend’s Wedding. It is not available in HD.

Below are this weeks featured $.99 movie rentals.

National Lampoon’s Van Wilder
Pi (HD)
Management (HD)
Just One of the Guys
Richard Pryor: Here and Now

HD versions, if available, are $1.99.

Below is a list of just some of the movies added today to the iTunes Movie Store. For a complete list head over to Cinemira now.

The Back Up Plan (iTunes SD Rental & Purchase)
The Confidant (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
Diary of a Vampire: The Legacy of Bram Stoker (SD Purchase & Rental)
The Age of Stupid (SD Purchase & Rental)
The Madness of Sherlock Holmes (SD Purchase & Rental)
Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive – Live (SD Purchase)
Cameron Live! (SD Purchase)
#1 Cheerleader Camp (2010) (SD Purchase & Rental)
City Island (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
Die Laughing (1980) (SD Purchase & Rental)
Dorian Gray (SD Purchase & Rental) (HD Purchase)
Hidden (2009) (SD & HD Purchase)
Wendy and Lucy (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
The Bad Mother’s Handbook (SD Purchase & Rental)
Prenom Carmen ( SD & HD Rental) (SD Purchase)
Love Chronicles Secrets Revealed (SD Purchase)
Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead (SD Rental)
Hollywood Kills (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
The Least Among You (SD Rental) (SD & HD Purchase)

… and more »

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In the Living Room, Hooked on Pay TV

These are confusing times in the living room. The proliferation of Internet video has led to much talk of “cord-cutting” — a term that has come to mean canceling traditional pay TV and replacing it with programming from a grab bag of online sources.

But so far Americans are not doing this in any meaningful numbers. “Nor is there any evidence of it emerging in the near future,” said Bruce Leichtman, the president of Leichtman Research Group, which studies consumer media habits.

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I’ve considered dumping my cable provider many times, in particular my crappy Cox service in San Diego, but sports is the hold up for me. Cox just happens to hold the exclusive right to all San Diego Padres games as well.

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But here’s the killer app: FaceTime.

Snark aside, although Apple is unbearably restrictive in how it allows anything to connect to iOS devices, it makes a metric frak-ton of sense for Apple to ship an iTV device that allows a webcam to be plugged into it.

At that point, you no longer just have little tiny screens talking to little tiny screens, like a modern day, incredibly annoying Dick Tracy. Instead, you can have Mom and Dad on the couch, talking to Muffy in college. Or grandma on the couch, talking to Baby Biff in his crib.

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Why will this change everything?

• iOS TV Applications: Expect to see an iPhone/Pad like marketplace for television applications. Video sharing/streaming/recording apps, interactive news apps, and of course games.

•The iPad will turn into one big badass remote control: The iPad will be the preferred input device for the iTV. You’ll be able to editing videos, control games, and extend the interactive television experience. Imagine watching monday night football on the TV while viewing/exploring other camera angles on the iPad.

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Below is a list of some of the new movies added today to the iTunes Movie Store today. This list does not include any movies which may have jumped from purchase only to rental, or SD to HD, and don’t forget, to learn more about these newly added titles head over to Cinemira.

I’m With Lucy (SD Purchase)
Dead Man Walking (SD Purchase)
Shoot the Hero! (Pre-Order)
Equinox (1992) (SD Rental)
Too Much Sun (SD Purchase)
The Diary of Anne Frank (2009) (SD Rental & Purchase)

Head over to Cinemira to learn more about just added titles.

Below is a list of some of the new movies added today to the iTunes Movie Store today. This list does not include any movies which may have jumped from purchase only to rental, or SD to HD. And don’t forget to learn more about these newly added titles head over to Cinemira.

Parasomnia (SD & HD Purchase)
Shadrach (SD Purchase)
How to Make Love to a Woman (SD & HD Purchase)
The Hurt Locker (SD & HD Rental) (SD & HD Purchase)

Head over to Cinemira to learn more about just added titles.

Below is a list of some of the new movies added today to the iTunes Movie Store today. This list does not include any movies which may have jumped from purchase only to rental, or SD to HD. And don’t forget to learn more about these newly added titles head over to Cinemira.

A Christmas Carol (2009) (Pre-Order)
Children of Invention (SD & HD Purchase)
Sesame Beginnings: Moving Together (SD Puchase)
Out Cold (2001) (SD Rental)
Sesame Street: Preschool Is Cool! Counting With Elmo (Pre-Order)
Bitten (SD Purchase)
The Spirit of ’76 (1990) (SD Rental & Purchase)
Carrie (SD Rental & Purchase) (Apple TV & iPad HD Rental)
Switching Channels (SD Rental)

Head over to Cinemira to learn more about just added titles.