You CAN pass along your shows...to your friend's iPod. But that means he or she has to have an iPod, which screw up Apple because they have to sell another iPod...wait, what?

Uhm? Whatever are you talking about? Sure, you can pass it along, that is, if you don't mind your "friends" having your iTunes account info, or I guess you could enter it for them in their iTunes just to get it to sync.
Seems like a pain and a little risky to me though.

I really like the progress of the availability of TV shows on iTunes, but to me, it doesn't mean a damn thing. I'm in Canada, so I've got a serious case of the window-shopping blues when looking at the US iTunes Store.

I've had an iPod mini for a while now and I just recently got an iPod Touch. I've been hoping to get Rome on either of those, and now it's available and yet, not.

What exactly is the problem with getting this content on the Canadian iTunes Store? Is there even ANY movement towards that? Is there ANY comment from Apple on that? The networks? The CRTC? Worldwide? Perhaps this is a non-story with a round of "no comment" from all parties involved. But I wish Macworld would ask these kinds of questions and do this kind of journalism. It'd be a nice addition to processing email press releases and anecdotal commentary...

Dang! you're right (of course) I totally forgot about manual mode on the iPods. But does that work for protected content? i.e. does it actually play back on the device without trouble?

Just asking hypothetically y'know, of course.

Yes is works, but the content is stuck on that iPod and can not be played within iTunes, unless the computer is authorized. Not very practical if you ask me. Unless the person is neighbor, I would think it would be a hassle to share this content in this fashion. Sure it's doable, but not practical.

I think if things continue to progress in the same fashion, the Apple TV will be a pretty profitable hobby for Apple. The flexibility that iTunes + Apple gadget awards by being able to transport your content or view it on the big screen is simply amazing. Specially for someone like me who has two little kids and no time to watch anything until they are put to bed.

I know the wife will be interested in "Sex in the City".

I like my Apple TV so much, that I am going to get one more, for my bedroom. I am slowly but steadily moving my DVD collection to a hard drive that streams to the Apple TV.

Does this content include alternative language tracks?

Are you suggesting that the kind of DRM imposed on this material should determine how you treat it? That if it was possible you'd be within your rights to share it with the world? Regardless of the law of the land and the terms you agreed to when signing up for an iTunes account?


True. But some will comply, particularly given recent Congressional actions to enforce copyright..

Part of the point here is that a lot of people think they're anonymous or that no one cares what happens on BitTorrent. In this case, HBO cares and is taking some steps to protect its stuff.

For an iTouch, your friend could always synch it to your library and then re-synch it once he/she is done watching the show. Perfectly legitimate within the DRM.

BB