Downloading TV shows via iTunes

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  • Downloading TV shows via iTunes

    Does anyone do this?

    My wife and I finally got around to watching the Heroes premiere we Tivo'd last month and liked it. With Studio 60 on its way out, I'd like to check out more Heroes episodes and we don't have On Demand.

    I don't have a video iPod but I do have iTunes and a high-speed connection at work. Would anyone know how I would watch the episode? Would it just be in QuickTime in a small window? I was thinking I could hook my laptop up to my television but I wasn't sure which piece of software the episodes actually play on.

  • #2
    Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

    iTunes videos save as MPEG4 files. They play in their own iTunes window which is adjustible in size. If you have a DVD player that's MPEG4 compatible, you can probably burn the files to DVD-R and play them on your TV.

    Some laptops may be able to patch directly to your TV, but most won't. Can your laptop play regular DVD movies on your TV?
    If you really like it you can have the rights
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    • #3
      Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

      If you have a DVD player that's MPEG4 compatible, you can probably burn the files to DVD-R and play them on your TV.
      I'd be very surprised if they don't have some kind of copy protection to prevent this from working.

      Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.
      It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.
      -- Potter Stewart

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      • #4
        Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

        if you want to watch on the TV you're best downloading the divx versions from usenet or via bittorrent:

        http://www.mininova.org/search/heroes++s01/seeds

        If you have an IBM laptop or another model with an s-video out you will be able to play the itunes vid on the TV, although the quality probably won't be that great. The torrents are at analogue/SD broadcast quality.

        I think iTunes have increased the quality of their video files (used to be very scrappy and not really suitable for PC use) so that's probably a good way of catching up.

        I'm enjoying Heroes a lot, it really takes off after the pilot.
        The Complete IfilmPro DEVELOPMENT FORUM (PDF)

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        • #5
          Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

          Dealing with computers as my primary business, if you own iTunes and don't have an iPOD buying the video's can be a waste of using iTunes. For the most part, you can watch TV programming from iTUNES - but to watch it over the TV would be a bit difficult to do with a notebook unless your notebook has a capture card adapter of some sort. Which can easily be purchased.

          Here's what I do suggest, it's a bit more on the up and up side, but if you intend to watch recorded programming, you can have built or purchase a Windows MCE (Media Center Edition 2005) box, and have it attached to your TV with either Cable or Satellite connections. With MCE, similar to Windows XP, it will permit you to install iTUNES, and also record those awesome programs on NBC/ABC to watch later. The wonderful thing about using MCE it has more to offer. Download pictures, music, etc., and using it to watch TV shows, display your photo album and more when family has come over for the hoildays.

          I personally use my MCE to record all sorts of programs, mostly the ones my wife loves and can't watch them because they air late at night for her and she can watch them later another day! But, without MCE I would be lost! It replaces the old VCR and I like it better than TiVio any ways!

          I hope this helps!????
          D. Alin
          http://alinproduction.blogspot.com Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Basically) [Skype me at "Buyitpc" - I will surely love to talk!]

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          • #6
            Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

            Thanks for the advice.

            I decided to experiment with a free 10-minute clip from The Tonight Show. I have an Intel iMac at work, and after downloading the clip, I hooked up the computer to the TV with the appropriate video out cable.

            I was expecting low quality. It looks fantastic. Like I'm playing a DVD.

            Next question is how to get the show home, since my wife wants to watch it too. So with no S-VHS input on the VCR I have at work, I went from the computer to the VCR with plain old red and yellow AV jacks. Hit record.

            It looks great. I'm shocked. Not as good as a DVD, but as good as watching a regular TV show with my non-digital cable.

            Problem solved.

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            • #7
              Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

              Congrats! That works too if you are okay with the setup.

              Now, if you wish to record something, better to have a capture adapter or something... not sure if my vendor sells them for notebooks, but I can check into it for you if you are ever interested. Just offering.

              Again, congrats!
              D. Alin
              http://alinproduction.blogspot.com Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Basically) [Skype me at "Buyitpc" - I will surely love to talk!]

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              • #8
                Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

                I recently converted my existing PC into a Windows Media Center machine.

                It was already a reasonably fast computer with 1GB RAM and good graphics and sound cards. So I just added a TV card and got an OEM copy of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. Now I've got a PC that serves as a great DVR...but without a monthly fee from TiVo or my cable company.

                I also already had an Xbox 360 hooked up to my wireless network. The 360 can serve as a Windows Media Center Extender, so you can stream live or recorded shows from your PC to your TV and pause, rewind, skip commercials, etc. You can also stream any digital music you have on your PC and play it through the kickass entertainment center you spent thousands on, instead of through your computer speakers.

                Good stuff.

                (In case anybody's interested in doing this themselves: Windows MCE isn't widely available without buying a Media Center PC, but you can get a completely legitimate OEM copy from some computer parts dealers. I got mine from Newegg.com. The TV card is a Hauppage PVR-150 MCE, which was about $60 from the same dealer. One caveat: You can't upgrade an existing Windows XP install to Media Center Edition; you have to do a fresh install of the new operating system. So make sure you back up all your screenplays and other vital data first.)

                Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.
                It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.
                -- Potter Stewart

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                • #9
                  Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

                  this is great for streaming content to a TV:

                  it's a solid bit of kit as long as it's connected to the router via an ethernet cable. The pc serving the media via the router can be wireless, it's just the liktheater's wireless perf isn't great and it needs to be wired to handle hi-def content. Was one of the first media servers out, there are probably other products hitting the market now but this was the only one that could stream all manner of divx files and it can also play DRM content if you install the free Microsoft Windows Media Connect utility on the pc serving the content.

                  I have no knowledge/experience of Media Center Edition but unless you wan to record progs off the air a "network dvd player" such as linktheater will fill the gap.
                  The Complete IfilmPro DEVELOPMENT FORUM (PDF)

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                  • #10
                    Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

                    The video quality on iTunes does seem to be better now. I have a mac mini hooked up to my TV and watch videos that way.

                    I don't watch the videos in iTunes itself since, in full-screen on my computer, things tend to slow down and the video starts to look like stop-motion photography. Instead, I open the file in Quicktime and watch it that way.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Downloading TV shows via iTunes

                      sorry link:

                      http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=2120
                      The Complete IfilmPro DEVELOPMENT FORUM (PDF)

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