Apple TV Due In March

Apple's, Apple TV product, is expected to ship in the middle of March. The device which is only a few weeks late, will be priced at around $299 US. It was first previewed as iTV in September of 2006 and formally announced at Macworld Expo in January along with the iPhone. The set-top box allows TV programmes and films to be downloaded to a Mac or PC and to be played on a television. It is another of Apple's convergence efforts and another product worth watching.

Music, Media and Money

I'm both fascinated and annoyed at many of the approaches to money making being taken by the music companies. They bitch and complain about piracy and to be honest they are probably right to a certain degree. However, I've been buying music for a long time, and much of my music until about 10 years ago was on vinyl. Every time a new device or media technology is announced, I cringe and think, "does this mean I'm going to have to buy all the music in my library again".

I've previously bought music on LPs, Tapes, CDs, DVDs and even the odd piece of digital music online and on memory card. I love gadgets like many others, however I can tell you this: I won't be jumping to, or spending a lot of money on new media. I'll continue buying CDs and ripping them to my media players. I'm happy enough with that.

Stop re-inventing the wheel. Frankly I'm sick of spending my hard earned money to make some fatcat music executive or lawyer rich. If you want me to buy music I already have, you've got to offer me a lot more than some new packaging or a "remastered" version. Invest some money in value added content and pay the artists more. You media moguls can certainly afford it.

In case you're wonder why I'm so pissed I sat down recently and figured out how much it would cost me to replace my record collection at £15 a CD. I freaked. Think about this a moment. The record companies sue the hell out of copyright violators and yet when it come to paying the creators of that same music, they drag their heels and cry saying the music business is expensive. Yet the RIAA and other organisations with similar interest have been trying to change the law as regards royalties so that they don't have to keep paying the creators of the music they're selling. Read this article over at IGN for more. It details that the RIAA recently petitioned judges to lower the royalties so that the record companies can make more money.

For another take on why the MPAA thinks piracy exists, read another article, again at IGN. It made sense to me.