[mythtv-users] A prediction is coming true, faster than I thought

[Brad DerManouelian]

On Jul 17, 2007, at 5:15 PM, Brian Wood wrote:

> David Brodbeck wrote:
>
> Agreed, and that's precisely what I do.
>
> However, I was trying to convince my teenage niece to "do the right
> thing". She told me the problem was that what she wanted was not
> available on iTunes.
>
> Hoping to prove her wrong, I sat at my machine to show her how easy it
> was, and of course what she wanted was not available.

They have a lot of big distributors and many small ones through  
programs like they have with CD Baby, but it's impossible to have  
everything. One of the issues some friends of mine have had is that  
they put cover songs on CDs and didn't go through the proper legal  
channels to do so and therefore, it will not be accepted on iTunes.

> After purchasing the CD for her at the local store (I think the  
> fuel to
> get there cost more than the CD) I discovered the problem: the CD had
> some sort of "parental warning" about "explicit lyrics". I'm assuming
> that's why it was not on iTunes, they have no way to verify the age  
> of a
> user (my niece is 18 BTW).

iTunes does carry music with explicit lyrics and there are parental  
controls to prevent your child from seeing (and also previewing and  
purchasing) these tracks. Places like Walmart are more likely not to  
carry something because of content. Try to get a song about abortion  
sold in a Walmart store.

> Thing is, I listened to that CD very carefully (and hated it), but I
> never could hear anything I'd consider even mildly offensive in any  
> way.
> I hear "worse" stuff on the evening news or prime-time sitcoms.

Sometimes the sticker is used as a marketing tool so kids will want  
it. Take that, PMRC.

> I guess I can understand Apple's position, but again, the  
> convenience of
> an "illegal" download, as opposed to a trip to a store, is hard to  
> beat.
> Not everyone lives a block or two from a record store.

That's because places like Walmart has shut them all down. It's  
unfortunate.

> But iTunes is certainly a step in the right direction. I read recently
> that they are the number 3 music retailer in the USA. I'm sure the
> brick-and-mortar stores have taken notice.

The biggest killer of independent video stores is Netflix, not  
Blockbuster. That should be some indication about the power of  
convenience. I stopped buying music from iTunes since I can't play  
them on my Myth box and the quality is a bit crappier than I care to  
spend money on but you're right. It's a step in the right direction.