iTunes store is a huge mess!

[sydcansam]

I think my iTunes usage would be towards the higher end. I currently have around 2TB of legitimately purchased music, music videos, tv shows, and movies.

Given my experience in the store and managing the files I've come up with two major frustrations that keep coming up. Standard Definition and High Definition versions of files , and season previews.

The first issue has been discussed previously. Its a waste of space and bandwidth to give users both the HD and SD versions by default. I know some people watch their purchased TV shows on the iOS devices, but how many people who pay for the added luxury of the HD version actually do? I've tried, but it going from 105" to <4" was unbearable.

My second issue is the cluttered nature of the TV section of the iTunes store. It is worst in the early fall when new seasons are starting up and "Free Sneak Peaks" and "Previews". These are simply promo videos that would be better suited in the "Trailers" section of the store. If you do download one of these previews/sneak peaks it will interrupt download season passes until you have completed download the entire preview/sneak peak file(s). These previews and sneak-peaks clog up the store and don't make finding new shows to watch any easier.


This issue of the number of files and sneak peaks is made worse by shows that include behind-the-scenes clips with each episode. AMC started doing this with every one of their shows this season.

I bought a season pass to Walking Dead this evening and it came with:
-Episode 101 - SD
-Episode 101 - HD
-Inside The Walking Dead: Episode 101 - SD
-Inside The Walking Dead: Episode 101 - HD
-Sneak Peak / The Walking Dead Season 1 - SD
-Sneak Peak / The Walking Dead Season 1 - HD
-Preview / The Walking Dead Season 1 - SD
-Preview / The Walking Dead Season 1 - HD
-The Walking Dead: Motion Comic - SD
-The Walking Dead: Motion Comic - HD

All I wanted was Episode 1 HD.

I love season passes, but hate the mess. I would happily pay more for less. I know many people would be interested in these extras, but making them a mandatory download for all season pass holders is messy.


Here is a screenshot of my downloads after purchasing a season pass for The Walking Dead:

 

[Aidoneus]

Full agreed. The part about SD/HD versions of each file is doubly true now that all primary iOS devices (iPad, iPhone 4, iPod touch 4) can actually play the HD file, making the SD completely redundant.

 

[CPD_1]

Full agreed. The part about SD/HD versions of each file is doubly true now that all primary iOS devices (iPad, iPhone 4, iPod touch 4) can actually play the HD file, making the SD completely redundant.

Completely agreed. I'd like to be able to opt out of SD downloads unless SD is the only format it's available in. As it is, I find myself going into folders and deleting all the SD files to free up disk space.

 

[roidy]

Seconded... I buy all my HD content on my ATV so in my iTunes download queue I've got about 200 SD items that are just useless to me and that I have no intention of ever downloading, with no way of ever getting rid of them

 

[tripjammer]

Send a letter to apple and or Steve Jobs....they will change it if we complain.

 

[Consultant]

Write to http://www.apple.com/feedback/

 

[newagemac]

I think Apple has a solution for all of this up in North Carolina.

 

[BoulderBum]

You guys are all off base!

Streaming from NC is not the way to go because you start using valuable 3G airtime if you're in a car, and you can't even watch the movie if your iOS device is in airplane mode! I like to have my videos available at my fingertips regardless of how I'm traveling or if I have a good signal/WiFi close by. This is especially true for international travel.

As far as HD/SD downloads, I actually think Apple has the right approach. Yes, iPhones may be able to play the HD file, but the HD file is also several times the size of the SD file, so you'd be able to get half as much content on your iPhone with no discernible quality difference!

Plus, the SD copy is free, so quit complaining!

 

[Scarpad]

You guys are all off base!

Streaming from NC is not the way to go because you start using valuable 3G airtime if you're in a car, and you can't even watch the movie if your iOS device is in airplane mode! I like to have my videos available at my fingertips regardless of how I'm traveling or if I have a good signal/WiFi close by. This is especially true for international travel.

As far as HD/SD downloads, I actually think Apple has the right approach. Yes, iPhones may be able to play the HD file, but the HD file is also several times the size of the SD file, so you'd be able to get half as much content on your iPhone with no discernible quality difference!

Plus, the SD copy is free, so quit complaining!

I Move the SD Version off line to a Backup CD.

 

[sydcansam]

I think Apple has a solution for all of this up in North Carolina.

I thought the same thing with iTunes 9, I also hoped Front Row functionality would return with iTunes 9 as well. Sadly neither came.

Again, no changes with iTunes 10.

The North Carolina project is primarily streaming, but from the IP addresses I've been downloading some of my recent purchased iTunes mediashows from they are using it to host some of the iTunes data as well. Mostly HD movies.

It is important to give Apple feedback on their products at www.Apple.com/feedback as they do use constructive feedback in giving some projects direction. I submitted feedback to both Apple and AMC explaining the 'extras' that come with their shows this season would be better left as an additional purchase.

Streaming won't fix this, it will probably only make things worse as I see streaming season passes becoming reality sometime soon. I hope someday the store can returned to its simpler organization and Front Row may be useful once again.

Anyways, if the store being a chaotic mess causes you frustration then please take a few minutes to fill out some feedback at www.Apple.com/feedback. Remember, they don't have time to mindless lengthy feedback so if you are just stating your thoughts with some aspect of a product be brief and to the point. That way they'll read it instead of putting it in the crazy bin... like most of you have labelled this post

 

[sydcansam]

Another issue, perhaps suitable for another post, is the organization of TV Seasons. Front Row and Apple TV V1 used to display shows in a hierarchy like this:
TV Shows -> Show Name -> Seasons -> Episodes

In 2008 Front Row dropped this support going for a hierarchy like (Apple TV V1 stayed with the old way):
TV Shows -> Show Name -> All episodes in reverse order

This setup was passed along to the Apple TV V2 which is why, among other issues I had with it, I put it in a drawer and don't use it.

iTunes has a hybrid mash-up of the two which presents the seasons as unique entities. In theory requires less clicking, but becomes cluttered quickly.

This is best seen in shows with more than 5 seasons. Below is a screen cap of some South Park episodes - I stopped buying South Park seasons as the quality is terrible, Apple still hasn't read about the importance of deinterlacing

Two things are clear from this screen cap:
1) What is going on with my unwatched shows! Counter is obviously broken
2) Every season available doesn't need to be displayed individually, put this next to the Simpsons (22 season), Top Gear (14 seasons), Family Guy (9 Seasons) and you can see how Apple sold reducing click count for screen real estate/scrolling.

Thoughts?

I Move the SD Version off line to a Backup CD.

That is a lot of work for larger libraries. I back up everything daily to a backup NAS.