ITunes

From Battlestar Wiki, the free, open content Battlestar Galactica encyclopedia and episode guide

The title of this page given above is incorrect, due to technical limitations. The correct title is iTunes.

iTunes is a free music and multimedia viewing application from Apple, available for both Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X operating systems. (Linux and other operating systems are not supported.)

The iTunes software allows users access to the iTunes Store, which use to contain podcast commentaries of Battlestar Galactica episodes as well as the actual episodes themselves available for download and viewing.

While the downloaded episodes (as well as podcasts) can be transferred and played on Apple's portable music/video player, the iPod, viewers need only the latest version of iTunes to download and watch the episodes -- an iPod itself is not required.

Use of the iTunes Store requires the user to create an "Apple ID" (though an AOL account can be used as an Apple/iTunes ID) to log into the iTunes Store and its video selections. A credit card or pre-paid card is required for purchase of downloadable material.

Purchased videos are digitally "locked" to the user's Apple ID and cannot be played or exchanged without the user's Apple ID.

In September 2007, Apple and NBC Universal canceled their deal to host all NBC related content on iTunes -- including Battlestar Galactica and Eureka. Instead, NBC signed a deal with Amazon to be included in the online retailer's Unbox service.

iTunes Podcasts

There are currently several different podcasts relating to the Re-imagined Series available from the iTunes Store:

1. The "official podcast, where Ronald D. Moore provides a commentary track for each episode.
2. The Combat Information Center is a weekly review/commentary podcast.
3. Galactica Watercooler is a weekly(ish) roundtable review, commentary, and speculation podcast.

For a complete list of official podcasts see List of Podcasts.

iTunes Videos

The iTunes Store offered Battlestar Galactica episodes for download prior to NBC's deal with Amazon Unbox for video downloads.

Notes

• iTunes can play only one media file at a time. That is, you can play a podcast commentary through iTunes, but you cannot play a downloaded episode simultaneously. In this case, the podcast can be transferred for play to an iPod or other player, or saved as another audio file for playback outside of iTunes while allowing iTunes to play the downloaded episode. Another method is to open and play the episode in the QuickTime Player (included with the iTunes software), while using iTunes to play the podcast. It may be due to the iTunes Digital Rights Management (DRM).
• Episode downloads can only be used by those in the US. The UK store is able to download TV shows, however Battlestar Galactica is currently not available, and it is unknown if it will become available in the future. Other stores do not currently have a TV show downloading capacity, although they do allow subscription to the free podcasts.