‘Its Showtime’ for Apple

Apple Computer Inc is in the final stages of building an online service that will allow easy, legal access to movies. The company that helped shoot the legal music downloads market with iPods and iTunes has already sent invitations to the media saying “It's Showtime”- indicating its plans to distribute movies online.

Apple will perhaps offer downloadable movies from Walt Disney Co. It is also said to have agreements with at least three of the other major studios to offer movies at its online store. The actual plans will be released by Apple next week.

Apple and Amazon declined to comment on Tuesday. Their plans, however, were confirmed by several people familiar with them. The media event is scheduled for Sept. 12 and is set in San Francisco. It coincides with the opening day of the Apple Expo in Paris.

Apple's movie service could launch with a limited number of films, as substantial disagreements between studios and Apple remain to be resolved, according to two studio executives who asked to remain anonymous because talks were still ongoing.

Analysts said the new services will certainly speed up the digital distribution of Hollywood.

Although, no one is sure as of what has Apple to offer this time, the words ‘its Showtime’ on their invitation are arousing waves of much excitement. “Looking at the invite, it's likely going to be movie related,'' said Shaw Wu, analyst with American Technology Research. “It's the next logical step. The focus is probably going to be on the content side.''

“The word `showtime' may mean Apple is going to go more into long-form video, perhaps motion pictures,'' said Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at Jupiter Research in New York. “Whether it's a rental or subscription model or on what devices, I can't say. With Steve Jobs, it can always be one more thing as well.''

Not everyone is convinced that the announcement is only going to be about movies. “It is possible that the company will introduce a home media product, something that will make it possible to download music, movies and TV shows into the living room. Many have said that they'd never watch a two-hour movie on their iPod, and would only consider buying movies online if they could watch them on their TV.” said Larry Angell, senior editor at iLounge, a publication based in Irvine dedicated to Apple's iPod, iTunes and related products.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs became a board member and the largest stockholder at The Walt Disney Co. earlier this year. Apple shares rose $3.10, or 4.5 percent, to close at $71.48 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Whether or not the ‘Showtime’ has got anything to do with movies only time will tell. Let’s wait in anticipation for the day when Apple unveils its new product.