If you’re a movie fan, especially one who was around for the beginning of the DVD revolution 18 years ago, those words will strike a chord. It’s the practice of a studio putting out a crappy bare-bones edition of a DVD to home video and following it up weeks or months later with a full-on loaded edition featuring extras like director’s commentary, alternate endings, and other goodies.
The height of the DVD era even saw triple or quadruple dips with movies in novelty packaging or coupled with toys. A lot of this stuff still goes on, though some basic extra features have become almost mandatory in recent years. As a film buff born before the Internet, I was forced to glean knowledge from magazines and the rare TV interview. DVD special features (especially director’s commentary) opened up a magical doorway into the filmmaking process behind many of my most-loved movies — and even allowed me to develop an appreciation for films that I didn’t even think I liked.
At its peak, my DVD collection topped out at around 500 movies, including Criterion Collections, special editions, and just about any other print of a movie I could find with a documentary or commentary track. Which is why I’m pretty excited that Apple has finally made its iTunes Extra content, which is much of the same stuff, available on Apple TV for the first time with the release of iTunes 11.3 and v6.2 of the software for its set-top box today.
A New Era for Special Features
Though I had access to that content on my Mac, I watch most of my movies on the iPad or Apple TV, and I couldn’t see them there. The new iTunes Extra system (it has been built anew, it’s not just tacked on) allows for even more enhanced features. There’s scene jumping, which drops you right into the best bits of movies like Frozen (parents will love that). All of the content attached to HD movies is also now presented in HD, which is a good upgrade.
One of the most intriguing components of the new iTunes Extras system is that they aren’t set in stone. Because they’re based on a flexible framework that Apple offers to studios, and they’re served from the cloud, they can be updated or changed at any time. This means that special features can be added or removed without having to re-release the entire movie.
A Game-Changer for Home Entertainment
The new iTunes Extra system is a game-changer for home entertainment. With the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, it’s become increasingly difficult for studios to justify releasing physical copies of movies with special features. But with the ability to stream these extras directly to your Apple TV or iPad, the experience is just as good as having a physical copy.
A New Era for Apple TV
The release of iTunes Extra on Apple TV marks a significant milestone for the platform. It’s a major step forward in terms of content and features, and it cements Apple TV’s position as a leading player in the home entertainment market.
In conclusion, the new iTunes Extra system is a must-have for anyone who loves movies and wants to get the most out of their home entertainment experience. With its flexible framework and cloud-based delivery, it’s a game-changer for special features and a major step forward for Apple TV.
Matthew Panzarino served as Editor in Chief of TechCrunch for a decade. Previously, he was News Editor and Managing Editor at The Next Web, founded photography businesses and a news blog covering the Apple ecosystem. He has made a name for himself in the tech media world as a writer and editor covering Apple, Disney, robotics, and fashion in addition to a broad range of startups in the fields of robotics, computer vision, AI, VR, AR, and more.
