According to Portfolio, Apple and HBO will team up to offer HBO original programming on iTunes in the next couple of weeks, and HBO may receive variable pricing and/or a higher profit percentage for its shows than other content providers. This is huge, not only because it marks HBO’s first big move into the online media market, but also because they’ve managed to strong-arm a notoriously stingy Apple into their own financial terms.
These are the first pictures of the box, remote control and UI of Vudu, a video store in a box that is going to engage in a battle royale with Apple TV later this summer. The service will launch with thousands of movies from seven major studios as well as indie distributors, connects directly to your TV and does not require a PC or a cable box. The company, Vudu, Inc., has been quietly engineering the technology and striking deals with content owners for the past two years (under the codename Marquee). It’s run by some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley. Find out more about the box, its load-sharing network, and the Apple connection after the jump.
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