Apple have finally launched an extension to their TV download service in iTunes to the UK. Shows from ABC Studios, Disney, MTV Networks, Nickelodeon and Paramount Comedy are now available for £1.89 per episode and include South Park, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty as well as UK series such as MTV’s Barrio 19, Nickelodeon’s Genie in the House and Paramount Comedy’s Comedy Blue.

Just like pod3.tv’s shows, Apple’s TV shows can be downloaded into iTunes on Mac or PC and also played on iPods and AppleTV systems (and iPhones when they are available, one assumes). This means that in the UK we now have on-line downloadable video on demand content from the BBC (Windows only), Channel 4 (Windows only), ITV (Windows only), Channel5 (Windows only) and now Apple (Windows and Mac).

New iPods are strongly rumoured to be launched soon probably with the large touch screen as used in the iPhone, which is what pod3.tv predicted many months ago during a conversation with Yankee Group market analysts. Of course, Apple being Apple, they may do something strange and bizarre, but the forthcoming presentation will reveal all.

Either way, it’s an exciting time to be in the video on demand, video podcast, market. The next 12 months will see massive growth as viewing habits migrate from “switch on” to “download”. And if the rumours about BT finally biting the bullet and rolling out fibre to the home (FTTH) services, then the era of broadcast TV is well and truly nailed.