TV Shows on the French iTunes Store

While over the last couple of days rumors were indicating such introduction for a very near near future, it is now a reality, and the French iTunes Store features a category entitled "Programmes de Télévision" ("TV Show"). One can find US TV series such as Lost, Desperate Housewives, South Park, but also French series as "Chez Maupassant" displayed on France 2 channel and "Les Maîtres du Zodiaque" belonging to the private TF1 channel.
However, the prices are rather high when considering it is "only" a TV show or a series: from1.99 € to 2.49 €. But the French iTS might not be as competitive as other local VOD services, and TF1 Vision service charges 1.99 € for each Lost episode, while the same episode will cost you 2.49 € on the iTS. In addition, the video quality is not really good, and we are far from having the HD quality available for some series (such as Lost) in USA.

(To look at this new category, follow this link)
Based on the current price and quality, the iTS offer will not be competitive to the VOD services already available in France and in Europe. The French ADSL carrier Free, for example, is already running an HD movie service since years. Apple will have to provide similar quality levels than in USA to have a chance on the European market; and considering that in most EU countries, broadband internet is much more common than in USA. Apple should rather try to test a true HD video online store in Europe instead of pushing hard in USA where infrastructures are not in place to make such HD movie offer available for the largest number of potential customers.