Canada: iTunes intros HD Content

Following by a relatively short interval its southern neighbor in America, iTunes is now allowing its users in Canada to access and download the first TV titles available in HD to their computers and to smaller Apple devices such as iTouch and iPhone 3G.

The HD offerings first made available in late May to iTunes customers consist primarily of American shows from broadcasters such as NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS and Fox. American programs typically are the most popular in Canada — a programming fact of life that has endured for many years — although some of the nation’s own series, and CBC news and public affairs, also garner large audiences. (Canada’s own digital transition does not take hold until August 2011.)

As with the American iTunes scheme (and other HD or Blu-ray content distributors like Netflix), Apple will be charging a bit extra for the HD content. SD copies of each download typically are $2.50 apiece; HD versions are $3.50.