Other Kevin Rose predictions such as a "trippy" visualization with "planet like objects" and downloadable TV shows in HD haven't been confirmed, nor have previous rumors of an iTunes subscription service. But that differently-shaped iPod nano seems to be a lock. [MacRumors]

Maybe I'm rhapsodizing this a bit early, but there are plenty more clips on YouTube, and if you're still into it after that, the first full episode is on BBC Three's video site. (Thanks for keeping it US-friendly, BBC!) Still hungry for more? The show's own site has some crazy 3D animation worth fiddling with—presumably best under the influence of some sort of mushrooms not generally found in my pantry. [The Wrong Door]

NBC uses a proprietary player, which is a hassle to install and set up. The player only works with IE, which must have the most current security update. Everyone else is out of the free viewing loop. If you do indeed meet the prerequisite criteria, you can download full episodes of your choice from a bank containing videos that are only seven days old or less. Once downloaded, the video validity period starts to tick away—you have 48 hours to view before your show self-destructs. Further, as yet, you can't take the video on the go, which really brings the point of the service into question. Hopefully, with a lot more tweaking, this may become something to shout about, but we wouldn't hold our collective breath. [NBC Direct via Mashable. Thanks, Pete!]

BURBANK, Calif. - September 19, 2007 - NBC.com today announced the launch of its new service, "NBC Direct," which will allow users to download and view NBC's popular primetime and late-night entertainment programming on their desktops for up to one week after broadcast. This new feature provides yet another platform on which fans will be able to enjoy NBC Entertainment content. The announcement was made by Vivi Zigler, Executive Vice President, NBC Digital Entertainment.

"With the creation of this new service, we are acknowledging that now, more than ever, viewers want to be in control of how, when and where they consumer their favorite entertainment," said Zigler. "Not only does this feature give them more control, but it also gives them a higher quality video experience."

The first version of this new feature, which will begin beta testing in October, will allow users to download full length episodes for viewing on Windows based PCs. Each original episode will be licensed to users for viewing through "NBC Direct" for one week following broadcast and will then expire. The downloaded file will provide users with an improved overall viewing experience compared to traditional streaming video. The list of programs available at launch will include "Heroes," "The Office," "Life," "Bionic Woman," "30 Rock," "Friday Night Lights," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Later in the beta launch, users will be provided the free subscription option that will allow them to pre-select their favorite NBC programs they want to watch. Those shows will be automatically delivered to their computers as soon as they are available after the original broadcast. The downloadable player will also have filtering technology, which will prevent it from playing any stolen copyrighted material.

Future versions of "NBC Direct," which will roll out over the next several months, will provide expanded platform functionality and will allow DRM ("digital rights management") protected versions of its programs to be downloaded to Macs and portable devices in addition to PCs. NBC.com plans future enhancements such as high-resolution versions of programming made available via a closed P2P ("peer to peer") distribution network. Using closed P2P will ensure that the maximum number of users will be able to view consistent, high-quality content directly from their desktops. Later in 2008, NBC.com plans to offer other business models for downloaded content in order to provide its users multiple options to consume their favorite NBC programs. These paid business models may include download-to-own, rental and subscription.

"We're noodling on it. We haven't gone down a specific road yet. We've had a lot of conversations with networks that want us to do shows, companies that want us to do linear YouTube channels ... We're more in strategy phase right now."

YouTube Mulls Linear Channel [Reed Business Information]

Delta Entertainment, which releases classic TV shows like Dragnet and The Lucy Show on DVD, has quietly started including iPod with video-compatable discs with its regular DVDs. The special discs have the shows already encoded in a format that the iPod can natively read, requiring only a "drag and drop" to get the videos onto the iPod. There's 10 titles currently available for about $7 on popular online retailers—ok, Amazon. – Nicholas Deleon

Delta DVDs include iPod-ready video disc [iLounge]