Today’s Apple “It’s Showtime!” event (Quicktime webcast feed here) introduced significant changes to the iPod line, iTunes and the iTunes Music (and Video and now Movie) Store.

iPods

The iPod screens are 60% brighter and allow for 3.5 hours of video playback (up from 2 hours), new headphones and gapless playback. The new iPod software provides instant searching and new games (Bejeweled, Cubis 2, Mahjong, Mini golf, pac man, tetris, texas holdem, vortex, and zuma) available from the iTumes Music Store for $4.99.

The full sized iPods are available in two capacities: 30GB for $249 and 80GB for $349.

iPod nano is available in three models with storage capacity doubling as you go up the scale: 2GB for $149, 4GB for $199 and 8GB for $249. Also feature 24 hour(!) battery life and now available in multiple colors: silver (2GB); silver, green, blue, pink (4GB model); and black (8GB.)

The iPod shuffle - the next generation: the size of the iPod radio remote (ridiculously tiny), metal body, available in 1GB model for $79.

iTunes 7

Available today! Redesigned interface, similar to old but less cluttered. Three different views: list, album (artwork plus track list) and “cover flow” with a feel similar to flipping through your CD rack. And you can now get missing artwork from iTMS if you have an account (thanks Apple!)

The iPod Updater is integrated into iTunes instead of being a separately downloaded and updated application.

And you can now synchronize the purchased content of an iPod across multiple computers if all are authorized for the same iTMS account.

The iTunes Music Store

TV shows are now encoded at 640×480, standard TV resolution, rather than 320×240.

As expected, you can now buy full length movies as well. Starting with: Walt Disney, Pixar, Touchstone and Miramax (all Disney affiliated) with presumably more to come [ed: my guess, as people stay away in droves from the other services.] Movies are “near DVD quality” (640×480, same as TV shows) with Dolby™ surround sound. Available in the U.S. now, will hopefully go international in 2007.

The movies will be available the same day they are released on DVD with most going for $9.99. New releases can be pre-ordered for $12.99 then will go for $14.99. Same rights management as TV shows. Parental controls include MPAA ratings.

iTV Sneak Peak

Apple will be introducing a new product in the first quarter of 2007. Code named “iTV” (but probably not the final name), it’s a set-top box half the size of a Mac mini and should retail for $299. It features a Front Row style user interface with 3D animated graphics. Built-in power supply, USB, Ethernet, wireless networking, optical audio, HDMI (hi-def video) ports plus old style RCA audio jacks. And it’s controlled with the Apple Remote. Plays hi-def video and allows you to access movie trailers and select iTMS content.

Not available now, will be officially introduced 1st quarter of next year.

What, no iPod Video or iPhone?

Once again, the rumor sites managed to get some (obvious) things right but there was no sign of the iPhone or full screen iPod Video, even though the latter appeared on a pre-event “photo” supposedly of a banner hanging in the hall ( = PhotoShop + old fake mockup + someone with entirely too much time.)

Thanks to MacRumors for carrying a live text feed of the event (available at www.macrumorslive.com)