Apple activates Genius feature for iTunes videos

Apple has switched on its Genius recommendation engine for videos, two weeks after releasing the latest version of iTunes (download for Windows and Mac) without the promised feature.

iLounge spotted the new Genius feature, which recommends movies or television shows you might be interested in purchasing from the iTunes Store based on your current video library. Apple unveiled a similar feature for music last year, but one notable difference with the video version is that it only seems to work with videos that have been purchased from Apple, according to iLounge's early testing.

When iTunes 8.1 shipped earlier this month, the company initially said the video Genius feature would be available in the release notes for that software, but it was not active. At the time, an Apple representative promised the company would activate the feature "in the coming days."

[azzuro2006]

Not too convinced on Genius. For me, I'd rather let my brain decide what I want to listen to and watch.

[Perry_Clease]

I am mixed on it. I may buy music for my wife and have it in my iTunes library. Then some "genius" thinks that I like John Denver's music or the soundtrack from Mama Mia so I get recommendations for that sort of stuff. On the other hand I also get recommendations for jazz and blues, indeed today based on "Genius Just for You" I bought some tracks. Of course you can thumbs up or down a recommendation but it seems to be an ongoing process.

[Sporlo]

I think it's nice because it lets you easily find music that's similar to songs you like, and you can really widen your variety of liked songs. It's basically just like Pandora, but I think slightly better. The Genius feature incorporated into the massive library that Pandora has would be the perfect pair.

[bradenisme]

how interesting it doesn't even work with all my music. the best part is when it doesn't work with music purchased from itunes.