Downloadable TV will soon be accessible for iPods as internet war hots up

Buying music and TV programmes on the internet took another leap forward yesterday with two new services being launched.

Phone giant Nokia yesterday unveiled a new music download store which will take on Apple's iTunes, offering millions of songs which can be transferred to PCs or Nokia handsets.

At the same time computer company Apple has launched a new service offering TV shows such as Lost and Desperate Housewives through its iTunes site, to be downloaded onto computers and iPods.

Nokia's new offering, under the brand name Ovi, will go live later this year, charging as little as 68p per track, beating the 79p iTunes charges for music.

The company is also launching four new handsets, including the 8GB N81, which can hold 6,000 songs and is described as a "jukebox in your pocket".

It is likely to be seen as a direct competitor to Apple's soon to launch iPhone.

Experts predict that phones will replace computers as the main way of downloading digital music over the next five years.

Users will be able to access the Nokia Music Store via the Ovi website as well as Nokia's games site plus their favourite online content.

The Nokia N81 is configured to buy, manage and play music from the Nokia Music Store. It is expected to go on sale before the end of this year priced at £245 before taxes for the standard version and £292 before taxes for the version with eight gigabytes (8GB) of memory.

Apple yesterday also revealed a new service which will offer programmes like Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty via the iTunes online store, costing £1.89 per episode and watched on a PC or Mac, through an iPod or on a television using the Apple set top box.

The iTunes Store in the UK currently offers 28 television programmes to buy and download, which are made by ABC, Disney, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Comedy with shows like South Park, Commander in Chief and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Apple's TV show download service, which has already launched in the US, has "near DVD quality" say bosses.

Experts believe the service could be damaging to Channel 4 and Five as well as Sky.

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Vice president of iTunes Eddy Cue said: "We're thrilled to bring TV programming to the iTunes Store in the UK. We've got 28 shows and expect to continue to add more great programming."

Today's launch comes ahead of the iPhone hitting stores in the UK, which launches later this year.

It is expected that the programmes will also be available on the iPhone.

An exact date has yet to be announced, but the handset will launch in time for the lucrative pre-Christmas market.