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I am torn about the idea of an iTunes Subscription service.  Rumors are swirling again that it might me on the way.

A subscription service from Apple consisting of a $35 or so monthly fee for access to a large and complete library of current-season television episodes via iTunes would fit well into the TV networks’ overall content strategy — Hulu has proven there is a demand for streaming full episodes, and the cable companies have long shown that consumers are willing to pay for access(NewTeeVee).

When I wrote my Would you pay for a Boxee app? I laid down some ground rules:

Rules for Paid Apps

1. Paid App channels would have to be commercial free.

2. Paid App channels must have a free version to test the content.

3. Apps must be cheap!  The more they cost, the fewer people will pay.

4. Apps should be available for networks and individual shows.

Reasons I would pay for an app

• Premium Channels: HBO and Showtime are top of my list.

• Foreign Content: BBC iPlayer is top on my list, but I have a soft spot for Chinese and Indian TV.

• Supporting Indie Media:  I would pay to support the Guild, Legend of Neil and other shows, but I would expect extras.

Would I pay for an iTunes Subscription Service?

In an era before Hulu, I would definitely would have paid for this, but I am not sure I would now.

If the Price is $35 a month it would have to:

• include many channels that I cannot stream online already

• be commercial free

• allow me to watch the show when it is airing on Cable.

• allow on demand streaming the day the show aired not 24 hours later

• allow all episodes of a season to be on watched at anytime as often as I want

• work on my Mac, PC, AppleTV, and iPod Touch for one fee

I need a lot more details before I know whether I know if I want to pay for this.

What would it take?

What would it take for you to pay for an Apple streaming TV service?