Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, Multimedia, Video, iTunes, Apple
More rumors about iTunes movie rentals
CNN Money has more fuel for the fire on the iTunes movie rental rumors popping up lately. They say Apple is in talks to get the rentals up and running with major Hollywood studios.Supposedly the movies would be watchable on the iPod or iPhone, but could not be copied, and would not actually be purchased. You'd have a 30 day access period to the movie for $2.99, but CNN doesn't say whether that means you get to watch it once during the 30 days, or if it's yours for as many times as you want it during the period. The low price says just one viewing to me (since iTunes movie purchases are at least $9.99, if not more), but you never know.
Of course, the big question is: would you do it? If incorporated with the iTunes WiFi store, I think it could be huge-- be somewhere bored on your iPhone, click a few buttons, and be watching The Incredibles within minutes. But as usual, it all depends on what the studios want-- if the whole process is burdened with DRM, and I get error messages when I try to re-sync with iTunes, they can keep their rentals. I'll just make a note to put it in my Blockbuster queue.
[via Ars]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Shannin said 9:22PM on 9-13-2007
i wonder how long it will take to hack that so you can keep it forever?
i currently just take my movies off the dvds i purchased, it works for me and takes about the same amount of time to complete as it takes for them to download from the stores
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BdeRWest said 9:22PM on 9-13-2007
Plus, it would take more than minutes to download a movie via public Wi-Fi, and it would eat your battery like it was going out of style, first by chewing up the Wi-Fi for 15 minutes straight and then pumping out sight and sound for 1.5/+ hours.
In iPhone/iPod Touch current configurations, it just wouldn't make sense.
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Lhasapso said 9:25PM on 9-13-2007
Bored? On your iPhone? Have you been standing too close to Windows Mobile lately? :D
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David Chartier said 9:28PM on 9-13-2007
I would so do this, as long as the Apple TV is a compatible device. $2.99 for a decent selection of movies I don't have to get off the couch for? Sign me up!
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John Colonna said 9:40PM on 9-13-2007
If the movies were in HD I would rent EXCLUSIVELY from iTunes. I can't believe it's 2007 and there still isn't an online high def rental system in place (no, I don't count the XBox Live HD service because there are only a handful of movies available). If Steve Jobs can get all the movie companies together to offer ALL there movies in high def on iTunes, it will revolutionize everything.
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Chad said 9:47PM on 9-13-2007
If it works on the AppleTV, and they have a much "deeper" catalog than they currently sell, then YES. I would ditch the NetFlix and switch to iTunes.
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Daveed V. said 9:57PM on 9-13-2007
We'd almost certainly use it with AppleTV (we have no broadcast TV at home; our TV-like entertainment currently comes from BlockBuster, AppleTV, and some permanently-acquired children DVDs).
What I'd love to see is an option to select the language track (as available on the corresponding DVDs).
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BobbyW said 10:03PM on 9-13-2007
One time viewing would be a deal breaker for me.
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Jason said 10:05PM on 9-13-2007
iTunes might add movie rentals and the first thing you can think is how it relates to the iPhone? Has TUAW enthusiastically become The Unofficial iPhone Weblog, seeing everything through iPhone-tinted glasses?
The girlfriend and I would absolutely love movie rentals via iTunes. Hook one of our macbooks to the tv and stream a movie I don't already have in my digital collection. We'd keep netflix for their selection, for sure, but the ability to decide to watch a movie tonight and have it tonight without leaving the house.. the thought just blows me away.
Oh and Blockbuster? Seriously? Blockbuster?
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Phil said 10:06PM on 9-13-2007
I'd be in immediately, they do need to expand the selection though. It likely wouldn't replace Netflix to begin since I assume most of the more obscure stuff I get from Netflix wouldn't be available. But I'm sure I could switch to a lower tiered subscription.
One thing that still really bothers me are the "not until it is HD" people. What did all these people watch prior to a few years ago? Have they been refusing to watch anything until just recently? I think HD is great but I'm not going to let the lack of it right now keep me from enjoying things.
Also I've entirely stopped purchasing movies (we do sometimes buy a TV series though) as I see no reason to physically own anything anymore. Just as a side note to this discussin.
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matthew said 10:21PM on 9-13-2007
I'd use it in a pinch if I really wanted to see something right away, but Netflix for me works out to less than $1 per movie, so $2.99 is a notable increase. I average a movie every 1-2 days with Netflix usually, and I'd never pay $45-$90 per month when Netflix is less than $20. Now if they offered an unlimited service or a package deal for a certain number per month with a subscription, I'd cancel Netflix in a heartbeat. If there were a subscription for TV shows I'd be ready to call Comcast and cancel our cable too....
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Nate said 10:24PM on 9-13-2007
If anyone can do downloadable movie rentals right, it's Apple.
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Bedhead said 10:27PM on 9-13-2007
The most disturbing thing you mentioned was your "Blockbuster queue." How anyone can support Blockbuster after years and years of late fee screwage on top of their theft of Netflix's idea is beyond me.
Love to get rentals from Apple, though. I'd use both them and Netflix.
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Jeremy said 10:29PM on 9-13-2007
Would I? WOULD I? Does a bear bear? Does a bee be?
The only thing better than this would be a subscription model in iTunes for TV shows.
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Mike Schramm said 10:40PM on 9-13-2007
Yes, Blockbuster. You don't know how gratifying it is to finally have Blockbuster on their knees in front of me, begging me to keep their business. The reason I have the Blockbuster online deal is exactly because of late fee screwage. You don't know the satisfaction of walking into their store sometimes twice a week, walking out with more movies than I can watch, and having it all be paid for the same amount of Netflix. Blockbuster is desperate right now, and so yes, I'm taking advantage of them just like they took advantage of their customers all those years. They're on their way out, and I'm helping run them into the ground.
But yes, having this on AppleTV or even just iTunes is an interesting deal as well. I think the one-view would be a dealbreaker for me though, too.
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Chris said 10:44PM on 9-13-2007
It would be nice and I really think that's the the big idea behind AppleTV. However, I don't want to wait around all Saturday afternoon for Cars to download. I could just drive up the street and pick it up for 2.99 or 3.99 whichever it is to rent. So, I could see them renting movies for iPhones and iPods because the smaller resolution still looks great on those screens and the stream would be fine for most broadband connections.
The desktop/AppleTV people would need some pretty good connections for an error less stream, though. I'm talking I don't want to wait for the thing to buffer. I want it to work just like I pop in a DVD. If Apple can't deliver this experience, the cable company definitely could so it'll be interesting to see what angle Apple takes and when.
I see the market for movie rentals really changing with software companies, the telecoms, cable co's, and the mailorder companies all competing for this. It should be interesting to watch.
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Ian Creelman said 11:00PM on 9-13-2007
This would be amazing. I tend not to watch movies more than once so I sincerely hope that this comes to Canada. I doubt we will see it before movies an TV show purchases since these are not yet available. You Yanks ara a lucky bunch when it comes to the iTunes Store.
@10 An excellent point about HD content. Right on the money.
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Christina Warren said 11:33PM on 9-13-2007
The only way I would even consider this would be if they were pushing HD. Since I see the chances of that having in 2007 or 2008 about as likely as Ed McMahon coming to my door to tell me I won Publisher's Clearing House, I'll have to take a pass. And to Phil - I'm not one of the HD-only zealots, but HD is the only way a digital service can actually improve upon physical disc media -- and I don't really see the need to download something I can watch one or twice (my thought is that they'll have a total watch window, like that download movie service the studio's tried to push a few years ago -- you can keep it for 30 days, but once you hit "play" you have only 24 or 36 hours to watch it), especially since even on an 8 mbps connection, it'll probably take half an hour to download the movie - at the minimum - and I can go to Blockbuster or Best Buy faster than that. Plus, if it's like absolutely imperative that I get a movie and it's after midnight (when the Super Target up the street closes), I can always brave the rednecks at Wal*Mart - because I guarantee you the selection with be equally crappy.
Granted, I have a DVD collection that far surpasses the average person (in the 1500 title range, and about 1/3 of those are box sets, either TV or movie collections) - so the vast majority of any of Apple's offerings (which I'm assuming will be the same or even less than their current "for purchase" selection) would be of either little interest or titles I already own. Plus, I've been with Netflix sine Fall '99 and I'm grandfathered into a really, really great rate - and I don't think any digital download rental service is going to offer the obscure/foreign/independent titles that I use Netflix for in the near future.
But really, if you ARE going to rent something - why would you want to watch it on your iPod/iTouch/iPhone? Like - I'll watch a TV show or a movie on my iPod from time to time, especially since I spend 30 minutes on the subway every morning/afternoon -- but I would never choose a small handheld screen as a preferable way to view something I'm RENTING. Small video clips are fine on a portable device - but trying to watch a full length feature can really strain your eyes.
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Jonathan Stieglitz said 12:28AM on 9-14-2007
wadup
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Simon Arch said 12:51AM on 9-14-2007
I would certainly be amenable to rentals if it were a watch all you want (or, say, up to five times), but if it were a watch it once and then it goes poof situation...well...
In the meantime, I'll stick with Netflix.
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