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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Businessweek provides some added commentary and color to the Apple negotiations with the movie industry to provide content for an iTunes Movie Store.

Beyond echoing statements that the pricing appears to be the main hurdle between Apple and the studios, Businessweek cites other Hollywood sources that the store was ready to be up and running within weeks, but the disagreement in terms may push it back into 2007.

Even if launched, the movie studios are said to be considering holding back their "hottest titles", which they want to sell for $19.99, above Jobs' $9.99 for-every-movie pricing.

Meanwhile, experts are still waiting for the killer consumer electronics hardware to stimulate digital movie sales. Interestingly, according to one Businessweek source, Steve Jobs "feels like there are few threats for consumers' electronics-related dollars for the remainder of the year". Rumor sites have long predicted a full-screen video iPod, with persistent hints of its imminent arrival.

 

soosy

macrumors regular
May 6, 2002
226
4
An Apple DVR would certainly be the killer platform for an HD movie store. (yeah, I know, dreaming about the HD).
 

mgargan1

macrumors 65816
Feb 22, 2003
1,218
0
Reston, VA
$20 for a movie? I wouldn't pay for that. You don't get the DVD, or case...

$10 is a lot more reasonable. It's funny how greedy people are... they don't want their product stolen, yet they still want to charge an stupid price for it?
 

pilotgi

macrumors regular
Jul 22, 2002
193
4
Seems like it's time for another "They're just being greedy" comment. $19.99 for a downloadable, digital copy instead of a physical dvd? That's crazy.

I would think people would just wait a few months until the newness wore off and the price went down.
 

DontBurnTheDayy

macrumors member
Dec 23, 2005
44
0
Michigan
pilotgi said:
Seems like it's time for another "They're just being greedy" comment. $19.99 for a downloadable, digital copy instead of a physical dvd? That's crazy.

I would think people would just wait a few months until the newness wore off and the price went down.


I agree. I think the most I would pay for a movie I really wanted would be about $12.99
 

sartinsauce

macrumors regular
Feb 1, 2006
191
0
Los Angeles
mgargan1 said:
It's funny how greedy people are... they don't want their product stolen, yet they still want to charge an stupid price for it?


Yeah, and what they don't get yet is that if the offered the product for less money sales would go up and theft would go down. Look at the iTMS example; easy and inexpensive music downloads beats difficult and sketchy downloads and searches.

Whatever, what do I know, I'm just a programmed consumer.
 

Macnoviz

macrumors 65816
Jan 10, 2006
1,059
0
Roeselare, Belgium
Maybe with an apple set-top-box that does to video what iPod did for music, the producers will have to agree on 10 dollar a movie. It's a fair price, and once one big company is, in the others will have to follow.

but 20 bugs for a non-physical movie ? Rubbish!
 

aricher

macrumors 68020
Feb 20, 2004
2,211
1
Chi-il
At least Apple will have plenty of time to work the kinks out of whatever dvr solution they have up their sleeve. I wonder how they're going to put their newly acquired ex-MCI communications building to use?
 

Tanglewood

macrumors 6502a
Jun 7, 2006
942
2
San Diego, CA
I'd pay $20 for a new DVD because I'm also buying the packaging. $10 maybe but not $20 for a digital copy that I can only play on my computer and iPod.

EDIT - iTMS example for music.

Nelly Furtado's Loose came out on Tuesday.

List Price: $13.99
iTunes Price: $9.99
about a 30% difference in price

Syriana also came out on Tuesday

List Price: $20.90
suggested iTunes Price: $19.99
about a 5% difference in price
Price with 30% difference: $14.63

A dollar difference wouldn't sway me to buy it on iTunes over a widescreen DVD cut with extras.
 

treblah

macrumors 65816
Oct 28, 2003
1,285
0
29680
The only way I'd pay $19.99 for a download is if it were DVD quality (video and audio) AND it was a same day release for downloads and theater.

If it were same day and I didn't have to put up the ******s at the theater, I might even pay $29.99 for something like that. I would definitely pay $29.99 if I could burn it to a DVD (only once would be fine too).

Of course that is not going to happen anytime soon. :rolleyes:
 

m-dogg

macrumors 65816
Mar 15, 2004
1,338
4
Connecticut
mgargan1 said:
$20 for a movie? I wouldn't pay for that. You don't get the DVD, or case...

$10 is a lot more reasonable. It's funny how greedy people are... they don't want their product stolen, yet they still want to charge an stupid price for it?

I agree. With music, I tend to buy the physical CD if I want the entire album. I usually only get one-off tracks through iTunes.

But with a movie, you can't do that. It's just going to be the whole movie. And at that point, I think you're better off going with the physical DVD...
 

RichP

macrumors 68000
Jun 30, 2003
1,579
33
Motor City
Ill jump on the bandwagon too:

For $9.99, I would consider the ease, convenience, and legality of DL'ing a movie.
For $20, I much rather have a physical copy of it.
For a few dollars, I can rent the movie on netflix or at a local store, and, if I REALLY like it, and dont give a damn, rip a copy to my computer.

The thing about buying movies at such a high cost is that, honestly, how many times are you going to watch a movie? The entertainment-per-dollar of a 99 cent song is much higher than a 20 dollar movie; to me at least.
 

Object-X

macrumors 6502a
Aug 3, 2004
633
142
iControl

I don't care how much it is, if it isn't resolution suitable for my HDTV then it's a waste of money. If Apple only wants to charge $9.99 then that tells me movies will only work on an iPod. You can't even go full screen on your iMac with these movies without them being severly pixilated. So why bother? Give me a HD resolution file and let me stream it to my HDTV or convert it for my iPod, or burn my own DVD; I want control and I would pay full price for it.
 

Some_Big_Spoon

macrumors 6502a
Jun 17, 2003
855
0
New York, NY
Price it too high and we'll bittorrent. I'm not advocating it, I'm stating fact. You make more in volume sales, and iTunes is proof of that.

Greed will get you in the end, hopefully, and there will always be ways around DRM. Always.

9.99 is high for me, but if you get a good copy, i.e. HD and nice enough to watch on a MacBook for example, then it's going to move.

Be afraid of Steve Jobs. Be very afraid.
 

Selax77

macrumors member
Jun 21, 2006
32
0
Will the new ipod come out with this service or might it come out seperately? I am really hoping it comes out soon
 

Object-X

macrumors 6502a
Aug 3, 2004
633
142
Update

So read this:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060621-7105.html

This pretty much confirms that any movie downloads from Apple will be crappy resolution and only good for viewing on a small device. What Netflix is saying is what I wan't: viewing on demand with a download service.

This makes me think that Apple will start selling movies at low resolution to help selll some new video iPod and then later expand into an HDTV download subscription service. The Arstechnica article points out that because of licensing deals with the movie studios they will not be able to offer this type of service for several more years.

Guess I'll be renting my HD DVDs until then. Bummer.
 

mainstreetmark

macrumors 68020
May 7, 2003
2,228
293
Saint Augustine, FL
azentropy said:
Don't know if this is related or not, but went to

http://www.apple.com/movies this AM and get a "Forbidden" message rather than a "Looking for something at Apple.com?" page...

Well, well well.... that is interesting. The "movies" folder physically exists at Apple.com, just has no default page (index). Wonder if it's worth guessing a few common filenames and see if we get a hit.
 

jaxstate

macrumors 6502a
Apr 13, 2006
542
0
How is this people being greedy?
mgargan1 said:
$20 for a movie? I wouldn't pay for that. You don't get the DVD, or case...

$10 is a lot more reasonable. It's funny how greedy people are... they don't want their product stolen, yet they still want to charge an stupid price for it?
 

blueflame

macrumors 6502a
Apr 3, 2003
852
147
Studio City
this entire thing is bull, even at 9.99

I buy alot of DVDs, i go buy them used for around 5.99. this gives me the dd the packageing, and i can encode it myself to be used on an ipod. now, I understand paying a premium for having it alrady in ipod format, but this pricing is rediculous. many many dvds at best buy are 9.99. they should just include ipod formatted versions of the movie on the dvd, and they can have apple be the authorization scheme for it to run, as not to pirate, there is not a chance in hell I am going to pay 19.99 for an ipod 320.240 movie, not a chance.
andreas
 

jaxstate

macrumors 6502a
Apr 13, 2006
542
0
You better go ahead and find a torrent site. You want a HD DVD transferred to you for less than 10 bucks. You have to be kiddin.:cool:
Some_Big_Spoon said:
Price it too high and we'll bittorrent. I'm not advocating it, I'm stating fact. You make more in volume sales, and iTunes is proof of that.

Greed will get you in the end, hopefully, and there will always be ways around DRM. Always.

9.99 is high for me, but if you get a good copy, i.e. HD and nice enough to watch on a MacBook for example, then it's going to move.

Be afraid of Steve Jobs. Be very afraid.
 

jaxstate

macrumors 6502a
Apr 13, 2006
542
0
There are many many DVDs at best buy that cost 19.99.
blueflame said:
I buy alot of DVDs, i go buy them used for around 5.99. this gives me the dd the packageing, and i can encode it myself to be used on an ipod. now, I understand paying a premium for having it alrady in ipod format, but this pricing is rediculous. many many dvds at best buy are 9.99. they should just include ipod formatted versions of the movie on the dvd, and they can have apple be the authorization scheme for it to run, as not to pirate, there is not a chance in hell I am going to pay 19.99 for an ipod 320.240 movie, not a chance.
andreas
 
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