Poll: Do you buy videos from the iTunes Store [Archive]

yamabushi

Dec 8, 2007, 01:34 AM

Yes I buy videos often. I usually watch them on my iMac. Sometimes on my iPod. Most of them are TV shows so the quality is just okay. It would be nice to have some HD shows but the file sizes would probably start to get larger than I would like. Some movies I don't mind having in lower quality. Still beats VHS. When I do care about the quality I just buy it on DVD. Don't need better than DVD quality yet, perhaps in a couple of years.

Foxglove9

Dec 8, 2007, 08:49 AM

I never have. There's nothing I'm interested in enough to buy.

Brandon Sharitt

Dec 8, 2007, 09:28 AM

No, they don't work on my MythTV box due to DRM. DRM is the reason I don't buy from the iTunes store. Luckily music is becoming DRM free(though I buy from Amazon since it doesn't have any DRM music to wade through), but it doesn't look like music is coming any time soon.

Dagless

Dec 8, 2007, 10:23 AM

Nope, EyeTV takes care of all that for me.

For a lower price and with much better selection of shows and films I'd probably consider it. I missed the BBC's Power of the Planet- Atmosphere episode, why isn't it on iTunes?

wrldwzrd89

Dec 8, 2007, 10:52 AM

Nope. Only the podcasts are of any interest to me at the iTunes Store. I could do without the rest of it, and it wouldn't make any difference.

ucfgrad93

Dec 8, 2007, 11:47 AM

I do occasionally. Its mostly TV shows, however.

GuntherS

Dec 8, 2007, 12:28 PM

I would like to buy videos from the iTunes Store but it's not possible in Belgium. I hope Apple will do something about that in the near future...

cbrain

Dec 8, 2007, 12:29 PM

Occasionally.

It's just TV shows I buy, as we do not have movies on the store at the moment in the UK.

stoutboy1

Dec 8, 2007, 02:00 PM

Not any more after loosing "The Office" its a shame Apple wont bend:mad:

TheIguana

Dec 8, 2007, 07:16 PM

No, because content providers supposedly take issue with us honest Canadians actually wanting to purchase their content. Go figure.

Iggy :(

FastEddy

Dec 8, 2007, 08:09 PM

No, and I don't buy the audio either as rarely do I see full spectrum sound or studio master equivalent quality. Gotta be 24 bit / 96K or better ... "CDs suck" - Bob Dylan in Rolling Stone re: 16 bit quality ... :o

Coppertop

Dec 9, 2007, 09:20 AM

I'd buy some video's but since I'm hearing impaired and I've sent Apple the question over and over whether they would be selling any video's with closed caption support or subtitles. Their answer is that Apple does not control the contents of each video's. It is up to the makers of those videos to include those closed caption or subtitles.

I have converted my own movies with subtitles. I can read them just fine on my iPod Video. Most people think the closed caption or subtitles would be too small to read.

I know there is a large market of people out there with hearing impairments hoping that Apple would get their videos to include CC or subtitles. Don't get me wrong when you ask how we even hear the music. Just because people have hearing impairment doesn't mean they cannot hear at all. We can hear with hearing assistant devices. It is just that many who are hearing impaired needs to "read lips" to understand. Thus the need for CC or subtitles.

So until videos on the iTunes stores start supporting and adding CC or subtitle content to their videos, Apple would never see any sales by a large market of those with hearing impairment.

Just my humble opinion.

Forced Perfect

Dec 9, 2007, 11:07 AM

I just fail to see the point of using the iTMS for videos. They're no cheaper than DVDs, very limited selection, lower quality, no bonuses, etc.

I'll take a DVD over the download any day. I can always rip the DVD into H.264 for my Apple TV/iPod.

bbergie

Dec 9, 2007, 12:01 PM

I have purchased some music videos. I would like to buy TV shows and movies, but the Canadian iTunes store does not carry them, despite the introduction of such media in the US store several years ago.

Jetson

Dec 9, 2007, 12:07 PM

I like collecting music videos on iTunes. I've gotten all the remastered Star Trek season 1 episodes and pick and choose from some other TV shows. It's really entertaining to watch during long commutes on the bus or train.

I just wished that iTunes had a more complete selection of music videos. They tend to have the crappy videos from certain artists, but not their hit videos.

Anyway I enjoy having the option to download videos from iTunes for my iPod.

eric55lv

Dec 9, 2007, 01:10 PM

some times i get it from google video

bc008

Dec 9, 2007, 07:53 PM

i buy videos all the time.
the only real reason i have an ipod

niemo810

Dec 9, 2007, 11:24 PM

Meh... I've never bought video from iTunes and probably never will. I don't watch very much TV anymore, and now that NBC content is gone, there's not much of anything that strikes me as interesting. As far as movies go, you really can't beat getting a DVD copy for only a few dollars more. Think of all the bonus content! Mmmmmmmm.

pimentoLoaf

Dec 9, 2007, 11:29 PM

Rarely: my only selections so far have been episodes of Star Trek. :cool:

Claytoniss

Dec 10, 2007, 09:54 AM

When I miss a show and don't feel like clicking to continue with ads they have on stations sites.

~Shard~

Dec 10, 2007, 10:46 AM

I can't since I live in Canada, but even if I could I doubt I would. The resolution is just too low. Also, I don't mind buying music because it is something I will listen to over and over. I have a problem paying for a video that I will probably only watch once.

twoodcc

Dec 10, 2007, 11:07 AM

Nope. Nothing interests me at that resolution. If it were in HD then I may.

i agree. i don't, but i might if they were in HD

iBecks

Dec 10, 2007, 11:08 AM

No, they cost too much.

mrsebastian

Dec 10, 2007, 12:07 PM

very rarely... twice actually. both times have been after having several cocktails, wanting to watch some random as$ movie, and there's no way i'm getting into a car to go to the video store... sans cocktail induced decisions, i definitely do not purchase videos from itunes for all the reasons stated in previous replies.

tk421

Dec 10, 2007, 01:12 PM

tk421

Dec 10, 2007, 01:13 PM

Many people have mentioned image resolution (not just in this thread, but elsewhere). In terms of quality, it's basically the same as DVD. DVD is 720x480 instead of 640x480 because DVD's don't have square pixels, iTunes movies do. The difference in quality is very small, and doesn't bother me. I expect that very few people actually do see a difference, and that most people just see 720 and 640 and are outraged that iTunes is "less than DVD" in quality.

That said, DVD is on its way out. HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are coming down in price, and Apple really should make their content available in HD in 2008.

LizKat

Dec 10, 2007, 01:19 PM

Rarely.

The biggest reason for me not to buy is that I can only watch the movies on Apple products - iTunes, iPod, :apple:TV, etc. Music from iTunes can be burned to CD, but movies cannot be burned to DVD. This sucks if I'm going to a friend's house, or going on vacation, etc.

The other thing that bothers me is the lack of bonus features.

man, where ya been? You stick the movies / videos on your iPod. You take your iPod on the road. You plug in the AV cable. you watch it on your pal's big(footprint) TV. I haven't found the need to buy a big juice-gobbling TV set to replace my old 13" one yet, and that's the reason :)

tk421

Dec 10, 2007, 02:06 PM

man, where ya been? You stick the movies / videos on your iPod. You take your iPod on the road. You plug in the AV cable. you watch it on your pal's big(footprint) TV. I haven't found the need to buy a big juice-gobbling TV set to replace my old 13" one yet, and that's the reason :)

But I can't let anyone borrow a movie unless I wanna give them my iPod. :)

I guess a related problem is that a movie library takes up a lot more space than a music library. My movies won't all fit on my iPod. That means that instead of quickly grabbing a DVD as I head out the door, I have to connect my iPod, delete another movie, and copy the movie I want to watch. Then, at the friends house, I have to mess with wires at the back of the TV/audio receiver.

LizKat

Dec 10, 2007, 02:38 PM

But I can't let anyone borrow a movie unless I wanna give them my iPod. :)

... My movies won't all fit on my iPod...

Hmm... you are Apple's fave customer: time for a Classic ;)

Cave Man

Dec 10, 2007, 05:22 PM

I buy the Daily Show and that's about it. (Hopefully, the writer's strike will be done soon.) I cut the cable (ok, satellite dish) a year ago and this is the only show I miss. I'd bet BSG, too, but since NBC's gone I guess that one's done.

walnuts

Dec 10, 2007, 05:51 PM

Wow- I can't believe the negative response!

Quality: Maybe I'm blind, but there is hardly any noticability between DVD and iTMS stuff. I've played both on my iMac and they are fine for TV shows. Neither of them are HD. While HD is beautiful, it's not worth either buying into competing standards (HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, I don't want to be the loser of their competition) or paying an arm in a leg to replace my internet and wifi to get speeds fast enough to download HD video within a reasonable amount of time.

Portability: TV shows on my ipod or iphone so beat looking out the train window after the first hundred times!

Cave Man

Dec 10, 2007, 11:38 PM

My only HD stuff is from my Eye TV Hybrid with over-the-air (antenna) recordings from our local stations in Denver (about 50 miles away). They are amazingly clear, even on our Apple TV. In fact, they show just how capable the ATV is. Best part - they're free.

Trekkie

Dec 11, 2007, 04:56 PM

I had a DVR failure and there were a couple of shows (Heroes) that I needed that episode of fast, so I bought them on Apple.

Now that NBC isn't there anymore, i'll just use some other method to get it so that I can watch it on my TV. I don't watch TV from my computer, and their method of replacement doesn't let me do it as easily as I used too.

macsig

Dec 11, 2007, 08:45 PM

Never

flyinmac

Dec 11, 2007, 09:42 PM

Absolutely not.

Why would I repurchase videos that I already have? Especially to view them on such a small screen.

Second, assuming that I don't have the video, then why would I pay to buy it in a reduced quality version when I could buy a DVD for the same price that will look great on my television.

Third, absolutely no way I'm going to watch anything over 10 to 30 seconds on a small screen like the iPod has.

Now, if the iTunes movies were around 75 cents, then perhaps that would be compelling. But, I wouldn't spend anything more than that to buy low resolution movies.

Get me a full-length DVD quality movie that I can download, and play on my iPod. And, give me the ability to burn it to DVD for use with my television, and you'll have a sale.

Low res, small screen, no thank you.

Low res, blown-up to play on my big screen; well, no thank you to that either.

pjarvi

Dec 13, 2007, 08:12 PM

Regularly.

Instead of paying for cable or satellite TV, I just buy a season pass on iTunes for the 1 show I watch. The other 99.9% of what's on TV right now is complete garbage.

I also have purchased several movies, but they need to offer a lot more than what they've got right now. It typically takes 2-3 months before they release another movie that I have any interest in. Everything else released in-between are some of the worst movies ever made. It's like studios are dumping their worst performing movies on iTunes and keeping the good stuff on DVD.

FastEddy

Dec 14, 2007, 12:39 PM

I tried to watch "CSI", the TV series from CBS downloads ... Picture quality is really bad, low resolution, worse than DV video / consumer camera over FireWire ... and the audio, which should be 24 bit / 48K or better as on past seasons' DVDs, is not even close to CD quality ... :mad:

Over all I would give TV shows for download a total thumbs down = bad picture and sound quality.

As for iTunes video download, I have yet to see one that is any better ... :( ... So I'm not spending any money on any of it until the quality is as good or better than that in the theater.

friarbayliff

Dec 14, 2007, 12:51 PM

Nope. Never really had a reason to.

The quality and DRM problems really kill it for me too.

bmat

Dec 15, 2007, 03:49 PM

I buy a lot, actually. I buy them out of convenience, mainly, and then watch them on my computer while doing other stuff or on my ipod. I have a DVR and slingbox, but it's just easier to download, granted more expensive as well.

da2005pizimp

Jan 4, 2008, 08:09 PM

yes i do, i have all the new family guy shows. as for price it's not that bad, although some of the movies are overpriced. especially when you can go to blockbuster and get 4 movies for $20.

ingenious

Jan 5, 2008, 01:43 AM

I buy videos all the time. True, the resolution is not HD, but, hey, the content is good (although now "Monk" is gone and I'm upset...) and that's the most important factor in my decision.

I buy several Disney Channel shows, Monk (when available), and I've purchased three movies.

Right now I'm in the process of Handbraking all of the TV shows I got on DVD for Christmas. That takes forever! iTunes is simpler.

motomullet

Jan 5, 2008, 01:45 AM

I buy the occasional TV show when I miss it on TV and want to see it.

UltraNEO*

Jan 5, 2008, 08:29 AM

nope...
i'd prefer to go shopping!!! or drinking...
:D

burnchick

Jan 5, 2008, 07:39 PM

only when my Netflix disk is arriving broken

iMac20inch

Jan 13, 2008, 01:46 PM

no. limewire FTW.

djellison

Jan 15, 2008, 09:21 AM

No. Too expensive. I'd rather buy a physical media (DVD) and rip it for my iPod than buy from iTunes.

doug

OllyW

Jan 15, 2008, 09:23 AM

No. Too expensive. I'd rather buy a physical media (DVD) and rip it for my iPod than buy from iTunes.

doug

Me too.

Schmoe0013

Jan 15, 2008, 06:06 PM

i do not. However, the renting feature might be worth it, maybe the HD ones.

ArmyKnight12

Jan 16, 2008, 01:08 AM

never have and don't see myself renting movies in the future.

minik

Jan 16, 2008, 01:32 AM

Thinking about canceling my Netflix plan.

I bought 1 full featured film on the first day, just to try it out. Now, I may consider getting into the iTunes movie rental thing. Save my trip to the post office and paper.

flyinmac

Jan 17, 2008, 09:07 PM

Why would I buy or rent low resolution / low quality movies that require expensive devices to play them on anything but an iPod or computer?

Especially when I can buy or rent top quality DVD's at the same, or lower, price locally (right down the street).

mixstar336

Jan 17, 2008, 09:12 PM

tv shows are good enough quality to buy, and now i rent videos. only purchased one movie and think its overpriced

jnc

Jan 17, 2008, 09:58 PM

I downloaded the "Damages" pilot... mostly because it was free. Otherwise, no. Far too expensive here -- £1.99 ($4) for a $1.99 music video, £1.89 ($3.70) for a $1.99 TV show (we don't have movies yet).

Yes I know due to tax, economies and overseas licensing blah blah the price will never correctly correlate but there's still a hell of a lot in the difference.

Why would I buy or rent low resolution / low quality movies that require expensive devices to play them on anything but an iPod or computer?

Especially when I can buy or rent top quality DVD's at the same, or lower, price locally (right down the street).

What, all the way down the street? Screw THAT.

flyinmac

Jan 17, 2008, 10:14 PM

I downloaded the "Damages" pilot... mostly because it was free. Otherwise, no. Far too expensive here.

What, all the way down the street? Screw THAT.

I know. They should just bring the DVD to us. After-all, us Americans work hard at not working so we can grow that 800 pound butt. ;)

I mean come on, do they think that huge rear end just happens by itself? No, it takes dedication and devotion to not leaving the couch to grow that thing. There's no way I'm working it off by walking past the front door :D

We must thank Apple for stepping in to assure us that we can stay in one place without moving. Of course, the quality sucks, but at least we don't have to get off our butt.

Now, if I could just get the beer, chips, and pop corn downloaded straight to the mini-bar built-into my over-sized easy chair recliner. :D

Take it easy everyone, I'm just kidding around. Don't go getting all upset. I wasn't talking about you. But, if you must send angry letters, address them to Apple's iButt department.

Caris

Jan 17, 2008, 10:59 PM

Not often.

dtklamf

Jan 20, 2008, 02:16 AM

yeah i bought 2 music videos from a band I really like and never see their videos anywhere.

Niko

Jan 29, 2008, 11:41 AM

There much better ways to spend money.

pondie84

Jan 29, 2008, 05:20 PM

To be completely honest I see absolutely no difference between the quality of itunes material and dvds.

It allows me to download only the episodes of a show I want to, rather than having to buy an entire season. It doesn't take up much storage space and I'm only ever going to watch it once in any circumstance.

The product is just right for me so yes I do download videos regularly from the store.

RRutter

Jan 29, 2008, 09:55 PM

No, I sure don't, and probably never will..
I have my own DVD converter and a DVD ripper that can copy movies that I burn on a DVD and can also convert to my iPhone.

:apple:

goose1873

Jan 30, 2008, 06:52 PM

NO...never

Macchino

Jan 31, 2008, 05:49 PM

No... Not interrested

Tokies

Jan 31, 2008, 06:23 PM

yes and i wish it was cheaper

blairwillis

Feb 5, 2008, 10:52 PM

Yes, I've purchased a couple episodes of 24. My wife and I watched it faithfully but had to miss a couple episodes due to traveling, and iTunes came to the rescue.

iphonesrq

Feb 5, 2008, 10:57 PM

nope, not yet....but, who knows?

blackbelt

Feb 17, 2008, 10:16 PM

i might, now that you can rent, but they were too much $ before!

a104375

Feb 20, 2008, 04:15 PM

so far ive only bought 1 and that was only because i couldnt find it anywhere else... but i have gotten a few of there free vids

tagtagnc

Feb 21, 2008, 04:27 AM

Nope, I don't pay for anything I can download from "somewhere" in better quality on my Mac and watch in QT or VLC.

What's a music video anyway? I seem to have forgotten. I haven't seen any since the 80's after the M in MTV didn't stand for music. As we all know, their second channel soon followed with silly shows, none of which related to music.

Do I really need to see how you "Pimped Your Ride" or how your "Super Sweet 16" went? Nah, I don't think so. There is already enough reality like Survivor and Big Brother on the non-cable airwaves.

Even VH1 felll a victim! Oh, the humanity!

MacBook-Gal

Feb 21, 2008, 10:04 PM

No......I never have and probably never will.

GalenAus

Feb 25, 2008, 07:19 AM

I would if Mac weren't so darned lazy about releasing movies on iTunes Australia!

minik

Feb 25, 2008, 05:06 PM

100% now.

kabunaru

Feb 25, 2008, 07:00 PM

Nope, I just watch videos on YouTube. :D

catfish743

Feb 25, 2008, 10:13 PM

Nope and most likely never will.

solidgoldmini

Feb 25, 2008, 10:14 PM

Only one movie, and only the music videos that come with albums. But like the others, I may try the rental thing.

ryleguy06

Feb 26, 2008, 07:00 PM

nah, hardcopy beats all

people are materialistic plain and simple, and until people evolve or something apple is going to struggle i believe.

TFM

Mar 15, 2008, 09:09 PM

no - can't justify the cost

FastEddy

Mar 16, 2008, 09:24 AM

I haven't been able to buy on iTunes yet, mostly 'cause the selection does not include exactly what I'm looking for. I suppose eventually every version of every song will be available and as the iTunes inventory grows, the dominance of iTunes will grow as well.

Unavailable at iTunes: Led Zeppelin's 2 disc re-release on DVD of "The Song Remains The Same" (http://www.amazon.com/Led-Zeppelin-Song-Remains-Collectors/dp/B000UR9TQO/). Esoterica: the final track of music on the film (disc 1) is the only release of a 24-bit high resolution version of "Stairway to Heaven", arguably the most popular, certainly the most played song on radio, ever. This is the complete song from the original album, re-mastered as 24-bit / 48k, Dolby 5.1 and hirez Stereo from the original studio masters ... and it does sound different and IMHO significantly better ... even better than the very good live performance of the same song in the middle of the same disc ...

NATO

Mar 16, 2008, 01:53 PM

I won't buy anything with DRM ever

jfull15

Mar 16, 2008, 08:32 PM

Not any more after loosing "The Office" its a shame Apple wont bend:mad:

That's all NBC's fault.

and I do buy TV Shows and video content. Want to buy more,but don't always have the extra cash to do so.

pondie84

Mar 16, 2008, 11:20 PM

I have to say I initially had stated 'yes' to this question unqualified.

However I should qualify it by stating that there really isn't a lot of interest on iTunes. I'd love them to add some more 'cable' shows to iTunes and just a little broader selection. Really I only download Lost at the moment.

Mo Tiggas

Mar 17, 2008, 12:09 PM

I don't now (netflix), but that's the way its going...

FloridaBSD

Mar 19, 2008, 02:13 AM

I prefer to rent my movies via the ondemand o through my local cable company.

spacecadet610

Mar 24, 2008, 02:18 PM

no way

sleepingworker

Apr 8, 2008, 11:03 AM

I've bought TV shows to watch on my iPod: Lost, BSG, The Office (until NBC pulled out). Really would be better to watch on iPod Touch and terrible resolution on anything larger IMO. I also miss the extras - deleted scenes (especially in The Office that were too funny for words!). Ultimately, I still like DVD's and converting them with Handbrake if have the time.

joegomolski

Apr 8, 2008, 12:25 PM

I've never rented a movie from iTunes, and probably never will.

1. High Definition - No
2. Extra features - No
3. Especially - No deleted scenes
4. Number of movies available - very little especially compared to Blockbuster, and Netflix
5. Higher cost compared to the alternative, see #4

No I don't think so.

cheekybobcat

Apr 8, 2008, 08:16 PM

I buy TV shows sometimes. I have bought 2 or 3 movies though.
I use Netflix so I don't really need iTunes for movies...

ntrigue

Apr 8, 2008, 08:43 PM

I am thoroughly disappointed by the resolution. Perhaps someone could explain why only AppleTV can rent HD content?

SDLSteve

May 19, 2008, 09:36 PM

Bought Dora the explorer season one for my daughters. Bought a few episodes of BSG

jnc

May 19, 2008, 09:50 PM

I am thoroughly disappointed by the resolution. Perhaps someone could explain why only AppleTV can rent HD content?

uhhh... PURCHASE INCENTIVE? :D

jdd08

May 20, 2008, 12:07 AM

A few, but the only reason is to watch movies on my computer.

Chairman Plow

May 20, 2008, 02:01 PM

No need, what with YouTube and all.

Dmac77

May 20, 2008, 03:14 PM

Yes, I wish that the quality was a little better though.

catfish743

May 24, 2008, 09:41 AM

No way. I love Apple, but not that much...

GGJstudios

May 24, 2008, 07:01 PM

DiamondMac

Jun 1, 2008, 05:40 PM

I have bought some BCS Football games and some NFL videos but nothing outside of that

Well, I take it back. I did buy The Office season 1 and a few eposides of some other NBC TV show that I can't remember the name of

~NeonFire372~

Jun 2, 2008, 09:56 AM

No, they cost too much.No. There's nothing that interests me enough in the Canada store.

Primus84

Jun 2, 2008, 01:58 PM

Not enough content and far too expensive in the UK I'm afraid.

SFStateStudent

Jun 11, 2008, 02:13 PM

Yep, I've bought and rented, but they are a bit pricey. Picked-up National Treasure 2 for $14.99 to own, and bought the first one for Previously Viewed Blu-Ray for the same price. Netflix Blu-Ray is looking much better! :eek:

Mushrooshi

Jun 11, 2008, 03:08 PM

Last time I Checked, the iTunes store has no Bleach or Naruto in Japanese with English Subtitles

Mushrooshi

Jun 11, 2008, 03:11 PM

jnc

Jun 11, 2008, 03:48 PM

ABout 95% of all my videos are subtitled, I am not hearing impaired, I just don't understand all of Japanese. I watch anime in japanese with english subtitles

Learn Japanese. You'll feel cooler. :D

Mushrooshi

Jun 11, 2008, 04:39 PM

I am, and my goal is to be able to pass the JLPT level 4 test by the end of the year

jnc

Jun 11, 2008, 08:35 PM

にほんごはすごいでしょ :d

Lunja

Jun 13, 2008, 08:45 AM

I've not yet, but I'm tempted. But when diesel is costing nearly £1.30 a litre, buying a TV show, when the iPlayer or 4oD streams them for free, seems strangely excessive...

iStefmac

Jun 13, 2008, 10:51 AM

This is a very telling poll, and I imagine its similar to the data Apple is seeing.

Video has been a total disaster from the iTunes store. Every new business model gets closer, but its still far far away from what it needs to be.

Apple has this strange amount of patience for failing business models. Rather than admit something doesn't work, they will allow it to simply continue and fail, until they have something better to replace it.

They thought they had that figured out with Apple TV2 & HD rentals, but I from what I've heard, it hasn't taken off at all. They didn't even hit their target 1000 rentals in the first month.

The fact that not even a 1000 people rented an iTunes movie just to try it out, within the first month, is really really telling.

Now, give the Apple TV away for FREE, you might be on to something.

aapl.jlo

Jul 5, 2008, 09:51 AM

I've not yet, but I'm tempted. But when diesel is costing nearly £1.30 a litre, buying a TV show, when the iPlayer or 4oD streams them for free, seems strangely excessive...

So true. I literally didn't spend a dime until I had the money for a USED iBook. I was going to save up for a new MB, but I couldn't do it, I just couldn't pay the hefty price, and the gas isn't even as bad over here--I'm really starting to feel the pain.