Universal's Download-to-Own Movie Service

tektonnic · Mar 23, 2006, 10:55 AM

BBC are reporting this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4837778.stm

Notice they say they won't work on itunes and ipod, do we think that Apple and Universal have thier own arrangement - I dunno, maybe through a new video store coming to itunes in the near future?

liketom · Mar 23, 2006, 10:58 AM

"DVD of their chosen film plus two digital copies to keep indefinitely - one for their home computer and one for a portable device"

i wonder how long it will stay iPod unfriendly ???

£19.99 not bad ,not good though

o god !! were doomed!

"The service will be offered by Universal Pictures UK and DVD rental company Lovefilm via the AOL.co.uk website from 10 April."

yankeefan24 · Mar 23, 2006, 11:00 AM

It will be a long time before we see Universal films on iTunes. Steve is a major shareholder in Disney. Disney and Universal are competitors. First, we will see Disney/Pixar films. Then I think we will see Paramount, then whoever else, then Universal near the end.

Just my opinion though.

Just a question, do they do this in the US or only UK. The article seems to suggest UK only.

MattyMac · Mar 23, 2006, 11:05 AM

$17.50

That is outrageous...you can buy most dvds for cheaper than that.

[EDIT]
oh sorry....I didnt see that the dvd is sent to you in the mail as well. This isnt a bad deal afterall!

yankeefan24 · Mar 23, 2006, 11:05 AM

having it not work on iPods is a mistake. doubt it will work as well as iTunes' when it comes out. People have iPods. Far more iPods out there than other digital media systems. Until it works on iPods, this won't be as successful as Universal probably thinks it will be.

the price is also very high.

tektonnic · Mar 23, 2006, 11:06 AM

Looks like UK only I guess, just like a tester see how easy it works in practise bringing it to market?

I'm not sure I agree about Universal being last, I understant Steve's position and the competitor issue, however, that shouldn't impair apple's view to making money out of people, and the bigger the range of decent content, the more bucks they can get.

arn · Mar 23, 2006, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattyMac

$17.50

That is outrageous...you can buy most dvds for cheaper than that.

well, then I guess you have to rip it yourself (Ripping_a_DVD_to_an_iPod_Video). Also you can (legally) get it the moment its released on DVD.

arn

MattyMac · Mar 23, 2006, 11:10 AM

definitely a major bummer that it wont work with itunes or ipod...cmon apple step up and quick!

galstaph · Mar 23, 2006, 11:10 AM

This could be good... if you have broadband, I'd hate to see a 56ker try adn get his dvd through this service, it'd arrive via mail first

Anyway seriously this could be a good thing, at the very least it shows that major film companies are realizing the internet's potential, but i can also see that this would allow for easier pirating from people who buy then distribute.

anaknipedro · Mar 23, 2006, 11:13 AM

Reuters UK reports that the service will be using the microsoft DRM.

page3 · Mar 23, 2006, 11:14 AM

£20 is a complete joke. You can import from the US for less than that and get a far superior product.

Object-X · Mar 23, 2006, 11:16 AM

High Def? What's the resolution? Can I download it on my mini and plug into Frontrow? I don't want movies on my iPod, I want HD content on my mac connected to my HDTV! I still don't believe downloading movies is the way to go. Once you get your 10 Terabyte HD movie collection together how are you going to back it up?

QCassidy352 · Mar 23, 2006, 11:17 AM

$17.50-$35... I'll pass.

motulist · Mar 23, 2006, 11:17 AM

$17.50 ? Hahaha. Next!

destroyboredom · Mar 23, 2006, 11:19 AM

Not ipod compatible. Why don't they just ship the movie on VHS instead of DVD while they are at it?

tektonnic · Mar 23, 2006, 11:21 AM

I don't know what the situation is in the US, but in the UK certain ISPs have introduced downlaod caps of 2GB for various reasons, one of which being to curb piracy, now, they will have to lift that once this is a regular service, because a movie is gonna be like AT LEAST 1gb, so its two films a month and no internet!!!

azdude · Mar 23, 2006, 11:22 AM

At least at the lower end of the price scale, this is a pretty cool idea:

Pre-converted downloads available immediately upon electronic payment, and the physical DVD in the mail, for about what I'd be paying anyway ($20-ish) for just the DVD. Awesome!

Such a hybrid physical/electronic sales model wouldn't work well for iTunes music albums, where just buying it yourself physically and ripping isn't too much trouble, but since ripping a physical DVD movie takes the better part of a day to encode, this is a neat deal, even if it's a couple bucks more than just the physical DVD.

Edit: Admittedly less cool due to the MS DRM, but I love the sales model.

mtrctyjoe · Mar 23, 2006, 11:22 AM

This is a real EZ one for me.... I will pay at most $3.99 to rent/own a movie... period - from iTunes or the UK or where ever. Why will I only pay this amount or less? Why? Simple - I can go to Block Buster and rent/own (make a copy) of anything I want for that price.

I will pay a far price for anything... I regularly pay $.99 for songs I like... and I will pay $3.99 (max) for a movie to OWN. I think $1.99 is a fair price for a 30 minute TV show. If/When companies get greedy (including Apple) - I will stop paying and start getting stuff the old fashioned way.

For the record Apple - $9.99 to own a movie is too much coin. Apple has it right on TV Shows and Music - let's hope they can get the greedy movie companies to play fair too...

socamx · Mar 23, 2006, 11:24 AM

Little competition never hurt.

I like the idea of getting mailed the DVD as well as a preformatted video download of the movie. If Apple or someone else implemented a similar system for Macs/iPods, I'd be all for it. I don't think the price range is all that outrageous either.

I think it's a good deal...just too bad I don't watch many movies, that it is UK only and uses Microsoft's DRM.

xelterran · Mar 23, 2006, 11:25 AM

I would pay for the bandwidth cost but thats all.

chasemac · Mar 23, 2006, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtrctyjoe

This is a real EZ one for me.... I will pay at most $3.99 to rent/own a movie... period - from iTunes or the UK or where ever. Why will I only pay this amount or less? Why? Simple - I can go to Block Buster and rent/own (make a copy) of anything I want for that price.

I will pay a far price for anything... I regularly pay $.99 for songs I like... and I will pay $3.99 (max) for a movie to OWN. I think $1.99 is a fair price for a 30 minute TV show. If/When companies get greedy (including Apple) - I will stop paying and start getting stuff the old fashioned way.

For the record Apple - $9.99 to own a movie is too much coin. Apple has it right on TV Shows and Music - let's hope they can get the greedy movie companies to play fair too...

Couldn't have said it better.

revjay · Mar 23, 2006, 11:28 AM

"Not ipod compatible"...yet

BoyBach · Mar 23, 2006, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Object-X

High Def? What's the resolution? Can I download it on my mini and plug into Frontrow? I don't want movies on my iPod, I want HD content on my mac connected to my HDTV! I still don't believe downloading movies is the way to go. Once you get your 10 Terabyte HD movie collection together how are you going to back it up?

I don't know about the resolution, but it will only be compatible with a Windows PC.

"However users will not be able to burn copies of the films to DVD themselves and the files will be compatible only with PCs and Windows software.

That means they cannot be viewed on Apple iPods or Macs." - BBC website

BoyBach · Mar 23, 2006, 11:38 AM

With Universal/AOL offering downloads to own, and with Amazon and Sony rumoured to be preparing a download service, do you think Apple needs to open their Movie store quickly before they concede too much ground to their rivals?

I know that Apple weren't first into the MP3 player market and now dominate it, but with other companies seeing that the model works (iPod\iTunes), maybe Sony, Microsoft, etc, might fight a lot harder for the Movie download market.

socamx · 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtrctyjoe

This is a real EZ one for me.... I will pay at most $3.99 to rent/own a movie... period - from iTunes or the UK or where ever. Why will I only pay this amount or less? Why? Simple - I can go to Block Buster and rent/own (make a copy) of anything I want for that price.

I will pay a far price for anything... I regularly pay $.99 for songs I like... and I will pay $3.99 (max) for a movie to OWN. I think $1.99 is a fair price for a 30 minute TV show. If/When companies get greedy (including Apple) - I will stop paying and start getting stuff the old fashioned way.

For the record Apple - $9.99 to own a movie is too much coin. Apple has it right on TV Shows and Music - let's hope they can get the greedy movie companies to play fair too...

Do you even realize you are getting the actual physical DVD shipped to you as well as video downloads? Just from your rant it seems like you didn't pick up on that fact.

Edit: Now that I think about it, your post doesn't even seem relevant to this thread, just ranting about prices for other services...

Mar 23, 2006, 10:55 AM	#1
tektonnic macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bucks, UK	Universal Pictures to Sell Video Downloads BBC are reporting this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4837778.stm Notice they say they won't work on itunes and ipod, do we think that Apple and Universal have thier own arrangement - I dunno, maybe through a new video store coming to itunes in the near future?

Mar 23, 2006, 11:00 AM	#3
yankeefan24 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: NYC	It will be a long time before we see Universal films on iTunes. Steve is a major shareholder in Disney. Disney and Universal are competitors. First, we will see Disney/Pixar films. Then I think we will see Paramount, then whoever else, then Universal near the end. Just my opinion though. Just a question, do they do this in the US or only UK. The article seems to suggest UK only. __________________ MacBook "Black Edition" 23" ACD Disclaimer: Never take facts I state in a post as totally 100% correct unless otherwise stated.

Mar 23, 2006, 11:05 AM	#4
MattyMac macrumors 68000 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NJ/NYC	$17.50 That is outrageous...you can buy most dvds for cheaper than that. [EDIT] oh sorry....I didnt see that the dvd is sent to you in the mail as well. This isnt a bad deal afterall! __________________ 24" iMac - 13" Al MacBook iPhone/iPhone 3G 1G-2G-3G-4G-5G iPod / iPod Photo/ 2G mini / 1G-2G-3G nano / 1G-2G shuffle / iPod touch

Mar 23, 2006, 11:05 AM	#5
yankeefan24 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: NYC	having it not work on iPods is a mistake. doubt it will work as well as iTunes' when it comes out. People have iPods. Far more iPods out there than other digital media systems. Until it works on iPods, this won't be as successful as Universal probably thinks it will be. the price is also very high. __________________ MacBook "Black Edition" 23" ACD Disclaimer: Never take facts I state in a post as totally 100% correct unless otherwise stated.

Mar 23, 2006, 11:10 AM	#8
MattyMac macrumors 68000 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NJ/NYC	definitely a major bummer that it wont work with itunes or ipod...cmon apple step up and quick! __________________ 24" iMac - 13" Al MacBook iPhone/iPhone 3G 1G-2G-3G-4G-5G iPod / iPod Photo/ 2G mini / 1G-2G-3G nano / 1G-2G shuffle / iPod touch

Mar 23, 2006, 10:58 AM	#2
liketom macrumors 68040 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Lincoln,UK	"DVD of their chosen film plus two digital copies to keep indefinitely - one for their home computer and one for a portable device" i wonder how long it will stay iPod unfriendly ??? £19.99 not bad ,not good though o god !! were doomed! "The service will be offered by Universal Pictures UK and DVD rental company Lovefilm via the AOL.co.uk website from 10 April."

Mar 23, 2006, 11:06 AM	#6
tektonnic Thread Starter macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bucks, UK	Looks like UK only I guess, just like a tester see how easy it works in practise bringing it to market? I'm not sure I agree about Universal being last, I understant Steve's position and the competitor issue, however, that shouldn't impair apple's view to making money out of people, and the bigger the range of decent content, the more bucks they can get.

Mar 23, 2006, 11:10 AM	#9
galstaph macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: The Great White North Eh	This could be good... if you have broadband, I'd hate to see a 56ker try adn get his dvd through this service, it'd arrive via mail first Anyway seriously this could be a good thing, at the very least it shows that major film companies are realizing the internet's potential, but i can also see that this would allow for easier pirating from people who buy then distribute. __________________ iBook 12" 1.33ghz; 8gb ipt; early '09 17" 2.66Ghz umbp; '09 Mac Pro 2.26 octad "..unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent"

Mar 23, 2006, 11:13 AM	#10
anaknipedro macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Utah	Reuters UK reports that the service will be using the microsoft DRM.

Mar 23, 2006, 11:14 AM	#11
page3 macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: England, UK	£20 is a complete joke. You can import from the US for less than that and get a far superior product.

Mar 23, 2006, 11:16 AM	#12
Object-X macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2004	High Def? What's the resolution? Can I download it on my mini and plug into Frontrow? I don't want movies on my iPod, I want HD content on my mac connected to my HDTV! I still don't believe downloading movies is the way to go. Once you get your 10 Terabyte HD movie collection together how are you going to back it up?

Mar 23, 2006, 11:17 AM	#13
QCassidy352 Contributor Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Boston, MA	$17.50-$35... I'll pass. __________________ "If Jesus Himself came back to earth and turned water to wine, half of MacRumors would say 'meh, this is red. I wanted white.'"

Mar 23, 2006, 11:17 AM	#14
motulist macrumors 68040 Join Date: Dec 2003	$17.50 ? Hahaha. Next!

Mar 23, 2006, 11:19 AM	#15
destroyboredom macrumors regular Join Date: Dec 2002	Not ipod compatible. Why don't they just ship the movie on VHS instead of DVD while they are at it? __________________ iMac 2.93 w/ 4850 \| 80GB iPod Classic \| 8GB iPhone

Mar 23, 2006, 11:21 AM	#16
tektonnic Thread Starter macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bucks, UK	I don't know what the situation is in the US, but in the UK certain ISPs have introduced downlaod caps of 2GB for various reasons, one of which being to curb piracy, now, they will have to lift that once this is a regular service, because a movie is gonna be like AT LEAST 1gb, so its two films a month and no internet!!! __________________ giggity. imac 2.4ghz 20" 4gb RAM 10.5 + iphone 8gb 3G + ipod 30 gb 4gen + 900mhz not at all functioning ibook

Mar 23, 2006, 11:22 AM	#17
azdude macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2003	At least at the lower end of the price scale, this is a pretty cool idea: Pre-converted downloads available immediately upon electronic payment, and the physical DVD in the mail, for about what I'd be paying anyway ($20-ish) for just the DVD. Awesome! Such a hybrid physical/electronic sales model wouldn't work well for iTunes music albums, where just buying it yourself physically and ripping isn't too much trouble, but since ripping a physical DVD movie takes the better part of a day to encode, this is a neat deal, even if it's a couple bucks more than just the physical DVD. Edit: Admittedly less cool due to the MS DRM, but I love the sales model. __________________ 30" ACD on Mac Pro 8x3.2 GHz / 32GB / 2x300GB VelociRaptor in RAID0 + 2x1.5 TB 15" Unibody MacBook Pro - 2.53GHz / 4GB / 320GB

Mar 23, 2006, 11:22 AM	#18
mtrctyjoe macrumors regular Join Date: May 2005 Location: Motor City (Detroit, not Tokyo)	$17.50 to $35 ??? What the ??? This is a real EZ one for me.... I will pay at most $3.99 to rent/own a movie... period - from iTunes or the UK or where ever. Why will I only pay this amount or less? Why? Simple - I can go to Block Buster and rent/own (make a copy) of anything I want for that price. I will pay a far price for anything... I regularly pay $.99 for songs I like... and I will pay $3.99 (max) for a movie to OWN. I think $1.99 is a fair price for a 30 minute TV show. If/When companies get greedy (including Apple) - I will stop paying and start getting stuff the old fashioned way. For the record Apple - $9.99 to own a movie is too much coin. Apple has it right on TV Shows and Music - let's hope they can get the greedy movie companies to play fair too...

Mar 23, 2006, 11:24 AM	#19
socamx macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2004	Little competition never hurt. I like the idea of getting mailed the DVD as well as a preformatted video download of the movie. If Apple or someone else implemented a similar system for Macs/iPods, I'd be all for it. I don't think the price range is all that outrageous either. I think it's a good deal...just too bad I don't watch many movies, that it is UK only and uses Microsoft's DRM.

Mar 23, 2006, 11:25 AM	#20
xelterran macrumors 6502 Join Date: Dec 2001	I would pay for the bandwidth cost but thats all.

Mar 23, 2006, 11:28 AM	#22
revjay macrumors regular Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Beautiful Vancouver Island	You Gotta Love the French "Not ipod compatible"...yet __________________ "Sometimes I wish I were you just so I could be friends with me." 1.9 G5 imac; 2.2 MacBook

Mar 23, 2006, 11:38 AM	#24
BoyBach macrumors 68030 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: UK	Apple needs to get a move on! With Universal/AOL offering downloads to own, and with Amazon and Sony rumoured to be preparing a download service, do you think Apple needs to open their Movie store quickly before they concede too much ground to their rivals? I know that Apple weren't first into the MP3 player market and now dominate it, but with other companies seeing that the model works (iPod\iTunes), maybe Sony, Microsoft, etc, might fight a lot harder for the Movie download market. __________________ "Knowledge is porridge"

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode