Wal-Mart Launches Movie Download Service

[MacRumors]

Wal-Mart launched a beta version of their movie download store today.

The new service is available at http://www.walmart.com/videodownloads and is offering around 3,000 movies and television episodes from all the major movie studios and some TV networks.

The nation's largest retailer is using its buying power to beat the prices charged by other download services in many cases, offering films from $12.88 to $19.88 and individual TV episodes for $1.96 — 4 cents less than Apple Inc.'s iTunes store.

Wal-Mart's entry into this market is significant for a number of reasons. Early reports claimed that Wal-Mart felt their DVD sales would be hurt by online-download movie sales. As a result, Wal-Mart was said to be threatening movie studios against signing on with Apple's iTunes service.

Apple's iTunes initially launched with only Disney movies and later added Paramount films in January. The article suggests that Wal-Mart's entry "now frees studios to cut deals with other online services".

Wal-Mart's movie service is only available in Windows Media, so the movies are not playable on the Mac or iPod.

[spicyapple]

Quite the coup for Walmart and hopefully paves the way for Apple.

[aricher]

OUCH! Steve's gotta be upset. Maybe if it flounders the studios will throw in with ITMS. The fact that it won't work for an iPod will make it limiting for most consumers. This store's geared strictly to the Media Center PC set.

[roland.g]

You would think it was still the 1950s. Good thing I never go to wal-mart.

[Sean7512]

Eh, I don't see it taking off....ESPECIALLY with no iPod support. Not many people want to watch their movies at their computers. Ya, some probably have other portable video player, but the majority would want to throw them on their iPod and so on. We'll see what happens

[dejo]

Originally Posted by Sean7512

Not many people want to watch their movies at their computers. Ya, some probably have other portable video player, but the majority would want to throw them on their iPod and so on. We'll see what happens

I'd venture a guess to say that most people want to watch movies on their TVs.

[roland.g]

It's Windows Media Player only. They say only XP or Vista is supported. Basically it's trash.

[smueboy]

Not bad.

If anyone uses it, let us know what your experience is like.

[miketcool]

offering...individual TV episodes for $1.96 — 4 cents less than Apple Inc.'s iTunes store.

Since when did the difference of $1.99 and $1.96 equate to 4¢? How many people really flock to Wal-Mart's online service because of penny differences? Anyone know their current market data in the digital download arena?

[guzhogi]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

Wal-Mart's movie service is only available in Windows Media. This means, the movies are not playable on the Mac or iPod.

What about Flip4Mac? You can use that to play WM files on your Mac. And then use iMovie to convert it to iPod format.

[dejo]

Originally Posted by guzhogi

What about Flip4Mac? You can use that to play WM files on your Mac.

Nope. It won't play WM files with DRM.

[biggerbearbrian]

Originally Posted by dejo

Nope. It won't play WM files with DRM.

I guess that means it won't play on Zune either, I know who cares.

[thomasfxlt]

I suspected Walmart would do this. What is really ironic is to see "Cars" offered on the main page.

What a bunch of crap Walmart spews. They threaten their vendors if they sign on with iTunes and then proceed to play "catch-up". Walmarts supply channel should tell they to get screwed.

[spicyapple]

If Walmart's success (or lack of) in music downloads is any indication, Apple has nothing to worry about when it comes to movie downloads. Walmart isn't exactly known for tech-related innovation and ease of use.

[Stella]

Excellent. More consumer choice.

Competition is Good.

( Even though it is Walmart and IMO, going in there is like selling your soul to Satan )


Windows users will watch them on their TV via their PC ( or even XBox - if possible ).

Who seriously watches movies on their iPods?

Originally Posted by Sean7512

Eh, I don't see it taking off....ESPECIALLY with no iPod support. Not many people want to watch their movies at their computers. Ya, some probably have other portable video player, but the majority would want to throw them on their iPod and so on. We'll see what happens

[Maestro64]

Originally Posted by spicyapple

If Walmart's success (or lack of) in music downloads is any indication, Apple has nothing to worry about when it comes to movie downloads. Walmart isn't exactly known for tech-related innovation and ease of use.

My exact thoughts, I am not sure they are even ranking on the music download stats, anyone know how many songs they sold?

Face it Walmart has no concept of a user experience thus the reason they too are loosing market share to Target

[baleensavage]

Wow. They weren't kidding when they said not Mac compatible...
Here's the page on Firefox 2.0.0.1 on a Mac


Safari 2.0.4 is better, but still messed up


And just for grins, I ran the page through the W3C validator and got "Failed validation, 296 errors."

I suspect they'll sell loads of movies with a Web page that is that well designed.

[autrefois]

Originally Posted by baleensavage

And just for grins, I ran the page through the W3C validator and got "Failed validation, 296 errors."

I suspect they'll sell loads of movies with a Web page that is that well designed.

What do you expect? The downloads only work on Windows, which is also poorly designed.

[wrldwzrd89]

Originally Posted by guzhogi

What about Flip4Mac? You can use that to play WM files on your Mac. And then use iMovie to convert it to iPod format.

Alas, Flip4Mac doesn't work with WM10 or WM11 (it might work with WM9 - I've heard reports of some successes), nor does it work with the vast majority of DRM'd Windows Media files. At least that's my understanding, I could be wrong...

[Sean7512]

Any word on the resolution and any of the technical details of these movies?? I can't seem to find it on the website

[Mr. Pippin]

Originally Posted by Sean7512

Any word on the resolution and any of the technical details of these movies?? I can't seem to find it on the website

Technical details on the site when you pick a movie indicate they have two resolution downloads (portable and PC). The portable version includes two files.

Highest resolution is 640x480.

Portable version is NOT compatible with the iPod (no surprise).

More depressing is no description of sound quality. More than likely will ONLY be stereo (no surround).

So, appears to be about the same as Apple's store.

If Apple would ONLY support DVD quality movies (both video and sound) as well as this working on the Apple TV, I'd be much happier to download movies from Apple's store.

No AC3 on the Apple TV is real bummer so far.

As is, no one has a good solution, yet. IMHO

[bluebomberman]

The real big news is that presumably Wal-Mart won't use their might in DVD sales to pressure movie makers from putting their flicks out on iTunes because now that would be seen as an anticompetitive measure to prop up their own download service.

Of course, real-world results may vary. (See, for example, Microsoft vs. Netscape, Microsoft vs. US Dept. of Justice...)

[BigPrince]

I dunno, I tried watching a movie on an iPod, and its not my thing. When I watch a movie I want it on a traditional large screen tv.

[cseeman]

You may be misinformed on this. WM 10 and 11 are PLAYERS, not codecs.

Flip4Mac can play MANY variations including ISOMPEG, WM7, WM8 and WM9. It can't play new VC-1 yet but that's called WM9 ADVANCED, NOT 10 or 11. There is virtually no WM9 Advanced on the web at this point.

Originally Posted by wrldwzrd89

Alas, Flip4Mac doesn't work with WM10 or WM11 (it might work with WM9 - I've heard reports of some successes), nor does it work with the vast majority of DRM'd Windows Media files. At least that's my understanding, I could be wrong...

[failsafe1]

Oh No! Wal-Mart has the 1st season of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. I have been waiting for this on ITS. Must resist must. AHHHHH.