iTunes Movie Rentals Coming?

[dan-o-mac]

I saw this over at Digg looks interesting.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xlife/1344263299/

[nismo]

damn you beat me to it I was just about to post it from engadget.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/08/i...movie-options/

[Blue Velvet]

Originally Posted by endgadget

Movie rentals could be coming to the iTunes Store, if an apparent slip-up by Apple is any indication. Mac developer David Watanabe uploaded a screenshot depicting an iTunes problem reporting system which has options for requesting a refund due to non-delivery of rental movies. The other options for reporting issues with the as yet unannounced -- but rumored -- rental movie options on the iTunes Store include accidental purchase, poor content quality, duplicate purchase, wrong version, bad metadata, and "other." The same possible complaints are available for every other content type on iTunes. We verified that these options are still viewable on a US iTunes Store account: see for yourself by viewing your account purchase history, clicking report problem, and then clicking on an individual purchase.

.

[Peace]

Man Apple are on their toes.This snafu has been removed from iTunes also.

[theheadguy]

Originally Posted by Peace

Man Apple are on their toes.This snafu has been removed from iTunes also.

I'd have to say Apple is not on their toes. Leak after leak are proving accurate. (Although this is a programming slip-up, it still goes with the flow of less real surprises)

[Analog Kid]

Originally Posted by theheadguy

I'd have to say Apple is not on their toes. Leak after leak are proving accurate. (Although this is a programming slip-up, it still goes with the flow of less real surprises)

This actually tells us a lot about how Apple develops... I'm surprised to see they include development code in releases. I would have expected them to branch the code base when they start working on a new feature... This is far from the first time this has happened, and you'd think it would lead to stability issues.

[JGowan]

Originally Posted by theheadguy

I'd have to say Apple is not on their toes. Leak after leak are proving accurate. (Although this is a programming slip-up, it still goes with the flow of less real surprises)

I disagree. I think they do this kind of stuff on purpose. Their biggest asset in some ways is the rumor mill working itself up into a frenzy. "The Beat Goes On" is a perfect example of knowing The Beatles connection that most people would interpret this to mean... I think that type of stuff happens all the time. In fact, I would bet that there is a site or two that are (think) secretly ran by Apple to leak info themselves. Probably only a few people know it and there are no traces back to Apple, but I believe it's quite possible.

The biggest con they've got going is that they've got most people into believing that they don't want ANYONE to know what they're doing. It serves them well, though, when the public has a bit of the information because then they can generate all this publicity known as Mass Speculation.

[MacRumors]

David Watanabe posted a screenshot to Flickr which reveals that Apple may be working on Movie Rentals in iTunes.

He was reporting a problem in iTunes and the pop-up menu listed a number of possible problems. These included

DidNotReceiveMovie-RentalMovie
AccidentalPurchase-RentalMovie
ContentQuality-RentalMovie
DuplicatePurchase-RentalMovie
WrongVErsion-RentalMovie
BadMetadata-RentalMovie
Other-RentalMovie

Apple has been rumored to be in talks with Hollywood studios about launching an online movie rental service. The rumored price was $2.99 for a 30 day rental and would allow films to be moved to at least one other device -- such as the iPod or iPhone.

The target launch for the service was this fall.

Article Link

[psychofreak]

If you could rent these while using the AppleTV with the iTunesWiFiStore it would be fantastic...

[adrianblaine]

Originally Posted by psychofreak

If you could rent these while using the AppleTV with the iTunesWiFiStore it would be fantastic...

This is what I've been waiting for in TV. I won't even consider getting one until this happens.

[Thanatoast]

This would kick ass. I'd definitely be down for rentals on iTunes. Blockbuster, Hollywood and Netflix better watch out.

Now all Apple needs to do is work on selection. There's no reason at all they shouldn't have a ginormous catalog.

[Blue Velvet]

If the choice was wide instead of solely Hollywood guff, I would never rent another DVD again... pity that Universal seem to be in a tizz with Apple.

[sbarton]

This is great, although I hope they come out with a rental option for TV shows also. Drop the price to .99 for a 3 month unlimited viewing for tv shows and it gets real interesting.

[Muzzway]

Might make me buy a touch if this comes out.

[plumbingandtech]

Originally Posted by sbarton

This is great, although I hope they come out with a rental option for TV shows also. Drop the price to .99 for a 3 month unlimited viewing for tv shows and it gets real interesting.

Ahhh... people already complaining about the price and it has not even shipped yet. (Maybe apple will give us a rebate is we cry enough!)

This price is FAIR unless one wants to do the math on netflix like subscriptions.

Then again they are not the same market. If apple does this I don't see myself using it much (unless HDTV quality is included) since I use Netflix and can wait a couple of days for a movie and can keep in as long as I want.

Now if apple does HD movies I am buying an apple tv since it will be a whole lot cheaper then buying blueray AND a hd dvd players...

[tribulation]

Originally Posted by sbarton

This is great, although I hope they come out with a rental option for TV shows also. Drop the price to .99 for a 3 month unlimited viewing for tv shows and it gets real interesting.

I'd finally buy an iTV also if it had a TV subscription ---> UNLIMITED would be required otherwise it wouldn't even be an option for me and I imagine most others.

Add a Netflix style movie download shop, unlimited downloads also [as Netflix is now] or a realistic limit per month and I'd pay double than the iTV sells for now. Since Netflix is unlimited but has the advantage [on their side] of taking a few days in the mail to limit the actual real number of 'unlimited' movies you get, I'd expect there wouldn't be a good way for Apple to compete or make a viable option for completely unlimited downloads. At the normal 3-at-a-time Netflix package with unlimited per month for about $18, even .99 would be pushing it though. Again this is where a specific package of a set price [people LOVE set prices. people don't like to think about keeping track of everchanging bills. I think most people like the option of having a set price per month and getting x amount of things for it. No brains required, and yes I'm talking about us lazy movie watchers].

I really hope they add a viable and attractive TV subscription service to this. It would literally change the entire industry overnight and I don't think that's just a fantasy, I think it really would. Until a few years ago, cable companies [and telco companies] thought, rather stupidly insisted that they would be around forever. There wasn't much to stop them from ridiculous overpricing. If Apple pulled this off in a way that made users happy and the TV networks at least content, the world would be forever changed. Every livingroom and person would finally have some type of option to get around the giant 'untouchable' cable giants for good. I'd love to see the look on Comcast, Time Warner, Adelphia, etc's faces when that service is announced by an industry outsider.

A nice dream? Surely yes! Impossible, no. Likely, I really have no idea but can sure hope.

[GregA]

Originally Posted by sbarton

This is great, although I hope they come out with a rental option for TV shows also. Drop the price to .99 for a 3 month unlimited viewing for tv shows and it gets real interesting.

Movie rental for $3 seems reasonable - though I do wonder whether Apple should allow new releases to be more expensive to match Video store standards...

I'd also say $1 for TV show rental is too much, though I'm not sure. I know that when a studio sells a show to a TV channel they get paid far far less per viewer than $1... and I'm a firm believer in "halve the price, triple your customers".

Originally Posted by whatever

Can you imagine a download movie rental system using Apple TV! That would be awesome. All they would have to do is make it 1080p (software) and Dolby Digital and then BluRay and HD-DVD would have some real problems. People would skip that generation of "hard" media and move to digital!

AppleTV is restricted to 720p and 5Mbps. Even if Apple can somehow make 1080p work, they can't go beyond the 5Mbps... and at that bitrate we're better off sticking to 720p. Hell... even 960x540p would be a nice step up (even for pal users... progressive video and greater horizontal res). And Dolby Digital is quite doable AFAIK.

Remember also that BluRay and HD-DVD is in the order of 30Mbps, not 5Mbps... so it does have the significant edge on quality!!!

Originally Posted by X86BSD

They made them DVD resolution or higher and offered plans just like netflix and the others. Like $29.99/mo for 5 movies at a time unlimited rentals per month. That would be reallllllly great.

You can't offer "5 movies at a time" when there's no postal system involved. "1 movie at a time" or "10 movies at a time" would be identical in practice, since you can't watch 2 movies at once (well, most people can't).

But yes... there are 3 possible models
1) buy
2) rent
3) subscribe per month (with whatever restrictions are applied).

I'd love to see rental on AppleTV.
In Australia

[Curtis72]

Originally Posted by adrianblaine

This is what I've been waiting for in TV. I won't even consider getting one until this happens.

I was hoping some TV needs woould be released last Wednesday. I want to put my apple:TV to more use then it is now (only using for music, podcast, YouTube viewing which overall is lame).

[fastbite]

Regardless of the resolution rentals would be a killer step, decisive game move that would scare the hell out of the competition, simply because the millions of iPod touch that are going to sell -- and with such a fantastic screen the temptation to rent one or two or a hundred flicks is going to be difficult to resist.

[SPUY767]

Originally Posted by Curtis72

I was hoping some TV needs woould be released last Wednesday. I want to put my apple:TV to more use then it is now (only using for music, podcast, YouTube viewing which overall is lame).

New Apple TVs will come when a rental service is announced, with the double, and possibly triple whammy of goodness, too many people will be unable to resist.

[Porchland]

Originally Posted by adrianblaine

This is what I've been waiting for in TV. I won't even consider getting one until this happens.

I agree. Movie rentals and some kind of TV shows subscription are the two killer apps that will make tv go more mainstream.

[Random Ping]

Originally Posted by adrianblaine

This is what I've been waiting for in TV. I won't even consider getting one until this happens.

I love my AppleTV. Video podcasts are much more enjoyable watching on TV while sitting in my recliner, and I've downloaded a number of TV shows too. Even audio podcasts (like NPR's Science Fridays) are enjoyable through the stereo while relaxing in an easy chair.

However, video rental will be the killer-app for AppleTV. If Apple brings this out, they will continue separating me from my money.

[DaBrain]

Originally Posted by psychofreak

If you could rent these while using the AppleTV with the iTunesWiFiStore it would be fantastic...

Sure would! As long as the price is comprable to Netflix as an example I would but an TV in a heart beat! Been patiently awaiting this!

[Fluffymuff]

Originally Posted by DaBrain

Sure would! As long as the price is comprable to Netflix

Netflix <yawn> is so 2006.

[DaBrain]

Originally Posted by Fluffymuff

Netflix <yawn> is so 2006.

Well that's your opinion. But I like not driving to stores to get and return DVD's. I also like their streaming service also included in my monthly fee. I get 17 hours per month in addition to 3 DVD's at a time.

So it's so 2006? What do you get and what's the cost of it?

Please tell me a better solution that's better and not so 2006ish!

To each their own, but that's what it would take for me to get an apple tv.