iTunes Rental Pricing Flexibility and Earlier Releases

MacRumors · Feb 21, 2008, 01:35 AM

When Steve Jobs announced iTunes Movie Rentals at the Macworld San Francisco 2008 keynote, he said that the digital rentals would appear 30 days after their DVD release. This delay is typically mandated by the movie studios who hold back "on demand" products, such as rentals, for 30-45 days after DVD release to avoid sales cannibalization.

Readers have noticed, however, that several movies are appearing in iTunes Rentals only days after their DVD release. These movies have included The Invasion, No Reservations and Michael Clayton. The delay from DVD release has ranged from 1 day to about a week. It seems the 30 day delay may not be enforced with all releases.

Meanwhile, Apple also appears to have some pricing flexibility with the movies. Last weekend, they ran a "Weekend Movie Rental Special" and discounted Breakfast at Tiffany's rental to $0.99 from the usual $2.99 fee.

Article Link

twoodcc · Feb 21, 2008, 01:38 AM

very smart! weekend deals like this is a great idea to get people to rent movies that they usually might not watch.

it's also nice to not have to wait for 30 days when the dvd gets released

UCLA-Bruin · 01:39 AM

I had no idea they had BFT at $0.99 - that's a great idea. Also, any suggestions for setting for SnapzPro on iTunes movie rentals? (Is that legal?)

applefan69 · Feb 21, 2008, 01:38 AM

This is great news how apple is able to have some flexibility

I can assume the 99cent movies, the mmoney is comin from apples pockets though. But thats still good to see apple having cheap movies, it will REALLY encourage people to start renting.

Expecially since at the moment i think lots of people are skeptical about renting online.

EricNau · Feb 21, 2008, 01:44 AM

Interesting. Other movies, however, are definitely being withheld until that thirtieth day, such as Elizabeth: The Golden Age (yes, I've been waiting).

Plus other movies, such as the The Bourne Ultimatum, seem to be missing long after the 30-day mark.

skeep5 · Feb 21, 2008, 01:47 AM

that would be great to have them early if i knew i could expect it for all of them...

ltldrummerboy · Feb 21, 2008, 01:50 AM

Yay! But I'm still not renting on a 256k connection and no

tv

bdkennedy1 · Feb 21, 2008, 01:57 AM

It makes sense. If the movie sucks then why wait a month for people to rent it.

joshamorrison · Feb 21, 2008, 02:03 AM

Apple already has snapz pro on lockdown

ReflecTruth · Feb 21, 2008, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshamorrison

Apple already has snapz pro on lockdown

How did they do this? What's being done?

Doctor Q · Feb 21, 2008, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacRumors

The delay from DVD release has ranged from 1 day to about a week. It seems the 30 day delay may not be enforced with all releases.

Does this depend on which studio it is?

I think "Michael Clayton" came out on Netflix just today (I got a copy

), so Apple's rentals are providing real competition.

stoutboy1 · Feb 21, 2008, 02:20 AM

Ya, why can't they compete with redbox? $.99 sounds like a good round number to me.

MacFly123 · 02:34 AM

I'm pretty sure I was the first to mention this. I feel special hehe

P.S. They gained at least one sale with this, because my mom has been dying to rent "No Reservations" and if it hadn't been on iTunes right now she would have rented it and they never would have gotten that sale. I'm sure there were lots n lots more other than me. The 30 day delay could really hurt them because after 30 days you will have already rented what you want to see and if it was good you would just buy it by then, so either way in that scenario Apple gets screwed. Hope to see more movies posted right on release.

JimmyDreams · Feb 21, 2008, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoutboy1

Ya, why can't they compete with redbox? $.99 sounds like a good round number to me.

Rebdox is that 'movie in a vending machine' thing, right?

Let's compare the competition:
Redbox : $.99
iTunes Rental: $3.99 or $4.99HD

Gas to and from 'redbox' location: avg $3.25/gal
Time spent driving to and from and looking for parking space: 20-30 minutes
Etc. etc. etc.

Even an HD rental at $4.99 is cheap if you consider the time, gas, etc. Heck if your round trip is 30 minutes, and you earn $15.00/hr at work, your dollar-value for time plus rental is already $8.49, not counting gas and the inevitable 2 liter of Coke and chips that you spontaneously purchased!!!

And if you're like me, there's the risk of a speeding ticket and/or being in an accident with an unlicensed, no-insurance-coverage illegal alien.

Really, the convenience factor alone makes the rental price worth it.

I personally would like to see more like a 48 hour window to watch PLUS the option to flat out buy a copy of the movie....but I'm sure buying downloads will come over time.

Besides, I can rent from iTunes wearing nothing but my boxers. Last time I tried renting from redbox wearing that, I got arrested, and dozens of bystanders are STILL in therapy.

kitki83 · Feb 21, 2008, 02:58 AM

we need a new forum called "iTunes DailiesSpecials:Joy Luck Club FREE!!!!"

So we know when a movie is cheap to rent, just an idea

TheSpecialist · Feb 21, 2008, 03:05 AM

It only gets better, very positive

but I'm wondering when it comes to Europe (Holland) I would very much like to use this service!

ghettochris · Feb 21, 2008, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReflecTruth

How did they do this? What's being done?

i second that question, I had a problem dvd i was trying to get to the ipod a few months back, so i just ran the snapz pro movie while the vid played in dvd player. the temp file it creates as it records can be huge for a movie, then it needs more space to save it after. i got better motion results with 30 fps rather than the source 24, but still not perfect. got a new imac 20'' pimped. might work fine on a mac pro. does this not work when playing an itunes rental on the computer? I do see a legal difference between copying a movie i own on dvd to the ipod, and making another compressed copy, just without drm and 24 hour limits...

i know apple's screenshot doesn't work when dvd player is open, but snapz has been fine, haven't tried doing this in 10.5.2 yet though.

minik · Feb 21, 2008, 03:39 AM

Good move. I better check the movie everyday now and looking for any special.

kresh · Feb 21, 2008, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshamorrison

Apple already has snapz pro on lockdown

I thought Ambrosia had this fixed. Link.

elppa · Feb 21, 2008, 04:10 AM

Personally I think the 30 days thing is excessive and unnecessary by the film studios. It's almost like they want digital distribution to fail.

Also, where is Gladiator, Casino Royale or any James Bond film?

un1ty · Feb 21, 2008, 04:47 AM

Funny... I just rented Breakfast at Tiffany's and Michael Clayton (in HD). I bought a new hdtv and a 160gb appleTV this weekend, and I've been loving it. The podcasts, the HD films, the slideshows, even youtube is a whole other experience.

Maybe I'm just lazy but using a dvd player seems really old-fashioned now. Also, the way the appleTV is set up, it's so easy to make impulse rentals.

Proji · Feb 21, 2008, 04:53 AM

this is typical behaviour of the film distributors. i used to work in the industry so know q a lot about this.

distributors know when they have a film that isn't going to do loads of business, so they relax release schedules. this applies to cinemas, dvd rentals and dvd release. i'm not sure how much apple will have had to do with the short time between release and rental, but i don't doubt that apple will do what any film booker would, and that's ask about each film and push for an earlier release.

the discount weekends are a really good idea too, and i can't wait for the rental scheme to come over to the uk. well done apple i say

johnnyjibbs · Feb 21, 2008, 05:42 AM

A nice bonus. Who voted negative?

mbene12 · Feb 21, 2008, 06:41 AM

They need to aggressively move to do two things if they want this product to have a chance.

The first is ADVERTISE. This is not a product that is going to sell itself. Where the heck is the ad campaign?

Secondly they have to push a little harder to get some movies up there. In terms of relatively recent flicks we are talking like 30-40 of them. Depending on your taste you might like 3-4 of those. They seem to be adding maybe two movies a day, sometimes none. Do they really have the support of all the studios? Its been a fair amount of time since they released the software patch.

I have a 160 gb and have gotten a lot of use out of it before the patch due to iTunes, iPhoto, and Handbrake. I have enjoyed the update and am impressed with all the new features, but I really want them to expand the market for the device before netflix and 20 others flood the market.

gwiller · Feb 21, 2008, 06:42 AM

Not sure if this is me but when I choose Power search in iTunes and look for movies to rent I only see 150. Are there more than that??

I am using my Powerbook not apple tv for this search obviously..

I have been looking everyday for the 1000 movies that Mr Jobs said would be available for rent by the end of Feb..

Feb 21, 2008, 01:35 AM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	iTunes Rental Pricing Flexibility and Earlier Releases When Steve Jobs announced iTunes Movie Rentals at the Macworld San Francisco 2008 keynote, he said that the digital rentals would appear 30 days after their DVD release. This delay is typically mandated by the movie studios who hold back "on demand" products, such as rentals, for 30-45 days after DVD release to avoid sales cannibalization. Readers have noticed, however, that several movies are appearing in iTunes Rentals only days after their DVD release. These movies have included The Invasion, No Reservations and Michael Clayton. The delay from DVD release has ranged from 1 day to about a week. It seems the 30 day delay may not be enforced with all releases. Meanwhile, Apple also appears to have some pricing flexibility with the movies. Last weekend, they ran a "Weekend Movie Rental Special" and discounted Breakfast at Tiffany's rental to $0.99 from the usual $2.99 fee. Article Link

Feb 21, 2008, 01:38 AM	#2
twoodcc macrumors 603 Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Right side of wrong	very smart! weekend deals like this is a great idea to get people to rent movies that they usually might not watch. it's also nice to not have to wait for 30 days when the dvd gets released __________________ tville pump Smarter than the average bear

Feb 21, 2008, 01:38 AM	#3
UCLA-Bruin macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2008	I had no idea they had BFT at $0.99 - that's a great idea. Also, any suggestions for setting for SnapzPro on iTunes movie rentals? (Is that legal?) __________________ MBP 2.4GHz/2GB/200GB \| iMac 20"(glass) \| iPhone 3G \| Nikon D80 some choices are wrong Obama = Wright +Rezko +Khalidi + Ayers + Dohrn + Alinsky Last edited by UCLA-Bruin : Feb 21, 2008 at 01:39 AM. Reason: update

Feb 21, 2008, 01:47 AM	#6
skeep5 macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: AZ	that would be great to have them early if i knew i could expect it for all of them... __________________ skeep Mac computer; Mac Phone; Mac Mackity Mackerson my car insurance site

Feb 21, 2008, 01:50 AM	#7
ltldrummerboy macrumors 65816 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kenai Peninsula	Yay! But I'm still not renting on a 256k connection and no tv __________________ New to AT&T (30 days or less)? Want a $25 credit towards your next bill? PM me and we can both save!

Feb 21, 2008, 01:38 AM	#4
applefan69 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2007	This is great news how apple is able to have some flexibility I can assume the 99cent movies, the mmoney is comin from apples pockets though. But thats still good to see apple having cheap movies, it will REALLY encourage people to start renting. Expecially since at the moment i think lots of people are skeptical about renting online.

Feb 21, 2008, 01:44 AM	#5
EricNau macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA	Interesting. Other movies, however, are definitely being withheld until that thirtieth day, such as Elizabeth: The Golden Age (yes, I've been waiting). Plus other movies, such as the The Bourne Ultimatum, seem to be missing long after the 30-day mark.

Feb 21, 2008, 01:57 AM	#8
bdkennedy1 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Dec 2003	It makes sense. If the movie sucks then why wait a month for people to rent it.

Feb 21, 2008, 02:03 AM	#9
joshamorrison macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2007	snapz pro Apple already has snapz pro on lockdown __________________ 400 MHZ iMac G3 DVSE 450 MHZ G4 Cube 1 GHZ G4 TiBook 1.8 GHZ G5 20" iMac 2GHZ MacBook

Feb 21, 2008, 02:20 AM	#12
stoutboy1 macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2007	Ya, why can't they compete with redbox? $.99 sounds like a good round number to me.

Feb 21, 2008, 02:30 AM	#13
MacFly123 macrumors 68000 Join Date: Dec 2006	I'm pretty sure I was the first to mention this. I feel special hehe P.S. They gained at least one sale with this, because my mom has been dying to rent "No Reservations" and if it hadn't been on iTunes right now she would have rented it and they never would have gotten that sale. I'm sure there were lots n lots more other than me. The 30 day delay could really hurt them because after 30 days you will have already rented what you want to see and if it was good you would just buy it by then, so either way in that scenario Apple gets screwed. Hope to see more movies posted right on release. __________________ - Steve Jobs' best friend! Last edited by MacFly123 : Feb 21, 2008 at 02:34 AM. Reason: addition

Feb 21, 2008, 02:58 AM	#15
kitki83 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Los Angeles	we need a new forum called "iTunes DailiesSpecials:Joy Luck Club FREE!!!!" So we know when a movie is cheap to rent, just an idea __________________ If you would create something, you must be something. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Feb 21, 2008, 03:05 AM	#16
TheSpecialist macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: The Netherlands, Europe	It only gets better, very positive but I'm wondering when it comes to Europe (Holland) I would very much like to use this service!

Feb 21, 2008, 03:39 AM	#18
minik macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bellevue, WA	Good move. I better check the movie everyday now and looking for any special.

Feb 21, 2008, 04:10 AM	#20
elppa macrumors 68020 Join Date: Nov 2003	Personally I think the 30 days thing is excessive and unnecessary by the film studios. It's almost like they want digital distribution to fail. Also, where is Gladiator, Casino Royale or any James Bond film? __________________ Snow Leopard is animated

Feb 21, 2008, 04:47 AM	#21
un1ty macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2007	Funny... I just rented Breakfast at Tiffany's and Michael Clayton (in HD). I bought a new hdtv and a 160gb appleTV this weekend, and I've been loving it. The podcasts, the HD films, the slideshows, even youtube is a whole other experience. Maybe I'm just lazy but using a dvd player seems really old-fashioned now. Also, the way the appleTV is set up, it's so easy to make impulse rentals. __________________ MBP SR 2.4 G5 Dual 2.3 + 20"ACD x2 Apogee Duet + MediaDesk 2.1 iPhone 8GB

Feb 21, 2008, 04:53 AM	#22
Proji macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2008	this is typical behaviour of the film distributors. i used to work in the industry so know q a lot about this. distributors know when they have a film that isn't going to do loads of business, so they relax release schedules. this applies to cinemas, dvd rentals and dvd release. i'm not sure how much apple will have had to do with the short time between release and rental, but i don't doubt that apple will do what any film booker would, and that's ask about each film and push for an earlier release. the discount weekends are a really good idea too, and i can't wait for the rental scheme to come over to the uk. well done apple i say

Feb 21, 2008, 05:42 AM	#23
johnnyjibbs macrumors 68030 Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: London, UK	A nice bonus. Who voted negative? __________________ johngriffithsapps.com - Get It Done! \| Grocery Checkout 15" MBP, iPhone 3G, 12" PB, iPod 4G, iPod shuffle

Feb 21, 2008, 06:41 AM	#24
mbene12 macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2008	They need to aggressively move to do two things if they want this product to have a chance. The first is ADVERTISE. This is not a product that is going to sell itself. Where the heck is the ad campaign? Secondly they have to push a little harder to get some movies up there. In terms of relatively recent flicks we are talking like 30-40 of them. Depending on your taste you might like 3-4 of those. They seem to be adding maybe two movies a day, sometimes none. Do they really have the support of all the studios? Its been a fair amount of time since they released the software patch. I have a 160 gb and have gotten a lot of use out of it before the patch due to iTunes, iPhoto, and Handbrake. I have enjoyed the update and am impressed with all the new features, but I really want them to expand the market for the device before netflix and 20 others flood the market.

Feb 21, 2008, 06:42 AM	#25
gwiller macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2008	How many films can be rented on itunes? Not sure if this is me but when I choose Power search in iTunes and look for movies to rent I only see 150. Are there more than that?? I am using my Powerbook not apple tv for this search obviously.. I have been looking everyday for the 1000 movies that Mr Jobs said would be available for rent by the end of Feb..

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