CANADA Itunes store has MOVIES

[stakis]

I've seen that the folks in the UK have been posting about this, but it looks like Canada Itunes now has movie rentals as well!!!!!!

[queshy]

FINALLY! Funny some friends and I were just talking about the lack of movies in the ITMS today...

15 to buy...rip off!

[AndyClarke]

Expansion of services before next week. Looks good to me.

[queshy]

Engadget is reporting the UK launch...

Before this, there were very few reasons to buy Apple TV in Canada/UK. The variety isn't as good as I'd like, but it's still decent. The price to buy some movies is steep though.

[Luveno]

Hilarious timing. I ordered an TV on launch day because I was anxious for movies. That unit went largely unused until this month. After the "Take Two" firmware update, I had a little more hope that movies would show up in Canada, and I could make use of my TV. 3 weeks ago, however, it must've had enough idle running, because I couldn't get any audio out of it at all, anymore. No Optical, no analog, and I couldn't test HDMI. I restored a few times, but had no audio on each attempt. I finally gave up, installs os x on the machine, and started using it as a print server/web server for basic things in my apartment.

Now, 3 weeks after it died, Apple has released what will finally make it useful. I wish I could say i'll buy another one to make use of it, but I likely won't.

[srobert]

Excellent. Any easy way to tell which title is HD and which isn't? Thanks.

Edit: Is any of the content HD?

[AGold]

Originally Posted by Luveno

Hilarious timing. I finally gave up, installs os x on the machine, and started using it as a print server/web server for basic things in my apartment.

Is this a hack of some sort? I was thinking about getting an airport extreme base station so that I can wirelessly access external hard drives (including for time machine) and wirelessly print, but if apple TV does that too, that would be much better.

[morespce54]

About freaking time!
Maybe TV will finally become (sort of) interesting...

[SirOmega]

48 hours to finish? WTH? Isn't it 24 here in the US, or did they change that recently.

[wolfshades]

Originally Posted by SirOmega

48 hours to finish? WTH? Isn't it 24 here in the US, or did they change that recently.

Sir Omega: I note that your country is about to celebrate your rebellion from Her Royal Majesty in about a month's time. Rather than do that, you now have a one-time offer (all of you Americans) to come back to the fold. All can be forgiven and we will welcome you with open arms. All you need do is lay down your muskets, swear an oath of fealty to HRM and we will open our borders to you.

Think of it! Better beer, great shopping and our scenery doesn't totally suck.

Oh yeah - and you'll be able to get 48 hour access to movies from Apple.

[Peel]

Originally Posted by wolfshades

You now have a one-time offer (all of you Americans) to come back to the fold. All can be forgiven and we will welcome you with open arms. All you need do is lay down your muskets, swear an oath of fealty to HRM and we will open our borders to you.

Think of it! Better beer, great shopping and our scenery doesn't totally suck.

Oh yeah - and you'll be able to get 48 hour access to movies from Apple.

Well, I'm from Seattle, so already have better beer, and scenery.

Seattle: It's Canada for the rest of us
(except for the 48 hour Apple movie rentals )

[adamberti]

The pricing fails to impress me. While it may be similar to Blockbuster or Rogers on demand, what about DVDplay? Anyone else use that? (Small Kisok I find in Safeway in Canada) You can get 89 cent rentals most weeks (on special) otherwise it's about $1.50 for 24 hours. They have new releases and some older films. $4 a movie wont change my renting habits.

[Roniniku]

Originally Posted by adamberti

The pricing fails to impress me. While it may be similar to Blockbuster or Rogers on demand, what about DVDplay? Anyone else use that? (Small Kisok I find in Safeway in Canada) You can get 89 cent rentals most weeks (on special) otherwise it's about $1.50 for 24 hours. They have new releases and some older films. $4 a movie wont change my renting habits.

I'm in Vancouver and I've never heard of this. I've seen similar things in the past but they've long since shut down. Either way, the convenience of clicking a couple buttoms at around $5 far outweighs the drive, endless wanderings up and down aisles and the innevitable "its not in right now". I think the movie store will also do for me what iTunes did, open me up to additional suggestions in movies and music I wouldn't otherwise have considered. If I see an TV next week that has a bit more going for it, I may just have to make a purchase.

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by adamberti

The pricing fails to impress me. While it may be similar to Blockbuster or Rogers on demand, what about DVDplay? Anyone else use that? (Small Kisok I find in Safeway in Canada) You can get 89 cent rentals most weeks (on special) otherwise it's about $1.50 for 24 hours. They have new releases and some older films. $4 a movie wont change my renting habits.

Ditto.

The prices for rentals are pretty much exactly the same as renting from the store, but the price for purchase is significantly higher than you can get the actual DVD for in most cases. Plus you have to buy a multi-hundred dollar Apple TV first and hook it into the tangle of hardware that is your TV/Stereo system.

This is a good first step, but it doesn't really change anything for me, nor will it for most people I know.

I am a collector, and thus the media companies "dream customer" in a sense as I have bought huge amounts of their expensive products, but for me this is still not a service I will buy into. I'm really only interesting in purchase, not rental, and the prices for purchases are just too high by a factor of about 100%.

Consider:

• Since I have the huge DVD and CD collection, the AppleTV product I am waiting for is one with an optical drive, yet rumours have it that Apple will *never* make an AppleTV with an optical drive.
  
• Since almost any movie older than a few months can be got in the 5 to 10 dollar range on DVD, and since I have never paid more than 5 or 10 for a CD for years also, the digital purchases have to be in that range before I will buy them.

This service is just aimed at idiots or people that value the convenience far more than the product itself. I guess if you are an XXL type person who likes to watch movies and doesn't care about value, your set!

.

[Hawkeye411]

Why would I rent a movie from iTunes Canada for $4.99 when I can rent it from iTune USA for $3.99??

Cheers,

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Ditto.

The prices for rentals are pretty much exactly the same as renting from the store, but the price for purchase is significantly higher than you can get the actual DVD for in most cases. Plus you have to buy a multi-hundred dollar Apple TV first and hook it into the tangle of hardware that is your TV/Stereo system.

This is a good first step, but it doesn't really change anything for me, nor will it for most people I know.

I am a collector, and thus the media companies "dream customer" in a sense as I have bought huge amounts of their expensive products, but for me this is still not a service I will buy into. I'm really only interesting in purchase, not rental, and the prices for purchases are just too high by a factor of about 100%.

Consider:

• Since I have the huge DVD and CD collection, the AppleTV product I am waiting for is one with an optical drive, yet rumours have it that Apple will *never* make an AppleTV with an optical drive.
  
• Since almost any movie older than a few months can be got in the 5 to 10 dollar range on DVD, and since I have never paid more than 5 or 10 for a CD for years also, the digital purchases have to be in that range before I will buy them.

This service is just aimed at idiots or people that value the convenience far more than the product itself. I guess if you are an XXL type person who likes to watch movies and doesn't care about value, your set!

.

1)Like it or not this is the wave of the future.The so called streaming is where it will be not the video stores.

2)For the past 10 years i was very heavy into buying movies.For the most part i would go out each tuesday and buy 2 movies.The places i went to charge $26 for new releases.So $19.00 from apple is not that bad.

3)In the long run you will spend much more going out and buying movies then useing a service like this.

4)Saying this a a xxl this is way wrong.This is something people who are into gadets are into.They may be big people but they aslo may be very fit.

[BornAgainMac]

I noticed these press releases always says "We're thrilled...". Is there a lot of pirating in Canada? If the answer is "no" then maybe that is why they didn't rush this out.

[Orng]

Alright, now maybe I'll think about picking up a used atv on eBay. Or on the new meBay service offered through mobile me.

Originally Posted by BornAgainMac

Is there a lot of pirating in Canada? If the answer is "no" then maybe that is why they didn't rush this out.

Canadians don't break anti-piracy laws, we're too busy smoking pot and letting terrorists cross the border into the US. (I know they have to get through US customs agents, but logic is not usually a major feature of this particular discussion.)

Seriously though, there are all sorts of regulatory hurdles in both Canada and the UK inhibiting online distribution of content, and the only thing keeping them from rushing this out was red tape.

Anyone interested in the Canadian explanation might want to catch this Globe and Mail live conversation How to give Canada streaming TV and movies from 12 to 1 Eastern today with some bigwig from Rogers, taking reader questions about why it's so complicated to get online media distribution in Canada. Should be a hoot because they announced it yesterday, and now this itunes announcement today... Might be a few "hey, Apple can do it, why can't Rogers?" questions
If you hurry you might even be able to submit a question! And you can read the whole thing after as well.

[Maxime]

Great, just in time for the bandwidth limit imposed by the big ISP players.

You'll now only be able to watch a few HD movies before you bust your bandwidth limit.

:lol:

[tba03]

the video club next door leases 2 movies for 4$(new included)
apple is ridiculous in their pricing
a download for 5$ MORE than a dvd at the store?
come on!

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by tba03

the video club next door leases 2 movies for 4$(new included)
apple is ridiculous in their pricing
a download for 5$ MORE than a dvd at the store?
come on!

With gas about $1.25 if you do the math yes it would be cheaper to use apples movie service.Apple is not ridiculous with there pricing at all.Rogers set the tone in canada and its just goes up and up.

[tba03]

Originally Posted by reidjr

With gas about $1.25 if you do the math yes it would be cheaper to use apples movie service.Apple is not ridiculous with there pricing at all.Rogers set the tone in canada and its just goes up and up.

gas price???
to walk 40 feet?
LOL

not my problem if rogers are *******s, apple doesn't have to be the same, they could have been BETTER instead of following the nose in rogers ass
apple is WAY more expensive than any video club in my area+they ffer me a physical copy for 15$(not apple for 20)

and...
26$ for a new dvd, what a ripoff
any new title is in special here around 15$
goes up to 18 after and 3 weeks after, when it' s now an old movie, back down to 12-15$, so apple is still a ripoff

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by tba03

gas price???
to walk 40 feet?
LOL

not my problem if rogers are *******s, apple doesn't have to be the same, they could have been BETTER instead of following the nose in rogers ass
apple is WAY more expensive than any video club in my area+they ffer me a physical copy for 15$(not apple for 20)

and...
26$ for a new dvd, what a ripoff
any new title is in special here around 15$
goes up to 18 after and 3 weeks after, when it' s now an old movie, back down to 12-15$, so apple is still a ripoff

If you have a video store with in walking distance then you very lucky.That is starting to become very rare.For me it would cost $10 in case return trip just to get to the video store.I would aslo not call $5.00 more way more expensive.

[computerman-8]

I wonder if in Canada we have all the same titles and release dates as in the US.

[srobert]

Yeah. I'll have to keep an eye on my internet usage if I use TV to rent movies.

With my provider (Vidéotron) and Service (High Speed), I'll only be able to rent/download 5 HD movies a month before busting my limit (provided I don't use internet for anything else ^_^), past that, it'll cost me the funny sum of $31.80 in extra fees per HD movie! I can't wait for them to join the digital media age. Maybe it's time for me to bump up my service a notch. ($$$)

                    $ Per   --- Max Speeds ---   -- Max Transfers --  Cost Per 
Service             month*  Down      Up         Down    Up           Extra GB          

Basic               $27.95  600 Kbps  128 Kbps   2GB     †            n/a
High Spd.           $50.95  7 Mbps    800 Kbps   20GP    10GB         $7.95
Extreme High Spd.   $64.90  10 Mbps   900 Kbps   100GB   †            $1.50
Extreme+ High Spd.  $79.95  20 Mbps   1 Mbps     20GB    10GB         $7.95
Ultimate Spd. 30    $64.95  30 Mbps   1 Mbps     30GB    †            $1.50
Ultimate Spd. 50    $79.95  50 Mbps   1 Mbps     50GB    †            $1.50

* Cost with 12 month subscription, otherwise $10 more expensive ($5 for basic).
† Monthly data transfer (upload and download) Combined.

Edit:

Originally Posted by tba03

gas price???
not my problem if rogers are *******s, apple doesn't have to be the same, they could have been BETTER instead of following the nose in rogers ass
apple is WAY more expensive than any video club in my area+they ffer me a physical copy for 15$(not apple for 20)

Not to play the devil's advocate but you might be barking at the wrong tree. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's cut on those price is insignificant compared to the Movie Studios' cut. I also wouldn't be surprised if Apple had a lower price in mind but had to settle for those prices. I don't have numbers to back this theory but we've read a lot of headlines a while ago about studios not happy with Apple's pricing, and I don't think the studios fought for lower prices. That being said, Canadian pricing should have been on par with US pricing.