Wal-Mart Launches Movie Download Service

[GFLPraxis]

What portable players is it compatible with?


Is it the type of Windows Media DRM used by Creative players, or the Zune? They both use different DRMs...

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?

I do.

I watch movies on the iPod on the go, and when I'm at home I hook the iPod up to the TV. It's 60 GB, I've got over a dozen movies on there, XPlay's podcast, TV shows, etc...

whats the point for doing so? iPods video's resolution is so poor, why bother put it on TV anyway.

You're behind the times; the last firmware update put the iPod at 640x480, DVD resolution. Bitrate isn't quite as high as DVD which is why Steve called it "near DVD", but it looks just as good to me. I Handbrake all my movies at a bitrate of 2000, it looks perfect. I watched Cars off my iPod originally, never bought the DVD (got it off iTunes) and my whole family watched and noticed it was on the iPod.

works only on my Internet Explorer on XP, no Firefox. but the selection is impressive. this will be tough for apple. i can't imagine that too many people care to watch videos on an iPod anyway (maybe i'm wrong) so this is a strong competition to itunes. steve better gets more movies on his service soon.

So far, in my experience, most people buying off iTunes are iPod owners; everyone else just buys the DVDs.

 

[Stella]

I don't know - you tell me. There must be some otherwise why would walmart bother?

But competition is good.

I can imagine people would use their XBox to play the content too.

I'm glad you like the quality of iPod playing movies. Shame the rest of the world can't ;-)

What portable players is it compatible with?


Is it the type of Windows Media DRM used by Creative players, or the Zune? They both use different DRMs...

Apple won't license out fairplay and Apple won't support ANY OTHER drm.

Walmart's hand is forced. Its not Walmarts fault!!

So yes, you are correct - Walmart didn't have a choice in the matter - they cannot support the iPod even if they wanted to ( which they probably do - my guess ).

I don't particularly understand what Wal-Mart hopes to accomplish by completely ruling out any chance of migrating content to the iPod, the most popular portable media player on the market. However, it's entirely possible Wal-Mart, as powerful as they are, didn't have a choice in the matter.

 

[soosy]

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

ZOMG 4 CENTS LESS!!!!!

It looks like these follow Apple's lead only offering 640x480. I'm guessing no extras. From the fine print I was able to read it seemed to say only 1 computer to view it on.

I'm not interested in movie downloads until they start to approach the DVD experience (resolution/extras).

 

[hagjohn]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070206-8776.html

How did this happen?

Chalk it up to a stubborn Steve Jobs. Apple would not move far from its vision for pricing, which has already been compromised once. Last summer, Apple was adamant that $9.99 was the sweet spot for movie sales, and they battled the studios over it. The final result was that only Disney hopped on board with a revised pricing scheme that included $9.99 for catalog titles, $12.99 for launch releases, and $14.99 for new releases after launch. It still wasn't good enough to bring everybody to the table.

Wal-Mart, on the other hand, has met the studios' demands and will be pricing movies from $7.50 to $19.98. The company will have new downloads on the same day as their DVD release, and they will also host $1.96 TV shows from Fox, CW, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Logo and VH1 (ABC, NBC, CBS nowhere to be found). Classic movies will sell for $7.50 to $9.98, while most other titles will float somewhere between $9.99 and the new release price of $19.98.

Personally, I think of downloading movies on any DRM is a horrible idea.

 

[lind0834]

The article suggests that Wal-Mart's entry "now frees studios to cut deals with other online services".

This is very good for iTunes if true

 

[freediverdude]

Walmart's site says the files won't play on an iPod (no surprise), OR Zune, OR even Sony PSP. So that basically only leaves players like Creative Zen or Archos, niche market at best for the portable files. And for the PC files, you'd have to have a direct connection from PC to TV, or a Windows Media Center extender thing to see it. And you must use Windows Media Player, which I know a lot of people hate. So I just don't see this being that successful. There will probably be a certain market for people who can watch it through their xboxes. But sorry, they're not gonna get that many takers to pay the same price as the dvd for just the file of the movie without a disc or extras. And it certainly won't be the pleasant experience that iTunes with Front Row will be.

 

[pilotError]

Why would anyone pay full price for a movie and not be able to watch it on their TV or burn it to disk? Your better off buying the disk. Unless we see a Microsoft TV device

These people love shooting themselves in the foot.

A matter of time before this fails too.

 

[Porchland]

Wow, this is an A+ all the way around:

1. More serious competitors means more competitive pricing.

2. The studios that haven't yet come to iTS out of fear of retribution from Wal-Mart and Target now have more reason to come to iTS.

3. Wal-Mart getting into the movie download game will raise general awareness about movie downloads and actually help Apple dunk the DVD paradigm.

4. The fact that Wal-Mart's service not compatible with iPod or TV will give Apple a competitive advantage when it rolls out the widescreen iPod amidst huge hoopla.

Good news.

EDIT: The fact that all of the major studios -- even Sony -- are on board with Wal-Mart makes me think an iPod widescreen announcement will include Warner Brothers, Universal, Fox and -- unless Sony is going to continue to pretend it can compete with Apple -- Sony-owned Columbia Pictures.

When Apple eventually comes out with a PPV plan (and a monthly-fee TV plan), TV will become a back-door cable-killer.

 

[Stella]

Hmmm... double standards brewing...

How is iTMS any different from Walmart offering then?

* To play iTMS content on your TV you need either -
- a direct connection from your Mac ( or PC )
- an iPod
- iTV


( so basically, you need more hardware, just like is being suggested in the quotes )

Just like Walmart - you can't:
- burn iTMS TV content to CD either!
- put iTMS content on your PSP or Zune, or any other play except the iPod ( yes, its more popular but not everyone has one - video capable anyway! ).

Not everyone likes iTunes - shock horror - yes, really, its not 100% universally adored - just like MS Media Player!

However, the inability to put the walmart ( and iTMS ) content on your PSP, Zune etc is very lame.

Walmart's site says the files won't play on an iPod (no surprise), OR Zune, OR even Sony PSP. So that basically only leaves players like Creative Zen or Archos, niche market at best for the portable files. And for the PC files, you'd have to have a direct connection from PC to TV, or a Windows Media Center extender thing to see it. And you must use Windows Media Player, which I know a lot of people hate. So I just don't see this being that successful. There will probably be a certain market for people who can watch it through their xboxes. But sorry, they're not gonna get that many takers to pay the same price as the dvd for just the file of the movie without a disc or extras. And it certainly won't be the pleasant experience that iTunes with Front Row will be.

Why would anyone pay full price for a movie and not be able to watch it on their TV or burn it to disk? Your better off buying the disk. Unless we see a Microsoft TV device

These people love shooting themselves in the foot.

A matter of time before this fails too.

 

[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...)

 

[soosy]

Hmmm... double standards brewing...

How is iTMS any different from Walmart offering then?

* To play iTMS content on your TV you need either -
- a direct connection from your Mac ( or PC )
- an iPod
- iTV


( so basically, you need more hardware, just like is being suggested in the quotes )

Just like Walmart - you can't:
- burn iTMS TV content to CD either!
- put iTMS content on your PSP or Zune, or any other play except the iPod ( yes, its more popular but not everyone has one - video capable anyway! ).

Not everyone likes iTunes - shock horror - yes, really, its not 100% universally adored - just like MS Media Player!

However, the inability to put the walmart ( and iTMS ) content on your PSP, Zune etc is very lame.

I agree. Apple's movie offerings are not very compelling for the same reasons, sadly. The iPod made a lot of sense for ripping all your CD's and making music portable. AppleTV on the other hand doesn't bring much to the table. Why should I pay $300 just so I can watch the movies on a TV? Computers should just have HDMI ports built right in, but of course, movie studios wouldn't have that. Same reason DVD ripping isn't completely legal.

The other thing music downloads had going for it is that a $9.99 album is cheaper compared to Best Buy, etc. With Walmart's movie service, you're not even getting that. Why pay the same for much less?

I just don't see the Movie download business taking off like the Music download business unless they make some significant changes.

 

[biggarthomas]

Oh my gosh!

This is the same Wal-Mart that threatened to pull all of their Disney DVDs off their shelves if Disney continued to sell through iTMS!

Good thing that I do not and will not ever shop there.

 

[SpaceJello]

Wonder if there are any ways to limit Walmart Movies online as some American cities have limited the building of Walmart stores in the city......

I surely hope so. If we can limit Walmart low wages in brick and mortar stores from entering, why can't we just block this monopoly and explotive corporation from entering our cable lines and dictate online movie sales.

 

[clevin]

Wonder if there are any ways to limit Walmart Movies online as some American cities have limited the building of Walmart stores in the city......

I surely hope so. If we can limit Walmart low wages in brick and mortar stores from entering, why can't we just block this monopoly and explotive corporation from entering our cable lines and dictate online movie sales.

u can always use parental control on your own computer.

 

[biggarthomas]

Apple & Wal-Mart Cut a Deal

I'm placing money on the idea that Apple and Wal-Mart agreed to let each other run movie download services. The two week head-start that Wal-Mart gets is payback for Appl having pissed of Wal-Mart a few months ago.

If you remember. Wal-Mart put the arm on the major studios telling them that if they let their content be downloaded off iTunes, Wal-Mart would kick them of its retail shelves (where they make most of their money).

Since that was a situation that would not hold for too long, the studios, Apple, Wal-Mart and who knows which other download service (possibly MSFT) cut a deal for everyon eto have the same rights and may th best man win.

Remember Jobs is a huge player on the Disney board and would have had a big role in saying yes to Disney's content being downloaaded at Wal-Mart. So why did he say yes?


I'll bet that the video download services agreed to use a shared DRM protocol. This mkes sense and ties in with Apple's statement today in which they neatly tried to head off arguments about a shared DRM between music content providers (too many providers, too complicated). If Wal-Mart and Apple are both suppliers, there will be no arguments about Apple setting up a monopoly as has been the case with iTunes music.

Watch what happens when Apple TV comes out. I'll bet that all of the studios are onboard and that there is a shared DRM protocol allowing consumers the "freedom" to use wal-Mart or Apple content on the Apple TV. The only player who might be upset about this arrangement is MSFT (if they have been left out).

 

[gkarris]

The article suggests that Wal-Mart's entry "now frees studios to cut deals with other online services".

This is very good for iTunes if true

How is Wal-mart still going to let the studios sell on iTunes, especially if it cut a deal to sell movies on its own service?

That's like saying "now that Hitler has taken over Poland, Poland is now free to deal with the United States..."

 

[soosy]

I'll bet that the video download services agreed to use a shared DRM protocol. This mkes sense and ties in with Apple's statement today in which they neatly tried to head off arguments about a shared DRM between music content providers (too many providers, too complicated). If Wal-Mart and Apple are both suppliers, there will be no arguments about Apple setting up a monopoly as has been the case with iTunes music.

Actually it goes against Apple's statement in that they didn't even mention any sort of "shared" format as a possibility... unless we are talking about licensing Fairplay which they did mention and rejected.

I highly doubt the two stores will be interoperable.

 

[Joedy]

Doesn't anyone remember when Wal-Mart sold their mail DVD rental program to Netflix after visibly demonstrating that it was a failed endeavor on their part?

WalMart is good at only one thing - offering low prices for cheap imported goods and domestic products through volume sales and by owning their own highly efficient distribution system. Insofar as offering actual services (be it personal while in the store through poorly paid employees or through an online non-personal medium such as this endeavor), WalMart simply does NOT know how to do this, nor have they ever demonstrated that they care enough to perfect the art of offering excellent services.

The proof is in the pudding; there is nothing at WalMart that shows otherwise.

-joedy

 

[Passante]

Better than watching it on a tiny screen?! Imagine, 5 people hundled around your iPod watching a movie - LOL.

What is the quality like - iPod -> TV? Anyone?

Watchable?

Even more funny is watching 5 people share two ear buds

 

[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.

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.

 

[bobber205]

Lol. 4 cents below. OMG. walmart that is SO sad.

 

[Grakkle]

I'd be more interested if I didn't avoid buying from Wal-Mart as much as possible.

Wal-Mart is one of the worst examples of so-called "global capitalism" and as such, I'll avoid their movie downloads just as much as I avoid their stores.

 

[mrgreen4242]

I'd be more interested if I didn't avoid buying from Wal-Mart as much as possible.

Wal-Mart is one of the worst examples of so-called "global capitalism" and as such, I'll avoid their movie downloads just as much as I avoid their stores.

This is a bit off topic, but I'm kind of tired of the Walmart bashing. Yes, they are an "evil giant corp" and they don't give their employees much in the way of pay or benefits... however, they employ a crap load of people (largest non-government employer in the US) which is a good thing. They force prices to drop at the manufacturing level (which drops prices everywhere, not just Walmart). They are efficiency experts, and will share that experience with suppliers (in exchange for lowest price contracts, etc) which is good for these companies, in the long run. They are committed to being environmentally sound; they have one of the most fuel efficient trucking fleets in the world, they are making more and more stores "green", etc (their reasoning is pretty much that it's expensive not to do these things but the end result is the same, so I don't care about the reason).

Ya, Walmart does some crappy, shady, bad stuff. They also do a lot of good things. The end result is that, just like everything else, it's not a black and white "Walmart is evil" world. I shop there, but I also get my groceries from local stores/farmers markets. I get the best value for the quality of product that I want.

 

[mcs37]

I don't want to pay $20 per major download. I want to pay $15 per month and have three downloaded at a time. Why waste $20 if I'm only going to watch it once? And why no simple Media Center plugin? Why aren't people thinking like me? Hellooooooo?