Apple Announces Release of HD Movie Sales and Rentals via iTunes

[jmpage2]

3.6gb download wow.........just wow..... boy talking about having a full load on the net. I'm surprised the networks can handle such large volumes of movie downloads

This is one reason that ISPs have started to institute bandwidth caps, throttling of bandwidth, etc.

For every person downloading an iTunes movie there are 100 people downloading pirated torrents that are the same size.

Now imagine that they try to do this with 1080P video, the total bandwidth on the network would increase dramatically.

 

[Cynicalone]

3.6gb download wow.........just wow..... boy talking about having a full load on the net. I'm surprised the networks can handle such large volumes of movie downloads

And COX Cable (my ISP) in the US does have bandwidth caps. They just don't like to publish the info.

http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp

Funny how deep they bury that info.

 

[stevielee]

That's not the point. See the thing is for 99% of Americans, a 720p HD quality movie is very good. What you get from iTunes that you will never get from disc media is convenience. Imagine you own an Apple TV, iPhone/iPod Touch and a computer (Mac or PC). Once you buy a movie, it's on all your devices. Take a laptop on a plane or iPhone on a plane. Watch it on your 70" TV at home. Watch it on your computer. It's awesome! Not only that, how easy is it to purchase. Just a click and you have it in minutes! Plus you can give it to family, provided that you use one of your 5 DRM authorizations. Lastly, think about how easy it is to play it. Just a click on a menu and you're there. No need to shuffle around with a rack full of DVDs! Can't do any of that with physical media!

Personally I love Blu-Ray but honestly I also have an Apple TV and there isn't that much of a difference. You almost have to view them back to back to notice. The HD on Apple TV is great and will satisfy 99% of the people out there. I definitely prefer Apple TV/iTunes HD any day!

Kan-O-Z

And with this single all-in-one posting, you have nicely articulated Apple's grand strategy for how they intend serve (control) all media content on the OSX platform for the foreseeable future - with iTunes being their sole portal of distribution.

Apple couldn't have PR'ed it any better than you just did here. Their iTunes media portal model model is intended to do exactly as you stated in your post - to deliver you to all of their other "closed loop" pricey toys (hardware), such as their iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, desktop and laptop computers etc..

"You don't need no sinkin' Blu-ray...we'll provide you with our version of HD content (even if it's lower quality but comes Apple premium pricing and obligatory DRM restrictions). You'll like it and come back for more. Why?..because you're locked into the Apple family of products now. Everything you do from here on end (binarywise) will be controlled by the Big A"

I swear, when I read this "news release" that Apple (via iTunes portal) is finally offering some kind of "HD Content", I laughed out loud and had to check the date to see if it was 2006 or something. And with this announcement, we can clearly see why Apple refuses to provide Blu-Ray support with OSX. They are NOT going to allow choice, or anything that would distract Macheads from thinking that all media naturally flows ONLY through their iTunes portal. God forbid.. someone should figure out that you can go and actually buy music, movies, etc., from any other source besides iTunes, that is not only higher quality and cheaper, but is truly portable, and can be viewed, or played independent (outside) of Apple's "premium" products.

I'm a Mac Tech and I'm still proudly and successfully using iTunes 6.02. All I use it for is as a music player and database. Nothing else. And with over 1 1/2 TB's of non-AAC, 320BR+ MP3's, that I've purchased, or downloaded independent of iTunes, it would take about 2 or 3 years just for iTunes 8 "Gapless" crappola to get through my entire collection (if it didn't crash first) - let alone processing the bloatware "Album Art".

I do realize that most computer users (PC & Mac) are content to just sit back and let a company (Apple, Microsoft) serve them up content - with little or no control over the end product - and then look no further for any other options for that content - even if It is inferior and overpriced. Hey, after all it's about convenience..isn't it?
But it's a big, wide world of media out there boys and girls, and if you wait until corporations finally "offer" content that has been available outside of them for quite awhile now, well...
you can passively pay through the nose for less and still remain on the cutting edge of... yesterday!

 

[overcast]

Yes please explain this one........

I have a 720x480 picture.

It's now displayed on a 720x480 screen, and it looks as good as it's going to get.

Now it's displayed on a 1920x1080 screen, and it looks like a 720x480 picture scaled to fit a 1920x1080 display. That doesn't magically change the source of the picture, and make it have higher resolution.

Also, I'm not even factoring in compression algorithms and their effect on image quality.

Dig?

 

[Gaelic2]

Are there any movies out there worth 20 bucks?

 

[emulator]

Are there any movies out there worth 20 bucks?

indeed, as a blu-ray. but a HD download? not even $1. just don't get why would anyone buy these 720p "HD Ready" content with no subs, extra content and so on...

In response to all those saying "Bluray is Dead":

Do you think the industry will let this happen?

those people are blind. you can't even compare a DTS-HD / 40 Mbps picture with the crappy 720p people download. of course, you must have the correct audio visual equipment, blu-rays are not meant for laptops.

and let's not forget, praised their boombox as hifi.

 

[blackpond]

Completely uninformed.

This only the first trumpet as the battle begins. iTunes downloads are the Riders of Rohan charging against the hordes of Sauron on the plain in front of Minas Tirith.

We are NOWHERE near being done with this war.

Super Hi-Vision will come out on disk format at about the same time as 1080p downloads become feasible in the United States.

Think Oliphaunts charging against the Riders after the Riders had beaten the snot out of the orcs (current disk 1080p offerings).

Downloads will NOT beat optical media until after 2020.

I do wonder, though. If BluRay showed up on the market the same year that DVD did, would DVD ever have become as popular as it did? Digital downloads are here now and are quickly growing in popularity as an alternative to optical media. That can't be a good thing for any new optical format trying to gain a foothold.

 

[blackpond]

I hate to admit it folks, as I am a film lover at heart and seek the best image possible, whenever possible... but the hard truth is: People choose convenience over quality. Look at Youtube... what a pile of horse poop... speaking for content and quality.... and how popular is that site now?

Digital distribution will replace optical media. If not this year or the next... it will. It's too damn convenient. And yes, Apple is poised to reign supreme in this area as they have an early jump on the competition.

For all the 720P haters out there. iTunes 1080P will come. What will optical have then? A pretty box that takes up shelf space in my house?

 

[Avatar74]

Somehow, I can't equate the desire for 1080p content for my 1080p video system with conspicuous consumption and economic collapse. Especially when the Apple 720p version is $20 + bandwidth + storage + backup storage, and $20 is about the average price for a BD movie.

You're forgetting the cost of the 1080p video system as itself an unnecessary expense. So the total cost is really what you spent on that system plus the marginal cost of $5-6 per HD movie versus SD.

It's kind of like buying a high performance car with a tuned engine that only runs on premium (not the ones that "recommend" premium, but the ones with different ignition timing)... It's still four wheels and seats but you've elected to spend lots of money on it, only to end up having everything around it cost you more... the fuel, maintenance, time lost having it constantly in the shop, etc. Believe me, I owned such a car and I'm glad I grew out of it.

It's not that we shouldn't enjoy anything... but what is enjoyment comprised of? Anyone can throw money at something for a little temporary enjoyment, but that wears off very quickly. As I've gotten older, I've enjoyed more and more figuring out how to gain better than adequate results for minimum cost. That requires some skill and work. The fact that anyone who throws money at something can get the same material result doesn't impress me. And money is very easy to make if that is the extent of one's aspiration and imagination.

Don't get me wrong... I like a good HD movie. But I came fairly late into the game because every piece of hardware is going to be obsolete in 6 months anyway. What other benefit is there than bragging rights in buying technologies at their highest price points and least field tested phase? 1080p is far from commonplace... there is only one real source for content (BD discs). So right now it's pretty overpriced. Not a good investment. By the time 1080p does become commonplace, fanboys will be wanking it to UHD, 2k, 4k or some other standard and essentially saying they cannot live without it.

Well why not then go get yourself a $100,000 Sony SXRD 4k projector? Once you start rationalizing one unnecessary expenditure, where do you stop? There's a record producer who spent $6 million on his home theater and has one. And I've never even heard of the guy. What exactly does this mentality serve other than bragging rights, which are in themselves worth nothing in this or any other economy.

 

[AidenShaw]

Look at Youtube...

I'd rather not, thank you.

You're forgetting the cost of the 1080p video system as itself an unnecessary expense. So the total cost is really what you spent on that system plus the marginal cost of $5-6 per HD movie versus SD.

The 1080p flat panel was a replacement for an 11 year old CRT television, and actually cost less than the CRT. There aren't many SD TVs available now, and anything beyond small budget screens are likely to be 1080p (or older designs being closed out).

But you're right - about any purchase other than the food necessary to avoid starvation is an unnecessary expense.

 

[fridgeymonster3]

IAfter a while you get used to seeing the pores on the actors' faces, each individual bead of sweat or fleck of stubble. You start to miss it when you watch a SD disc, even if it's a good transfer.

I agree with you completely. I've even basically stopped watching any of my standard DVD's because I'd much rather watch a blu-ray or even an HD movie on Directv.

 

[Tymbo]

If I were to rent a HD movie off itunes to watch on my mac, would it be Closed-Capt.?
As a hearing-impaired individual, I am curious to know because I don't like driving to blockbuster when I want to rent a movie.

 

[Evangelion]

I have a 720x480 picture.

It's now displayed on a 720x480 screen, and it looks as good as it's going to get.

Now it's displayed on a 1920x1080 screen, and it looks like a 720x480 picture scaled to fit a 1920x1080 display. That doesn't magically change the source of the picture, and make it have higher resolution.

Also, I'm not even factoring in compression algorithms and their effect on image quality.

Dig?

How exactly would even lower resolution DVD-image look "better" on that screen? And besides, 720p is not 720x480, it's 1280x720.

 

[Evangelion]

If you look at

From their close up screenshots, it's clear that iTunes HD is better than HD cable and DVD, and close to, but not quite as good as, blu ray.

No-one has claimed that HD-content from ITMS looks better than blu-ray. It does not. The claim was that normal DVD looks better than HD-content on ITMS. Which is BS.

 

[Cynicalone]

If I were to rent a HD movie off itunes to watch on my mac, would it be Closed-Capt.?
As a hearing-impaired individual, I am curious to know because I don't like driving to blockbuster when I want to rent a movie.

I believe the answer to this is no. I tried to turn it on and watch a movie on my iMac and no captions.

 

[jmpage2]

I believe the answer to this is no. I tried to turn it on and watch a movie on my iMac and no captions.

I don't believe they offer subtitles either, at least the couple of iTunes movie downloads that I've gotten as a complimentary thing to the purchased Blu-Ray disc don't have subtitles that I've seen.

I frequently watch my DVD/BD discs while working out and it's nice to turn the subtitles on while watching so I don't have to turn the volume up over that of my elliptical trainer.

 

[Undecided]

From their close up screenshots, it's clear that iTunes HD is better than HD cable and DVD, and close to, but not quite as good as, blu ray.

No-one has claimed that HD-content from ITMS looks better than blu-ray. It does not. The claim was that normal DVD looks better than HD-content on ITMS. Which is BS.

That's exactly what I said. You, I, and the content of the link I provided all agree.

 

[killmoms]

I'm surprised at all the complaining about these 720p downloads. I work with video all day long—I've seen what HDCAM 1080p masters of film transfers look like. They look good. They look incredible, actually. Blu-ray movies played on my PS3 look great. So I figured to my eyes, 720p streaming from Netflix on my Xbox 360 would look like crap in comparison.

Imagine how surprised I was to find that, instead of focusing on compression weaknesses in the stream, I just sat back and enjoyed Pan's Labyrinth. Sure there were weaknesses here and there, and I'm positive the Blu-ray would look great in comparison, side by side or one after the other.

But the point is, I sat there and enjoyed the movie and not once went "Ugh, I wish I was watching this on Blu-ray." Was it as good as it could be? Of course not. But was it good enough to enjoy and feel like I was getting my money's worth? Absolutely. And I'm sure Netflix's 720p streams are no higher bitrate than Apple's 720p downloads/rentals.

I think for many people less trained in the eye than me, 720p will be plenty good enough. As bandwidth increases and technology progresses, I'm sure higher-quality options will be made available. But for now, I wouldn't call what's being offered "crap."

 

[megfilmworks]

For all the 720P haters out there. iTunes 1080P will come. What will optical have then? A pretty box that takes up shelf space in my house?

Or taking up space in a landfill.

 

[rockosmodurnlif]

I'm a Mac Tech and I'm still proudly and successfully using iTunes 6.02. All I use it for is as a music player and database. Nothing else. And with over 1 1/2 TB's of non-AAC, 320BR+ MP3's, that I've purchased, or downloaded independent of iTunes, it would take about 2 or 3 years just for iTunes 8 "Gapless" crappola to get through my entire collection (if it didn't crash first) - let alone processing the bloatware "Album Art".

You should really trim some of the garbage you have in your library. I'm at 70 GBs @ 128 KBps and despite listening to new music and adding new songs, I manage to keep it around 70 GBs because I always find trash that's just not worth keeping. I can't imagine what crap you've probably never heard in a year that is hidden in a 1.5 TB library.

And there's nothing wrong with album art though I didn't start using it until I got my iPhone. Some of it is truly enticing (Herb Alpert and Ohio Players for instance) so i don't see how that's bloatware. You don't have to add the art if you don't want to.

I like the convenience offered by the whole iTunes ecosphere but I don't like the DRM so I've yet to buy or rent any videos from iTunes.

 

[MacFly123]

Sounds good to me. I do want 1080p of course. Maybe that will come with the next Apple TV update hopefully this year some time!

 

[AidenShaw]

Was it as good as it could be? Of course not. But was it good enough to enjoy and feel like I was getting my money's worth? Absolutely.

... and I know a couple of people who enjoy "wide screen" movies on their Iphones.

It's good that this option is available, but I prefer the more immersive experience of 1080p and 8 channel 96 khz 24-bit uncompressed sound (as well as the extras).

Perhaps if Apple's price were half that of a Blu-ray it would be more attractive - but at price parity, no.

 

[donbadman]

that's practically the price of a bluray...

... Why would you pay for a hi-def download when you could get a better quality DVD?

+1000000000000000000000

You talk realness,
meh 720p... Rubbish...

 

[donbadman]

Sounds good to me. I do want 1080p of course. Maybe that will come with the next Apple TV update hopefully this year some time!

No one owns, or will own apple TV, its an epic fail...

Edit: to add, f**k all this corporate money grabbing bs, apples moves have been all too obvious since the "year of HD" that never was, itunes sucks why was my old winamp using about 2% of a 700mhz Athlon and iTunes rinses about 50% of a 2.4ghz P4 on canterwood?

Plus it's totally screwed up one of my raids from crashing out whilst syncing my iphone... meh apple sort yo self oot

 

[coday182]

Is Apple ever going to follow suit in the music department, and start offering FLAC downloads, or atleast Apple Lossless? It's a joke that iTunes Plus offers "Hi-Def" downloads at a super duper 256 kbps.