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Apple in Online Film-Rental Deal with Fox Studio?

We top off the first 10 years of the 2000s with a live consumer version of the iCar -- right now its just in an few artists minds -- but it would be awesome -- designed as a full kit option to the Audio A4 ... will see if I can find the link to that graphic rendition and forward it along.
 
Great so we're going to get Jobs rambling on about iTunes and Movie Rentals for 40 minutes or so are we? Time will be short enough as it is - i'm guessing this means something else (more interesting to me as a non American) will get bumped out of the keynote. Like Pro HW updates
 
Blu-ray

Mind-boggling...I can't imagine Apple including blu-ray in the AppleTV, where is the revenue in that? :)

I'm beginning to wonder if we'll see blu-ray in anything...instant gratification technology is advancing so fast, it won't be long before no one will care about blu-ray or hd-dvd. :(
 
Sounds great. And rental is really the key (for movies AND tv shows).

Unfortunately, I'd guess that if an Apple version of the movie is included on a disc, it'll only be on the high def discs - since a regular dvd doesn't have enough space. I wonder if a slight alteration to the deal could allow Apple to convert "authorised" DVDs into computer based versions?

Nermal said:
Meanwhile, the rest of us will happily pay a few dollars for a 640x480 movie.
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Any of the iTunes widescreen movies are only 640x360. DVD is 720x480. And the AppleTV is capable of 1280x720.

artpease said:
I can't imagine Apple including blu-ray in the AppleTV, where is the revenue in that? :)
Click to expand...

I also doubt we'll see blu-ray built into the AppleTVs. However, Apple might have learnt a lesson in the last year with the studios refusing Apple's model - and Bluray might make sure that consumers buy the AppleTVs even if their favourite movie isn't available for it.

Of course, this wouldn't persuade the studios to release Apple versions. I think it's more likely that Apple would put a DVR onboard, so that the studios can deal with Apple and make some money, OR can choose to not deal with Apple and make no money while customers record and watch their shows.
 
GregA said:
Sounds great. And rental is really the key (for movies AND tv shows).

Unfortunately, I'd guess that if an Apple version of the movie is included on a disc, it'll only be on the high def discs - since a regular dvd doesn't have enough space. I wonder if a slight alteration to the deal could allow Apple to convert "authorised" DVDs into computer based versions?



Any of the iTunes widescreen movies are only 640x360. DVD is 720x480. And the AppleTV is capable of 1280x720.



I also doubt we'll see blu-ray built into the AppleTVs. However, Apple might have learnt a lesson in the last year with the studios refusing Apple's model - and Bluray might make sure that consumers buy the AppleTVs even if their favourite movie isn't available for it.

Of course, this wouldn't persuade the studios to release Apple versions. I think it's more likely that Apple would put a DVR onboard, so that the studios can deal with Apple and make some money, OR can choose to not deal with Apple and make no money while customers record and watch their shows.
Click to expand...

The thing about blu-ray especially (50 GB discs) is that it would be easy to put many h.264 variants on disc. Watch the near lossless version on your 50 inch 1080p via a Blu-Ray player for the theater experience. Then, download a 720P compressed version to any blu-ray equipped mac for storage and streaming to AppleTV anytime. Lastly, download yet another version to itunes for ipods.

The last piece of the puzzle, AVCHD (also part of the blu-ray spec), could be an enhancement to a mac video card to facilitate transcoding of AVCHD files on the fly both for streaming and to speed editing of those files in imovie/FCE/FCP. That way, personal video would be easy to ingest, store, watch (AppleTV), upload (YouTube, .mac) and burn (blu-ray or AVCHD on DVD).

And yes, as a matter of fact, I am waitng for 45 nm Quad core, a Blu-Ray burner, and HDMI IO on my next MacPro.
 
I read an article the other day proposing an iTunes rental system something like a digital version of Netflix - pay a monthly fee for a set number of download slots, whenever you want to add a new movie just clear out one of your existing slots. In my opinion, this is the only type of digital rental service I would pay for. I'm not interested in downloading time-bomb content, as I don't see any studios being willing to offer it at the right price. Netflix, on the other hand, is exactly what I want because I keep the film only as long as it takes me to watch it. When I'm done, it goes back in the mail and I have a new one the next day with no extra effort. If Apple could provide the same service, cutting out virtually all wait time, I would jump ship in a heartbeat. Anything with per-film rental fees though? I'll pass.
 
TMay said:
The thing about blu-ray especially (50 GB discs) is that it would be easy to put many h.264 variants on disc. Watch the near lossless version on your 50 inch 1080p via a Blu-Ray player for the theater experience. Then, download a 720P compressed version to any blu-ray equipped mac for storage and streaming to AppleTV anytime. Lastly, download yet another version to itunes for ipods.

The last piece of the puzzle, AVCHD (also part of the blu-ray spec), could be an enhancement to a mac video card to facilitate transcoding of AVCHD files on the fly both for streaming and to speed editing of those files in imovie/FCE/FCP. That way, personal video would be easy to ingest, store, watch (AppleTV), upload (YouTube, .mac) and burn (blu-ray or AVCHD on DVD).

And yes, as a matter of fact, I am waitng for 45 nm Quad core, a Blu-Ray burner, and HDMI IO on my next MacPro.
Click to expand...
You are talking about managed copy. Which is apart of the BD specs. The downside to it is that most likely you will have to pay more to get access to those other versions. I think this DVD thing is just testing the waters to see if adding downloadable copies using MC is viable.


I am intersted in knowing if it is like the 360 method, where you rent a movie you have 7 days (or something like that) to actually start watching it, once you watch it you only have 24 hrs to complete the movie. Plus I think that if MS can offer HD downloads to Live users, there is no reason (none at all) why Apple can't do the same thing.
 
I think this is a great idea and I would go and buy an :apple:TV in a hurry.
This business model seems to go more after pay per view of the cable companies then after netflix and such.
I don't watch that many movie's except some pay per view every now and then and the price would be very competitive considering that cable charges $3.99 for regular and $4.99 for HD content, and you only have 24 hrs to watch it.

So if Apple can pull this off with having the newest DVD's at the same time the stores do, I think it would work out for them.
 
I currently have a DVD set of Alfred Hitchcock collection of Public Domain movies/TV shows that also came with a ipod version for download, no DRM just a nice touch. Same with some 'One Step Beyond' shows. I don't remember the brand, maybe ECHO or Diamond or something like that.

I have the advantge of having a fast machine, MacPro with 5GB ram, so ripping a DVD doesnt take much time. I do it in the background while I do other things on my computer. I have ripped hundreds of movies and TV shows. I put them on my old 80gb ipod and use my SonicImpact V55 to watch on a 7inch screen at lunch or in bed. I have a DLO dock attached to my HDTV and can watch the contents that way if I like. I can see using a rental service for comedy but my preference is Sci-Fi and I have to own the DVD/Blu-ray. I don't own :apple:TV and haven't given it much thought.
 
Peace said:
Renting a movie via PPV usually means you're watching a movie that's been out on DVD for a while meaning you have to wait for a while unless you go the Blockbuster route which in itself creates more steps in the process of procuring the most recent movie in the quickest way. This is a valid reason for marketing to increase cost on what could turn out to be a very lucrative deal for all involved.

The buck talks.
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eh, most providers now have new releases on ppv the same day they are out in the video store, and have increased their selection. Still, ppv only offers so many titles at one time. But :apple: is still going to be limited in selection. I don't think many studios will jump on board with apple.

i can also do all this now with my tivo via amazon. It takes a long time for the video to actually download. I want to watch it now!!!!!! I'd hope to see being able to start watching as the download progresses. THe Tivo service you have to wait for the entire thing to download.
 
Fairplay finally licensed?

The most important thing in this news is that Apple may have licensed Fairplay DRM to Fox for this included iPod / Location shifting version of their DVDs.

That is a significant change in policy for Apple as many companies in the past have requested it and Apple has repeatedly stated that more implementations of their DRM scheme would make it more exposed to insider hacking and thus less useful as a deterrent to piracy.

So the question is whether this is a reversal in that policy or some new form of Fairplay that they feel is capable of withstanding the additional exposure?
 
MediaRyan said:
Yeah. Sorry for my post/rant but I want to see good options that help everyone. The consumer, Apple and studios.
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The options that Apple offers are usually designed to help only Apple. Their options are too expensive and restrictive, and somehow the consumers keep buying them. On another note, yesterday I wanted to buy some music off of the iTunes store, despite the DRMs. I still had about 40 song credits on there. I discovered that my credits have simply disappeared, expired they said. That was money already paid to them, in the form of a gift certificate. They call it expired and I call it theft. You should see how surreal the discussions are with their "support" people.

And here's the other catch: I've got song credits but I can't buy an album with them, only songs. Then of course, I can't buy all the songs from an album because Apple makes some of them, often the longest ones or the most known ones, "album only". No matter how you look at it, it is designed to rip you off. So when I see this kind of news, I can't help but think of yet another ripoff. Last time I wanted to buy an album (and the credits were still in my account), I faced that frustration, then went to Amazon and saw that their downloads were cheaper and I could get the whole album that way, without DRMs and in higher quality, then I saw that the actual CD was only a couple bucks more and I could get free shipping, so I got the CD. And yet I have (or had) those unused credits.

Want to download music at a good price and without the restrictions, and especially without the dirty feeling of having to give more cash to Apple, buy from Amazon.

I use an iMac and I'm saving up for a Macbook Pro. How can I buy products that I like so much from a company I dislike so much. I'm going to need therapy.
 
It is about time they moved to a watch-once or watch-few model for video. I have no desire to own movies anymore - it just isn't the same as music. Can you imagine watching a movie or a show 60 times in a year?
 
The perfect world

I would like to see a new AppleTV.... with 5.1 and Hi-Def. Then I would love the option to rent a single movie at $2.95 a crack for 30 days, or buy a subscription for $20 a month that allows me to view movies at anytime. This way if I watch a lot, I'd get the subscription. If I watch a few, I'd rent them one at a time.

If Apple could... they could even link up with someone like Blockbuster and have a premium service for a little more that would allow me to rent physical DVDs from the local store much like what they do now... only now instead of mailing me new DVD titles, I would just get them on-line or go down to the local store and pick something up.

I'm excited to see that at least the first option may be coming soon!
 
Lancetx said:
Well, most NTSC DVDs are just 720x480 anyway, so it's not like there is really all that much difference.
Click to expand...
Virtually all new movies are produced in HDDVD or BLU-RAY as well as the older SD DVD.
If Apple TV goes HD I'm in, otherwise it is useless to me and anyone who has an HD setup.
But if it includes HD as well as SD than it will be the end of Netflix for me.
My top 25 movies are all short to very long wait and getting worse every week.
 
LeChuck said:
The options that Apple offers are usually designed to help only Apple. Their options are too expensive and restrictive, and somehow the consumers keep buying them. On another note, yesterday I wanted to buy some music off of the iTunes store, despite the DRMs. I still had about 40 song credits on there. I discovered that my credits have simply disappeared, expired they said. That was money already paid to them, in the form of a gift certificate. They call it expired and I call it theft.
Click to expand...

What the heck are you talking about???? Song credits???? iTunes does not use "SONG credits". You put money in your iTunes account. That is money, not credits and they don't expire???? In 3 years of having an account, I've never had any just disappear.

Besides... I think we all need to be clear... Apple did not institute DRM for themselves. They did it so the record labels felt secure with selling on-line! Also, as much as we all love Apple for their products, they are in business to ultimately make money. Otherwise, there would be no Apple or no investments in new developments like the iPhone or other cool products if they weren't profitable. Every company wants to make money and it does not make them evil by doing so.

UGH! I wish some people could get beyond wanting everything for nothing.
 
Resolution clear up

There is no reason to bitch about the 640x480 resolution and here is why:

NTSC 601 video is non-square pixels, which for a full D1 frame is 720x486. Before this became the norm for video editing systems, many systems captured at 640x480 square pixels, which is what computer displays are based upon.

So, NTSC 601 = non-square, Computers = square.

The Media100 (v4.5 ancient now) I used to edit with used this square pixel format and I can honestly tell you it looked better than DV25 video which is 720x480 non-square.

Basically all they are doing is converting the non-square format to square format so it looks right on your computer display; which believe it or not, most people want.

If you have ever looked at a non-square pixel format file opened up in Quicktime, you can tell that it looks stretched horizontally, which is correct since computers use square pixels. All modern editing systems correct for this in the main program window.

-mark
 
Popeye206 said:
What the heck are you talking about???? Song credits???? iTunes does not use "SONG credits". You put money in your iTunes account. That is money, not credits and they don't expire???? In 3 years of having an account, I've never had any just disappear.

Besides... I think we all need to be clear... Apple did not institute DRM for themselves. They did it so the record labels felt secure with selling on-line! Also, as much as we all love Apple for their products, they are in business to ultimately make money. Otherwise, there would be no Apple or no investments in new developments like the iPhone or other cool products if they weren't profitable. Every company wants to make money and it does not make them evil by doing so.

UGH! I wish some people could get beyond wanting everything for nothing.
Click to expand...

Everything for nothing? What are *you* talking about. I had to buy a whole album despite the fact that I had 50 song credits already paid to them. Song credits is the term that they keep using in their emails to me. I've been giving my money to computer companies for the past 20 years and I've got 600 DVDs here in my living room and too many CDs to count. But I don't like my money to be stolen by an arrogant corporation that has no respect for their customers.

My songs were obtained through a 50 song gift certificate, which I added to my account. Do you think I'm making this up? Quit with the cult thing already. I have a whole trail of emails from them telling me that my song credits have "expired". After I complained enough they felt "generous" and just gave me *5* credits back.
 
LeChuck said:
Everything for nothing? What are *you* talking about. I had to buy a whole album despite the fact that I had 50 song credits already paid to them. Song credits is the term that they keep using in their emails to me. I've been giving my money to computer companies for the past 20 years and I've got 600 DVDs here in my living room and too many CDs to count. But I don't like my money to be stolen by an arrogant corporation that has no respect for their customers.

My songs were obtained through a 50 song gift certificate, which I added to my account. Do you think I'm making this up? Quit with the cult thing already. I have a whole trail of emails from them telling me that my song credits have "expired". After I complained enough they felt "generous" and just gave me *5* credits back.
Click to expand...

All their current cards are in dollars - maybe someone got a card for free songs from some other purchase (everyone seems to be giving itms songs away these days) and regifted? Cards like that often have expiration dates, and it does suck, but you can't just let that stuff sit, or someone would probably try to sue apple for interest.
 
30 days for $2.99? What? What do I need a movie for 30 days for? Try 1 week for $0.99 or even $1.50 and it takes a day to download and I'm fine. No streaming nonsense. Because then I can get two movies in two weeks, instead of one for a month.

It'll be nice to get dvd ripping in iTunes but I'm no fan of the DRM so I won't do that either.

Step forward I suppose. Maybe then unbox and other programs will start working with Macs too.
 
Thataboy said:
If you can get 3 at a time Netflix for $17 or whatever it is these days... and you can probably get 20-30 DVDs a month if you're not throttled and you do a quick turnaround. So we are talking DVD-quality rentals for 60 or 70 cents.
Click to expand...

Netflix was great when it started, but the new releases take weeks to get and even longer in HD. Apple could destroy (or buy) Netflix with a great download service.
 
ph0rk said:
All their current cards are in dollars - maybe someone got a card for free songs from some other purchase (everyone seems to be giving itms songs away these days) and regifted? Cards like that often have expiration dates, and it does suck, but you can't just let that stuff sit, or someone would probably try to sue apple for interest.
Click to expand...

Not at all. It was a gift certificate for 50 songs purchased by my employer and given to me the previous Christmas. It is purchased from Apple and mailed as a letter with a number on it that you redeem and add to your account. It was not a dollar amount, and not a regift. I can tell you the support people either know nothing or are instructed to pretend that they are stupid. A discussion with them can go nowhere. There is absolutely no reason that an amount of money that has been paid to them to purchase song credits (or whatever they want to call that stuff) should expire, but mine did. It's not even an issue with a certificate or a card expiring. The credits *were* added to my account within a reasonable time frame and I even used a few of them to buy songs back in October. The remaining credits were showing up on the little username button in iTunes.
 
Price Point Price Point!

Guys its going to boil down to one thing. Price Point. I love Apple products as much as anyone else, but I refuse to pay the premium for content for said devices.

.99 a song is still too much considering you can buy the full album, artwork, and media and share it with ANYONE in the world for $10.00 now or LEGALLY importing them for much less elsewhere.

at .99 it would cost me over 13 for a digital limited download of the same music, and Im locked into playing it on limted devices.

I love the itunes TV show idea right now, but I never bought one yet why? Cost Im not paying that much for a single episode or movie. Buying a few movies can easily cost me more than my cable bill does with unlimted shows and I can record them myself.

If Apple wants to create a major BOMB in the movie/Tv/Music industry than just create a membership plan. 9.99 or 14.99 a month for Unlimited rentals (make the shows last 3 days after download) Make them compatible with all Apple Products, IMAC, IPHON, IPODS, ITV and split the revenue with the creators. Win/Win we buy more apple products at crazy markups, you have a steady stream of income from users on a monthly basis, and You attract more studios to your one stop shopping Itunes platform..

Stop nickel and diming us, give us a FLAT RATE RENTAL PROGRAM like NETFLIX, OR Blockbuster etc.. and my entertainment sole will belong to apple.
 
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