Hollywood Pushing for iTunes to Rent Major Films Just Weeks After They Debut in Theaters

[H3LL5P4WN]

I live in NYC. $15-20 for a regular movie is the norm. A bit less in the outer boroughs. $10 moviepass is an absolute steal here.

If by the sticks, you mean the middle of Cincinnati, sure. Tickets for Dunkirk tomorrow (Saturday) range from $6.55 (early bird) to $11.75 (adult prime time). That's for a normal screen with reserved seats in "Luxury Loungers." XD screens are $2 more. Real 3D is a few $ more on top of that. Parking is free. We do buy popcorn: $7? But we always bring in our own drinks and candy. (When they start searching bags, we will stop going.)


Married with two teenagers here. I still think $50 is absurd.


That sounds similar to Cincinnati prices.

Pricing for PVOD will be tough considering online pricing has to be uniform (at least by country), whereas physical movie theatre pricing varies so widely.

Pittsburgh isn't a huge city either, but both it and Cinci aren't exactly small town America. I can't even imagine paying double what we pay (here) for just 'regular' screenings. With gouging like that, no wonder AMC is so bent out of shape about Moviepass.

...I can't wait for my card to arrive.

 

[Nevaborn]

I love the cinema experience but always get in a cramped seat next to smelly, loud people with boundary issues.

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

This all goes back to the studios and content providers making Blu-Ray a "Bag O Hurt" as Steve Jobs said.
Paranoia will destroy ya.
Add to that that most people will not pay exorbitant fees to RENT content that they can't even replay.
I see this as another "Bag O' Hurt."
If the Studios destroy the Theater business, it will ultimately come back to bite them in the ass.

I see this as continuing proof that movie studio & record company execs are pond scum.

 

[jhfenton]

Cincinnati is hardly a "major" city. A city yes, but definitely not one of the big, expensive ones. Not everyone lives in the midwest or south. Movie prices are easily $14 - $18 on the east and west coast and that's not even counting the stupid 3D charges.

Sorry to break it to you, but Cincinnati is a tiny city compared to Chicago, NY, LA, London, etc. Those cities are much larger markets, ergo, any service like this will be targeted at those moviegoers. Anyhow, even for you (11.75 x 4 + 7) the math makes sense, assuming you have a decent TV setup. And you're doing it on the cheap with free parking (not available in big cities) and minimal food (and breaking the rules on outside food). So it doesn't work for you, fine, but don't pretend that everyone who goes to the movies does it your way.

Cincinnati is hardly a metropolis, but (like Pittsburgh) pretty much reflects the median on everything. Online services get priced for the median, not for Podunk, OK or NYC. If they PVOD rentals at $50, they will flop.

And, also like the median family, we do not have a fancy home theater system, just a 55" 4K TV and a couch. (I spent 5x as much on my bicycle as on the TV, because…priorities. )
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I love the cinema experience but always get in a cramped seat next to smelly, loud people with boundary issues.

Fortunately for us, the trend is reserved seats with gigantic, cushy (p)leather, electrically-reclining loungers. Our local theater is 100% reserved seats and loungers.

 

[macduke]

$50? No way. I live in the midwest where the cost of living is very low. I go to movies with my wife for $18-22 total, depending on the theatre. The only reason I see $50 being reasonable is if you have a sweet home theatre setup and invite a bunch of friends over. I'm planning on finishing a large unfinished section of my basement in the coming years and was thinking about getting a 4K projector and making it into an entertainment room and extra guest bedroom, so I might use this someday—especially if everyone is willing to split the price.

The other thing is that I don't often go to a movie unless it's something I really want to see, so I'll go on opening night. I can see the $30 after 4-6 weeks being a lot more popular in my household for things like kids movies which is where things start to get expensive. It would be really fun when my kids are older to have all of their friends over for newer release movie—instead of trying to meet all the parents at a theatre and chaperone everyone. I've heard that can be hell.

 

[patseguin]

I'd gladly shell out extra money to be able to watch new movies on iTunes in the comfort of my home on release day.

 

[godslabrat]

Remember when this was the exact thing Hollywood fought tooth and nail against EVER doing? Hell, remember how they had to be drug into the home video market kicking and screaming?

It's all the same to me, though. If I want to see a movie in a theater, I still will. If I don't want to do that, $20 for a Blu-Ray works fine. And if I don't want to do that, then I go to Netflix.

 

[Manzzle]

Guess I'm the only super cheap scape here. I wait till Yify release a download for free

Last time I went to the movies was when the man of steel came out.

 

[akadafni]

Despite the objections of some cinema chains, the largest Hollywood studios are considering pushing ahead with a plan to offer digital rentals of films just weeks after they appear in theaters, according to Bloomberg.

The report, citing people familiar with the matter, claims Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. remain in talks with potential distributors such as Apple and Comcast on ways to push ahead with the project even without theater chains.

A deal with Apple, which reportedly could happen as soon as early next year, means iTunes could supposedly offer major films as early as 17 days after their theatrical debut for about $50, or four to six weeks from release for $30.

That timeframe would be significantly shorter than the current average of three months between a major film's theatrical release and availability in DVD and digital formats, but it would also cost viewers more than an $8 or $9 movie ticket.

The revenue from the premium video on demand, or PVOD, product would help offset a continuing decline in DVD sales, which were down 10 percent in the first half of 2017, according to research firm The Digital Entertainment Group.

Disney, which plans to remove its movies from Netflix and launch its own streaming service by 2019, reportedly isn't interested in the PVOD talks.

Bloomberg first reported on the discussions in December, when it claimed 21st Century Fox, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. were all seeking deals with Apple to create a $25 to $50 premium movie download product.

Article Link: Hollywood Pushing for iTunes to Sell Major Films Just Weeks After They Debut in Theaters

Excuse me but Hell No! I go to the movies before 12pm on the weekends and pay $5. Plus AMC Stubbs I get $5 off on Tuesdays AND I get free advance screenings of a lot of movies. N

 

[Vanilla35]

Pirates will definitely benefit from this, now you will see full HD or 4K rips within a couple of weeks.....

There are definitely movies that are meant to be enjoyed at the theater. Take Dunkirk off the IMAX screen and audio and there isn’t much left. But most are fine watching at home in high quality

There's definitely a movie experience, that differences very greatly from home. Now if you're the type of person that is single and goes to a movie alone, just to see the movie, then the home experience is probably equivalent. Other than that, going out to the theater (while it's a case by case basis as to whether the experience is good or bad) is distinct. For a box office movie that is action packed, takes up your entire field of vision, and cannot be paused, it is going to be a separate experience to home viewing, for at least another half - to full decade.

Anyway, like someone else said here, this should be great for large families with a very nice (and large) home TV and stereo system.

To your point directly, for others, VPN's may get a boost in customers

 

[tpham5919]

Lol @ the cost. I should invite the neighbors to sweeten the "deal". Although I wonder if you have to agree to some sort of fine prints about immediate family only or $250k fine and 20 years prison term.

 

[akadafni]

Under 30? Lemme guess. She brings the big purse amirite?

Going to the movies for under $30 is possible. If you go to an early show
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I keep reading posts about $14-18 movie tickets. Where do you guys live, and why are you paying such ridiculous prices?

I think I paid $12 for an IMAX ticket, and maybe $14 for IMAX 3D. If they tried charging more than $10-11 for a regular, non-matinee ticket around here, the theater would be out of business.

Man, that $10/mo Moviepass subscription look so much sweeter now.

Agreed. Here in my area a regular ticket is like $10/IMAX i think might be $15 and Dolby (not worth it) could be like $13. I don't pay any of those. I pay $5 at the matinee. It's the same movie whether it's $5 or $15

 

[pat500000]

I can see why Netflix would offer 10 bucks monthly sub to see movies at the theaters.

 

[ceriess]

Where do I invest in VPN services???? This is going to make bit-torrents EXPLODE in popularity!!

 

[darkarn]

This won't work for most anime movies, especially in Japan as we do want the special physical goods (tokuten) that come with the ticket!

If this somehow works out, how humans get together to enjoy videos will change greatly

 

[akadafni]

I live in NYC. $15-20 for a regular movie is the norm. A bit less in the outer boroughs. $10 moviepass is an absolute steal here.

Do you get a copy of the movie to take home? $15!!!! Not paying that.

 

[KazKam]

I never understood the big deal about seeing a movie as soon as it comes out. I have over 100 movies in my library I already own that I haven't had time to watch.

If a movie comes out on BR three months after it was in theaters (not that long), I just pretend that's when it was released. Movies are just released in theaters on arbitrary dates anyway. Why do you have to see it right away?!

 

[myrtlebee]

No thanks. Movies are $6 most Tuesdays at the brand new Cinemark theater I go to. Can wait for the DVD and see it in theaters for much less than $50.

 

[Glassed Silver]

This is for brand spanking NEW releases. The cost of a physical Blu-Ray disk for those is not $50... it's infinite.
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Advice: you should save the $50 and buy some decent furniture.

I mean that in the sense that they provide more value than the mere film itself.

Of all the people I know that still go to movie theaters, very few of them if any go there just to watch the movie "in any way", MAYBE to see it earlier, but not at 50 a pop and where I live it takes at least 7 people to come out ahead with the 50 dollars offer.

Glassed Silver:win

 

[mazz0]

Unless they are also spending a shed load on food…

Well, they are Americans...

 

[krause734]

10/10 new movies are pretty rare these days. I haven't been excited about a movie or gone to the theater in years.

 

[anthonymoody]

I appreciate the effort, and I'm sure some will pay those prices, but for me it's a non-starter. Anything I'd be willing to pay that much money for is something I'd really want to see in the theater - big action block busters, sci-fi, etc. Once I've seen it in the theater, I'm okay waiting 3 months for the UHD/BR/digital pack to go on sale.

 

[tennisproha]

I'm happy with the theater to DVD timescales as they are. I just want an all you can eat subscription to the iTunes store for a reasonable price.

All this will do is encourage piracy with super-early WEB-DL's

Exactly. If they'd just renegotiate contracts to offer a subscription to iTunes, they would knock out virtually all competition from Netflix and the like.

 

[Braderunner]

I'll pay that on heartbeat - 4K first run movie - its a steal - if I take my wife and 2 kids with concessions in NY - you are looking at $100-$180

In that case, yes but pricing is all relative. My wife and I can go for under $30.

Seriously!? Living in NY is way more expensive than I thought. 180 dollars for a family of four to go to a movie with concessions?! I hope those concessions are steak dinners at least!
This price would also be a ripoff for me. I think studios put too much value on their content. Leading to more piracy.

 

[TurboPGT!]

Haha! Well that's dead in the water. $50 and $30 dollars! What a joke.

What planet are you on? The price is exactly on target. It costs me more than that to go a movie with the family, and the experience sucks compared to watching at home. I would gladly pay that.