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MacinDoc said:
I realize that, but there are more major studios that are not on that list owned by Disney than there are on the list. But maybe it will work out like the TV downloads have, as some have suggested, starting with just a few and adding more. The problem is, Apple does not currently dominate that market; there are other players right now that are equally strong with their video download services. It seems that the market seems to favor having a dominant player, like Windows for OS and iTMS for music downloads. This could leave the door open for Microsoft to dominate this market if Apple doesn't ramp up its selection quickly.

The iTMS had competition when it started, and it still does... if apple makes it easy and cheap to do movies, like they did with music the will give their competitors a run for their money... also remember, when the iTMS started it didnt have anything else of offer, now its got a lot of music, videos, podcasts and and and... resulting in a lot of content, the movie library can start out small and grow.
 
Dream a Little Dream

I really don't care anymore...tomorrow will probably follow a familiar formula - some disappointments, some bullseyes.

This is what I want after seeing the infamous "cube with a handle" patent that surfaced earlier this week:

A projector, similar to (http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/07/epson-announces-emp-twd3-projector-with-built-in-dvd-player/) large capacity HDD, WIFI, Bluetooth, and maybe a media-only version of OSX. In fact, maybe just Front Row. One could transfer movies downloaded (or created in iMovie) to the projector's HDD to then be projected to a wall or screen. Better yet, with DSL or Cable hooked up directly, one could download directly to the HDD. DVR? Additional Combo drive? Built in speakers (perhaps a couple from the Hi-FI) would provide sound should you choose not to use the optical audio out. Firewire 400/800. HDMI I/O The kicker? A protective sheath and handle like in the patent picture that would allow the owner to take the relatively compact projector to other places. The addition of WiFi would allow future Apple wireless products to recognize and stream to the projector. Who wants to crowd around an iPod to look at a clip on a 2.5" display anyway?

Wow. All this speculation has gone to my head. Time for bed.
 

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Chundles said:
G'Day Tangles, welcome to the boards. You're right though, US$20 is a lot of money compared to DVD prices.

Oh I hope you get the Tangles reference, otherwise I've just made a goose of myself.

I got it Chundles, but maybe his name really is Max Walker? ;)

If it's true that the USD20 includes portable-compatible files, then it's slightly more attractive (at least to the less tech-savvy). It's also 100 per cent legal too.

But they really have to consider opening the pricing structure up to rentals at some stage, movies and music really are two different things, and unless the sale prices are really competitive (these aren't) then there's no incentive for buying/renting patterns to change.
 
smokingtrout said:
I really don't care anymore...tomorrow will probably follow a familiar formula - some disappointments, some bullseyes.

This is what I want after seeing the infamous "cube with a handle" patent that surfaced earlier this week:


That's just a continuation of the old cube patents - keeps anyone from copying Apple. The old cube had a handle too you know.
 
What if there's another angle here?

I had a thought about what would drive people to purchase movies from Apple in droves and totally fsck the other studios, making them BEG the Steve to let them play in his sandbox:

Disney allows Apple to release movies BEFORE they are released on DVD, similar to what they have done a couple of time with music tracks. Imagine being able to have a copy of the recent Pirates movies a week or two before it can be bought with packaging. If the quality were good enough, people would probably be willing to forgo the packaging itself and pay an "early-adopter" fee of $14.99 just for the bragging rights. The media would be all over this and it would be seen as yet another Apple coup in Hollywood. After all, Walmart and Blockbuster would join Ballmer in throwing chairs because of the money they would start losing when people didn't buy or rent DVDs from them and they couldn't do anything about it for a couple of weeks. "Hey Walmart! Wanna play dirty? I'll show you dirty..."

I'll bet Steve has some other plan like this or similar in mind so this doesn't come off looking weak and like he lost against the studios.
 
smokingtrout said:
I really don't care anymore...tomorrow will probably follow a familiar formula - some disappointments, some bullseyes.

This is what I want after seeing the infamous "cube with a handle" patent that surfaced earlier this week:

Apple already did that design. It's called the Apple G4 Cube.

http://www.apple-history.com/?page=gallery&model=g4cube
 

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MacinDoc said:
If it's just Disney, then there's not much point. The reason iTMS succeeded from the start was that it was simple and it had the largest library from which you could purchase single songs.

The iTMS didn't start with the largest library or all the record labels on board.* Having Disney also means the studios it owns, like Miramax.* There will be a healthy selection of films for a first start.
 
Bloomberg weighs in:


Sept. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Computer Inc. today may begin selling full-length Walt Disney Co. films online and introduce a new iPod on which to play them.

Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs will say at a meeting in San Francisco that Apple's iTunes store is adding downloadable Disney movies to its music and television shows, said three officials familiar with the plan. Jobs also may introduce an iPod with a larger screen and more memory to accommodate movies, said analysts including Eugene Munster of Piper Jaffray & Cos.


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a7MNkU.36h8k&refer=news
 
I'm waiting to be disappointed. I realized that the anonymously submitted schedule of events could very well turn out to be true, in which case I'm not too miffed that I'll be missing live coverage of the event.

Here're my reservations:

- iTunes should be strictly music. iTube or iFilm or iMovies or iVideo or Apple Movie Store should be a separate application; or else name it iMedia and completely rethink the interface. I find that since the addition of video podcasts and TV shows, iTunes is getting really difficult to keep tidy and organized, even with features like smart playlists and a 20" screen. It looks like a big, sloppy mass of text.

- The price should be $11.99 - 9.99 for new movies, $9.99 - 7.99 for older ones, and an iPod version should be thrown in with the full-quality feature. Any more than that and I'll just buy and rip the DVD or, more likely, just download it elsewhere. This pricing structure is not going to happen, I know, and so I'm already less than thrilled.

- The wireless Mac-to-TV bridge has to be really cool and effortlessly simple (and PC compatible too). This proposed "TubePort" USB dongle sounds like the most likely solution for a cross-platform device, but I'm hoping that the AirPort in all its various incarnations (Express, Extreme) will get a revamp and allow for video streaming somehow.

- A true video iPod needs to come soon. As in, before Christmas. And I really don't think we're going to see it today.

We'll see how it goes, of course, but I don't know if the event will live up to the hype. That seems to be Apple's nagging problem lately.
 
I know...I know

arn said:
Apple already did that design. It's called the Apple G4 Cube.

http://www.apple-history.com/?page=gallery&model=g4cube


Arn,

Yes, Apple did "do" that design, and it was a thing of beauty. But my stupid idea would be a projector in the same form factor. Add in the latest and greatest I/O, Superdrive, and HiFi speakers tastefully added to either side (or maybe the bottom) and you have a truly portable, hi-def media sharing device.

After lugging around an older Hitachi projector and my PowerBook to share slideshows and the like, I'd use something like this!
 
New accessories:-
Tube "skins" for the 5G iPod, with a lanyard-similar price to nano's tubes
Lanyard headphones for 5G/6th gen
IR receiver, ready for Leopard-customizable programming,like a universal remote. Same remote as iMac's
Sports kit/travel for 6th Gen
User video sharing features-upload to YouTube or a new iTMS section for used created, original vodcasts/videos
BBC TV shows on the UK store-perhaps Seven or Ten (Nine Network is MS centric), here in Australia
iPod shuffle discontinued entirely
 
So what do people think the resolution will be, for the movies? They better be more than the current tv shows and videos.

And honestly, I'd be upset if they only had higher resolution for movies, without upgrading the tv shows' as well.

EDIT: also, anyone notice the convenient home release date of disney's The Wild, as tomorrow? I would be tempted to check the quality out with a CG flick, especially one I haven't seen, that coincidentally stars the vocal talent of Eddie Izzard.
 
The whole Movie Store (iFlicks/iMovies, what have you) idea is too similar to the iTune's introduction, with the iPod, and those third-party music download sites that popped up everywhere all because of the "music store idea". Already, Amazon.com has a movie store, and I'm sure there are more to come/already out, but what these businesses are forgetting is that the reason iTunes was/and still is so successful was almost entirely because of the iPod, and its ultimate ease of accessibility with iTunes. Of course Movies are alot different than Music, but if Apple releases a movie-based (widescreen, easy upload, etc) iPod that has the same user-friendliness as it relatively did/does with music, these third-party "Movie Stores" are going to follow the same path of every attempted third-party music-download site to "over-do" iTunes, insofar that those businesses don't charge significantly less than Apple does. In all, Apple WILL release its Movie-ample iPod with the Movie Store or subsequently and immediately after the Movie Store opens, since there is every reason TO do so.
 
gotta agree ron.

It makes sense, however, just to be devil's advocate, I think the pricepoint issue is very valid to some people, and no matter how easy it is to take a widescreen ipod on the plane, they might not think its worthwhile if they can only watch one movie between charges, and the movies (on a smaller screen) might not be worth 10-15 bucks.

Again, I see the validity, just taking the (valid) stance of the opposition.
 
Start Times

From engadget (as i couldn't be bothered to look them up myself :p)

7:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
11:00AM - Mountain
12:00PM - Central
1:00PM - Eastern
5:00PM - GMT
6:00PM - London
7:00PM - Paris
2:00AM - Tokyo (September 13th)

i think the same question about start times across the world is gonna be asked a LOT today! maybe someone needs to put this in a more visible position?
 
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