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what ight be a better idea is not to release major movies(ala xmen 3 for fox or superman returns for wb) untl the holiday season is over, but allow iTunes users to buy older movies a year old/classics and hope someone wants them
 
slidingjon said:
If iTunes can become the #5 retailer of audio music (proposed for 1st quarter 2007), then why don't the movie distributors see this as a potential avenue for success?

Because Numbers 1 and 2 (walmart and target) are threatening to stop carrying the studio's dvds in their stores. Which would you rather sell you product at? 1 and 2? or just 5?

But they'll come around, wal mart and target will not stop selling DVDs. I hope.
 
DVD resolution is 720x480 right? itunes movies are 640x480?

Why don't they just make the damn movies 720x480 so they can say that they're "DVD Quality Movies" instead of "Near DVD Quality"

Most people, who don't know dvd and itunes resolution or dont even know what resolution IS, are turned off by "Near DVD Quality"

They could have a seperate download for 4:3 resolution for the iPod, or just play the 720x480 aspect ratio on the ipod with letterbox, it's not like anyone watches movies on their damn ipods anyway (yet...)
 
The Toon Master said:
what ight be a better idea is not to release major movies(ala xmen 3 for fox or superman returns for wb) untl the holiday season is over, but allow iTunes users to buy older movies a year old/classics and hope someone wants them

except by that time anyone who wants xmen 3 or superman returns will have already bought it on DVD. the itunes movies need to be available the same time as the DVDs if they're to be successful at all.
 
Donz0r said:
except by that time anyone who wants xmen 3 or superman returns will have already bought it on DVD. the itunes movies need to be available the same time as the DVDs if they're to be successful at all.

not neccessary

The top 5 movies currently has The Waterboy(1998) and 10 things i Hate Abotu you(1999). But thruthfuly, fo al lwe know it could be pretty bad, but its still outselling plenty of newer movies like Hitchiker's Guide To Galaxy and etc. and rmemebe,r i only said that for the holiday season, when most people will buy the movies. Maybe they could do special pre sale offers or soemthing, but release them mainly after xmas.

Personally, i think people buy the iTunes movies for the convience and lower price, and if they really dontwant special features(which is silly i think). I really dont think at the moment iTunes is having a HUMONGOUS effect on the dvd business, but it is still worrying target and wa mart, which is not suprising.
 
iTunes for "The Fast and the Furious"

As previously mentioned, those that want all the special features and what not will get the DVD (or rent it or wutever). Those that want to grap the flick now and hey burn it to a DVD (for their use only of course), can do that through iTunes.

I'm the latter type. I don't care for all the special features, just let me watch the film, straight through, I don't need director commentary and all that jazz (although SOMETIMES the deleted scenes are nice). But heck ya, I'd buy the Matrix, Enemy of the State, etc. once they become available on iTunes.

Why do i go on for two paragraphs? There’s a point. There are two VERY different (probably more if you break it down far enough) viewer types. Those who want the special features and those who just want to watch the film, ok, maybe sub-groups would be DVD-quality people and people who just want to watch something.

I fall into the non-special features, just gimme something to watch thats not pixilated. So I'll probably buy from iTunes. Walmart (and Target) NEVER got my business in the first place, they can't miss what they never had.

Those that buy from Walmart and Target will continue to buy from those respective stores. Those that have bought from iTunes (those that don't need the CD/DVD, wutever), will continue to buy from iTunes.

E.g., the stores concerns are completely irrelavent.
 
Donz0r said:
Because Numbers 1 and 2 (walmart and target) are threatening to stop carrying the studio's dvds in their stores. Which would you rather sell you product at? 1 and 2? or just 5?

But they'll come around, wal mart and target will not stop selling DVDs. I hope.

Trust me, they won't stop selling DVDs. Completely different crowd buying from iTunes than that is buying from Walmart/Target.

Studios are gonna have to realize this (or they are just plain dumb).

AND IF (WOW, BIG IF), Walmart and Target pull the DVDs it would only be for a short time, a) studios will work out a deal b) sales at those stores would plummet.
 
New Line Cinema hopefully?

It would be very cool to see The Lord of the Rings trilogy on iTunes.:)

Of course, I already have them all, so it would be much use to me.
 
Oblivious said:
New Line Cinema hopefully?

It would be very cool to see The Lord of the Rings trilogy on iTunes.:)

Of course, I already have them all, so it would be much use to me.

New Line is owned by Time Warner.
 
Macrumors said:
Munster does not believe any studios will sign on before Christmas as this may disturb retail DVD sales.

Did anyone else read that and imagine Darth Vader sitting in the Wal-Mart boardroom saying "I'm sending a great disturbance in the Force..."
 
actaully it makes sense That its Fox Cause ive been hearing that George Lucas is intresting in working with itunes to put starwars content on it so who knows
 
bdj21ya said:
No, but with the cost of the designers, printing, materials, packaging, shipping, storage, and all the employees along the way, the cost is at least a few bucks per DVD.
Yes it costs money, no it's not significant compared to the costs of making the content that goes on the DVD, no Hollywood bean counters don't care how small the savings are as they pinch pennies anywhere they can.

Let's look at X-men: The Last Stand as an example. Production and marketing costs were probably $350mil combined. Poking around at DVD replicators on the internet I can get 1000 DVDs (cases, art work, etc.,) made up for about $1.70 each. So assuming the rate doesn't go down as the DVD count goes up (which it would) and also assuming that Fox wouldn't get a preferred rate (which they would) if Fox wanted 1 million copies of new X-men movie on DVD (I really have no idea how many DVDs are in a typical run for a big budget movie) that would only cost them 1.7 million dollars+tax so lets round up to 2mil. 2mil is a drop in the bucket compared the 350mil already spent on the film.

The cost of the designer is pretty much a non-issuse 'cause you are gonna have other graphic arts needs (movie poster, promo materials, etc.,) so you are still gonna need one even if you don't release the movie on DVD.


Donz0r said:
DVD resolution is 720x480 right? itunes movies are 640x480?

Why don't they just make the damn movies 720x480 so they can say that they're "DVD Quality Movies" instead of "Near DVD Quality"

Most people, who don't know dvd and itunes resolution or dont even know what resolution IS, are turned off by "Near DVD Quality"

They could have a seperate download for 4:3 resolution for the iPod, or just play the 720x480 aspect ratio on the ipod with letterbox, it's not like anyone watches movies on their damn ipods anyway (yet...)
The dimensions of the image are only part of the equation. The data rate and the type of compression used play a bigger part in terms of quality. For example, a DVD w/a constant bit rate of 2Mbit/s will look much worse than a DVD w/a constant bit rate of 8Mbit/s even though they are both 720x480 and both use the same MPEG-2 compression.


I agree w/the people saying that downloads won't replace traditional sales any time soon, but just augment them. The studios don't really care as long as they can profit from it, but the B&M retailers (obviously) care 'cause it threatens their business model.


Lethal
 
macfan881 said:
Hope that its WB and its Fox
Or NewLine and Fox.
Having LOTR and Star Wars would definatly boost sales for the movie store....
but I don't see it happening anytime soon.
 
Donz0r said:
DVD resolution is 720x480 right? itunes movies are 640x480?

Why don't they just make the damn movies 720x480 so they can say that they're "DVD Quality Movies" instead of "Near DVD Quality"

Most people, who don't know dvd and itunes resolution or dont even know what resolution IS, are turned off by "Near DVD Quality"

They could have a seperate download for 4:3 resolution for the iPod, or just play the 720x480 aspect ratio on the ipod with letterbox, it's not like anyone watches movies on their damn ipods anyway (yet...)

640x480 makes more sense for a digital download that is meant to be watched on a computer screen or an iPod, as these have square pixels. TVs on the other hand have retangular pixels and hence the 720x486 resolution of DVDs. The iTV, however, kinda nullifies this though.
 
Donz0r said:
Because Numbers 1 and 2 (walmart and target) are threatening to stop carrying the studio's dvds in their stores. Which would you rather sell you product at? 1 and 2? or just 5?

But they'll come around, wal mart and target will not stop selling DVDs. I hope.


WalMart and Target need to use logic. Most people will prefer to have a hard copy of the DVD for the collection. I for one like the idea of downloads, but hey, when I can buy the original, use ripping software, and then keep the original or sell it, why buy just the download?
 
edcrosay said:
Or NewLine and Fox.
Having LOTR and Star Wars would definatly boost sales for the movie store....
but I don't see it happening anytime soon.
A boost for sales would be to have the movie store available in the Canadian iTunes store. It also friggin' sucks being completely left out of the whole thing. TV shows too.
 
I don't really see someone sitting there holding their iPod for 3 and a half hours to watch Lord of the Rings... but that's just me.
 
Physical DVD's will have the commentary, deleted sceens, cast interviews, the 'making of', the gallery and other 'special features'

The download will just be the movie

There is the differentiation - and many consumers, myself included at this point, would continue to buy the physical dvd

And unlike music I think there is more attraction to a physical product for DVD's
 
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