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Warner Brothers Debuts App-Based Movie Purchases

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Apr 12, 2001
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Warner Brothers today announced the launch of "App Editions" of its feature films, providing the titles as App Store apps that offer downloadable and streaming versions of the films along with an array of expanded content. The program, which launches today with the release of Inception [App Store] and The Dark Knight [App Store], offers the apps as free downloads with full access to the films and special features available via in-app purchase.
App Editions provide a fully-loaded, connected viewing experience that gives consumers the first five minutes of a feature film and a portion of bonus content that can include games, trivia, soundtracks and soundboards. The entire feature film can be unlocked via an in-app purchase, which enables downloading and unlimited streaming, as well as access to the entire array of bonus content available within the App.
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Inception is currently available for an in-app purchase price of $11.99, while The Dark Knight checks in at $9.99.

Beyond the bonus features and flexible delivery options, Warner Brothers touts the new App Editions as a means to offer video to iOS device owners in countries where Apple does not yet offer iTunes Movie Stores.

The apps, which are packaged as universal apps for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, offer subtitles in a host of languages, as well as a social component that can allow users to interact via Facebook and Twitter. Warner Brothers is planning a host of App Edition releases throughout the year, including both new and back-catalog movies.

Article Link: Warner Brothers Debuts App-Based Movie Purchases
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/02/16/warner-brothers-debuts-app-based-movie-purchases/
Yuck. The last thing I want is an "app" whose sole purpose is to watch a single movie.
 
Torn on this one. While I think it's good for people outside the US iTunes store to get access to certain media, and bonus content and first 5 minutes movie preview is a good thing. 11.99 for Inception or 9.99 for The Dark Knight? I can buy the single disk blu-ray of Inception for $10 on Amazon...and I get $5 Amazon Video on Demand credit...

Good idea for people who don't already have access to legal streaming/digital movies, but way overpriced.
 
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The app looks cool, but I'm not sure I like the idea of having my movie collection as a series of apps. I think they need to consolidate all movies into a single app, or push Apple to improve their movie playing app to be as full-featured.
 
Cheaper than buying it straight from iTunes, and it doesn't take up local storage space.

I like this, I'm trying to replace all my physical optical media with digital media. I hate clutter!
 
Quite like the idea

For me, I quite like the idea. Apps can be redownloaded to any iOS device for free, etc. Unlike bought movies that you have to back up manually. This essentially means you don't have to worry about backing up the movie.

(Although, do in-app purchases also allow for redownloading?)
 
dona83 said:
I like this, I'm trying to replace all my physical optical media with digital media. I hate clutter!
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I prefer digital content also but ultimately your just trading physical clutter for digital clutter. Digital clutter is easier to manage though.
 
I don't think this is as big a problem as "single-book" apps are for sorting out.

You could theoretically have thousands of books on an iOS device. How many movies can you really expect to have, though, given their size?

I generally only have 3-5, at the most. Even if you're ONLY putting movies on your iPad you can only fit about 30 on there. But honestly, I'd think people will mostly have fewer than 6 at any one time before they have to clear up space.

That's well within reason for sorting by folder.

I guess the streaming feature lends itself to more, but still, I don't forsee people buying 100 movies and keeping them all on their phone. Once I watch a movie 3 or 4 times I'm probably gonna take it off my phone and leave it on the computer no matter what format or size it is.
 
macbwizard said:
Yuck. The last thing I want is an "app" whose sole purpose is to watch a single movie.
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+1

How hard would it have been for Warner Brothers to just release a Warner Bros app that allows you to download content from a variety of movies? This kind of nonsense is exactly why Apple put all that restrictive information in the terms for developers yesterday. Hopefully Apple stands true to their word and stop this "an app for every piece of content" garbage whose sole purpose is to have WB dominate the top lists for apps.
 
macbwizard said:
Yuck. The last thing I want is an "app" whose sole purpose is to watch a single movie.
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AMEN!

thejadedmonkey said:
A bit of a slap in the face to iTunes (not-app store) distribution, isn't it?
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shartypants said:
The app looks cool, but I'm not sure I like the idea of having my movie collection as a series of apps. I think they need to consolidate all movies into a single app, or push Apple to improve their movie playing app to be as full-featured.
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Doesn't this go directly against what Apple just said yesterday...

"Other notable additions to the review guidelines include language directing developers to submit apps that are simply songs, movies, or books to the iTunes Store or iBookstore rather than to the the App Store"

Did I miss something? :confused:

This is a mess! This should all be iTunes Extras content not Apps! Apple needs to update the new Apple TV and all iOS devices to support iTunes Extras and these types of features. The digital movie situation is just a pathetic mess of a situation! :rolleyes:
 
macbwizard said:
Yuck. The last thing I want is an "app" whose sole purpose is to watch a single movie.
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I agree. It would have made much more sense to make this more like a Warner Brothers Library app that you can use to purchase/download all movies they choose to make available as in-app purchases.

Of course, you would have to make a web account to keep a receipt of your purchases and make them available for downloading again, so you don't have to keep them all stored on your device.

Obvious, no?
 
A MacRumors story yesterday "Apple Updates iOS App Store Review Guidelines.." mentions this:

Other notable additions to the review guidelines include language directing developers to submit apps that are simply songs, movies, or books to the iTunes Store or iBookstore rather than to the the App Store, and prohibition of arbitrary geographic or carrier restrictions on who may use a given app.

Wouldn't this WB App fall under these guidelines? Or because of the "extra content" do they get to escape this? Will Apple let this continue?
 
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