iTunes movie downloads to falter?
updated 11:05 am EDT, Wed June 28, 2006
iTunes movies to falter?
A new poll suggests that most internet consumers are uninterested in purchasing movies online for $9.99. Apple has been lobbying Hollywood to offer full-length movies via its iTunes Music Store, asking for fixed-rate pricing of $9.99 per movie in an effort to replicate the simple pricing structure of its musical offerings. The question posed in the iTWire online poll read: "Would you pay $9.99 for a movie download?" The response sample totaled fewer than 300 people, and while 19.4 percent of those queried answered yes, a majority of 80.6 percent said they would not pay just under $10 for a movie download. Hollywood is resisting Apple's attempts to negotiate flat-rate pricing for movie downloads. The Cupertino-based company proved victorious over record labels with music pricing on iTunes in the recent past, but movie companies must maintain relationships with cinema chains.
up to Apple
06/28, 11:17am reply
iTunes movie downloads are inevitable but how successful it will be is up to Apple. I have bought quite a few music albums and individual songs but have not purchased any videos because the resolution stinks.
Movie downloads need to be in full res or even hd and be burnable to a disk. I have a feeling Apple won't provide either. I was looking forward to Apple's Tivo competitor but it looks like their leaning more towards an iTunes pay per movie solution.
sigh
benhur
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2001
should work
06/28, 11:32am reply
I think it's safe to say that IF Apple has movies, it will NOT be low res.
At $9.99 I can't help but think that they would want it to play back on a 30" LCD and be able to make a copy onto a dvd disc.
The challenge is file size. I think Apple knows that no one will pay $9.99 for a movie that is ONLY good on iPods and low res crt's/LCD's
whackjob
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2005
I would only pay if .....
06/28, 12:40pm reply
I would only pay if .....It would be in Hi-Def at least 720p It is foolish to beleive that any one would play a 2 hour movie on an iPod. There will be premature failure on the small hard drives in an iPod. It would always be spinning even at 320x240 res. Make it Hi-Def downloadable..I'm in.
Gorloth
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2001
Maybe...
06/28, 01:32pm reply
I would consider it, if:
1. The movie was HD. 2. The movie could be converted to play on the iPod. 3. The movie could be burned to a DVD at least once. I have no interest in watching a movie on my computer.
Otherwise I will just buy the DVD.
As it is the rules for iTunes are to strict. I lost my connection to iTunes when downloading a set of songs from an iTunes FFXI gift card. None of the songs were transferred and Apple WON'T let me "redownload" them. meh
lamewing
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2004
another wasted survey
06/28, 02:27pm reply
that sample size is way too small to extract any accurate opinons of the larger population
mikelite
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2004
But there's Walmart
06/28, 04:22pm reply
We don't go to Walmart without checking out what's in their $5.50 DVD bin. Never first runs of course, but we are patient.
ChasmoeBrown
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2006
Not surprised!
06/28, 05:39pm reply
I'd only buy movies online as part of a wider service which made the Mac viable as a media centre-piece.
TV shows & sports are where it's at. I'm amazed Apple didn't cash in on the World Cup through iTMS, watching the game/highlights on the commute to work is a given! Euro ex-pats alone are a huge market!
McD
McDave
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2006