digg

Join DiggAbout

Discover the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.

See the original image at ilounge.com

Apple Enables Movie Purchasing on Apple TV

ilounge.com — Apple has quietly updated the Apple TV ’s movie browsing and renting system to allow for the purchase of movies directly from the device. In addition to the ability to purchase films, a “Top Sellers” category, showing the current most popular movie purchases, has been added to the top of the “Top Movies” menu.

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • BrettFromTibet, on 05/02/2008, -9/+20I'm not a fan ofiTunes due to various DRMs and device lockins, but I have to hand it to them for trying hard to be innovative and revolutionizing media distribution.
    • davidlow, on 05/03/2008, -0/+6I AM a fan of iTunes due to their campaigns to get the music labels to drop DRM, but so far only EMI allows their music catalog to be sold DRM-free on iTunes. On the other hand, I don't see how Apple can expect to sell many movies for $15 each without a box. Hard drive space is cheap, but a personal movie library of 200 flicks will take up a whole terabyte, not to mention the backup space you'd need.
  • jordankasteler, on 05/02/2008, -10/+18Yes, Apple isn't perfect but certainly paving new roads in the world of media and their success is widely recognized. I'm looking to get Apple TV this summer.
  • dgblackout, on 05/02/2008, -9/+6they didn't do that already?
    • StanislawLem, on 05/02/2008, -0/+5No, that was rentals. This was pretty much expected to be the next step, though.
    • sancho, on 05/02/2008, -2/+5Apple has never allowed for the purchases of movies. They allow you to give them money in exchange for the right to watch the movies for an indefinite period of time.

      Please stop saying that you buy digital downloads. If it's DRM-encumbered, it's not a purchase.
      • KSUdesigner, on 05/02/2008, -3/+3If I own an Apple TV, a Mac (or PC) and an iPod then Apple's DRM doesn't make a bit of difference to me. I understand and agree with your argument, but for many people DRM is a non-issue.
      • mCanada, on 05/02/2008, -0/+4Apparently the people who are digging you down don't know what's happening with MS and "play's for sure" DRM.....
      • SouthsideIrish, on 05/02/2008, -4/+3Apple is not M$. If Apple did what M$ did, the company would be dead. Steve Jobs would sooner put a gun to the head of studio executives than turn off the Fair Play servers. He has way more to lose, like the company.
        • Tenlow, on 05/02/2008, -1/+3That's what you think. I find it harder to believe, just because apple is in fact a large corporation and if they can force their dedicated userbase to repurchase downloaded content every few years, then that's pure profit. Just because it's a bad idea doesn't mean they won't try it. Especially if it works for Microsoft.
  • mweflen, on 05/02/2008, -16/+10YAWN. No HD + No backups = NO CARE.
  • psychotron, on 05/02/2008, -3/+5How is the quality of these movies? Would they look good (DVD quality) on a 40" HDTV?
    • yikiad, on 05/02/2008, -1/+12it's like watching an upscaled dvd. it's good, but nothing like blu ray. i'm very happy, because we have a 10 ear old who could watch movies like shark tale 10 times. beats the hell out of renting for $4.
    • Urkel, on 05/02/2008, -2/+6To Apple fans then the quality is "near blu-ray".
      To Regular Consumers then the quality is "A little above DVD. Unless it's dark or there's action. Then it's a bit grainy"

      I have an AppleTV and I absolutely love it because it's an easy way to have those frequently watched TV Shows or Movies nearby. But I don't think I'd ever buy or rent a movie at their prices.
      • Drizzit, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1I am more peeved that download speeds suck on my 15mbit/15mbit connection. HD takes forever and SD takes slightly less time. While songs will still download practically instantly while the movie is downloading.
  • deaftly, on 05/02/2008, -18/+27$14.99 to download a movie? ***** off Apple. Better off just buying the actual DVD.
    • Urkel, on 05/02/2008, -0/+5What ever happened to that thing where they would give us an iTunes version of a movie when you buy a DVD. They did it for that Family Guy DVD but then you never heard about it again.
      • jh32488, on 05/03/2008, -0/+2i know juno also has a digital copy but i dont know of any others
    • SouthsideIrish, on 05/02/2008, -1/+4Studios have to do it. Apple just can't start selling stuff, or giving it away.
    • znicket, on 05/03/2008, -2/+1If you are bothered to go out and physically purchasing a DVD... good for you.
      I would appreciate the convenience of not having to leave the house to get the movie I want at that moment.
  • jgambleii, on 05/02/2008, -4/+10They should let you burn your movies to a DVD...
  • SSCrow, on 05/02/2008, -5/+3Whats to stop me from using a Capture Card to grab these movies let alone Torrenting them?
    • scstraus, on 05/02/2008, -1/+3Having a life in the case of capture cards. I would hope.
    • KSUdesigner, on 05/02/2008, -2/+5Who's forcing you to use iTunes?
  • psychotron, on 05/02/2008, -9/+38How do you justify a $14.99 price point for a downloadable movie with no extras? When you buy a physical DVD you have to factor all the manufacturing, the plastic, the art work, the transportation, hell, even the marketing. With this, about the only cost is bandwidth which is really cheap nowadays. No wonder the companies are so hot for it, it's pure gravy. ***** them. Downloadable movies should be at most $1.99 and not a penny more.
    • scstraus, on 05/02/2008, -10/+24Because you are Apple, and people press their mouths firmly to your ass cheeks while you defacate.
      • cleverboy, on 05/03/2008, -2/+2Actually the movie studios sell it to Apple for $16. Apple then swallows that dollar and sells it to you at $14.99. They also swallow any payment processing and bandwidth fees. You see, the studios would rather sell you DVDs. Apple is still struggling to make the case for digital movie downloads. Anyone thinking its Apple raping you on price is sadly misinformed... and a hater.
    • deadbaby, on 05/02/2008, -4/+9DVDs don't cost much to make at all. Probably about the same amount of money it costs Apple to pay for bandwidth and handle credit card processing fees. $15 is the going rate, online or offline. If you want to start a movie studio and produce $2 DVDs I'm all for it.
      • psychotron, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1They don't cost much, but they still cost substantially more than a digital copy being digitally distributed. It's just the perception of getting value for your purchase. At least with a DVD I get something tangible and of a certain quality and hopefully some extras. It's like a book, it's just nice to have the physical book and you can sense the value in it. Just a personal opinion. They'll be a success regardless, I'm sure.
        • DanMiller, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1The aim is to move into the same idea as digital music downloads. More and more people like the idea of having a digital library of media. No storage, and near instant gratification. It is the natural progression from the concept of those ridiculous 500 CD/DVD carousels. I agree, I like the physical media but many many people dont'.
    • mikedub1219, on 05/02/2008, -4/+3thats why theres bittorent
    • crazysamz, on 05/02/2008, -2/+4Well then, look at digital downloads, it started with the same exact situation, but after a while people switched to digital downloads and their sales are going through the roof compared to when CD's were dominant for music. You don't get a physical copy of the cd, or liner notes or artwork from the artists (other than the album cover). You don't get any extras thrown in such as stickers or whatever may be thrown in with the CD in the case, and many times you aren't even allowed to download bonus songs, as their album-only. DRM is a problem we had with most digital music sales, but you can get drm-free almost anywhere now. It will be the same way for video downloads, once the Movie studios and the MPAA get it through their heads that we want drm-free content, they'll do it, just like the record companies and the RIAA did for the music industry. But look at digital music sales. Video sales will follow the same path, history repeats itself.
      • psychotron, on 05/02/2008, -0/+3I understand digital downloads are a success at their current prices, I just don't understand how. It's purely a personal thing, my brain simply can't process the fact that I'm paying the same but seem to be getting less. It really doesn't compute at all.
    • KSUdesigner, on 05/02/2008, -2/+5That's exactly why I won't purchase movies on iTunes. I'm not going to pay close to the same price as a DVD and get no packaging or extras. Somebody needs to come up with a new format that will allow all of the extras to be included with a digital download, fully functional as an actual DVD would be. Until that happens I refuse to pay for movie downloads.
    • EntropyFan, on 05/02/2008, -2/+8$2.00 for a movie is as ***** as $15.
      1/2 the cost? Maybe $7.00? A bit more reasonable for all involved
      • psychotron, on 05/03/2008, -0/+2I suppose $7.00 is a fair price...but they'd have to be HD.
    • LilBoyLuver, on 05/02/2008, -0/+2Why do people digg up these socialist ***** comments. What the ***** you think that it costs $12 to burn a DVD and ship it to a store..... Oh, I know you can just download the movie off of a torrent so why would you pay it.

      Also, it is not Apple that is keeping prices up it is the studios; Apple was trying to push their $9.99/ $12.99 price but none of the studios would go for it.
      • psychotron, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1I've been called a socialist! I have finally arrived here at Digg! $2.00 movies for all!
  • scstraus, on 05/02/2008, -8/+3***** Apple TV- Enable HD rentals on my mac mini where I can support all types of video, not just the overpriced offal from the apple store.
  • homercles337, on 05/02/2008, -10/+7Apple, apple, its all fine! Welcome to Digg the macophile shrine!
    • davidwasman, on 05/02/2008, -4/+8Shrine my ass...People have been blindly dogging Apple here for months.

      I blame 4chan and the Microsoft deal Digg pulled when they dumped Google as ad provider.
  • bpeacock22, on 05/02/2008, -6/+6Welcome to yesterday.
  • davidwasman, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1They should have done this in version 1.0. Then the device would have had a much larger audience. This news will slip under the radar for those who already looked at one and bought a TIVO instead.
  • willgonz, on 05/02/2008, -12/+2If lcase$(instr(topic,"apple",1)) > 0 then digg=True
    aka Dugg!
  • diggdon, on 05/02/2008, -2/+5The savings made by renting movies is dependent upon how many people watch it when it is rented. When you go to the theater you pay, for the sake of discussion, $10 per person. A group of six would pay $60. But if the same group of six rent it, that could be a savings of about $50. This applies to renting online (eg, Apple) or renting a physical DVD (eg, Blockbuster). So anyone who talks about cost must take this factor into consideration. For a single person, renting is costly. For a group of people, it's actually quite cost effective.
  • shinelikeitdoes, on 05/02/2008, -4/+9the apple tv actually rules. before rentals were even an option i was ripping my own collection to files on an external 500gb drive specifically because i dont WANT to have physical copies. now my dvds are all boxed away and when i have company and want to watch a movie, i browse a nice on screen list..not send people to dig through a closet.

    the rentals, and now purchases are just icing.

    i dont know what morons think this is even a competetive product with tivo. thats like saying you bought a dishwasher instead of a microwave.
  • aegis9975, on 05/02/2008, -5/+9If anything Apple iTV demonstrates the fatal flaws of digital downloads:

    #1) it costs almost as much as a DVD. No box, less features, no extras, etc.
    #2) no backups; I have DVDs that are almost ten years old, the media should outlast the player (not the other way around).
    #3) you can't take/transfer your download to a friend/family's place and watch anywhere/anytime. I can take my physical media to my friends place and watch it. I also can give my old DVDs to my friends or family, or I can resell the movie to get some of my money back (and I can also buy cheap used DVDs anywhre). DRM DRM DRM!!!
    • cleverboy, on 05/03/2008, -1/+41.) Blame the studios, Apple is swallowing a $1.01 on every sale to make this happen... Not including transaction fees. If it were up to Apple, I'm sure everything would be $9.99 or lower.
      2.) No backups? Do you not know how, or are you referring to the HD content only? Believe it or not, the studios don't want you backing up you Blu-ray either. Personally I'm fine with standard def. ***** em.
      3.) The only part of that I agree with is the no resale provision. The movie industry NEVER wanted you to have any reproduction rights. You can thank DVD Jon for bursting their bubble on DVDs. But the untold story on digial DRM "no resale or transfer". That needs to change. Apple allows 5 computers and iPhones and iPods can connect to any TV you like. You do know that, right?
  • zepoldesign, on 05/02/2008, -0/+3From CNET: http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9934405-7.html?ta ...

    Apple losing money in new movie deal

    Apple drew a lot of attention when it announced that it will offer movie downloads the same day they come out on DVD, but the deal won't mean a windfall for Apple--at least initially.

    The reason for that is Apple will lose money on every sale, a source said.

    Apple announced on Thursday that it had reached an agreement with a group of film studios, including the six largest. Apple said that starting this week, iTunes customers will be able to purchase newly released movies for $14.99, while most catalog titles are $9.99.

    The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is paying the studios nearly $16 for each sale, but a source close to the negotiations told CNET News.com that Apple is paying closer to $15.50 than it is $16.

    It's not uncommon for retailers to sell a new product at a loss. The question is whether Apple will eventually boost the prices or if the company can convince the studios to take less.

    The only way a dialogue like that would even begin is if Hollywood sees boffo sales out of Apple.
  • dchaffin, on 05/02/2008, -0/+4$15 is ridiculous!
  • minmi, on 05/02/2008, -0/+3A $14.99 price to download a movie is too expensive.A rental fee is about $3.No matter how I like a DVD,I watch same one 3 times at most.
  • intellimouse, on 05/03/2008, -5/+3$329 for an Apple TV that comes with a lame 160GB drive? I bought a $399 Acer computer that came with a 2.8 Ghz 64 bit dual core processor, a 500GB hard drive, 3GB of RAM and Vista Home Premium (with Media Center). Spent a few weeks on pirate bay and now I have a nice fat library of movies to watch. Oh yeah and I can watch Hulu on my big TV now.
    • j0hnc0ry, on 05/03/2008, -3/+3What a eloquent solution, that pc must look nice sitting in your living room. Your wife/girlfriend must love that.

      • intellimouse, on 05/03/2008, -3/+2You've been to my living room? You must have known that my pc is not out in the open then. It doesn't have to be because I got a sweet 2.4Ghz wireless Gyration (wii style) remote and keyboard too. It's the most eloquent solution to be had my friend.

        Yeah that's right. Can't get that for a gay Apple TV can you? It's also got free PCI express slots so adding a $60 TV tuner was pretty easy. How much do you have to spend for a Mac with PCI slots in it? Hmm?

        Oh and guess who's playing all the killer PC games that you can't get for Apple TV on his 42" 1080p LCD TV? Yeah, that's me.

        But you go have fun with your little Apple TV mmkay?
        • znicket, on 05/03/2008, -2/+4And he deftly sidesteps the ´girlfriend´ issue.
    • Tenoq, on 05/03/2008, -3/+5Lol, Acer.
      • intellimouse, on 05/03/2008, -2/+2You said a lot there. Have you ever even tried one? You must know a lot about them then...
  • longofest, on 05/03/2008, -0/+2How is this a quiet update? Apple issued a press release about it.
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.