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Apple hints at video rentals through iTunes (during shareholders meeting)

appleinsider.com — Apple Inc. did not make any material announcements during its shareholders meeting on Thursday, but did hint that it will offer video rentals through iTunes at some point in the future. "Timing of this is difficult to determine, but we would expect [iTunes video rentals] sometime in 2008," said analyst Gene Munster, who attended the meeting.

Who dugg this? Made popular May 11, 2007

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  • normalkid, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15Here's why I dislike analysts... the quote that Macworld reports is this

    When a shareholder asked Jobs for high-definition video content on iTunes and asked if his Apple TV could allow him to rent movies, the CEO smiled. “One never knows,” he said cryptically.

    from this, Gene Munster says that iTunes will be coming sometime in 2008?
  • chuckpenzone, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Dude - I saw "The Incredibles" purchased over iTunes and playing on an Apple TV and it looked like it was rendered on an 8-bit Nintendo or maybe a Super Nintendo.

    I agree - work on the quality before the rentals.
  • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10"One never knows" sounds like a hint to me, at least as far as Jobs is concerned.

    And rentals would be dandy, but more importantly, WHERE'S THE HD??? The video offerings in iTunes right now aren't compelling enough to buy. I can get better quality on DVD, with full DD/DTS 5.1 surround. Offering 720p would change the equation.

    Microsoft is already offering 720p, so what's the holdup? Since when does Apple follow Microsoft's taillights?
  • Ireland, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Where's the hint?
  • KSUdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Depends on your definition of soon. I'd give all brick and mortar video rental stores 20-30 years before the internet becomes a viable means to deliver all television and movie content on-demand to the majority of the population. Video rental stores will go the way of the arcade eventually.
  • Anth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3But TiVo doesnt have a cheap HD box! While it can do 1080p and 5.1, the box is $500 + service commitment. And there is no guarantee that the box wont be a doorstop if your local cable company switches to SDV (switched digital video). TiVo says that a new open spec is being worked on, but given how long it took for the S3 to become reality (mostly due to Cablelabs taking 6mo to certify the box) I'm not holding my breath.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Gene Munster made the assumption, not that it's incorrect, but Apple did not hint at it in the meeting. Dumb story,
  • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4The lack of true 5.1 sound is also a deal-killer for me right now for iTunes video content and Apple TV. I didn't invest in a home theater system with a massive subwoofer for nothing...
  • shableep, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3i have a feeling they released the current apple TV just to kinda get a foot in the door and feel out the market.
  • McGrude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I wonder if this is in response to the success Microsoft has seen with the XBox Live Marketplace movie rentals and tv show "purchases".*

    * "purchases" because the tv shows are still tied up within the XBox / WMV DRM.

  • KSUdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3What is out of hand about a rental vs. a download? Personally I'd rather have the option to do one or the other and not just be stuck with the one option they give me.
  • geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3"Microsoft is already offering 720p, so what's the holdup? "

    Apple doesn't want to deep throat the MPAA in order to get it? They want to provide less restrictive, easier to access media to their users? Beats me.
  • Nahor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3why are you guys burying normalkid? I was there today, and what normalkid quoted is exactly what happened.
  • DagYo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3hopefully hd rentals will be possible through the appletv interface.
  • harmpitt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i didn't care much for apple either way, but the rash of recent year announcements and 'news' by this camp is making me start to think apple is stoopid. i do own one 512mb shuffle i got free for opening a bank account somewhere so don't hate on me. i was like, 'um, ok. thanks for this.' i was really aiming for a toaster or something useful.
  • shableep, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2arcades are still pretty freakin' sweet. granted, not cheap by any means. but playing those games are extra intense because if you ***** up, you're out of a dollar. and i'm gonna get my dollar's worth, damnit!

    plus, i get to meet n' hang out with real human beings in the process.
  • KSUdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They are saying 2008 though. By then if Apple wants to be serious about video content they better have gotten with the program and offered much better quality (both in picture and in sound) downloads. By 2010 high definition televisions are going to be commonplace in homes. Nobody is going to want to watch the garbage that Apple is spewing out on a high def. system. Why they didn't upgrade video download quality with the release of Apple TV is beyond me.
  • rtkrum, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I love Jobs' comment about his salary...

    One shareholder wanted to know the formula used to determine Jobs' compensation. Said Jobs: "I make a dollar a year. Fifty cents for just showing up; the other 50 cents is based on performance." The crowd cheered.
  • icematrix, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1If Apple could put together a Netflix or blockbuster-like selection, Apple-TV could go from a novelty item to a netflix/blockbuster killer.
  • MScrip, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I think this is a great idea. There are some movie I just want to see once... not own. And have them conveniently downloaded to my computer or AppleTV would be nice. If rentals come to iTunes, I can see this as the "killer app" for AppleTV.
  • gettarat, on 11/25/2008, -0/+1"One never knows" is a very Jobs-ish hint.
    http://blockbusternewreleases.org/
  • jragon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The Apple Channel is coming. It's a self-link, but it's relevant:
    http://www.wikiappletv.com/page/Welcome+to+the+Apple+Channel
  • lorductape, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1the fact that in the quote, video rentals is [video rentals] not the guy actually saying it says alot to me

    but it would still be SWEET
  • abyss478, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I'd love to see Apple storm the rental market, but there needs to be move of an incentive to WANT to rent a movie through iTunes. If it's going to cost more than renting from the local video store then it doesn't seem viable. But if you're taking into consideration the "convenience" factor, well then I'll just shut my mouth. Still, it seems like the internet is far from closing down Blockbuster any time soon.
  • slapthemonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1this would be great.
  • tektalk, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Call me crazy, but I think apple watches diggnation and is considering one of Kevin and Alex's drunken ramblings.
  • moofer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You can start watching content seconds after the download starts. That's less time than it takes you to go find a DVD on a bookshelf, open it, turn your DVD player on, and load the movie.
  • mtroute, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0It's amazing, I predicted that this would happen right after apple announced the iTV. I found it very odd that Apple would create a product that really had no value proposition to the consumer.

    http://www.troute.com/blog/2006/09/apple-itv-netflix-has-been-gutshot.html
  • xmuzik, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2this would be great if a movie from itunes store didn't take so long to download
  • johnpaul191, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1either you grossly exaggerate or the AppleTV was hooked up completely wrong. the quality is not *that* bad.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I have a feeling I'm going to be renting the ***** out of some videos (when they come out on iTunes).
  • jdaniel284, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Oh ohhh... Apple hinted at something... mmmmm... where's the vaseline?
  • ElbridgeGerry, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2"One never knows" is a very Jobs-ish hint.
  • abyss478, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@ vinaywaffles

    yeah, that would be a great business move........... not
  • refute, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2once they open movie sales or rentals to canada, i might have a reason to buy a apple tv.
  • patience, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Pirates actually rent...amazing
  • audiowizard, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Tivo has them beat with Amazon's unbox....

    http://www.amazon.com/b/?&node=16261631
    http://www.tivo.com/4.9.24.2.asp

  • AnotherCanadian, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1needs more: "One more thing..."
  • abyss478, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1@ audiowizard

    but dude, its not apple.... its gonna SUCK
  • vinaywaffles, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3That's sort of dumb...

    Apple is getting too out of hand now. They should just stick to what they have... not video rentals.. >_>

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