Comments on: Apple To Sell Movies Through iTunes–But Why Bother? http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440 Independent Tech News and Product Reviews from former VP and head of CNET.com and Longtime Computer Shopper Columnist, Alice Hill author of the popular "Hard Edge" column. Originally named AliceandBill.com. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:29:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Why Pay??? http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-63375 Tue, 12 Sep 2006 21:42:12 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-63375 Why pay $13 for one movie when you can get 4 movies a month for $12 on Netflix, transfer and watch them on your iPod? That's $3/movie. Why pay $13 for one movie when you can get 4 movies a month for $12 on Netflix, transfer and watch them on your iPod? That’s $3/movie.

]]> by: Luis http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-61345 Thu, 07 Sep 2006 20:37:03 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-61345 People seem to forget that Steve Jobs is the largest individual shareholder (about 138 Million shares) in disney who owns several media companies. He's probably getting thier content cheap. People seem to forget that Steve Jobs is the largest individual shareholder (about 138 Million shares) in disney who owns several media companies. He’s probably getting thier content cheap.

]]> by: veggiedude http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59910 Sun, 03 Sep 2006 16:47:33 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59910 Why get all worked up over speculation? Apple hasn't announced anything like what you are reporting. Several 'news sites' said it was going to be announced at the WWDC, and it didn't happen. Why get all worked up over speculation? Apple hasn’t announced anything like what you are reporting. Several ‘news sites’ said it was going to be announced at the WWDC, and it didn’t happen.

]]> by: Jim Director http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59749 Sat, 02 Sep 2006 23:41:22 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59749 No doubt SOME people will buy movies this way, but this is not at all analogous to itunes. Movies are available already in great variety, cheaply, and conveniently. Netflix is a great business model, easily adaptable to HD and Blue-Ray. Pay per view and on demand are also available for home viewing. DVDs can be watched on a laptop or portable player. (So can illegal downloads and non-commercial film.) This takes most of the portable market. This leaves a very small number of people who want to pay a very high price for an inferior product delivered in a substantially inferior way. It is one thing to watch a new or unavailable pirated film in a bad copy with bad display. It's something entirely different to pay a premium for an inferior version of a commercial product. Itunes was incredibly convenient. This is not. No doubt SOME people will buy movies this way, but this is not at all analogous to itunes. Movies are available already in great variety, cheaply, and conveniently. Netflix is a great business model, easily adaptable to HD and Blue-Ray. Pay per view and on demand are also available for home viewing. DVDs can be watched on a laptop or portable player. (So can illegal downloads and non-commercial film.) This takes most of the portable market. This leaves a very small number of people who want to pay a very high price for an inferior product delivered in a substantially inferior way. It is one thing to watch a new or unavailable pirated film in a bad copy with bad display. It’s something entirely different to pay a premium for an inferior version of a commercial product. Itunes was incredibly convenient. This is not.

]]> by: David Johnston http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59476 Fri, 01 Sep 2006 22:23:53 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59476 It's not going to be that convenient as far as I can tell. It's one thing to download a song that is a couple megabytes. However, it's another to download a multi-gigabyte movie. In that time, you could just go out to a regular store. That would actually be even more convenient from my perspective unless you don't have a car. It’s not going to be that convenient as far as I can tell. It’s one thing to download a song that is a couple megabytes. However, it’s another to download a multi-gigabyte movie. In that time, you could just go out to a regular store. That would actually be even more convenient from my perspective unless you don’t have a car.

]]> by: jbelkin http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59474 Fri, 01 Sep 2006 21:45:16 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59474 It comes down to CONVENIENCE. Clearly after 1.5 BILLION itunes tracks sold, your value versus convenience is not the same as many, many people. It is not a "ripoff." A ripoff is when you are scammed or not sold what's promised. The price is right upfront. You know exactly what you are getting and you decide if it's worth it. A bottle of Coke costs $.75 in a supermarket 6-pack, $1.25 at 7-11 and $3.75 at the Disneyland. Do you walka ll the way out the park and across the street to save $3.00? Maybe - but that's your choice. You are absolutely right in that it's not the cheapest choice but like the music tracks, EVERYTHING you buy is a compromise. A DVD is nice but it's also compressed from the original film which is really like 12,000 lines of resolution but DVD's are an acceptable compromise for now - but compared to HD/BR? Or the next format? And sure, you often get extras with a DVD but personally, I rarely watch the extras - 90% of the time, it's a director gushing over how great EVERYONE is because no one has the guts to say, "That actress is an idiot, I would never work with her again ..." The ipod/itunes movie will be what it is - a 20-minute (?) download that will sync right up your ipod (presumably a larger screen ipod is coming) so you can take it on the morning or evening commute and watch it straight away. Is it your cheapest choice? No but why even buy a DVD, why not just rent and rip it or tape it off HBO? EVERYTHING is a compromise of your persional values, costs and a tradeoff for convenience. You're not wrong to say it's not for you but you are wrong to say it shouldn't even be offered or you don't understand why anyone else would buy it. It comes down to CONVENIENCE. Clearly after 1.5 BILLION itunes tracks sold, your value versus convenience is not the same as many, many people.

It is not a “ripoff.” A ripoff is when you are scammed or not sold what’s promised. The price is right upfront. You know exactly what you are getting and you decide if it’s worth it. A bottle of Coke costs $.75 in a supermarket 6-pack, $1.25 at 7-11 and $3.75 at the Disneyland. Do you walka ll the way out the park and across the street to save $3.00? Maybe - but that’s your choice.

You are absolutely right in that it’s not the cheapest choice but like the music tracks, EVERYTHING you buy is a compromise. A DVD is nice but it’s also compressed from the original film which is really like 12,000 lines of resolution but DVD’s are an acceptable compromise for now - but compared to HD/BR? Or the next format?

And sure, you often get extras with a DVD but personally, I rarely watch the extras - 90% of the time, it’s a director gushing over how great EVERYONE is because no one has the guts to say, “That actress is an idiot, I would never work with her again …”

The ipod/itunes movie will be what it is - a 20-minute (?) download that will sync right up your ipod (presumably a larger screen ipod is coming) so you can take it on the morning or evening commute and watch it straight away.

Is it your cheapest choice? No but why even buy a DVD, why not just rent and rip it or tape it off HBO? EVERYTHING is a compromise of your persional values, costs and a tradeoff for convenience.

You’re not wrong to say it’s not for you but you are wrong to say it shouldn’t even be offered or you don’t understand why anyone else would buy it.

]]> by: Paul Johnson http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59445 Fri, 01 Sep 2006 15:46:01 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3440#comment-59445 Instant gratification. Instant gratification.

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