Twentieth Century Fox & Apple introduce iTunes digital copy

[AppleInsider]

Twentieth Century Fox and Apple today announced Digital Copy for iTunes, which provides customers who purchase a DVD with an additional Digital Copy of the movie.

Just like movies purchased from the iTunes Store, an iTunes Digital Copy can effortlessly be transferred to iTunes and then viewed on a PC or Mac, iPod with video, iPhone or on Apple TV. The first DVD to make its debut with iTunes Digital Copy is the Special Edition DVD premiere of the Family Guy “Star Wars” parody, “Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest,” which is being released in stores today. Fox and Apple are planning to deliver many more DVDs with iTunes Digital Copy this year.

“One of the most requested features DVD buyers have been asking for is the ability to get the movies they bought into their iTunes library,” said Jim Gianopulos, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to offer such an incredibly simple way for our customers to get even more out of their DVD purchase, and we look forward to releasing many more DVDs this year with iTunes Digital Copy.”

The new iTunes Digital Copy provides a consumer friendly way to transfer a DVD purchase to a user’s iTunes library. Once a customer buys the DVD, they insert it into their computer, enter a unique code into iTunes and iTunes automatically copies the movie to their iTunes library within minutes. Customers own the iTunes Digital Copy of the movie and it has all of the same viewing options as other iTunes Store video content, including the ability to be viewed on a computer, iPod with video, iPhone and Apple TV.

Each DVD will only transfer its iTunes Digital Copy to one iTunes library.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[IHateScreenNames]

Hopefully the picture of the iTunes Digital Copy will be as good or better than a HandBrake rip. Otherwise, I'll still be ripping. Booo!

[Kishan]

Blue Harvest should be showing up today. I'll be sure to do a Handbrake vs. Digital Copy comparison and post it.

[jamesperih]

About time something like this came with iTunes integration -- my Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix Special Edition DVD came with a "Digital Copy" which was a painful experience to initiate and download (via the InterActual Player on, you guessed it, Windows Vista).

Maybe this'll be easier. But, as I always say, I wonder if this feature will be available in Canada... for HPOP, it was... but... hmm...

[Kishan]

The Brown Truck delivered Blue Harvest this afternoon. On insertion this is what shows up:




Unfortunately, when I double click on the icon, this is what comes up:



Perhaps whatever handshake needs to occur for this copy protection scheme is not yet up and running on the iTunes end of things?

[IHateScreenNames]

Have you updated iTunes to 7.6? Not sure if you even need to for this, just a guess...

[Kishan]

Originally Posted by IHateScreenNames

Have you updated iTunes to 7.6? Not sure if you even need to for this, just a guess...

yeah, its been updated. I guess I'll have to keep trying.

[Kishan]

Apparently I am not the only one having this problem.

http://twitter.com/cyclingplatypus

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....42236&tstart=0

[Frank777]

I'm curious about the quality of the iTunes Digital Copy (regular DVD or upscaled) and also what happens when somebody tries to load the iTDC on a second Mac.

DVDs have a way of floating out to friends and family and if you don't load the Digital Copy right away, prepare to have it borrowed permanently from you!

[CosmoNut]

I think that this feature is outstanding! Saves me from having to take the time to rip the disk AND I can legally have the movie on my devices without having to repurchase it. Awesome!

[Kishan]

So Apple has finally gotten the digital copy thing working. It asks for a serial number that is on the DVD insert:



Then, it seems to download the file from online... kind of weird considering that there is one whole disc dedicated to the digital copy:



Here is a side by side comparison of the two files, on the left is the handbrake generated movie, on the right is the digital copy from the DVD:



Truthfully, I cannot see the difference either on my 24" iMac or on my 50" plasma via ATV set at 720p. Nice work on this particular video. We'll see what other titles get released this way and if the quality keeps up.

[ecking]

Apple should get all studios to sign onto this the same way they did for rentals, it's only useful when you can do this with any disk.

[googleplex]

Does anyone know whether the digital copy will be included on Region 2 (UK) discs as well? It isn't out till January 21st over here.

[Walter Slocombe]

Originally Posted by ecking

Apple should get all studios to sign onto this the same way they did for rentals, it's only useful when you can do this with any disk.

and what about all the discs I ALREADY OWN? Apple sux....mmmm.

handbreak still rocks then

[minderbinder]

Originally Posted by Walter Slocombe

and what about all the discs I ALREADY OWN? Apple sux....mmmm.

How exactly was apple supposed to go back in time and put iTunes versions on them? The studios don't want you just ripping dvds and that's APPLE's fault?

[googleplex]

Fox Digital Copy is NOT on the UK Region 2 version of Family Guy: Blue Harvest. I am very annoyed.

[Galley]

The Hitman Blu-Ray Disc will also include a Digital Copy version on a standard DVD.

[nvidia2008]

Wow. Love the movie studios. I bought a corrupted-DRMed DVD-MPEG2 archaic disc, and they're going to give me, w000t even more DRM'ed digital copy. Which I then have to archive somewhere and manage iTunes discs and... *sigh*

Yes, I'd like a hard rod shoved up my a**, and give me a nasal enema at the same time.

[Galley]

Target is selling "Blue Harvest" for $9.99 this week.