Apple delivers movies to iTunes Stores in UK, Canada

[AppleInsider]

Apple on Wednesday announced that movies from several major film studios are now available for sale and rent on its iTunes Stores in the UK and Canada.

Among the studios serving up films on the UK store are 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Sony Pictures Television International and Lionsgate UK.

Apple said the service is already pre-loaded with 700 films available for rent or purchase, with titles available for purchase on the same day as their DVD release, including favorites such as “Hitman,” “I Am Legend,” “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets” and “Into the Wild.” Over 100 titles are also available in high definition for viewing on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.

“We’re kicking off movies on the iTunes Store in the UK with over 700 films for purchase and rent,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We think customers in the UK are going to love being able to enjoy their favorite movies on their iPod, iPhone or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.

In Canada, Apple said over 1,200 films are available for rent or purchase, including 200 titles in high definition. Movies are available from all the same studios as those in the UK, with the addition of those from Canadian film house Maple Pictures.

With iTunes Movie Rentals, once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to iTunes or Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 48 hours to finish it—or watch it multiple times.

In the UK, iTunes movies are available at £6.99 for library title purchases and £10.99 for new releases. iTunes Movie Rentals are £2.49 for library title rentals and £3.49 for new releases, and high definition versions are priced at just one pound more.

In Canada, iTunes movies are available at CAN$9.99 for catalog title purchases, CAN$14.99 for recent releases and CAN$19.99 for new releases. iTunes Movie Rentals are CAN$3.99 for library titles and CAN$4.99 for new releases, with high definition rental versions priced just one dollar more.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[bsenka]

TWENTY BUCKS for a digital download movie? Are they nuts?


I'd buy the odd one if they were around the current rental price to purchase, but these prices just send me right back to the Pirate Bay.

[mark2005]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 48 hours to finish it—or watch it multiple times.

48 hours! When will this come to the US store?

(Note: I recognize that UK and Canada are paying higher prices compared to US. I don't think it's higher because of the 48 hours, but simply that the cost in those countries for content is usually higher.)

[pmoeser]

Why are we waiting?
Why-y are we waiting
Why are we waiting oh
why why why....

Hello!?!

Remember us!?!

The coalition of the willing!?!

iPhones and movies please!?!

[Stuart Kirby]

I've read these forums for a long, long time but never decided to register. Occasionally, someone has said something that I have feverishly disagreed with and made me want to join in... but I resisted. :P However, this is so fantastic and so very annoying all at once.

I have wanted an Apple TV since the idea of renting movies came about. I found that to be a very exciting prospect... and quickly realised that Apple didn't have any contracts in place to offer films in the UK, so I decided not to bother. And now, they have released them! I think the pricing of rentals is perfectly fair... however, and I'm not one that usually moans about how everything is cheaper in the US and boo hoo, not at all. However... the US received a *price cut* for this product. Not just a lower price from the off, but a price cut. Is the UK product better? Is it lined with platinum? No! I am desperate to get an Apple TV now... but I simply won't until they cut the price. It's £199, or $229... that's one hell of a difference. It really is.

[pmoeser]

Originally Posted by Stuart Kirby

I've read these forums for a long, long time but never decided to register. Occasionally, someone has said something that I have feverishly disagreed with and made me want to join in... but I resisted. :P However, this is so fantastic and so very annoying all at once.

I have wanted an Apple TV since the idea of renting movies came about. I found that to be a very exciting prospect... and quickly realised that Apple didn't have any contracts in place to offer films in the UK, so I decided not to bother. And now, they have released them! I think the pricing of rentals is perfectly fair... however, and I'm not one that usually moans about how everything is cheaper in the US and boo hoo, not at all. However... the US received a *price cut* for this product. Not just a lower price from the off, but a price cut. Is the UK product better? Is it lined with platinum? No! I am desperate to get an Apple TV now... but I simply won't until they cut the price. It's £199, or $229... that's one hell of a difference. It really is.

Try living in Australia where the AUD$ is currently at about US$0.95!!

40GB AppleTV AUD$449!!! 160GB AUD$579!!!!

In the US they are US$229 (AUD$239!!!??!!!!) and US$329 (AUD$343!!!!!!???!!!)

And we can't even use the damn things properly!!!

No movies or TV shows on offer!

The shipping is from Asia not the US, so that can't be the reason...

Maybe ours are lined with oil and gold and platinum, because that is one hefty markup...

[Stuart Kirby]

Originally Posted by pmoeser

Try living in Australia where the AUD$ is currently at about US$0.95!!

40GB AppleTV AUD$449!!! 160GB AUD$579!!!!

In the US they are US$229 (AUD$239!!!??!!!!) and US$329 (AUD$343!!!!!!???!!!)

And we can't even use the damn things properly!!!

No movies or TV shows on offer!

The shipping is from Asia not the US, so that can't be the reason...

Maybe ours are lined with oil and gold and platinum, because that is one hefty markup...

It's really poxy. I don't understand why this is the case. If they're issuing such hefty price cuts, it should be global. I agree, though, prior to today, the Apple TV in the UK wasn't much use, in my opinion. However, now it is... I'll resist temptation but it's very disappointing.

[stevepeck]

Well WhoopyDo! about time something decent-ish came to Apple Uk.
Think l'll stick to PirateBay too, they cost nothing.
Apple are as bad as Microsoft for ripping the public off.

[Stuart Kirby]

Originally Posted by stevepeck

Well WhoopyDo! about time something decent-ish came to Apple Uk.
Think l'll stick to PirateBay too, they cost nothing.
Apple are as bad as Microsoft for ripping the public off.

I think the movie prices themselves are OK. Bit on the steep side for purchasing, but I think the rentals are quite fair.

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by stevepeck

Well WhoopyDo! about time something decent-ish came to Apple Uk.
Think l'll stick to PirateBay too, they cost nothing.
Apple are as bad as Microsoft for ripping the public off.

So it wouldn't have mattered what the cost was. Stealing is cheaper for you and as a consequence your action is making it more expensive for us honest folks.

Why the dis on Apple? Each country has control over their media by authorized distributors which are in effect controlled by the respective laws of the land.

Apple only gets a portion of the prices which are negotiated individually, country by country.

Keep in mind that in some cases taxes may affect the price and are not always posted or included, if any are applicable at all. Again, that is determined by the country, not Apple or the film company.

You really don't know much about Steve Jobs or you wouldn't have made that last statement. But hey, ignorance is bliss.

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

With iTunes Movie Rentals, once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to iTunes or Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 48 hours to finish it—or watch it multiple times.

According to Macworld UK, it's only 24 hours, not 48.

http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itune...S&NewsID=21541

[webhead]

Originally Posted by bsenka

TWENTY BUCKS for a digital download movie? Are they nuts?


I'd buy the odd one if they were around the current rental price to purchase, but these prices just send me right back to the Pirate Bay.

Hello all, I am a long time reader, first time poster. I totally agree with the high price complaint for buying movies on iTunes Canada. I have been waiting a long time for Movies on iTunes Canada but am disappointed with the purchase price. The rental fee is fair but $19.99 for a new release purchase? What are they thinking? I can already purchase new releases for $4.99 with my Bell ExpressVu satellite PVR, and they don't disappear from my PVR after I watch them. Why would I pay $19.00 for the same movie on iTunes Canada?

I hope the purchase price comes down soon, then maybe I will think about buying.

[Virgil-TB2]

Well I guess the ridiculously high prices have already been mentioned, but here's another point that the media execs and possibly Apple is not thinking about.

DVD's and CD's last a long, long, time with only minimal care. That means that a lot of people (hint: myself and pretty much everyone I know), buys the majority of their physical media second hand at prices much lower than these. I have over a thousand DVD's in my collection that I bought at prices between five and ten dollars each, same for CD's.

There is no way that these prices are competitive with what people out there are actually paying for things, regardless of the "list" price of DVD's. On the music side, all albums are about five or ten bucks, which is what you can get them for as physical media. These movie prices need to be brought more in line with the realities of the market, and that includes the re-sale market when we are talking about media that may last for a hundred years before wearing out. .

[webhead]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Well I guess the ridiculously high prices have already been mentioned, but here's another point that the media execs and possibly Apple is not thinking about.

DVD's and CD's last a long, long, time with only minimal care. That means that a lot of people (hint: myself and pretty much everyone I know), buys the majority of their physical media second hand at prices much lower than these. I have over a thousand DVD's in my collection that I bought at prices between five and ten dollars each, same for CD's.

There is no way that these prices are competitive with what people out there are actually paying for things, regardless of the "list" price of DVD's. On the music side, all albums are about five or ten bucks, which is what you can get them for as physical media. These movie prices need to be brought more in line with the realities of the market, and that includes the re-sale market when we are talking about media that may last for a hundred years before wearing out. .

Totally agree with you. I buy previously viewed DVDs too, I also purchase new release movies on my satellite PVR and then record them to DVD using a home DVD recorder (that may be illegal but I don't think it should be) which I can then rip with handbrake for viewing on a video ipod or iphone. They will definitely need to address the price issue to compete. I mean for hell sake, these movie studios are already selling these products 3- 4 times before they even get to iTunes and digital PVRs (theater release, dollar theater release, DVD sale, DVD rental) how many times do they need to sell a product before it becomes shameful exploitation, and a digital download should be much cheaper than a physical DVD sale.

[mark2005]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

According to Macworld UK, it's only 24 hours, not 48.

http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itune...S&NewsID=21541

Apple's own press releases still say 48 hours. I'm more apt to believe Apple's release than MacWorld UK.

[Mr Underhill]

Have been waiting for this news since Apple announced it at Mac World, even went out and bought an ATV in preparation, but what an anti-climax. £10.99 for new releases or £4.49 for a recent rental. Not on your nelly Apple. Rip-off TV.

Cheap ATV going on Ebay. Any takers??

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by webhead

Hello all, I am a long time reader, first time poster. I totally agree with the high price complaint for buying movies on iTunes Canada. I have been waiting a long time for Movies on iTunes Canada but am disappointed with the purchase price. The rental fee is fair but $19.99 for a new release purchase? What are they thinking? I can already purchase new releases for $4.99 with my Bell ExpressVu satellite PVR, and they don't disappear from my PVR after I watch them. Why would I pay $19.00 for the same movie on iTunes Canada?

I hope the purchase price comes down soon, then maybe I will think about buying.

Have any of you stopped to consider it might be due to protectionist measures either enforced by the Canadian government, or some kind of demand by the studios? Apple doesn't randomly set pricing.

[vinney57]

Great news! Something else I can distract myself with while I should be working.

If the prices are too much for you then don't buy them. It will be a combination of producer prices and tax that dictates the price, not Apple. The studios are hard-ass about these things, particularly in Europe. They are trying to avoid handing Steve ALL the crown jewels until the game is completely lost.

For me its just like the music... an addition to the retail mix that is super convenient. A couple of quid either way really doesn't register.

[Leonard]

I was ready to say $19.99 is reasonable for buying movies, but I don't buy movies. It seems Futureshop sells new releases for under $25.00, so if you're only getting a digital copy, a price under $12.99 would seem more reasonable for new releases.

Originally Posted by webhead

Hello all, I am a long time reader, first time poster. I totally agree with the high price complaint for buying movies on iTunes Canada. I have been waiting a long time for Movies on iTunes Canada but am disappointed with the purchase price. The rental fee is fair but $19.99 for a new release purchase? What are they thinking? I can already purchase new releases for $4.99 with my Bell ExpressVu satellite PVR, and they don't disappear from my PVR after I watch them. Why would I pay $19.00 for the same movie on iTunes Canada?

I hope the purchase price comes down soon, then maybe I will think about buying.

You're not purchasing from Bell for $4.99, you're renting. That you record and keep a copy for your own personal use, is probably a grey area. But comparing renting to purchasing doesn't make sense.

[Marvin]

Originally Posted by Mr Underhill

£10.99 for new releases or £4.49 for a recent rental. Not on your nelly Apple. Rip-off TV.

That's ridiculous. You can get a £4 per month subscription to lovefilm.com, which Amazon are linking up with and you can get 2 DVDs per month for an unlimited time to watch. You could even copy them if you wanted to really.

Digital downloads only make sense when they are cheaper than their physical counterpart or there are other advantages such as instant access, more freedom to watch anywhere, more selection, easier to find what you want. Apple TV offers some of these advantages over a local Blockbuster but not over websites like lovefilm which has a much larger selection of films.

Ok so you'd have to wait a day to get it but it would still take nearly that long to download a movie over my internet connection anyway. Apple's poor selection alone makes the service utterly useless IMO:

lovefilm: 65,000+ titles
Apple: 1,200?

To have to pay close to £200 for the box on top of that just kills the idea. You can pick up a DVD player for £20 and you can get unlimited rentals for £15 a month no time limits. If you add up the £200 ATV, you could get a DVD player and 12 months of unlimited DVD rentals and that's before even counting the cost of buying/renting any movies from Apple.

[xanthohappy]

Originally Posted by mark2005

Apple's own press releases still say 48 hours. I'm more apt to believe Apple's release than MacWorld UK.

Not only that, Apple's usage rights page says 48 hours as well:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1928

[Messiah]

This movie is available in HD on Apple TV

What does that mean?

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by xanthohappy

Not only that, Apple's usage rights page says 48 hours as well:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1928

48 for the UK now too. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1931

It wasn't online earlier when I checked. So, Macworld UK is wrong.

[Messiah]

My local Costcutter, which is about 10yds from my front door, rents out DVDs at 99p per night.

[Jimzip]

Aweosome!! Thank you Apple!

Now get moving on the Aus store, I gots a lot of friends and family down there who are missing out!

Jimzip

[quinney]

Originally Posted by Messiah

My local Costcutter, which is about 10yds from my front door, rents out DVDs at 99p per night.

I'm happy for you.

[vinney57]

Originally Posted by Messiah

My local Costcutter, which is about 10yds from my front door, rents out DVDs at 99p per night.

Then your path is clear Grasshopper.

[McDave]

Originally Posted by Marvin

lovefilm: 65,000+ titles
Apple: 1,200?

To have to pay close to £200 for the box on top of that just kills the idea. You can pick up a DVD player for £20 and you can get unlimited rentals for £15 a month no time limits. If you add up the £200 ATV, you could get a DVD player and 12 months of unlimited DVD rentals and that's before even counting the cost of buying/renting any movies from Apple.

65,000? Love those big numbers! What's the wheat:chaff ratio? And how good is that web-design to cut through the chaff?

My AppleTV's great for HD photo's & music too. I suppose you could do SD photos & music on the DVD player though - in a classically manual kind of way.

McD

[mark2005]

Originally Posted by vinney57

It will be a combination of producer prices and tax that dictates the price, not Apple. The studios are hard-ass about these things, particularly in Europe. They are trying to avoid handing Steve ALL the crown jewels until the game is completely lost.

Though Apple really wants to move on from music to movies, the studios will forcibly make this remain an "Apple hobby."

So how do we, the consumers, make progress, i.e., get the studios to realize that there is a growing number of people who want to buy/rent ad-free digital downloads at reasonable prices? One step is to definitely complain about the prices and don't buy/rent at the current prices. Maybe even buy the AppleTV? Maybe refuse to watch ad-supported streams? Ideas?

[Mr Underhill]

Had a good chance to have a look at those movie titles last night on my UK ATV.

It would seem the studio's have set a min price at £6.99 for really old titles that you can pick up in most of the supermarkets for £2. I mean who'd give £7.00 for Trading Places?

The one great thing that Apple did with iTunes was to help stem the flow of music piracy, bring the record labels to heel by negotiating far more reasonable pricing than what was available at the time (remember music CD singles for £3.99?) at the same time giving a slice back to the artists.

In other worlds a lifestyle changing piece of technology that on balance seemed to give the best of both worlds to both business and consumer. Of course Apple didn't do too badly out of it either hence where they are today.

To me iTunes was a champion of the consumer. It offered real value. I was optimistic for the future. First music & video, Podcasts, TV shows and now films. Doesn't get any better than this.

Actually for me it gets worse.

It seems in their never ending quest to bring us new technology, Apple seem all to willing to bend over and take a beating from the very same Archaic Monopolists who deluded themselves into thinking they had us by the bollocks before.

Whilst i respect that iTunes is nothing without content and every now and then they have to dance with the devil, the pricing of movies on iTunes is shocking and perhaps exposes a weakness in Apple that wasn't apparent before. I mean the prices are so inconsistent. Almost as if somebody's done their research well on this one. All to predictable for me and that's a word you could never associate with Apple.

So what's the point? Where's the advantage? Where's the value? What's happened to the consumer champion. Why not offer crap films for £2 right from the off just like the supermarkets do and can?

Yes we want your technology. Yes we want the simplicity. But we don't want ripping off at the same time.

I'm afraid as well as dancing with the devil Apple may have jumped into bed as well.

Maybe this is one fanboi that has finally had his eyes opened.

[aresee]

You may be right about Apple getting in bed with the devil, but Apple may just be the camel getting ready to rip the tent down. Already I am spending more time watching and listening to free podcasts and YouTube videos than I am watching TV. Once enough people get used to downloading movies and music from the iTS they may start wondering over to the podcast section and start subscribing to the free podcasts. Alot of it is very good.

The problem with this dream is that over half of the ATV content screens are of the for pay iTS products.

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by webhead

Hello all, I am a long time reader, first time poster. I totally agree with the high price complaint for buying movies on iTunes Canada. I have been waiting a long time for Movies on iTunes Canada but am disappointed with the purchase price. The rental fee is fair but $19.99 for a new release purchase? What are they thinking? I can already purchase new releases for $4.99 with my Bell ExpressVu satellite PVR, and they don't disappear from my PVR after I watch them. Why would I pay $19.00 for the same movie on iTunes Canada?

I hope the purchase price comes down soon, then maybe I will think about buying.

1)Are you sure your buying them or is it just a rental.

2)Apple movie rentals are cheaper then most on demand services.

3)If bell is charging only $4.99 for a buy.If bell is doing this it bring up a whole whack of possible probleams it may cause for bell.

3a)Its one thing to charge less then the msrp for a movie.But to charge $4.99 when the msrp is $19.00 that may not be legal if bell is doing this.

3b)There is a bill that will likely pass where you can not store copy right movies/shows on your pvr.