Why? Is there a technical reason, or would that be a strategic reason on the part of the studios? For people with slower connections, the download could take hours and finish up at who knows what time. I don't see why any app capable of starting a countdown at the end of a download couldn't also start a similar countdown when the file is played for the first time.
Doesn't everyone realise how MUSIC works on iTunes? the file is downloaded FIRST, then iTunes rings home and adds the DRM to the file (loosely speaking) and you can't play the file till thats happened, so the same thing is MORE than likely to happen with a movie, SO simple logic would suggest that the timer will NOT start until the movie is encrypted.
Again- for that time period at that p$ice and at the current quality= RIPOFF!
I agree with you that the quality needs to improve, but I don't think it's a rip-off. When I rent a movie, it costs around $3 and I watch it. When I rent it. I get people throwing out all sorts of different scenarios for why the time could be longer, but really... 24 hours to watch a 2 hour movie is not unreasonable. IF that's the scenario. Which we don't know for sure yet.
But if DVD quality movies at 3.99 for 24 hours is the proposition, it will be enough for me to buy into an aTV. Would I like it to be cheaper... sure. Would I like HD... sure. We may even get some of those things, we won't know until Tuesday. But this is a technology that is just emerging, fighting against Blockbuster, Redbox and Netflix; who are battling against each other with cut-rate prices- attempting to grab onto the tail of the DVD market in what's sure to be it's last years of dominance.
Doesn't everyone realise how MUSIC works on iTunes? the file is downloaded FIRST, then iTunes rings home and adds the DRM to the file (loosely speaking) and you can't play the file till thats happened, so the same thing is MORE than likely to happen with a movie, SO simple logic would suggest that the timer will NOT start until the movie is encrypted.
It's not rocket science.
I don't think anyone is disagreeing that the timer will either start at the end of the download, or when the file is first played. As I've already corrected, my comment about timing off the start of the download was just a typo on my part.
But technically speaking, you can start playing an iTunes video purchase before it's finished, right? That would imply that the DRM/unlock is already in place, not added when the download completes.
I'm curious about what happens to the file after the aloted rental time expires. Will the file be removed from iTunes and be deleted automatically, or will iTunes and my hard drive start filling up w/ useless dead space? Also, if I choose to rent the movie again, will I have to download it again, or will a previous version come back to life? I know these questions will have to wait until next week to be answered, but I'm curious as to what the community thinks.
I'm curious about what happens to the file after the aloted rental time expires. Will the file be removed from iTunes and be deleted automatically, or will iTunes and my hard drive start filling up w/ useless dead space? Also, if I choose to rent the movie again, will I have to download it again, or will a previous version come back to life? I know these questions will have to wait until next week to be answered, but I'm curious as to what the community thinks.
-s
Deleting just means removing the pointer to the file, and disabling the ability to work. Your computer simply writes over it the way it writes over every other deleted file.
I'm curious about what happens to the file after the aloted rental time expires. Will the file be removed from iTunes and be deleted automatically, or will iTunes and my hard drive start filling up w/ useless dead space? Also, if I choose to rent the movie again, will I have to download it again, or will a previous version come back to life? I know these questions will have to wait until next week to be answered, but I'm curious as to what the community thinks.
-s
Probably keeps the file, but pops up a message saying that it is expired.
If they were smart, the message would offer the user the option to:
1) Delete the file
2) Rent the movie again
3) Pay the difference to upgrade the movie to a bought copy
Does anyone else think they should offer a discount to buy the movies you just rented? For instance lets say I rented Pirates of the Caribbean 3 for $4 and I love the movie so much I want to buy it (which is $15). I should then be able to pay the extra $11 and keep the movie for good and iTunes would lift the time limit (since it's already been downloaded). This would be an extremely easy way to turn a rental into extra money. And it only hurts them if they don't install this plan because lets say I spent that $4 and now I want to buy it but it will cost me the full $15. I'm going to have a hard time justifying that because I already blew $4 on a movie that I still don't own. Kinda like "Complete My Album".
Does anyone else think they should offer a discount to buy the movies you just rented? For instance lets say I rented Pirates of the Caribbean 3 for $4 and I love the movie so much I want to buy it (which is $15). I should then be able to pay the extra $11 and keep the movie for good and iTunes would lift the time limit (since it's already been downloaded). This would be an extremely easy way to turn a rental into extra money. And it only hurts them if they don't install this plan because lets say I spent that $4 and now I want to buy it but it will cost me the full $15. I'm going to have a hard time justifying that because I already blew $4 on a movie that I still don't own. Kinda like "Complete My Album".
Does anyone else think they should offer a discount to buy the movies you just rented? For instance lets say I rented Pirates of the Caribbean 3 for $4 and I love the movie so much I want to buy it (which is $15). I should then be able to pay the extra $11 and keep the movie for good and iTunes would lift the time limit (since it's already been downloaded). This would be an extremely easy way to turn a rental into extra money. And it only hurts them if they don't install this plan because lets say I spent that $4 and now I want to buy it but it will cost me the full $15. I'm going to have a hard time justifying that because I already blew $4 on a movie that I still don't own. Kinda like "Complete My Album".
I cant see the market for iTunes movie rentals (especially with a 24 expiration) on much of anything but an AppleTV connected system. I have one, its killer, love it, but of course want more content. I would possiblly rent a few movies if I was traveling to watch on my notebook or my iPhone on the plane, but the 24 hour limit kills a lot of that market. I dont know how many would want to sit in front of their cpu to watch full length movies and I cant imagine a ton of people have a good connection to their TV outside of the AppleTV.
There are about 600,000 AppleTVs out in the wild at the moment (best data I could find). Maybe a half of the people use this service 3 times a month or so? This would come out to about a grand total of $44 million per year of gross revenue. That is chump change split among 5 or 6 studios. Wouldnt even be worth the bother of the negotiations that have already gone on.
There has to be more to this. A major push/update to AppleTV? Huge price drop in AppleTV? Something or none of this makes any sense. Heck for this to even be attractive to me there would need to be at least an update so you could browse and purchase from the AppleTV itself.
But technically speaking, you can start playing an iTunes video purchase before it's finished, right? That would imply that the DRM/unlock is already in place, not added when the download completes.
With music the DRM is permanently on there with no timer involved. Currently, with TV shows (which is all I have purchased) you can begin playing the video before the download is complete which would indicate a different mechanism would be necessary for the expiration. The play button initiating the timer sounds logical. Most likely there are two types of restrictions, one, it can't be shared outside your network without authorizing it and the other the expiration timer.
I'm curious about what happens to the file after the aloted rental time expires. Will the file be removed from iTunes and be deleted automatically, or will iTunes and my hard drive start filling up w/ useless dead space? Also, if I choose to rent the movie again, will I have to download it again, or will a previous version come back to life? I know these questions will have to wait until next week to be answered, but I'm curious as to what the community thinks.
-s
I'd like to think they'll incorporate a rent-to-buy feature so it wouldn't be automatically deleted. Deleting manually isn't so bad - just a click on your AppleTV remote
It will be interesting (w/ smirk on my face) to see how long Universal will stand in the corner w/ its "Apple Is Evil" flag before it comes forward to offer its movies.
Nothing is ever gained in business when you make such emotional and vindictive decisions. As the cliche goes, never burn bridges.
/
I'm sure Amazon are lining their pockets well enough
A more pressing issue is how soon will servers crash/ISPs hang with the massive increase in traffic this service is sure to produce? Same day it's launched?
Comments
Why? Is there a technical reason, or would that be a strategic reason on the part of the studios? For people with slower connections, the download could take hours and finish up at who knows what time. I don't see why any app capable of starting a countdown at the end of a download couldn't also start a similar countdown when the file is played for the first time.
Doesn't everyone realise how MUSIC works on iTunes? the file is downloaded FIRST, then iTunes rings home and adds the DRM to the file (loosely speaking) and you can't play the file till thats happened, so the same thing is MORE than likely to happen with a movie, SO simple logic would suggest that the timer will NOT start until the movie is encrypted.
It's not rocket science.
Hope it would be under £3 in the UK.
That unfortunately seems to be about right given Apples UK/US pricing, it;'s the MOST I would be willing to pay per single rental thats for sure.
Again- for that time period at that p$ice and at the current quality= RIPOFF!
Do you just come here to get annoyed?
Again- for that time period at that p$ice and at the current quality= RIPOFF!
I agree with you that the quality needs to improve, but I don't think it's a rip-off. When I rent a movie, it costs around $3 and I watch it. When I rent it. I get people throwing out all sorts of different scenarios for why the time could be longer, but really... 24 hours to watch a 2 hour movie is not unreasonable. IF that's the scenario. Which we don't know for sure yet.
But if DVD quality movies at 3.99 for 24 hours is the proposition, it will be enough for me to buy into an aTV. Would I like it to be cheaper... sure. Would I like HD... sure. We may even get some of those things, we won't know until Tuesday. But this is a technology that is just emerging, fighting against Blockbuster, Redbox and Netflix; who are battling against each other with cut-rate prices- attempting to grab onto the tail of the DVD market in what's sure to be it's last years of dominance.
It's a choice, yes, but not a rip-off.
Do you just come here to get annoyed?
No but apparently you do. Reply to the thread please.
Doesn't everyone realise how MUSIC works on iTunes? the file is downloaded FIRST, then iTunes rings home and adds the DRM to the file (loosely speaking) and you can't play the file till thats happened, so the same thing is MORE than likely to happen with a movie, SO simple logic would suggest that the timer will NOT start until the movie is encrypted.
It's not rocket science.
I don't think anyone is disagreeing that the timer will either start at the end of the download, or when the file is first played. As I've already corrected, my comment about timing off the start of the download was just a typo on my part.
But technically speaking, you can start playing an iTunes video purchase before it's finished, right? That would imply that the DRM/unlock is already in place, not added when the download completes.
-s
I'm curious about what happens to the file after the aloted rental time expires. Will the file be removed from iTunes and be deleted automatically, or will iTunes and my hard drive start filling up w/ useless dead space? Also, if I choose to rent the movie again, will I have to download it again, or will a previous version come back to life? I know these questions will have to wait until next week to be answered, but I'm curious as to what the community thinks.
-s
Deleting just means removing the pointer to the file, and disabling the ability to work. Your computer simply writes over it the way it writes over every other deleted file.
I'm curious about what happens to the file after the aloted rental time expires. Will the file be removed from iTunes and be deleted automatically, or will iTunes and my hard drive start filling up w/ useless dead space? Also, if I choose to rent the movie again, will I have to download it again, or will a previous version come back to life? I know these questions will have to wait until next week to be answered, but I'm curious as to what the community thinks.
-s
Probably keeps the file, but pops up a message saying that it is expired.
If they were smart, the message would offer the user the option to:
1) Delete the file
2) Rent the movie again
3) Pay the difference to upgrade the movie to a bought copy
Does anyone else think they should offer a discount to buy the movies you just rented? For instance lets say I rented Pirates of the Caribbean 3 for $4 and I love the movie so much I want to buy it (which is $15). I should then be able to pay the extra $11 and keep the movie for good and iTunes would lift the time limit (since it's already been downloaded). This would be an extremely easy way to turn a rental into extra money. And it only hurts them if they don't install this plan because lets say I spent that $4 and now I want to buy it but it will cost me the full $15. I'm going to have a hard time justifying that because I already blew $4 on a movie that I still don't own. Kinda like "Complete My Album".
I would go for that.
Does anyone else think they should offer a discount to buy the movies you just rented? For instance lets say I rented Pirates of the Caribbean 3 for $4 and I love the movie so much I want to buy it (which is $15). I should then be able to pay the extra $11 and keep the movie for good and iTunes would lift the time limit (since it's already been downloaded). This would be an extremely easy way to turn a rental into extra money. And it only hurts them if they don't install this plan because lets say I spent that $4 and now I want to buy it but it will cost me the full $15. I'm going to have a hard time justifying that because I already blew $4 on a movie that I still don't own. Kinda like "Complete My Album".
hmm...rent to own? Good idea.
There are about 600,000 AppleTVs out in the wild at the moment (best data I could find). Maybe a half of the people use this service 3 times a month or so? This would come out to about a grand total of $44 million per year of gross revenue. That is chump change split among 5 or 6 studios. Wouldnt even be worth the bother of the negotiations that have already gone on.
There has to be more to this. A major push/update to AppleTV? Huge price drop in AppleTV? Something or none of this makes any sense. Heck for this to even be attractive to me there would need to be at least an update so you could browse and purchase from the AppleTV itself.
But technically speaking, you can start playing an iTunes video purchase before it's finished, right? That would imply that the DRM/unlock is already in place, not added when the download completes.
With music the DRM is permanently on there with no timer involved. Currently, with TV shows (which is all I have purchased) you can begin playing the video before the download is complete which would indicate a different mechanism would be necessary for the expiration. The play button initiating the timer sounds logical. Most likely there are two types of restrictions, one, it can't be shared outside your network without authorizing it and the other the expiration timer.
m
Question is will the downloads be HD as well?
Doubtful, but I wouldn't say 100% no.
It's not rocket science.
You're right, it isn't - rocket science has less guesswork!
Do you just come here to get annoyed?
No, it's because he's 16!
(now, I'm guessing)
McD
I'm curious about what happens to the file after the aloted rental time expires. Will the file be removed from iTunes and be deleted automatically, or will iTunes and my hard drive start filling up w/ useless dead space? Also, if I choose to rent the movie again, will I have to download it again, or will a previous version come back to life? I know these questions will have to wait until next week to be answered, but I'm curious as to what the community thinks.
-s
I'd like to think they'll incorporate a rent-to-buy feature so it wouldn't be automatically deleted. Deleting manually isn't so bad - just a click on your AppleTV remote
McD
It will be interesting (w/ smirk on my face) to see how long Universal will stand in the corner w/ its "Apple Is Evil" flag before it comes forward to offer its movies.
Nothing is ever gained in business when you make such emotional and vindictive decisions. As the cliche goes, never burn bridges.
/
I'm sure Amazon are lining their pockets well enough
A more pressing issue is how soon will servers crash/ISPs hang with the massive increase in traffic this service is sure to produce? Same day it's launched?
McD