Apple now offering HD movie purchases, rentals through iTunes
Once only available through the Apple TV, HD movies can now be purchased or rented directly through iTunes on Macs and PCs.
The company now says that customers of the US iTunes Store can buy new-release movies in 720p directly from iTunes for $19.99 and rent them for $4.99 within 30 days of their being made available for sale. Many older titles are also available for rent in the HD format for $3.99.
As with TV shows, each HD copy also comes with a standard-definition version of the movie that can be transferred to an iPhone or iPod, neither of which yet supports HD. The initial lineup of HD rentals includes pre-orders for the Bond movie Quantum of Solace as well as Twilight and is focusing on new releases.
An HD Movies page is currently highlighting those titles that are already available at the increased resolution. Using the feature requires iTunes 8.1 or higher and a Mac or Windows PC capable of smoothly playing HD movies.
The shift signals a reduced dependence on the Apple TV as a driver for Apple's HD efforts. When given its well-known Take 2 firmware upgrade in early 2008, the device was at the time the only location for any non-podcast HD content from Apple until TV shows were made available in September.
The company now says that customers of the US iTunes Store can buy new-release movies in 720p directly from iTunes for $19.99 and rent them for $4.99 within 30 days of their being made available for sale. Many older titles are also available for rent in the HD format for $3.99.
As with TV shows, each HD copy also comes with a standard-definition version of the movie that can be transferred to an iPhone or iPod, neither of which yet supports HD. The initial lineup of HD rentals includes pre-orders for the Bond movie Quantum of Solace as well as Twilight and is focusing on new releases.
An HD Movies page is currently highlighting those titles that are already available at the increased resolution. Using the feature requires iTunes 8.1 or higher and a Mac or Windows PC capable of smoothly playing HD movies.
The shift signals a reduced dependence on the Apple TV as a driver for Apple's HD efforts. When given its well-known Take 2 firmware upgrade in early 2008, the device was at the time the only location for any non-podcast HD content from Apple until TV shows were made available in September.
Comments
It's also nice to be able to get HD movies for my MacBook Pro!
Yawn.
No 1080p?
Yawn.
Seriously, keep dreaming.
And... you're not gonna see (legal) downloadable 1080p on a wide-scale anytime soon.
w00master
Seriously, keep dreaming.
And... you're not gonna see (legal) downloadable 1080p on a wide-scale anytime soon.
w00master
That was my point.
Now the big question if we already own the standard definition of a movie purchased from iTunes will we get a option to upgrade to the HD version at a reduced price?
That is an interesting question:
In the digital world is this considered the same format- different quality?
A subscription that could also include music would be cool. I still prefer Netflix when it comes to renting, but I know many people that would prefer an iTunes subscription.
And... you're not gonna see (legal) downloadable 1080p on a wide-scale anytime soon.
Define soon. Next week? No. Next month? Probably not. Next year? Possibly. Two years? Almost surely.
$20? I can get the BD in all its 1080p video/lossless audio glory for that!
True. The pricing here seems quite silly.
Moreover: (i) Can one play this on an HD TV (say, via @TV) without physically hooking up the computer? (ii) Will DVD-burning be allowed?
When given its well-known Take 2 firmware upgrade in early 2008, the device was at the time the only location for any non-podcast HD content from Apple until TV shows were made available in September.
Am I the only one having trouble following this sentence?
Can someone explain.....
I'm sorry but they will never attain the level of dominance with video that the music store shares at this ridiculous pricing.
There is no way i'm EVER paying $19.99 for a HD movie download. Let's go back to the drawing board and negotiate some realistic pricing.
Hmmm lets see.
720p video at 5Mbps
No extras and basic surround audio.
No subtitles
More difficult space shifting
$11.99-13.99 tops per movie.
I can put it into my wife's laptop and play it. OR plug her laptop into a theater system using the HDMI port, she has a PC.
Come on Apple would you give us the Blu-ray option or I'm going to switch.
Though there certainly needs to be a tiered system so that movies that have been out a while can be had for a good price (10 dollar or roughly near that amount). We are after all BYOB (Bringing Your Own Bandwidth) so we have costs too sitting on top.
Give us solid variable pricing and consumer uptake won't be that bad. Convience is worth a premium in same cases and it's up to each person to decide if the premium is worth it.
720p video at 5Mbps
No extras and basic surround audio.
No subtitles
More difficult space shifting
I'm really surprised that Apple isn't including subtitles and extras in their rental. I mean - Quicktime can do interactive menus etc, so really they could supply an entire DVD experience couldn't they?
720p/5Mbps makes sense for downloads for now but I hope to see that boosted in the AppleTV (ready for the future) and higher bandwidth stuff in a couple of years.
What do you mean that they only have basic surround audio? DD5.1 seems ample but maybe I haven't been following developments closely enough?
Meh, these prices make Bluray look like the better option. $10 more and you get a physical 1080p copy that you can rip (with enough time) and carry around with you, plus no need to stay in the Apple ecosystem to view.
Yeah right... The world is just beating down the doors to get that.
After having HD for the past 5 years, I've come to the realization that 1080p vs 720p (and even HD vs DVD quality) is becoming less and less of a driving force for me.
Unless a movie was specifically filmed/recorded digitally in ultra high resolution, AND there is something particularly stunning that I have to see in ultimate definition, I've found that I really don't care that much.
The fact is that for any movie that's really absorbing my attention, I am absolutely unaware of the resolution after about 5 minutes, if then.
I say again... the switch from VCR/AnalogTV to DVD quality was revelatory for most normal consumers. They are not seeing the subsequent switch to HD as something that is worth re-stocking their electronics and content for, and definitely not the top of their budget priorities, particularly in these times.
HD aficionados (particularly 1080p snobs) are way out of touch with the general market on this, and Apple knows it. They're right where they need to be for what they're trying to accomplish... becoming the digital hub for the market sweet spot.
For $20.00-$25.00 I can get a Blu-ray disc with high bit rate 1080P and uncompressed audio. I can play this disc in any of my 4 blu-ray players in the house. I can take it to my friends house and play it.
I can put it into my wife's laptop and play it. OR plug her laptop into a theater system using the HDMI port, she has a PC.
Yeah, it's a good idea, but since I have a PS3 and a 1080p TV I'll spend the extra $5 and get the bluray disc.
Come on Apple would you give us the Blu-ray option or I'm going to switch.
I think this is the future, but we aren't ready yet. Need cheaper storage and faster internet download speeds. Right now Dish Network has VOD 1080p content, but you know it's not bluray quality 1080p.