Lots of people will probably laugh at that thread but in 5 years..... who knows. I think that is a very real possibility. I wouldn't doubt it or put it past apple to do.
Yeah, it is pretty impractical now, few people have the bandwidth to casually d/l movies, and those that do, usually get poor quality(as is the case with many movies that one can d/l)
If apple had a way to compress a movie for download to make the file size far smaller(in the under 300 mb range) and still make it watchable, then this would be very feasible I think, but that is certainly a ways off.
Unless you are talking about streaming, in which case, I guess it could be done now with mp4 and stuff, but I don't know if that would fly very well, it would be kind of like renting a movie I guess, maybe $3.99 to d/l the stream, maybe you get 3-5 watches, or as many as you want for a week, before you have to "return" it, some sort of system like that I guess.
I don't know, I probably wouldn't use such a service if it did exist, but I could see apple doing it, remember they also are really big on super-drive and burning your own DVDs, so perhaps they would want a system where you buy the movie online(with optional special features) and then the idea is that you can watch it on your computer or burn the DVD and watch it where ever....but still that's a little...erm...complicated for apple and not all DVD players support DVD-r and rw and all that.
One thing is for sure, now it not the time for such a service, though it may be more feasible in the future.
I don't know, I probably wouldn't use such a service if it did exist, but I could see apple doing it, remember they also are really big on super-drive and burning your own DVDs, so perhaps they would want a system where you buy the movie online(with optional special features) and then the idea is that you can watch it on your computer or burn the DVD and watch it where ever....but still that's a little...erm...complicated for apple and not all DVD players support DVD-r and rw and all that.
Well, AAC isn't supported by many MP3 players, so maybe they would allow you to burn to DVD-R even though not all DVD players support it.
If apple had a way to compress a movie for download to make the file size far smaller(in the under 300 mb range) and still make it watchable, then this would be very feasible I think, but that is certainly a ways off.
This is a cool topic to talk about for me. I like the mockup and think that this would become more practicle when DSL and Cable speeds pickup.
Soon we should have 8/sec DSL instead of the venable 1.5/sec.
If Apple is able to make good inroads with iTunes Music it can lead to the video market. Hopefully by then, the DVD formats will stablize.
The good thing is that even a full deployment of this type if app there are still quite a few qualifiers. Latest Mac, High Speed DSL, and DVD writer.
I don't think we'll have connections that fast(for most of the computer using America) for a while. High speed internet is still in the minority, though it is growing. Most consumers will never look past AOL, even though it does offer DSL and satellite.
In my latest ramblings I touched on the idea of Apple making an online movie service:
Quote:
Okay, not really a service for the iTMS, but Apple really needs to develop a good service for Movie downloads based upon the MPEG 4 standard. Maybe built into Apple?s DVD player. Think about the possibility of being able to download a movie for $15 and burning it to a DVD.
Yes, you?d need a broadband connection for that, but more and more people are getting one and it?d be an excellent use of the digital hub. Would I get all the extra?s that DVDs have? No, but that would be a benefit of buying a DVD over just buying a movie.
DVDs won?t go away, but online movie services can certainly replace VHS tapes.
Of course, with the success of the iTMS, this is a natural extension of online services for Apple to venture into. "Natural" meaning logical, not probable.
When MovieLink first came out (requiring IE of course), I used it to watch The Majestic. The download was about 500mb or so. It wasn't unreasonable and the video quality was okay. Certainly it wasn't DVD quality, but I was watching it on my Monitor which tends to make things darker anyway.
Why can't Apple develop a service that allows you to "pre-download" movies? The way MovieLink worked is that I downloaded the movie. Once I started watching it, I had (I think) 48 hours to finish it.
Broadband speeds are not going to increase anytime soon. There's no competition forcing the speeds up and there's no services available requiring faster speed.
A movie service would certainly get people to at least "think" about upgrading their service.
Maybe one day we'll catch up with S. Korea and have decent broadband speeds.
Downloading feature films will never work. many here have already pointed out the bandwidth issues not to mention the licensing.
I think the answer is in T.V. Think about all the old shows that you watched back in the day. Many collections have had there run on video and the market ran out on them. Thousands of titles have been shelved because the cost of distribution is too high. How about a new market?
Imagine an iTMS like environment for classic TV. Without commercials TV shows are from 15-20 mins long. charge $2.50 for 320x240 and $5.00 for 640x480 res.
This would spark the revival of the cartoon short subject. Download classic cartoons for $0.99.
Downloading feature films will never work. many here have already pointed out the bandwidth issues not to mention the licensing.
I think the answer is in T.V. Think about all the old shows that you watched back in the day. Many collections have had there run on video and the market ran out on them. Thousands of titles have been shelved because the cost of distribution is too high. How about a new market?
Imagine an iTMS like environment for classic TV. Without commercials TV shows are from 15-20 mins long. charge $2.50 for 320x240 and $5.00 for 640x480 res.
This would spark the revival of the cartoon short subject. Download classic cartoons for $0.99.
This could kick ass!
wadaya think?
They should offer a 1024x768 res too. This way people who can support that kind of download can get a higher quality. Charge the same amount for all resolutions, and offer the ability to download a higher res even if you've already downloaded a lower one.
Comments
If apple had a way to compress a movie for download to make the file size far smaller(in the under 300 mb range) and still make it watchable, then this would be very feasible I think, but that is certainly a ways off.
Unless you are talking about streaming, in which case, I guess it could be done now with mp4 and stuff, but I don't know if that would fly very well, it would be kind of like renting a movie I guess, maybe $3.99 to d/l the stream, maybe you get 3-5 watches, or as many as you want for a week, before you have to "return" it, some sort of system like that I guess.
I don't know, I probably wouldn't use such a service if it did exist, but I could see apple doing it, remember they also are really big on super-drive and burning your own DVDs, so perhaps they would want a system where you buy the movie online(with optional special features) and then the idea is that you can watch it on your computer or burn the DVD and watch it where ever....but still that's a little...erm...complicated for apple and not all DVD players support DVD-r and rw and all that.
One thing is for sure, now it not the time for such a service, though it may be more feasible in the future.
p.s I like that mock-up
Moving to Digital Hub.
Originally posted by Wrong Robust
I don't know, I probably wouldn't use such a service if it did exist, but I could see apple doing it, remember they also are really big on super-drive and burning your own DVDs, so perhaps they would want a system where you buy the movie online(with optional special features) and then the idea is that you can watch it on your computer or burn the DVD and watch it where ever....but still that's a little...erm...complicated for apple and not all DVD players support DVD-r and rw and all that.
Well, AAC isn't supported by many MP3 players, so maybe they would allow you to burn to DVD-R even though not all DVD players support it.
Originally posted by Wrong Robust
.but still that's a little...erm...complicated for apple and not all DVD players support DVD-r and rw and all that.
DVD-R should be much more compatible than DVD+R and is supported by the DVD Forum.
Originally posted by JLL
DVD-R should be much more compatible than DVD+R and is supported by the DVD Forum.
Okay...now I'm a tad confused, what's the diff between DVD-R and DVD+R?
Originally posted by Wrong Robust
If apple had a way to compress a movie for download to make the file size far smaller(in the under 300 mb range) and still make it watchable, then this would be very feasible I think, but that is certainly a ways off.
isn't that what pixlets are all about?
Originally posted by lungaretta
isn't that what pixlets are all about?
...I assume you mean pixlet, and no it isn't, that is about a HD compression scheme
Originally posted by lungaretta
isn't that what pixlets are all about?
Pixlet is nothing for the end-user to care about.
Soon we should have 8/sec DSL instead of the venable 1.5/sec.
If Apple is able to make good inroads with iTunes Music it can lead to the video market. Hopefully by then, the DVD formats will stablize.
The good thing is that even a full deployment of this type if app there are still quite a few qualifiers. Latest Mac, High Speed DSL, and DVD writer.
Originally posted by lungaretta
isn't that what pixlets are all about?
We went over this earlier; check this thread for details:
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...769#post407769
Originally posted by geobe
This is a cool topic to talk about for me. I like the mockup and think that this would become more practicle when DSL and Cable speeds pickup.
Soon we should have 8/sec DSL instead of the venable 1.5/sec.
If Apple is able to make good inroads with iTunes Music it can lead to the video market. Hopefully by then, the DVD formats will stablize.
The good thing is that even a full deployment of this type if app there are still quite a few qualifiers. Latest Mac, High Speed DSL, and DVD writer.
I don't think we'll have connections that fast(for most of the computer using America) for a while. High speed internet is still in the minority, though it is growing. Most consumers will never look past AOL, even though it does offer DSL and satellite.
Okay, not really a service for the iTMS, but Apple really needs to develop a good service for Movie downloads based upon the MPEG 4 standard. Maybe built into Apple?s DVD player. Think about the possibility of being able to download a movie for $15 and burning it to a DVD.
Yes, you?d need a broadband connection for that, but more and more people are getting one and it?d be an excellent use of the digital hub. Would I get all the extra?s that DVDs have? No, but that would be a benefit of buying a DVD over just buying a movie.
DVDs won?t go away, but online movie services can certainly replace VHS tapes.
Of course, with the success of the iTMS, this is a natural extension of online services for Apple to venture into. "Natural" meaning logical, not probable.
When MovieLink first came out (requiring IE of course), I used it to watch The Majestic. The download was about 500mb or so. It wasn't unreasonable and the video quality was okay. Certainly it wasn't DVD quality, but I was watching it on my Monitor which tends to make things darker anyway.
Why can't Apple develop a service that allows you to "pre-download" movies? The way MovieLink worked is that I downloaded the movie. Once I started watching it, I had (I think) 48 hours to finish it.
Broadband speeds are not going to increase anytime soon. There's no competition forcing the speeds up and there's no services available requiring faster speed.
A movie service would certainly get people to at least "think" about upgrading their service.
Maybe one day we'll catch up with S. Korea and have decent broadband speeds.
theFly
Downloading feature films will never work. many here have already pointed out the bandwidth issues not to mention the licensing.
I think the answer is in T.V. Think about all the old shows that you watched back in the day. Many collections have had there run on video and the market ran out on them. Thousands of titles have been shelved because the cost of distribution is too high. How about a new market?
Imagine an iTMS like environment for classic TV. Without commercials TV shows are from 15-20 mins long. charge $2.50 for 320x240 and $5.00 for 640x480 res.
This would spark the revival of the cartoon short subject. Download classic cartoons for $0.99.
This could kick ass!
wadaya think?
Great idea.
Originally posted by Mekhanes
I think everyone is missing the obvious here.
Downloading feature films will never work. many here have already pointed out the bandwidth issues not to mention the licensing.
I think the answer is in T.V. Think about all the old shows that you watched back in the day. Many collections have had there run on video and the market ran out on them. Thousands of titles have been shelved because the cost of distribution is too high. How about a new market?
Imagine an iTMS like environment for classic TV. Without commercials TV shows are from 15-20 mins long. charge $2.50 for 320x240 and $5.00 for 640x480 res.
This would spark the revival of the cartoon short subject. Download classic cartoons for $0.99.
This could kick ass!
wadaya think?
They should offer a 1024x768 res too. This way people who can support that kind of download can get a higher quality. Charge the same amount for all resolutions, and offer the ability to download a higher res even if you've already downloaded a lower one.
Wait, what's the res of a normal TV?