Maylin
In the beginning there was a man, a woman, and an Apple.
Then, along came Bill Gates. He convinced the woman, and the man, that the Apple was difficult, unreliable, and generally inconsiderate of their needs. So, they closed the door in Apple’s face, and traveled through the Windows to a user friendly environment.
Fast forward 15 years to a time when the nearly forgotten Apple finds its way to the top of the heap. The iPod music system is so popular the name has become a moniker for any type of digital player. Release of the iPhone produced a collective “aaah!” that could be heard world wide. Production of a notebook computer thinner than a fast food hamburger patty, made everyone want to jump in line and place an order. The brand new iTune movie rentals for portable and AppleTV platforms, makes the consumer want to scream, “Stop! It’s too much!”
“Too much!” refers to the cash hemorrhage. Consumers are paying dearly for Apple’s “forgotten years”. Outlay for the initial equipment buys an empty stage. You must then pay (and pay, and pay, and pay) to have compatible content. The new iTunes movie rentals start around $3 each. Opt for a high definition, new release and fork over almost $5. The unwatched movie will be available on your device for up to 30 days. The moment you hit play, the countdown starts. For 24 hours, you can watch it as many times as you wish. Then, it disappears. You have to pay the rental fee to watch it again. With such cost intensive service, will iTunes movie rental be competitive with the more affordable services offered by established industry competitors like Netflix and Blockbuster?
Most online DVD rental services offers instant movie download. Unlimited access costs less than $10, about the cost of two new releases from iTunes movie rental. Their extensive libraries are available to you any time you like, for as long as you like. The use of streaming video (direct from their server to your internet connection) saves computer memory space. The value is irrefutable. But, even with attractive features and pricing, the traditional services will not be able to compete with iTunes movie rental. Consumers consistently choose convenience over price.
The established services offer download to a PC and people do not want to huddle around their PC screen to enjoy movies. In addition to your PC, iTunes movie rentals can be transferred to iPhones and iPods for mobile access. Your television can join the party with the purchase of AppleTV equipment. To be fair, it is possible to channel existing internet movie rental services through your TV. It requires technical knowledge and about $200 to upgrade most computers. Apple TV equipment retails for $229 and expands your viewing options. Instead of waiting for a series to be available on DVD, you can purchase current television programs the day after they first air. AppleTV also enables television broadcast of YouTube videos and online photo galleries.
Apple has produced another shining star. Established movie services will be left behind as the world embraces the added options and conveniences. If you are skeptical and still doubt consumers will choose convenience over price, consider two little words…bottled water.
February 4, 2008
I think there will always be someone, somewhere, willing to pay for the newest gadgets, technology and with it the software or in this case movies to go with it. iTunes Movie Rental may not be popular with everyone, but it won’t be Apple’s First iFlop, as you put it. I see them making enough from it to keep it viable and not a loss that needs to be absorbed.
I think if they took a page out of the marketing of the iPhone with all their releases, they’d have no problem.
February 5, 2008
Paying $3 per movie is much cheaper than going to the movie. I think that this Itunes movie rental is just what we need to cut off the cost of watching films. I guess that some people would want to watch movies on their Apple, but to think that you will watch it on a small screen, I would say no way because I like to watch on the big screen where you can feel that you are part of the movie itself.
February 8, 2008
Personally, while most of my movie watching is done at home now, I do not believe that watching movies on any computer is a suitable or enjoyable way to see a first-run film (or even a rental of an old one). Hell, I can - but hardly do - watch movies on a DVD using my non-Apple PC and not have to pay anything except the initial cost of the disc.
Not sure if this will be an iFlop, but it’s definitely not something I’d be interested in.
February 9, 2008
I love theaters and never love watching movies at home
and I also love live concerts and I don;t like music from music players so for me Apple is flop
February 10, 2008
I also like watching movies out in a big-screen theater, sitting in the dark (or semi-darkness) with several hundred other humans and cheering (or crying) at the images on the screen, but I also have a library of DVDs and I do watch those, too.
It’s just that I work on my computer all day long, so why have to sit at my desk and watch a movie there for two, sometimes even three, hours? I rarely do it on my PC, so why should I do it on the Apple product?
February 13, 2008
Although, I’m watching movies on my TV these days, I think that I wouldn’t watch a movie on my computer because of the screen. Those screens are far smaller than the TV. The TV cost much less than a computer. It would be a waste of money just to watch a movie on your computer. I think that any person wouldn’t want to watch movies on a computer screen for this reason.
February 14, 2008
I agree with those that like watching movies in the theatre. That is the best way to see a movie, especially when you are seeing a movie for the first time. The blockbusters are a MUST for the theatre.
I still believe iTunes movie rental will have enough of a customer base that it will be profitable for Apple. In the end that’s all that will matter. If it brings in enough $ dollars, it’ll make the shareholders happy.
February 20, 2008
Actually, my PC monitor is fairly good to watch movies on, since it’s almost as big as that of my first TV (17″) and it’s an LCD - sort of like my new HDTV downstairs. I’d just rather not sit at my desk - where I must work to earn money - for any more time than absolutely necessary.
Where this might be useful, now that I think about it, is in cases where someone may be disabled and can’t easily go to a movie in the local cinemas.
February 22, 2008
I think that it will be awful hard for Apple to compete with the NetFlixs of the world unless it gets with the Ipod method. There are already a ton of plyers out there, but a proprietory format for the Apple movies would be a must to catch up with the others. I hate this fact, as I am an open standards guy myself, but if there is no lock in mechanism for the promotion of its movie model, than Apple will have no captive customers for the product, and will lose out.
February 24, 2008
Fardreamer,
With the Apple equipment you can also watch the movies on your television. I think it’s a good idea. Beats having to go out and spend a fortune on a blu-ray dvd player, and the prices to rent movies has gone up tremendously. Even pay per view/movies on demand in our area are now 4.99 per movie.
February 26, 2008
To add on what I stated, the reason that this may be successful is that the market like netflix and blockbuster pretty much do a lackluster job with its online rentals. Apple pretty much comes off as a company that has trust, so I see no reason why it cannot succeed in this market.
February 29, 2008
I certainly hope that it is not a flog for Apple. I would like to see them move into another direction and compete with others. Movies are very expensive and it really is just cheaper to buy then go out to a movie. But many times renting one first allows us to decide if we really like enough to buy it.
March 3, 2008
After re-reading the article and doing a little research on this offsite, I really think this may be more hit than miss ( I could be wrong though…). This is potentially, a wrench thrown into the cog, that is, If Apple does promote this heavily.
The options listed so far makes it a cost feasible product compared to others that I have mentioned in my previous post, and if enough tech savvy Apple users want that option it can be a successful item. Only time will tell.
March 6, 2008
Wow.
Leighdu, you make some very good and compelling points about this new Apple product. I’m still not sure if I’ll buy it or use the service, but hopefully it’ll be a success for Apple.
April 1, 2008
I personally think it is all getting a bit too exspensive for such a simple task. To be honest I would rather wait untill the movie comes out in DVD, that way I can watch it on my 42″ LCD and my surround sound. Oh I cant forget the popcorn.