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KeyLimePi · Dec 26, 2007, 11:20 PM

According to this Financial Times article, Apple has inked a deal with Fox Studios to offer online movie rentals (it's about time). Pretty surprising that Fox is first and not Disney. Or, maybe Disney is just better at keeping its deals quiet.

Bonus, according to the article; Fox DVDs will come with an iTunes-compatible version of the movie that you can put directly on your iPod/iPhone (something other companies have already been doing).

I guess this will be formally announced at Macworld.

Cold Warrior · Dec 26, 2007, 11:23 PM

Awesome. Let's hope the price is right, and that a single price includes both Mac and iPod viewing rights.

Laminar · Dec 26, 2007, 11:24 PM

So you buy the DVD and you get an mp4 version of the movie on a separate disc or what?

imitchellg5 · Dec 26, 2007, 11:54 PM

It seems like it would be on a single disc if I am following correctly.

Big Mac · Dec 27, 2007, 12:36 AM

I don't really get the appeal of such an arrangement.

Peter753 · Dec 27, 2007, 12:43 AM

Pricing scheme will be very interesting.

CreepDogg · Dec 27, 2007, 01:22 AM

No mention of availability of HD or not. If they offer rentals in HD, Apple TV here I come! (HD rentals are the killer app for Apple TV IMHO...)

FireWire · Dec 27, 2007, 04:08 AM

I highly doubt they will be able to match the price and freedom my current physical video rental store is offering.. 2 new releases for 5$, without any DRM and in high quality. The iTunes version will probably be crippled with a DRM, so you can't "rip" it for ulterior watching like you can currently do (I usually don't have time to watch the second DVD before it's due, so I rip it and watch it later), and will probably be compressed so the quality is not as good as a real DVD. Or not, but then you have to pay for ridiculously high bandwidth fee (a dual-layer disk is around 6-7 GB on average, and we're not even talking about Blu-ray...)

Person Man · Dec 27, 2007, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by FireWire

I highly doubt they will be able to match the price and freedom my current physical video rental store is offering.. 2 new releases for 5$, without any DRM and in high quality.

What are you smoking? Physical DVDs most CERTAINLY have DRM. Granted, it's weak, broken DRM, but it's DRM nonetheless.

macmonkey · Dec 27, 2007, 09:39 AM

That and it's highly specious to compare doing something that is illegal with something that is.

"Why would you buy that car? The price isn't right. I'd just break into the lot and steal it, drive it as long as I want, and return it when I feel like it - or never."

The Godfather · Dec 27, 2007, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by FireWire

I highly doubt they will be able to match the price and freedom my current physical video rental store is offering.. 2 new releases for 5$, without any DRM and in high quality. The iTunes version will probably be crippled with a DRM, so you can't "rip" it for ulterior watching like you can currently do (I usually don't have time to watch the second DVD before it's due, so I rip it and watch it later), and will probably be compressed so the quality is not as good as a real DVD. Or not, but then you have to pay for ridiculously high bandwidth fee (a dual-layer disk is around 6-7 GB on average, and we're not even talking about Blu-ray...)

That "Freedom" you are talking about is highly unethical in the good ol' U.S. of A., where ripping a CD/DVD you don't own isn't open to any debate.

Note: you should rip their DVDs in H264, and make the resulting file 4.7GB.

imitchellg5 · Dec 27, 2007, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by The Godfather

That "Freedom" you are talking about is highly unethical in the good ol' U.S. of A., where ripping a CD/DVD you don't own isn't open to any debate.

Note: you should rip their DVDs in H264, and make the resulting file 4.7GB.

Pretty much everyone and their mom does it though. I wonder how many iPods are full of music that the owner actually purchased. Mine isn't, because you can't find the Sunday Night Football theme music on iTunes

Person Man · Dec 27, 2007, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Pretty much everyone and their mom does it though.

Just because everyone does it doesn't make it right.

macmonkey · Dec 27, 2007, 12:35 PM

the same thing was said about itunes music store when it launched. How many billion songs have they sold? I'm not saying its morally wrong to timeshift, but when making a comparison , it makes no sense to compare illegal methods with legal ones

imitchellg5 · Dec 27, 2007, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Person Man

Just because everyone does it doesn't make it right.

Didn't say it did.

mdc · Dec 27, 2007, 01:59 PM

I hope iTunes introduces rentals.
Once in a while I have a movie in mind that I want to watch and then I end up buying it off iTunes, only to watch it once. I'd rather save a few dollars and rent it.

imitchellg5 · Dec 27, 2007, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by mdc

I hope iTunes introduces rentals.
Once in a while I have a movie in mind that I want to watch and then I end up buying it off iTunes, only to watch it once. I'd rather save a few dollars and rent it.

I would really love that. I would love it even more if you could download them from an iPod touch or iPhone. It would have been really nice for me this last week, being sick and all, to just have been able to download a movie or two from the iTunes Store without leaving my house braving the snow.

mdc · Dec 27, 2007, 02:29 PM

Oh yeah, I'd like to be able to browse and buy/rent movies from my AppleTV.
That'd be perfect.

KeyLimePi · Dec 27, 2007, 03:46 PM

I would be shocked, but thrilled, if I could soon rent movies right from my Apple TV. It kills me that I can scroll through movie trailers and there's no 'download it now' button. Likewise, I suppose, for iPhones (although I don't have one).

I think this functionality will be a ways off, but at least rentals are a step in the right direction. Makes me wonder if Apple is planning to make mobile video a big element of Macworld this year. Maybe an update to Apple TV in the works?