iTunes movies? we'll hear soon...

[Jumper Bones]

sounds like lots of iPod-related stuff will be dropping soon...

Apple Sets The Scene For Potential Movie Downloads On iTunes

September 6, 2006

By Associated Press

SAN JOSE, CALIF. - Could the company that helped catapult the legal music download market with iPods and iTunes now kick-start the online movie market?

Rumors of Apple Computer Inc.'s plans to launch a movie download service gained momentum Tuesday after the company sent invitations to the media, saying "It's Showtime," next week.

The media event scheduled for Sept. 12 is set in San Francisco and coincides with the opening day of the Apple Expo in Paris.

Sources at several Hollywood studios confirmed Tuesday they were in talks to sell their films through iTunes. But substantial disagreements between studios and Apple remain to be resolved and Apple's movie service could launch with a limited number of films, according to two studio executives who asked to remain anonymous because talks were still ongoing.

Speculation of the iPod maker adding full-length feature films to its online iTunes Music Store have swirled for months. Already, the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer company has become a multimedia powerhouse with its song and TV show downloads. Analysts said it would only be a matter of time before Apple started distributing movies online.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs became a board member and the largest stockholder at The Walt Disney Co. earlier this year through its acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios Inc., which Jobs also headed. That connection provides a natural toehold for Disney to be among the first to sign a distribution deal.

Apple's first experiment with a full-length TV movie on iTunes was last March when it started offering the Disney Channel's original TV movie, "High School Musical," for $9.99.

Apple and Hollywood studio representatives refused to comment on the speculation of a movie licensing deal.

Also, analysts and industry observers expect Apple to soon introduce a new iPod player with a widescreen display - which would be better suited for viewing movies.

Several studios are balking at Apple's demands, including selling all films for one price and making all films available for download the same day they are released on DVD, according to studio sources.

Studios already sell films through other online services, including Movielink, CinemaNow and Guba. Those deals allow the studios to vary pricing and availability.

Studios also have some concerns about the digital protection offered by Apple. Other deals use Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Media software, which more tightly controls how many times films can be transferred to various devices.

Studios want to retain more control over their product, believing, as the mantra goes, that "content is king" and that Apple needs big studio fare to sell any new video player more than studios need to sell films through iTunes.

One studio executive said Tuesday that deals being struck for a similar download service planned by Amazon.com are more flexible and allow for higher profit margins.

Studios are exploring new distribution methods for films. On Tuesday, Sprint Nextel Corp. announced a deal with four studios to offer full-length films on a "pay-per-view" basis on their mobile phones. The Sprint Movies service will offers films from Disney, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate and Universal Studios.

But watching movies meant for the big screen on a small portable display is still not ideal. Neither is watching video on a computer screen.

An AP-AOL Video poll released Tuesday found that only one in five online video viewers have watched or downloaded a full-length movie or television show. And fledgling online movie services such as CinemaNow and MovieLink have acknowledged that one of their biggest challenges remains the difficulties consumers face if they were to try to hook up their televisions to play videos from their computers.

Apple, in the meantime, has been forging ahead to make its products the digital media hub for consumers. Its iconic iPod player is designed for music and video on-the-go, its iTunes store is a leading destination for getting digital content, and its Macintosh computers are touted for managing all the multimedia.

Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research is one of many analysts who expect Apple to enter the living room soon with a product designed to connect to televisions.

Bernoff predicted in a report in January that Apple was creating a new set-top box and will unveil video licensing deals. Such an integrated hardware and software package would rattle video distribution similar to how its iPod-iTunes franchise transformed the music industry, he said.

"If Apple is successful here, they will really open up the online movie market," said Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group.

Analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies added that competitors are sure to be closely watching Apple's next move, including Microsoft, which has said it plans to introduce its own branded online store and Zune portable media player later this year.

Apple shares rose $3.10, or 4.5 percent, to close at $71.48 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

source - http://www.komotv.com/news/story_m.asp?ID=45335

[Son1cdeth]

I've been trying to get excited about this for awhile. But I just can't imagine watching a 2 hour movie on that small screen. Short music videos or funny ads are fine, but a full-length film? No thanks.

[Jumper Bones]

read the article a little closer...there may be some new products to pipe your iPod into a much bigger screen, not just your computer.

Basically, a portable DVD player without discs to lug around, that easily fits in your pocket? sweet. What I'd like to see them do is improve the battery life when playing video...

what'd be cool is if they could do some sort of rental deal, where you could rent a movie and then return it off of your iPod when you're done. But I guess that's not really practical, piracy and all (yarrrrrgh).

[Ski Monkey]

I want to be able to download the stuff and then pipe it to my plasma for viewing. That's what I'm waiting for. Come on Apple!

[edg]

I watch movies on my iPod when on car/train journeys and it's not bad at all. The only problem is the battery consumption - I can usually watch both one normal film and one ski film per charge, or a DVD's worth of a television series. The only pain in the ass for me is coverting the movies in the first place!

edg

[The Jackamo]

I want to be able to download the stuff and then pipe it to my plasma for viewing. That's what I'm waiting for. Come on Apple!

they already have it so you could view photo slideshows from your iPod on a TV via RCA cable, so this wouldn't be a big leap. i don't own one of the 5th gen ipods, but i expect that they'd have this type of feature?

they could also conceivably release a new AirPort Express so you could transmit video over your wireless network to your TV a la airtunes (airtube?)

[PeachesN'Cream]

the potential for what apple is gonna drop on tuesday is nothing less than huge.

Apple is a really smart company and Jobs has a very high standard for his products when they launch. the inside industry word is that Apple has been hammering away on a top priority project for the last few years and it's been very very secret. basicly think of what iTunes and the iPod did for the way we listen to and purchase music... then think about applying that level of revolution applied to movies... it will be HUGE

the hardware possibilites are all over the board... from TV box top, to a Apple version of a MSoft MediaCenter PC... to an advanced Airport Base station that allows you to stream video content to your TV. and lets not forget that they just launched a new 24 inch iMac.... humm integration?

then there is the new version of the iPod Nano that could have video capibilites... that might drop in october when the iPod turns 5 or maybe tuesday...

but there is one thing that i'm pretty sure we can count on... when Jobs pulls his famous "Oh and there's one more thing" like he always does it's gonna be a big deal.

[Ski Monkey]

but there is one thing that i'm pretty sure we can count on... when Jobs pulls his famous "Oh and there's one more thing" like he always does it's gonna be a big deal.

I was thinking about this today, and I can't remember when he last did the "one more thing" bit. Didn't do it at the last wwdc or macworld san fran.

Actually, what I really want is the ability to put all of my media files on a network drive and then be able to access any of it from any computer or audio or video platform in the house. Kinda like what squeezbox or the sonos systems do but with itunes protected files and movies.

[Jumper Bones]

I watch movies on my iPod when on car/train journeys and it's not bad at all. The only problem is the battery consumption - I can usually watch both one normal film and one ski film per charge, or a DVD's worth of a television series. The only pain in the ass for me is coverting the movies in the first place!

edg

agreed on the battery consumption, and with a bigger iPod screen like what's rumored, unless the battery is much better, the problem would be much worse.

Now, your movie conversion...how do you do that? Got a link to the right software? The only video stuff I've ever gotten has been off of the iTunes store. How do I burn one of my DVDs into my iPod?

[laseranimal]

problem for me is that its all in their proprietary format so I can't take a video (that I paid for) and put it onto my PSP or other video device

[Jumper Bones]

yeah, same shit for the PSP - why would I want to go buy all my movies again, just so I can watch them on the PSP? Why couldn't they just make a DVD version of their recordable minidisc, instead of creating a whole new format that nobody else uses???

$$$$$$$

sony are some greedy motherfuckers.

[PeachesN'Cream]

well there it is. new iPod nano in metal and colors, new really small shufffle and bigger regular iPods and movies on iTunes, new iTunes too — seems really cool.

it was looking like that was it and i was bummed. there was so much talk of some big new shizz on the way and it looked to be over. then steve did the oh one last thing, how bout a preview.

boom iTV (not the real name). tv top base station that will hold music, movies etc... wireless link to your laptop or mac or PC, and connects to a TV almost any way you can dream up. $300 commin in Q1 of 07, macworld SF maybe? works like an advanced version of front row on your TV and looks like a small mac mini. this thing will be a big deal i think. like a media PC but way the hell doper!

also the big iPod didn't do shit... could this be the touch screen video thing onthe way? could it turn into the PDA/Phone/iPod/camera super device that i am praying for apple to launch... time will tell, but i'm hoping the do something like this and take over the worlds.

[Arty50]

Recap from today's event. There's some good stuff in here:

- 70 percent of cars in 2007 have iPod connectivity in the US
- Nike + iPod Sports Kit selling like hotcakes, and Foot Locker is blown away by the sales of shoes
- 450,000 Sport Kits sold in the first 90 days
- iPod enhanced today with a 60 percent brighter screen
- iPod can now play video for longer
- New headphones for iPod with a new shape
- Gapless playback on the iPod
- Improved iPod searching using a litter for quick scrolling
- Games also added to the iPod today, including Bejeweled, Cubis 2, Mah-jong, Mini Golf, Pac Man, Tetris, Texas Holdem, Vortex, and Zuma
- Games will work on all 5G iPod models, and you can buy them from iTunes for $4.99 each
- iPod is now $249 for 60GB iPod
- New iPod, 80GB that holds 20,000 songs for $349
- New 2nd generation nano with an aluminum body, thinner than 1st gen nano
- Nano looks just like a thin iPod mini, colors just like the iPod mini
- Green, silver, black, blue, and pink
- 24-hour battery life, new headphones just like the 5G iPod, and new software features like the iPod
- There are now 3 nano models: 2GB in silver only, 4GB in all colors but black, and 8GB model in all colors including black
- Prices are at $149, $199, and $249 respectively
- 52% volume reduction on the size of the iPod nano
- New accessories available today as well, including a new charger, new armband, new lanyard headphones with the newly designed earbuds
- New, colorful iPod ads, inverse of silouettes with people against flat color backgrounds
- Shuffle is now tiny and even more affordable with 2nd generation of shuffles
- 2nd gen shuffle is the size of the iPod radio remote
- Shuffle has a metal body with a white click wheel
- Headphones are on top with switches on the bottom, comes with a dock for USB2
- One shuffle model available at 1GB
- 12 hour battery life, priced at $79 and includes headphones
- New shuffle ships in October
- iTunes has 88 percent marketshare of legal US downloads, with 1.5 billion songs purchased
- iTunes is now the 5th largest retailer in the US for music and will pass Amazon by the beginning of 2007
- Number 1 in every country
- Update to iTunes, biggest ever at iTunes 7
- Source list now includes separate liibraries for all forms of media and the store has sections for different devices
- Lists are in the left column and the top has new views
- iTunes will now give you missing cover art for all music in your library, even if you don't have an iTunes account for FREE
- Cover flow view lets you rapidly find what you want by album cover, works on TV shows too
- 45 million videos purchased from iTunes, now up to 220 shows available on iTunes
- NFL got added to iTunes today with the entire 2006 season, $1.99 per game or $24.99 season pass
- All videos encoded with h264
- Past iTunes video resolution was 320x240, but is now 640x480 with gapless playback in iTunes 7
- Installer now in iTunes, tabbed representation
- You can decide how to sync video to your iPod. 10 more recent TV shows can be sync, or by show, or by all
- Now you can move content from iTunes among multiple computers if they are authorized on the same account!
- Use the iPod as a transfer conduit for your entire music and video collection
- There's no need to download new songs for gapless playback to work, iTunes knows which ones to make gapless
- Event is all iPod fans' dreams so far.
- One more thing...
- Movie downloads being added to the iTunes video store
- When TV shows were added, iTunes started with 1 network and 5 shows
- Today, films from Walt Disney, Pixar, Touchstone, and Miramax (all Disney owned) are being added
- 75 films online today, with more every week and every month
- #1 and 2 movies of the year are Pirates and Cars, both available on iTunes
- New releases are $12.99 on preorders and first week, available the same day as DVD release
- $14.99 after the first week, with "most" library titles (older stuff) at $9.99 every day
- iTunes Store has a new name, now with movies on the home page, higher-resolution videos, and better store interface
- If you have a 5-6Mbit broadband connection, you can watch the movie as it downloads and download multiple movies at once
- There is now a download manager in iTunes
- Dolby surround audio in all videos
- Movies will hopefully go international in 2007
- Users can watch trailers in the iTunes Store
- Cars can be preordered today
- Usage rights for downloaded movies are just like TV shows from iTunes
- One last thing, an unusual sneak peek...
- Q1 of 2007 "completes the story"
- You can take content to your computer or your iPod, but now TV
- To send content to the TV, Apple will release a wireless box for the TV
- The box will be like the Mac Mini, and it will be called iTV (not necessarily the final name!)
- The back just has a power cord with power supply inside
- Will have USB, Ethernet, 802.11, and wireless component video, with optical audio and HDMI ports
- Looks just like the Mac mini but 1/2 the size and works with the Apple Remote
- Demo of the iTV
- Interface looks just like the next generation of Front Row
- Movie art floats by on the right of the screen with text on the left, including a text synopsis
- Video access on the iTV is "instantaneous," looks just like watching a DVD
- The same videos play on iTunes, iPod, and now iTV
- iTV seems to stream directly from the computer in the demo, and video seems to look very close to DVD quality on the theater projector where the event is being held
- iTV lets you access trailers and selected iTunes Store content from the Internet
- The iTV works with iTunes on the PC or the Mac, available in Q1 of 2007 at $299

[Arty50]

also the big iPod didn't do shit... could this be the touch screen video thing onthe way? could it turn into the PDA/Phone/iPod/camera super device that i am praying for apple to launch... time will tell, but i'm hoping the do something like this and take over the worlds.

I would kill for an 80 gigger with a firewire connection...or a new Mac with USB 2. There's no way my 60 G model is going to hold all my stuff.

Still the gapless playback and automagic free artwork are nice additions to my little device.

The iPhone is going to fucking rule. Wall Street analysts are already talking it up, which means a) that it's definitely coming and b) it's gonna be a huge deal. If Apple understands one thing better than anyone, it's definitely user interfaces. Current cell phone UIs range from decent to sucking donkey balls. Word on the street is cell phone, PIM (personal information manager), and iTunes. Supposedly it's going to have a touch screen too.

I have this bad feeling it's gonna be a candy bar phone though. Now that I own a flip phone, I won't go back to anything else. Locking the keys on candy bar phones never works 100%.

[PeachesN'Cream]

The iPhone is going to fucking rule. Wall Street analysts are already talking it up, which means a) that it's definitely coming and b) it's gonna be a huge deal. If Apple understands one thing better than anyone, it's definitely user interfaces. Current cell phone UIs range from decent to sucking donkey balls. Word on the street is cell phone, PIM (personal information manager), and iTunes. Supposedly it's going to have a touch screen too.

I have this bad feeling it's gonna be a candy bar phone though. Now that I own a flip phone, I won't go back to anything else. Locking the keys on candy bar phones never works 100%.

if you think about how powerfull the whole touch screen interface is, it's pretty amazing how diverse and powerful this device could be. start with a front row like menu. select phone. display morphs into a phone interface with buttons and a display at the top. make call, go back to the main menu, select iPod, display morphs into a click wheel and data at the top. play songs. back to menu, email, morphs into a qwerty board... and on and on.

maybe that idea is way too "device of the future" but man would it be Fing sweet.

as for fourm, i have always been a fan of the candybar phone. however it seems like a slide style would make a lot of sense if the touch screen does not pay off. front of phone could look almost just like an iPod then slide the display up and you get a keypad under there. that would ROCK too!

anway you stack it this is an exciting time for Apple to make some big changes and get more market. wish i had a few grand to pickup some stock.

[Arty50]

wish i had a few grand to pickup some stock.

Pickup some anyway. Maybe it'll get you a new pair of skis.

AAPL has treated me very well, very well indeed...

[PeachesN'Cream]

yes i'm sure you have done well with AAPL.

too bad i got mass bills to pay before i have extra to invest, but one day i will get on that waggon. it must be nice to own a small slice of a company you back. it also must be a rush to watch it go up by a few bucks a day as it did last week.

[Cono Este]

Good article about Apple in the Journal today. So Steve Job's is effectively taking on Walmart. walmart sells 40% of cd's and dvd's. He has to find a way to land the other studios, not just Disney, without them pissing off walmart.

what a man this guy is. Where was i 5 yrs ago when AAPl was in the pooper.

This is a must have, sorry walmart, no more dvd's.

[Arty50]

I saw a similar article last week. Walmart has threatened the studios with a complete shutdown of DVD sales if they sign on with Apple. Somehow I doubt the FTC will get involved, although they most definitely should.

It's one thing to demand low prices, but it's another thing to blackmail your suppliers into killing your competition. This is blatantly illegal.

[Cono Este]

My money is on Steve, that guy has the golden touch. Fuck walmart.

i cant wait to put all my dvd's on this thing. Good ridance dvd's and all devices that play them.