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Amazon's Online Movie Service
ebresie writes "According to the NYT, it looks as though Amazon is going to start competing with iTunes movie downloads." From the article: "So far, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios and Warner Brothers are engaged in the talks, said one person close to the talks who, like the others, asked not to be identified because the negotiations are continuing.
Although it is not clear when it might begin, an Amazon downloading service would be sure to send waves through both the media and retail worlds. Players in both industries are racing to offer new ways to give technology-savvy audiences instant access to their favorite shows and songs, in a field crowded with potential rivals using Internet and on-demand technologies. "
... when box office sales keep declining!
Others are realizing that it's just not worth the effort to rush, pay more and stand in line to watch a movie when they can just download it online or buy it on PPV and watch it in the comfort of their homes a couple of months later.
In the article they say that customers will be able to download the movies and burn them to DVD. I don't imagine they'll let us download full DVD5 or DVD9 ISOs of the movies. More likely, it will be some highly compressed MPEG-4 variant, along with some Amazon-branded "preparation/conversion" app that outputs a burnable DVD5 or 9 ISO image. Even this sounds like it'd be a bit much for the average computer user to get a handle on. They'd better make sure this whole process is fairly idiot-proof or it's doomed to failure.
This guy's the limit!
, and by 'the business' I mean the industry, is finally moving to embrace online services.
I think they may have been watching the music industry moves and market responses very closly and relized that is not the way to go.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
How long until Amazon decides to patent "an online movie distribution system" and sue Blockbuster and Netflix for infringing on their innovative business idea?
Note: This post is half tongue in cheek, and half legitimate fear.
ITMS doesn't really do movies yet, funny Amazon will be there competing against them.
Hopefully they do better than Google. I think they have a better shot at putting together something decent though.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Whomever creates the service that aloows people to watch the downloads easily from the couch, in the living rrom. There is only so long I can watch movies/shows on my computer screen or my little 2 inch iPod screen...
And All I Ask is a Tall Ship And a Star to Steer Her By
It will be interesting to see how this pans out. One of the reasons all the other music download services have failed to make a dent in iTMS' market share is because iTunes downloads load right into iTunes (duh) and load quite easily onto the iPods. Now since the iPods own the mp3 market by a landslide, it's no wonder people use iTunes to get their music. Add in the ease of use, simple interface, and decent (ie, acceptabel) DRM and you've got a winner.
Amazon does a damn good job at selling "stuff". Can they distribute the digital media to the masses in the same way? Which hardware are they going to aim it all at? If Apple is able to get a foothold in the video market also, then why would anyone download video if it's a pain to load onto their iPod Videos? It's all about ease for most of the users out there. Amazon may have a bazillion videos and a decent model, but if the people find it a hassle to put on their favorite player, it's not gonna rock.
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts...for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang
Were meant to be watched on tv?
Who wants to watch them on the 3 inch screen of an iPod?
Amazon shows up enough on /. on its own merits without needing to tied into Apple.
So according to Slashdot's Apple section, Amazon.com is considering starting a service that would compete with a service Apple doesn't offer. All we need is some Google speculation ("Google's Online Movie Service in JavaScript") and we've got a trifecta!
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I'm curious as to why Apple hasn't come out with two different file sizes for their movie store - one for the iPod and one for tv. Perhaps they're waiting for front row to really move into the living room. With their emphasis on HD in iMovie, and H.264, to expect consumers to be satisfied buying shows at what, 320x240, is ridiculous. If they offered the option to buy both file sizes at once for the same price as buying one, it would make a lot more sense. It wouldn't make sense to offer the higher-resolution files for a premium, because consumers wouldn't be using the same file on their ipod anyway. Apple ought to simply keep the smaller size format for people who actually want to carry their movies around with them while offering the option of a larger one for home viewing.
I agree. To rival the movie theater experience I would have to pop some nasty smelling popcorn, pour cocacola on my floor, install uncomfortable seats, and let the movie continue to play while I take a bathroom break. Oh, and I have to charge myself a ridiculous surcharge for anything I eat or drink during the movie. And lest I forget, I have to invite smelly, noisy, rude people to join me in my living room to watch the flick.
Maybe... maybe my screen isn't quite as cool as the big theater screen. But at 47" and 16x9, it comes close enough. And my surround setup, while not perfect, will indeed rattle my ribcage during the lobby scene of the Matrix, so it's good enough as well. When I figure in the comfy recliner, lack of rude annoying smelly people, food at cost, ability to stop the movie while I pee... well, I think I do not want to rival the movie theater experience after all.
If you guessed that I do not watch movies in theaters any more, you'd be right. Even without the aforementioned irritations, paying nearly half the cost of a DVD just to watch a movie one time is not worth it.
It's quite sad that DRM and "fear of the consumer" has put us in a place that the best way to buy video information uses the postal service as a transport.
There is a large industry waiting to happen. Waiting for the media industry to loosen its grip and allow consumers to download unencumbered media from official sources at reasonable prices/advertisement. The vast majority of people would not bother with saving a couple cents to avoid paying for audio and video, especially if it's hard/slow to find. Just let the consumer loose a little.