that us consumers will create backlash at them by not purchasing DVDs and videotapes AT ALL this holiday season.

And it's not just out of spite either. Has anybody seen (or at least read/heard about) the garbage out in the movies this year? Geez. It's no wonder sales are plummeting. They're peddling garbage. Why would I want to buy any of it, whether on DVD or electronically.

Not worth my hard earned $$$.

At what point does the big box stores threatening the studios if they go to iTunes become something illegal? I mean IANAL but when they start using their market power to make the studios either not use iTS or, theoretically, sell iTS films at the same price or higher than DVD versions of the same movie, it sounds to me kinda like the sort of bullying Microsoft got in trouble for.

This is NOT undercutting them in pricing. You get NO dvd to carry with you in the Ford Excursion Subdivision SUV monstrosity for the kids ... You get no extras, commentaries, booklets, or packaging... and you do NOT get dvd quality. OF COURSE THE PRICE SHOULD BE LOWER!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, but these short-sighted idiots really tick me off. Fools.

Mmm.. Gene Munster has been a bit of colour of late... remember his "No new iBook until after July" pronouncement? Umm.. MacBooks came out in May.

Take this with a big grain of salt. Make that a salt cellar.

Quote

Tommo_UK wrote:
Mmm.. Gene Munster has been a bit of colour of late... remember his "No new iBook until after July" pronouncement? Umm.. MacBooks came out in May.

Take this with a big grain of salt. Make that a salt cellar.

As I commented over at TiPO, buying a DVD buys "more" content than just the movie. Therefore, one should not expect that DVD discs should *ever* be priced the same as iTMS movies.

If the retailers want to lobby the movie industry into providing "movie-only" DVDs that they can sell for the same price as the iTMS, that's their prerogative, but saying that a DVD and a iTMS download should be the same price is like saying that a comic book should cost the same as a television set.

I just hope the studios can wrap their brain around the basic idea that downloads and DVDs are DIFFERENT

they know the truth...there is STILL no difference because they both contain the crappy content. One just has more of it.

And apparently, they can't distinguish quantity as well as quality.

I don't think this is a real big deal right now. I don't think that the present video iPod or on a computer is the best way for people to watch movies at present. Once the iTV is released as well as the reported large screen video iPod, then it would make more sense for these other studios to make more content available for iTunes.

Neal

Hard for me to envision Wal-Mart or Best Buy scaling back their DVD floor/shelf space. I currently don't buy many DVDs, but I likely would buy a lot of ITS videos. I'm super lazy and would rather just find a file and click it then get up and across room and find a disc and then pop it in the player (or computer).
The stores see it as the exact same product yet without the packaging, shipping, and even physical form to manufacture - just buying & downloading a freaking file SHOULD BE A LOT MORE cheaper than an actual DVD or DVD set! So I see why the stores are scared, yet I seriously doubt if the option of buying movies at ITS would impact their physical sales. Studios still simply need to make BETTER movies.
Just watch the sales figures for the new Pirates of Caribbean movie coming soon to both retail stores as DVDs and ITS. I bet it'll sale a ton with both tracks and retail won't suffer, especially since holiday shopping is coming.

And what about the 'studios' argument that we should actually pay MORE for downloaded media than store-bought. Since it is so convenient.

How can iTunes undercut the Big Box Stores if that's the case.

I really think it's too early to declare either victory or failure here. Apple is not on a Christmas season schedule with this one, they're waiting for the 802.11n protocol to get an initial release before committing to larger files on a wider basis. When the 802.11n is released in early 2007, they'll release the commercial version of the iTV (called whatever it'll be), then you'll see a much bigger retail effort.

This gives Apple over 6 months to show the studios some kind of results at the ITS through Disney's offerings, and plenty of time to settle the pricing issues, which will end up less of an issue after Apple signs a separate agreement with Walmart.

Give this time. Apple obviously isn't flying blind here, and they seem to be sticking to a game plan. Their game plan worked with iTunes and music, there's no reason to think this'll fail - it's certainly too early to make any claims one way or another.