Apple to sell movies online?

Randman

Randman

HA! HA! HA!
Apple Computer May Sell Movies Online, Berliner Zeitung Says
July 14, 2003 17:59 EDT -- Apple Computer Inc., maker of the iMac personal computer, may start to sell movies online after the success of its iTunes music technology, Berliner Zeitung said, citing Pascal Cagni, the company's Vice President, Europe.


From Bloomberg
 
Link?

It depends on in what way they mean "sell movies online", but I'd say this is extremely unlikely. Let's say they do the iTunes thing by trying to sell full-length films. Even if they sell in MPEG4 quality and not-DVD-quality, this would take at least an HOUR to download on a 1.5-2mbps cable or DSL connection, take up too much HD space, etc. Costs would be prohibitive (who would want to buy an entire film online and download it for $15 when I can get the DVD for the same price, with extras, less hassle, play on my TV, etc...)

And we all know how accurate the Germans have been with the rumors lately (no offense, of course, to their German-speaking Swiss neighbors that frequent these boards and run rumor sites =)

Now, if they meant sell MUSIC videos online, I could see that...

Rip
 
No one would want to save giant movies on their hard drive, unless they already download them illegally. And I can't see them streaming you a movie on-demand because to get a good speed, the quality would have to drop significantly.

Of course, Apple already hosts movie trailers on their Quicktime subsite.
 
What would be the size of a full-length movie using the new Pixlet technology? Is this perhaps something that they are considering to use...
 
Not likely. What percentage of people wants to watch DVD on their computers?

Unless their PC hooks up to their TV (I have two media PCs that do this - one is a cheap $300 system in the bedroom that has a TV-out port and hooks up to the TV, and the other plugs into an HDTV in the living room that has two VGA ports (and was surprisingly cheap)), or MAYBE with a 30" Cinema display, I can see this happening.

Apple just hasn't made any moves to make the Mac the VIDEO entertainment part of the home "digital hub" for this to be happening at this point. In fact, I recently read an article discussing this, and quoted Jobs as saying something to the effect of "people use computers to turn their mind on. People watch TV to turn their minds off", presumably illustrating how currently the two don't mix.

Rip
 
Here is the quote as it appeared orginally in Berliner Zeitung:

"Cagni antwortete darin auf die Frage, ob sein Unternehmen eines Tages einen Internet-Verkaufsladen auch für Videos anbieten werde: "Das kann ich ihnen nicht sagen. Das ist aber sicherlich eine gute Idee."

Cagni answered a question, if 'Apple' would one day offer an Internet-shop for videos as well - I can't say anything about it but it surely would be a good idea."

Hardly what Bloomberg made it out to be.
 
thanks for the translation. looks like the rumor sites strike again :)

Originally posted by Ripcord
Not likely. What percentage of people wants to watch DVD on their computers?

Unless their PC hooks up to their TV (I have two media PCs that do this - one is a cheap $300 system in the bedroom that has a TV-out port and hooks up to the TV, and the other plugs into an HDTV in the living room that has two VGA ports (and was surprisingly cheap)), or MAYBE with a 30" Cinema display, I can see this happening.

Apple just hasn't made any moves to make the Mac the VIDEO entertainment part of the home "digital hub" for this to be happening at this point. In fact, I recently read an article discussing this, and quoted Jobs as saying something to the effect of "people use computers to turn their mind on. People watch TV to turn their minds off", presumably illustrating how currently the two don't mix.

Rip
Click to expand...
 
Yes, It can be done. But it's a sad story for me.

Basically a few years ago I won an apple-seeding grant. Infact because of this I won a second grant and got to go to WWDC 2001. I had this great "idea" of how we could stream data over a network and CHARGE for it. I figured out all the costs, the processes, the way a user interacts, the server processes, and the methods needed to make it a simple yet powerful and profitable experience.

But there was one flaw. I did not know a thing about code to complete such a large project. Well I knew a little but not the type of programming or should I say "software engineering" I needed to know.

Being a student studying one thing totally different to software programming and then explaining to someone about this great idea at my university. I had this great opportunity instantly thrown at me.

Naturally I took a dive. I love Apple computers...

Throughout my research I found that I could only micro charge to make the experience fair and profitable for both. eg a rate of $0.1c per MB actually it was much smaller than that, something like 0.004666666 x 1500 MB = around $6.999999 per 1.5GB movie this meant monitoring information in an RTSP or RTP packet/s when it hit a users IP address, so that a user would only be charged for what they see not the entire movie, and off course incase they had a major network drop out.

The only major problem is many ISP's charge already for data on a per MB basis some at 0.20 cents per MB in other countries. So the cost can be huge to the consumer. But eventually like dial-up broadband will be unlimited download for a subscription fee.

Unfortunately due to extremely personal circumstances and university funding reasons I had to leave my university and pursue my way of thinking elsewhere.

I repayed apple in my own way by switching many friends, people, families and even full corporate wireless networks which all are now very happy switchers.

So believe me guy's apple will or already has a way to do this very well indeed. I would expect the same to happen to movies as they did with iTunes (iTMS).

Some times I hate the way I think because it is very different.

All I can say is I love Apple Computer Inc.


Thankyou
 
Okay, here goes:

1) You're not going to ship a DVD-quality film on a CD because a CD only stores 700 MB while a DVD stores 4.7 GB. There's a reason for that, too. Even with MPG4, it's not going to happen.

2) There's already Netflix, which sends you DVD's to rent, then you return them for the next one, etc. And it's unlimited.

3) Even though I can watch DVD's in my room, on my iMac, I choose not to the vast majority of the time because they're much more fun in the family room with the TV, comfortable futon, and, especially, 5.1 surround sound system. I doubt most DVD players can play MPG4, even if they can play MP3.

4) Quicksilver: Why didn't you want to charge a fixed rate for downloading a movie? Instead of paying by the MB, pay by the flick. Video rental stores don't charge you by the length of the film, they charge you only based on the film. How much the consumers watch is up to them. Hotels are the same with pay-per-view. Your ISP probably charges you to use the Internet for the month; how much you surf is up to you.

5) Don't love Apple Computers, love the Macintosh platform. Apple is not the best business in the world, and they have some very questionable business practices, but they make the best computer in the world. Okay, love what you want.
 
Thanks Arden it makes me feel better buddy.


Its a huge process that was thought out entirely. I understand what you are saying but there were also security issues and copywrite infringment problems that could arrise if it were done like that. The difference was it would'nt accually store the movie into the machine... but display it via streaming so you, me or anyone who streamed the movie would pay everytime. thus the movie industry could profit from the royaltie's every time. eg 0.002666666 c every MB

There was much more involved in the process to explain in full detail but it was down pat pretty well.


LOL, Ok Arden, this is a little deeep dude so please understand me here...

I'ts only that I believe that my values and my thoughts could have benefited a company like apple. I am a thinker that thinks different and that is all to it. I believe that if there were somewhere i'd like to work i would be happy to work at Apple computer. Is there such a person as being "just a thinker" that naturally "thinks different". Do i think different?

A question we should always ask our selves in order to be ORIGINAL.

LOL, like i said...
 
"it's nog gonna happen?"

of course it is gonna happen ! the only question is when. 5 years ago music over the net was almost unthinkable, now it is only logical. Much software is purchased and downloaded over the internet. Harddrives double in size at least each year, and the current cable and dsl techniques experiment with 8 mbit connections here in the netherlands.

almost no-one is offended anymore with a 600MB download today, while a year ago 30Mb was a lot.

Legal music ? everyone said it could not be done because the copyright holders would not allow it. It has been done. with great success i might add.

Internet radio is nothing new anymore, DSL television is here today.

it is only a matter of time, and not even that much time.
 
All I can say is I can't wait! I've got this 14.4 modem just dying to be dusted off... and I can't think of a better use for it than downloading movies off the internet! Now if I could just find that Nubus adapter someplace...

::angel::
 
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