Apple trying to include iPod video content on Blu-ray discs?

Straight from the rumor mill to your ears/eyes/brain: iPod Hub is reporting that "anonymous film industry insiders" are claiming that Apple is attempting to get iPod video-friendly versions of theatrical releases included in movie studios' Blu-ray offerings. Since Blu-ray discs can theoretically hold 50GB or more, there would certainly be room for the small iPod-compatible files, which would presumably sport pretty strong encryption in order to placate piracy fears of content providers. The move would certainly be beneficial to Apple, as it would create a substantial library of full-length films available at what seems to be the inevitable launch of a "real" video iPod. Further enhancing the believability of this rumor is the fact that Apple already has strong ties to both Sony and Disney, two of the major studios. Still, until we hear official word from one of the players here, consider this to be simply idle chatter for now.

[Via TUAW]

[erik @ Apr 25th 2006 3:34PM]

yes, IF TRUE, this could be a big blow to HD-DVD.

[Mojo Yugen @ Apr 25th 2006 3:34PM]

So the movie industry would just give away this content on the Blu-ray disc? Doesn't seem like the movie industry we've all come to know and loathe. Now maybe including a iPod friendly version which you could then "activate" - for a fee - that I might believe.

[Self @ Apr 25th 2006 3:35PM]

Seems a bit of an unfair advantage for Apple's video players in comparison to every other MP1-4 player, but whatever.

[erik @ Apr 25th 2006 3:36PM]

this would also fit into their pay-to-own not pay-to-rent payment plans.

[David Walker @ Apr 25th 2006 3:37PM]

Lest everyone forget, how would that iPod Video file get on a PC for syncing? You'd have to have a PC with a Blu-Ray drive in it (pretty rare for a while) or be able to connect to your Blu-Ray player through your network. Or, as a third option, the PS3 could sync with the iPod by running a version of iTunes. Uh, yeah...right.

[JJ @ Apr 25th 2006 3:40PM]

I hope the next video ipod looks like that! Look at, it's sextastic!

[Mojo Yugen @ Apr 25th 2006 3:42PM]

I'd think it much more likely that we'd see Sony putting their own programming (PSP) on Blu-ray discs before a competitors.

[LordJezo @ Apr 25th 2006 3:43PM]

Bad idea.

They should include an open format that all video players can play, not force people getting an iPod just to watch things on the go.

But I guess that is exactly what the MPAA would not want, an open format that people can do what they want with. I see this working out for them just because it takes the rights away from the rest of us, we can't use the files as we want and they get to keep us under the lock of iTunes and Apple.

[Allan Alfabet @ Apr 25th 2006 3:47PM]

So obviously rental Blu-Ray discs would have this feature locked out. Which would suck, because you wouldn't get to watch your legally rented movies on your ipod. But of course kudos to apple if it's true, sounds like a really great idea to hold us over until downloading a 1GB movie file becomes a reality.

[puh_fifer @ Apr 25th 2006 3:48PM]

Well if you get any rights to your disc you would be able to convert it to any size. I think since the iPod is so dominate they would be including a "pre-sized" version for whatever resolution the vaporific video iPod has. Just my thoughts.....

[E @ Apr 25th 2006 3:49PM]

Uhh yeah it's a huge.. blow... Uhh wait a sec.

Why is it a huge blow to anything?

There are tons of apps to rip video.

If you can display it on a computer screen, someone will find a way to grab it.

[Bryan Doxtdator @ Apr 25th 2006 3:50PM]

This could potentially mean death for HD-DVD. I remember someone saying a while back all it would take to decide the winner of this format battle is to have Apple jump onboard one side or the other.

[Jeffrey M Foster @ Apr 25th 2006 3:52PM]

that would also assume that this supposed "Real video ipod" either haas the same exact resolution as the current iPod's screen, or all the work of getting this sweet deal would totally screw the "old ipod with video" owners, and i doubt apple would want to ask to have 2 seperate ipod versions per disc.

The idea is pretty nice, and it would have to coincide with apple releasing BD burners in their new machines. (Likely desktops first.)

Let us not forget who really pushed CDRs and DVD-R into everyday life: Apple. There the one reason i still believe BluRay has a chance. (Without apple, the superior technology is doomed to failure, if history has anything to say.)

[Mark @ Apr 25th 2006 4:02PM]

I have to agree with #8, although the UMD is not going to last forever I would say that the Ipod video will be competition for the PSP and thus Sony will not be jumping on board very quickly to provide ppl an alternative, especially if they plan on coming out with another psp in future, maybe one with a 60gb hard drive?

you never know.

[Dave @ Apr 25th 2006 4:05PM]

Sweet! I can't wait to replace my entire DVD library with 1080p discs so I can watch all my favorite movies again (a few at a time) on my little iPod screen at less than a quarter the resolution!

[invaderluj @ Apr 25th 2006 4:07PM]

Rubbish

Sony would have versions made for its digital players (psp and some new Sony walkman type thing) before they let Apple do it...and there would surely be an added price to unlock them

[Eli @ Apr 25th 2006 4:08PM]

I'm not sure the movie industry understands. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have a horrible reputation among consumers already as being expensive, rare, and a format that may or may not survive its competition. If they went with this idea it wouldn't be the studios helping Apple, it would be Apple guaranteeing the success of Blu-Ray.

[Justin @ Apr 25th 2006 4:09PM]

#14: It's not like one with a bigger screen couldn't scale up old video, or an older iPod scale down the video.

[Rivendale286 @ Apr 25th 2006 4:10PM]

Ok. So Sony makes this thing called a PSP and abadons the idea of a game machine by releasing almost no games for it, basically turning it into an overpriced video player. They release hundreds of UMD movies for this PSP video player... Then they release a new format called Blu-Ray, and include video files that will easily sync with the PSP's main competitor, the iPod... I don't think so...

[MthdDirector @ Apr 25th 2006 4:14PM]

There's a huge ocean of difference between Apple "attempting to" or "wanting to" and actually getting all the studios on board.

If the music companies are getting screwed by iTunes, what makes you think the movie studios "want to" also?

[ben @ Apr 25th 2006 4:21PM]

They should work on making a replaceable battery.

[Excuse me for my terrible grammar @ Apr 25th 2006 4:27PM]

It's signal that PSP's UMB movie will be drop out.

[The Driver @ Apr 25th 2006 4:33PM]

i cant wait till the new ipod video is released. That way ill have enought money to buy a used 5g ipod video before my parents find out it was stolen on april 4th. In toronto best buy and future shop lower ipod prices 80 dollars 2 weeks before each new generation (ipod, ipod photo, ipod video, OR mini, 6gb mini, nano) is released.

[PeterB @ Apr 25th 2006 4:39PM]

perhaps sony's psp and the ipod will both be able to use the file on the disc. that is the only way i could see sony endorsing a competitors product. and then maybe apple will buy sony and create some kind of ipod/psp hybrid. how is that for a rumor.

[glacia00 @ Apr 25th 2006 4:42PM]

In the end I don't care which format wins since I have little interest in either. I also don't see this as doing anything to decide it. Apple coming down on the side of one format is as close to a non-event as you can get.

The general public will decide in the end and they're as likely to buy neither as they are either. Neither is likely to have an immediate impact on the average consumer. If at all the likely scenario is a very long slow climb to acceptance with standard DVD formats hanging on for years. Standard DVDs could easily hang on until a completely different option presents itself.

I would frankly much prefer to download video than get it on what is to me simply another disc. I would even choose to download a current DVD format than buy or rent an HD or BR disc.

[Quake97 @ Apr 25th 2006 4:55PM]

No chance in hell Apple is going to wait until 2007 to release a video iPod. Whoever thinks there won't be a new full sized iPod this year is smoking crack.

Joe

[Morgan @ Apr 25th 2006 4:57PM]

This would be a very clever move by both the movie industry and Apple.

For Apple it would mean almost everyone with a BluRay player would also buy an iPod Video.

For the movie industry it helps them cut down on home made rips. They don't want people downloading movies because they don't pay. If people get two copies of the movie, one for their BluRay player on their HDTV and one for the iPod Video. This will stop a ton of people from downloading a rip of the movie and sharing it with friends, etc. They would also get away with charging an extra $10 over an HD-DVD of the same movie as you know they will advertise it as double the value.

Smart move and it isn't totally evil to the consumer.

[weatherman @ Apr 25th 2006 4:58PM]

"Ok. So Sony makes this thing called a PSP and abadons the idea of a game machine by releasing almost no games for it, basically turning it into an overpriced video player."

Sony has more (and better) games for the PSP than Nintendo has for the DS. Not to start a flame war - both are great systems, but you have to check your facts before you perpetuate this misconception.

"They release hundreds of UMD movies for this PSP video player..."

Even Sony admits that the future is downloadable. That's why they're launching the content download site.

"Then they release a new format called Blu-Ray, and include video files that will easily sync with the PSP's main competitor, the iPod..."

Who's to say that Sony won't release Blu-Ray movies with PSP versions on the disc as well? Or perhaps even give the PSP the capability to play encrypted video from Apple? A partnership between Apple and Sony would be a tremendous force against the Microsoft hegemony.

[Frank @ Apr 25th 2006 4:58PM]

I thought this was an intelligent blog?!? Why would Sony agree to have the ipod video format in their blu-ray discs? That would make it a direct competitor to their PSP movie format... Sony would NEVER allow that. It will be interesting to see which computer makers will adopt first as a standard built-in drive, Blue Ray or HDDVD...

[Crackpipe @ Apr 25th 2006 5:05PM]

I smoke crack and let me tell you, I could care less about a "full" video ipod. All I care about is crack. But I gotta say, I really don't think "format wars" have much life left in them at all. Are you ready to go replace your DVD library with a nominally better quality blue-ray or hd-dvd library? I didn't think so. Why screw with this stuff when you can download everything? Oh yeah Netflix. Well I guess I'll get a dual player and have Netflix send me whichever they have in stock. I'm so high on crack. You should try it. It's amazing.

[Matt @ Apr 25th 2006 5:24PM]

Maybe if they release iTunes for the PSP, right? The iPod video and the PSP can play pretty much the same formats, right? So it wouldn't be too hard to include PSP/iPod video on the disks, would it?

[AceMilo @ Apr 25th 2006 5:28PM]

30. "Ok. So Sony makes this thing called a PSP and abadons the idea of a game machine by releasing almost no games for it, basically turning it into an overpriced video player."

"Sony has more (and better) games for the PSP than Nintendo has for the DS. Not to start a flame war - both are great systems, but you have to check your facts before you perpetuate this misconception."

I had to comment on this. I own both the psp and the ds, and let me tell you, I haven't turned on my psp in months. The games on the psp are deplorable, they make me wanna vomit with disgust that sony could release them. The only fun game on the psp is lumines and that was a launch title and was made by ubisoft. Nintendo, on the other hand, actually innovates with the ds and comes out with QUALITY titles. Give me mario kart and metroid prime over the garbage sony puts out any day. My ds gets daily use while the psp sits on the shelf, and if it weren't for homebrew I would have sold it months ago. Sony doesn't give 2 shits about the psp as a video game platform, they want to try to beat the ipod by having it play videos and music, etc, and have another media that they can charge up the ass for in a propriatary format. Sony is the king of propriatary, any excuse they can come up with to make something new and shitty is all good for them. UMD movies, come on now, who in their right mind buys these things???

[Broo @ Apr 25th 2006 5:31PM]

Now what would really be clever is an integrated converter / downsampler in the BlueRay player that could detect an attached device (ipod, Archos, PSP) and dynamically create and transfer a movie across USB to the device- for a 'video on the go' option.

Of course that would kill iTunes, UMD video and other such sales- but maybe there is a way that Sony/Hollywood could charge per copy made to each device?

Hmm� then you could allow a network share and play on Windows MCE capable devices (on a pay-per-view ticket) and distribute the video all over the house?

I see BlueRay eventually sitting in a dusty box next to the BetaMax, DAT, MiniDisc formats and (hopefully soon) the Memory Stick, UMD and AIT formats�

[mike @ Apr 25th 2006 5:38PM]

Sony would have versions made for its digital players (psp and some new Sony walkman type thing) before they let Apple do it.

---

Uhm, as if Apple and Sony are not BOTH on the same Blu-Ray consortium...

This ain't 1994, Apple has quite a bit of heft in digital media, ya know..

[portorikan @ Apr 25th 2006 5:38PM]

"If the music companies are getting screwed by iTunes, what makes you think the movie studios "want to" also?


WOW, I never realized all those poor music companies were getting screwed by iTunes.

That must be why online music sales are going up, more profitable and they get 65 cents of that 99 cents people pay for a song. What a ripoff they're getting.

[Rcran @ Apr 25th 2006 5:42PM]

I don't see how it would matter if you played higher quality media on a screen that's like 5" x 3" or something.

The iPod video already plays perfect quality media for it's form factor and Anything more would be overkill.

[Adam Noah @ Apr 25th 2006 5:46PM]

Since when is the ipod the portable video player of choice? Audio yes... The video on the ipod is really less than stellar and the battery life is WAY less than advertised. I suppose apple could fix this in a future version.

As someone stated earlier, why not just use a ripping program for a dvd? Its not like the ipod is going to wonderfuly display HD video all of a sudden.

Here are some numbers to think about. From firewire I can record a direct stream in HD from my cable box to my computer. A 2 hour movie at 25mbps at 1080i with dolby digital sound is around 17-20 gigs (with some very light compression this fits nicely on a dual layer dvd!!!!!). A video in ipod resolution with stereo sound is around 750 megs max. How in the world do you justify needing 50 gigs for this. A dual layer HD-DVD has plenty of room to offer something like this. So I do not see how this will "kill" HD-DVD from either point of view. Pretty silly really.

[willyjsimmons @ Apr 25th 2006 5:52PM]

'Let us not forget who really pushed CDRs and DVD-R into everyday life: Apple.'

WTF???!!!

Anyways, Apple joined the BDA on March 10, 2005.

That's 2005.

[idude135 @ Apr 25th 2006 6:11PM]

It is a step backwards for Apple, to ditch it's successful iTms for physical media.

Apple's in a point now in which any added features they add to iPod (ie, full video capabilities) will narrow their profit margin and only offer to refresh the iPod franchise (since Jobs has already cut-out ac adapters to buy video decoders) What will Steve Jobs cut out of the iPod to keep the edge?

But on the other end, it shows that they understand people won't buy a movie they're forced to play in their iPod or iTunes.

I honestly think Apple should rethink their video-delivery strategy and instead focus on something more revolutionary, like mainstream modernization of printed works (books, magazines, html, etc.).

If a company like Apple can make make reading fun again, I'm sure it can attain superior adoption than the first-gen iPod.

Otherwise, a video iPod is seemingly a predictable, yet unnecessary device that only follows the natural order of portable media.

A 1000 books in your pocket sounds a more attractive tagline, I guess...

[MaX PL @ Apr 25th 2006 6:46PM]

as a storage format for things such as this, BluRay and HD DVD is fine, and may succeed as a storage format.

but the movie industry is surely mistaken is if they think either format will succeed for movies.

the only advantage these HD discs have over DVDs is 1080p, and how many people own a 1080p display? Heck, how many people own an HDTV?

all these companies should have made a push for HDTV rather then implementing this new media format.

it'll take another 5 years for HDTV to become a standard, and unless 1080p display becomes a standard for HDTVs before that time, HD discs are going no where.

BOOOyah.

[Nico @ Apr 25th 2006 7:22PM]

"t'll take another 5 years for HDTV to become a standard, and unless 1080p display becomes a standard for HDTVs before that time, HD discs are going no where."

Well its not like it wont look good on a 720p screen either. Have you seen what hdtvs look like with hd content? Not only does it look awsome but it also allows me to have a readable browser on my tv.

I love hd and im gonna buy myself a good set. Its just sexy.

[jP @ Apr 25th 2006 7:59PM]

The inclusion of ipod (and hopefully psp :]) format movies on Blu-Ray HD movie titles would be a differential between Blu-Ray and regular DVD that would be obvious to the average consumer (which at this point, is something that both next gen formats need to do to drive adoption). For sure, this wouldn't drive mass market adoption in the short term, but in the long term, when next gen players drop in price, this could hook people looking to replace old or broken DVD players.

[Reg @ Apr 25th 2006 8:06PM]

> They should work on making a replaceable battery.

Please keep up. The anything-but-iPod FUD team has moved on from that one.

[elmo @ Apr 26th 2006 12:14AM]

Apple doesn't make its money off selling the content. It makes its money off selling the players that hold the content. So for them to make a deal with the studios to put a small file on a BD is good for them. Seriously some of the people that comment on this blog are freaking morons.

Also the movie studios see how Apple has pinned down the music market, they don't want to allow the same thing to happen to their's so don't expect to see an iTunes Movie store until each major studio has their own up and running, if at all. Then again they may not want to invest the capital and R&D to create their own so they might go with Apple as long as the contract is in their best interests, you know it's what they call a win-win.

[Ben Hobbs @ Apr 26th 2006 2:02AM]

Total non issue, Whats the point of putting a super low resolution copy of a film on a super high resolution disk format? Why not just get them put on normal DVD's, they always seem to have a lot of space left on the disks anyhow.

All the DRM, content locking and regional encoding on the Blu-Ray player should start to scare people, Its starting to sound more and more like one of the most closed formats I've ever heard.

Besides how are Apple going to sell this to the movie studios, the only people to win are Apple with increased video ipod sales, seriously no-one is going to buy a $30 Blu-Ray movie to watch on a tiny little screen.

[Joe @ Apr 26th 2006 2:45AM]

How would apple make money off of this? Would they get royalties from each movie sold? Would you have to pay to activate the file? Don't they make a lot of their money by selling the music and videos, or are would they just use this to leverage more iPod sales? I guess either way would work.

[Nort @ Apr 26th 2006 9:38AM]

Doesn't make a lot of sense, as you could do this now on DVD, which a lot of people can play on their computers vs a format that's just beginning and doesn't have any market yet. With such high drive prices, I don't see Blu-Ray drives pentrating the mainstream PC market this year. So if they do put iPod content on a Blu-Ray disc, the market for those that end up buying a drive [for their computer] at $500-1000+ this year will be pretty small.

What's wrong with digital distribution? Why would Apple seek disc vs their own portal?

[Andrew @ Apr 26th 2006 12:22PM]

#15 "As for rentals: Sony has patented a technology that only locks data access onto a specific player. It would be trivial to have them lock down the ipod movie/other "free" content on blu-ray discs so that only the first player (presumably the original owner) has access to it."

does this mean that i can't bring a blu-ray movie over to a friends house to watch if i've already played it in my own player at home? well that sucks :(.

[Kita @ Apr 26th 2006 11:10PM]

Sony just might do it, seeing that it is taking a huge huge gamble on its ps3. They NEED to attract the largest audience as possible. They probably would also bundle in support for the php as well. But it sounds like if it were true, this could be a huge selling point for the ps3 and blu-ray discs, which companies and consumers are not particularly fond of due to a drastic increase in price.

[elmo @ Apr 27th 2006 12:43PM]

50. Apple would love to distribute the video digially, but they have to get the studios on board. Remember the iPod was out before the iTunes Music Store. When it came out there was the iTunes program, it just didn't contain a Music Store. Expect the same thing from movies.