Wal-Mart joins the digital movie download fray

Looks like all those rumors and conspiracy theories regarding a Wal-Mart download store actually counted for something this time around. Just in time for the holidays, Wal-Mart has announced its very own video download service, which will kick off in "beta" mode next week with an exclusive Superman Returns bundle. Buyers of the DVD will have an option to also obtain a portable, PC, or dual license for a movie download, priced at $1.97, $2.97, and $3.97 respectively. Users will be directed by a sticker on the DVD case to walmart.com/superman where they can enter a promo code and start the download -- which can be watched while the movie is downloading if they can't bring themselves to pop in the actual DVD. This is quite a different tact than other movie download services, such as iTunes, Amazon Unbox and Xbox Live, and it seems primarily designed to protect video sales cannibalization while leaving out much of the convenience of a traditional movie download service. Wal-Mart says it has more bundles planned for the beta launch, along with what is presumably a more traditional download service with more traditional pricing, though deets are slim at this point. What we do know is that the war for your holiday download dollar will be a bloody one this year.

[rawr @ Nov 28th 2006 11:32AM]

I will never give my business to Walmart, even if its drastically cheaper. And since the DVD is almost $15 (I just checked) PLUS the extra four bucks, it really isn't cheaper than iTunes.

Walmart, Steve Jobs will eat you.

[- @ Nov 28th 2006 11:40AM]

Do you mean "foray?" Though I guess it is kind of a fray.

[gutsmith @ Nov 28th 2006 11:47AM]

No thanks. I'll buy the movie somewhere else and then rip it to my PC faster than I could ever download it from Wal-Mart.

[philipmein @ Nov 28th 2006 11:52AM]

So, you're paying 4 bucks to rip the DVD? Only Wal Mart....

[telepheedian @ Nov 28th 2006 12:12PM]

Death to Wal-Mart for doing this. I have pretty much given up on the film industry, making ripping illegal and then forcing you to pay for what you already bought. The DMCA has changed everything.

[Alex C @ Nov 28th 2006 12:41PM]

Are American retail chains really that bad?! From what i've heard i'm damn glad i've never lived in a country with Wal-Marts, Best Buys etc. etc. they sound like really awful places.

[BrandonL @ Nov 28th 2006 3:08PM]

Not really, but we like to bash them anyway. I always enjoy a browse through Best Buy or Circuit City.

They are fun to make jokes about though.

[rawr @ Nov 28th 2006 9:36PM]

Most American retail chains are fine. I love going to Best Buy and Circuit City, even if their staff is frequently clueless. The problem lies with the really low end stores like Walmart because shopping there is like shopping in the USSR. Cheap crap fills the shelves.

[pete @ Nov 28th 2006 1:06PM]

I want to know what DRM they are using for those files.
This is ridiculously ass-backwards.
Sorry wally, DIAF.

[Wonderboy @ Nov 28th 2006 1:08PM]

This is actually genius... Most Wal-Mart shoppers don't rip and don't know their way around PCs all that much (I mean, they're buying $300 laptops, how much can they know...) So suddenly you've got an easy way for people to add portability to their movies at a cost that only bumps it up to the same price as other retailer's sole DVDs.

Rawr, you're really going to spend the money to get a download when for a few bucks more you can get a download and a DVD? Not too smart and I'd guess most people won't side with you. Downloads in their current form are low-quality and thus will take a back-seat to DVD sales. Once they start getting DVD and High-Def qualities downloadable then maybe this market strategy won't work, but for now it's genius.

It's also especially smart to have Walmart doing this rather than another retailer... if they expand this feature to their entire stock, that's 40% of the world's DVDs that have online-purchase-pairing ability... if anyone is going to make this a main-stream strategy, Wal-Mart is the company to pilot it.

[george @ Nov 28th 2006 1:13PM]

Walmart is not cheaper than other stores people. Go to shopping.com , pricegrabber or bizrate.com and search for prices on items. Walmart is never even close to being the cheapest store. Id rather give my business to a mom and pop store and you all should too.

[Matt @ Nov 28th 2006 1:27PM]

Walmart may be one of thefew companioes that can force the studios to lower thier prices and create a Netflix style download service .

Walmart currently provides about 45% of the Movie studios total revenue ....just in DVD sales .

[hank @ Nov 28th 2006 1:38PM]

a different "tact"

perhaps "tack" is the phrase you may be looking for.

after all, for all intensive puposes you must be floundering anymore.

[Kurtis @ Dec 4th 2006 9:19PM]

hank -- You are a moron. You are correcting someone else, and in doing so make yourself look like an idiot. "Intents and purposes" is the phrase you were looking for. Maybe you should think about the words that come out of your mouth. Sure they sound alike, but "intensive purposes" makes absolutely no sense in the same context that "intents and purposes" does.

[Dan C @ Nov 28th 2006 1:50PM]

Figures, no info whatsoever on what formats and such supported until after you purchase the dvd. No windows 2000, Mac OS or Linux support. Guess I will rip the dvd....

[James @ Nov 28th 2006 2:01PM]

Will it be. . . an EVIL movie store, Scott? I want movies with frickin' lasers. . . .

[BrandonL @ Nov 28th 2006 2:24PM]

So I can buy a movie at wal mart and for an extra $2 I can get a mobile license that would let me download a copy for my Zune or iPod? Am I reading this correctly?

In my opinion this is better than iTunes. If I own a movie and want it on my device, I still have to pay Steve $9 for the download.

How is this not better?

Of course simply buying the DVD and doing a quick rip and transcode is always better, but hey.

[vahlere @ Nov 28th 2006 5:18PM]

According to the Wal-mart help page, mobile encoded movies will play only on playsforsure devices. Which of course leaves out the iPod and Zune.

[Rick wilson @ Nov 28th 2006 2:26PM]

alright, enough chat... how do we hack it?

[CorporateShill @ Nov 28th 2006 3:12PM]

So can someone please explain why other movie download services are better than what Walmart is planning?

[Hardcore @ Nov 28th 2006 3:12PM]

Alex C -
No American retail chains aren't that bad. It's just that we are Americans and like to complain about everything, plus most of the people that post around here are no good tree hugging hippies. In America it is trendy to hate large corporations, unless of course, that corporation is named Nintendo. Just remember when you talk with smug Americans who dwell in cities along the Northeast or on the West Coast: Walmart, Starbucks, Sony, Microsoft, Best Buy = Evil and Nintendo, Apple, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's = Good

[Tamarzan @ Nov 28th 2006 6:48PM]

Or just rent it and rip it.

[Spartan_458 @ Nov 28th 2006 9:23PM]

Quote:
Hardcore @ Nov 28th 2006 2:12PM

"Alex C -
No American retail chains aren't that bad. It's just that we are Americans and like to complain about everything, plus most of the people that post around here are no good tree hugging hippies. In America it is trendy to hate large corporations, unless of course, that corporation is named Nintendo. Just remember when you talk with smug Americans who dwell in cities along the Northeast or on the West Coast: Walmart, Starbucks, Sony, Microsoft, Best Buy = Evil and Nintendo, Apple, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's = Good"

Yep, and that's why I live in the Midwest. I love Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Microsoft, Nintendo, and parts of Sony (not their gaming division). There is nothing wrong with these companies. They are no different from any other company. The way I see it, if you don't like Wal-Mart, don't buy from them. Don't go and bitch about it on the internet, just don't buy from them. And Hardcore: Rock on.