Apple planning 24 hour iTunes rentals at variable prices?

Reports keep on pouring in with promises of juicy info on Apple's upcoming video rental service for iTunes. The latest news comes from Variety, and claims that the rentals will last a mere 24 hours before becoming unplayable, but it's unclear if that includes multiple plays within the 24 hour window. Prices will start at $2 but range all the way up to $5. Variety also syncs with previous reports stating that Disney and Fox are the only studios confirmed so far for rentals, with Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount as candidates and Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. as perennial holdouts.

[KarlW @ Dec 31st 2007 10:25AM]

I'd be hoping for 48 hours for $2-5 (£1-2.50). That said, when it does come to the UK, it'll probably cost more than that.

[Jared @ Dec 31st 2007 10:26AM]

Seems very un-apple like. maybe they'll come up with a music rental service like rhapsody

[SteveJ @ Dec 31st 2007 10:45AM]

If the rentals are for 24 hours only I won't be renting. Movies I watch on my iPod touch I usually watch on the train in 30 minute segments, 2 such segments per day. It takes me 2 days to watch a normal length movie, and that presumes something else doesn't interrupt the process, such as a weekend. I think this scheme seems a bit far fetched anyway and probably won't match with what is announced (if anything is announced).

[Warhorse @ Dec 31st 2007 10:57AM]

I agree. Once you have them on your portable player, you watch them in blocks of time that are available. I can see this working for somthing like movie night on the big screen but it's not helping out IPODDERS.

[FThorn @ Dec 31st 2007 12:32PM]

warhorse,

Is that Bob Rossi? I was eating at a restaurant in Muncie, on McGalliard Ave and he was dining alone next to us. Seemed like a nice guy.

[NiChrome @ Dec 31st 2007 12:56PM]

FThorne: the avatar is Bob Ross. I hope your meal dining with him was some time ago as he died in 1995.

[Adnan Osmani @ Dec 31st 2007 11:15AM]

It only costs me £4.95 ($10) a month for unlimited DVD Rentals from any of the major UK supermarket chains or film rental sites.

Heck even NetFlix only charges an average of $5-7 a month for their service.

Why on earth would I pay $2-5 *a title* to Apple just so I have the convenience of watching something on a sub-standard medium-resolution screen under a 24 hour limit?

[StreetStealth @ Dec 31st 2007 10:17PM]

Honestly, Apple shouldn't even be trying to tie this rental stuff in with the iTunes store. They should have instead tried to strike a partnership with NetFlix to integrate NF streaming into iTunes itself and, most importantly, AppleTV.

/That/ would move aTV units like nothing else.

[chichiflamingo @ Dec 31st 2007 11:17AM]

I'm not sure why folks are so worked up (this and other articles in various Mac fora and on Digg) over the possibility of a 24 hour rentals.

Walk into any video store (if you can find one anymore) and rent a new release. It's the same model - probably more expensive. Around $5 will get you a 24 hour rental. Pay more, if you want a day more, etc..

It's not like Apple is out to "screw" the public. Sounds more like they're looking to use a tried and true model that has been in place since the 1980's (the start of the real boom in video rentals). It's just different media.

That said, yes, it would be nice to do the whole Netflix "when you watch it, you watch it... just return it when you're done" thing. But whatever. I'm a Netflix member anyway. So I doubt I'll even be using an iTunes rental service anyway - unless it offers video in true HD and the library of titles that Netflix offers (which we know won't happen anytime soon anyway).

Happy New Year!

[KarlW @ Dec 31st 2007 11:32AM]

It's true that the model comes from the '80s, but this (will soon be) 2008.

Lots of competitors (like Amazon), offer subscription services that are much better. That's the 21st century way of doing movie rentals. Apple has a chance (with the iPod), to give a better service to customers and become the dominant movie rental business online.

[Jon @ Dec 31st 2007 11:37AM]

I'm in NY and all of the video stores here rent for 5 days on most titles. Any new release movie at Hollywood Video is 5 days, blockbuster is 7 days I believe for most movies and only the "hottest" new releases are 2 days.

No way in hell I'd rent some crappy quality video file for 24 hours at that price. I don't really care either way about the iTunes rentals since I use Netflix anyway.

If iTunes ever gets to the point where they have a huge selection of titles, at DVD (minium) quality with surround sound, then I'd be interested.

[chichiflamingo @ Dec 31st 2007 11:48AM]

Oh I absolutely agree, KarlW, with the notion that "just because it's always been done that way..." isn't exactly a notion to live by. We (and companies) have to look at where we are now - in the 21st century.

We've seen enormous technological advances. But we've also been steeped for around 30 years in the "old model". That's really my point. Being exposed to and functional in a system that has been around for as long as it has (admittedly it's dying out, if not dead) shouldn't leave us too shocked or angered when we are offered "more of the same".

Perhaps the real problem here lies in the expectations of Apple by 21st century people. They've done some incredible things with iTunes and their computers. As a life-long Mac user from way back, I am definitely one who sees Apple as a company that is going to have some hits and some misses. They won't always "revolutionize" things with a tap of a magic wand (of the click of the magic Apple remote, as it were).

I think it could be more a matter of expecting too much. Admittedly, Mac users are rather spoiled and tend to whine quite a bit when things don't meet their precise expectations.

[Joey @ Dec 31st 2007 4:42PM]

Actually no.

A blockbuster new release, $4, 8 days to return it. unlimited views.

[aaron @ Dec 31st 2007 4:45PM]

KarlW, i think the ipod is a factor of it but the much much larger factor is appletv (and this is one area the 360 service is far better in that they have the established box in 15 million homes). most people want to watch movies on the tv and not on a portable device. appletv (not ipod) will be critical to the future of movie rentals imo.

that said i would never use this service as long as you can rent 720p content on the xbox with the same restrictions. (even though it costs more). i never rent the sd content off xbox.

that said even the xbox version is pretty lame.... 24 hrs is too limiting. What really needs to happen is a subscription service like netflix... thats where the future of rentals is for me.

[dagamer34 @ Dec 31st 2007 11:26AM]

The price range is similar to the same reasoning as why candy is right next to the register: it's there to entice people and overpower our senses. Perhaps if they offered 720p videos, it could be wildly successful, but still I see little reason to have an AppleTV if not.

Where is the HD content? Where is the incentive? I guess sometimes smart companies must make stupid decisions in order to prove to themselves that they aren't invincible.

[Erwos @ Dec 31st 2007 11:33AM]

Sounds remarkably like Xbox Live's service - I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but I better not hear how this is somehow revolutionary.

[Harbinger @ Dec 31st 2007 1:21PM]

Erwos is right, totally similar to the Xbox Marketplace system. I hope it allows multiple viewings of the movie within the rental window. This could be alternative to Pay Per View as long as it has a ton of movies and a social networking aspect similar to the Netflix system.

[hjonkman @ Jan 2nd 2008 2:37PM]

Only with Xbox Live, the 24 hour period doesn't start until you start to watch the movie...it can sit on your console for days or weeks, and still be available to watch until you hit "play"

[drakono @ Dec 31st 2007 11:37AM]

$2 for a 24-hour window? Those redbox machines (http://www.redbox.com/) that I see at every grocery store these days let you rent a movie for $1 a day. Granted, you have to leave your home and worry about availability, but they also have to worry about physical copies. For digital media, I would think Apple could lower the price and/or extend the viewing window.

[Jughead @ Dec 31st 2007 3:32PM]

yeah and use http://insideredbox.com/index.php/codes/ for a database of free 1 day rental codes. I've never had to pay to rent at Redbox and there's about 20 different Redbox locations within a 10 miles radius of me.

[Wilson @ Dec 31st 2007 11:40AM]

Same deal as Amazon Unbox ... I'd have to suspect this is going to be a low-key announcement, unless there's a special Apple twist that hasn't been revealed yet.

[FThorn @ Dec 31st 2007 11:40AM]

What will prevent using snapzpro, or a device between the CPU and monitor to grab the movie?

[Joe @ Dec 31st 2007 12:05PM]

Most people watch movies in ONE sitting, not "blocks."
24 is fine. Hell, 12 hours would have been fine too.
Basically what Time Warner has with movies on demand now anyway.

[lladnar @ Dec 31st 2007 12:35PM]

24 hours isn't a big deal. Usually when you rent a movie you'll watch it as soon as you get home. The only time I've ever wanted an iTunes rental was so I could watch something right then for less money than buying it. Comcasts onDemand service only offers 24 hour rentals, as does Xbox Live. New releases at my local video store are only 24 hours too unless you pay extra.

[Lachlan Hunt @ Dec 31st 2007 12:37PM]

Downloadable rental services need to die! They all have to be encumbered with DRM so they can enforce the time limits, which means I won't be going anywhere near them. I'm holding out for the high definition, DRM-free, download-to-own services (Yes, I know I'll be waiting a few years). For now, I'll just stick to DVDs and bittorrent.

[jibba jabba @ Dec 31st 2007 1:24PM]

oh man that sucks. I find the 24hr window completely stupid. Xbox live does the same thing and I don't understand why. With store rentals you get a couple days to a week, ample time to watch and rewatch a vid. The reason to return is simple...so that others may watch. Makes sense. With downloaded content what's the reason for the restriction? Its just an arbitrary number. If I start watching a vid during the workweek and fall asleep, I don't get another chance re-watch it. I won't re-purchase more time to view it. I just stop buyng. Too lazy to rent from the store, too lazy to schedule my 24hr viewing window.

[Surur @ Dec 31st 2007 4:38PM]

Sounds like the movie companies broke Apple in the end. All that Amazon and Hulu action by the networks seemed to prove threatening to Apple after all.