iTunes movie downloads to go for $14.99 a pop?
Yeah, we've been around the block on this rumor a few times already, but some interesting new details about a possible (some would say invitable) iTunes Movie Store have emerged in a recent BusinessWeek article. The gist of the report is that Wal-Mart has been talking up the Hollywood suits lately, and isn't too happy with the idea of Apple selling new releases for a mere $15 while Wal-Mart has to spend $17 wholesale for the same title in physical form. Of course, that $14.99 number -- $9.99 for older movies -- isn't exactly official, but the way Wal-Mart is purportedly going off about it, it seems to be a very real figure indeed. According to BusinessWeek, the Wal-Mart gripes are one of many reasons Apple has been having trouble signing up studios other than Disney (of which Steve Jobs is the largest shareholder) for the store. Some studios aren't happy with iTunes DRM that allows playback on up to five devices, while others are afraid of getting locked into a single pricepoint with Steve Jobs and co.. Either way, it's clear that movie downloads are the future -- Wal-Mart has their own such service in the works -- but we just hope these "discussions" end soon; before we end up spending $45 a flick and verifying our identity for playback with thumbpricks and urine samples.
