AfterDawn: News

Apple in talks with major studios over film rental service

According to The Financial Times, Apple is in "advanced" talks with major American film studios over launching an online film rental service that could challenge conventional cable and satellite TV operators.

The report, although not officially announced by Apple, said that a film would cost $2.99 USD for a 30-day rental. The DRM on the films would allow for movement from a computer to portable device such as the iPod.



Although Apple already sells films through its iTunes platform, many studios have not allowed their movies to be distributed due to concerns that digital sales would take away from physical DVD sales. The report said the Apple is hoping to launch the service by the end of this year.

A studio executive quoted in the report, the service would "compete against cable companies and anyone else offering VOD (video on demand) into the home."

Source:
Yahoo

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 11 Jun 2007 7:56

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• 10 comments

• PeaInAPod

  And I bet you need a Apple TV device for this service to work. New proprietary format + new hardware needing some backing = money in steve' pocket.

  11.6.2007 08:52 #1

• windsong

  They'll be shooting themselves in the foot. No one wants to bother with sending them back.

  11.6.2007 09:17 #2

• MightyOne

  mmmmmm.....
  
  Apple rents movies online.
  Consumer rents movie.
  Physical Dvd rentals and sales go down.
  
  Pirates get blamed once again.
  
  Sound familiar ? ? ?

  11.6.2007 10:11 #3

• borhan9

  I have never used Itunes to buy my music and never will. I just use it to manage my music and thats only because of my Ipod.
  
  Apple gets no more money from me :P

  11.6.2007 14:32 #4

• akaangus

  Is there any DRM yet that blocks CamStudio?
  
  How about MP3 or CD DRM that somehow blocks patch cables?
  
  $0.00 BT downloads with no expiry and HD quality FTW!

  11.6.2007 18:31 #5

• sk8flawzz

  borhan9 hehe same thing here
  cept the only money apple got from me was the actual cost of the iPod

  11.6.2007 20:17 #6

• borhan9

  Originally posted by sk8flawzz:borhan9 hehe same thing here
  cept the only money apple got from me was the actual cost of the iPodTwo peas in a pod :) I never actually paid for itunes i got it bundled with the ipod. :)

  11.6.2007 20:51 #7

• duckNrun

  I prefer to use winamp to manage my music and load my ipod...(which if creative would have had their flash based player out when i bought my nano I would have avoided apple all together!)
  
  steve doesn't even get the satisfaction of having iTunes on my system!

  14.6.2007 02:52 #8

• Unfocused

  I love how all of the Quicktime updates try to install iTunes. I'm happy to say that my house is an Apple free house. Do the Granny Smith's in the 'fridge count?

  30.7.2007 22:26 #9

• duckNrun

  Unfocused:
  
  also how whenever a website accesses Quicktime that it automatically becomes ran at startup unless you (once again, time after time) remove it from startup

  30.7.2007 23:32 #10