AfterDawn: News

Dell begins pre-loading movies on new PCs

PC giant Dell has announced that it will begin pre-loading movies on some of its new PCs.

Beginning with the blockbuster hit Iron Man, Inspiron 1525 notebooks and XPS 420/630 can optionally have a digital copy already installed on the PC when you purchase it. The digital copy will also come with bonus special features.



The company says you cannot burn the copies to DVD but you can share them around a network using a Windows Media Extender such as the Xbox 360.

Dell says it will have titles from all studios but will focus only on blockbusters or classic movies rather than offer an entire catalog. The optional digital copy will be priced at $20 USD like its DVD counterpart but there was no word on whether that is standard pricing.

There was no technical details available about the digital copy but it will most likely have over 4000Kbs video bitrate and at least 192Kbs audio bitrate, just as most digital copies have now.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 30 Sep 2008 13:56

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• 13 comments

• 5fdpfan

  If Dell and movie studios think this strategy is some how going to discourage outright illegal downloading of movies or the use of software to rip already owned DVD's on to PC's they're sorely mistaken. I'm sure as heck not going to pay 20.00 for a digital copy of a moive I already own. And even if it's one I don't, I'm gonna spend that much on something I can only watch on my PC. A complete waste of a partnership between Dell and those studios as far as I'm concerned. I don't see any sucker willing to pay extra for that crap and it'll do nothing to thwart the so-called piracy of one's own DVD's.

  30.9.2008 14:19 #1

• windsong

  Gee, I think I will just delete emule, my Usenet account, and my bitTorrent app all so I can have this great DELL Giveaway! Who needs free remux blu-rays on emule that preserve 100% of the picture quality without all the bloat from "extra features" (i.e. interviews with directors brother-in-law's gold partner).
  
  NOT!!
  
  Point and laugh at Dell...point..and LAUGH!
  
  Haha!!
  
  /Nelson

  30.9.2008 14:42 #2

• lamain

  I agree $20 per movies is extremely high. I do however like to see digital media offered in more locations. the sooner the media company's see that selling digitally is the way to go the better.
  
  Quote:I'm gonna spend that much on something I can only watch on my PC.
  Am I the only one that has a LCD or plasma for there home TV? It is extremely easy to hook up a computer to both of them just run a cord. If your computer is not close to your TV I used to use my laptop. It is also not expensive at all to buy a cheap computer for watching movies on.

  30.9.2008 14:52 #3

• Ragnarok8

  Pointless, especially at $20 a piece.

  30.9.2008 14:58 #4

• 1bonehead

  I can purchase the origional dvd at Costco for less and play it almost anywhere (better selection too)

  30.9.2008 15:38 #5

• OneMember

  Originally posted by windsong: Point and laugh at Dell...point..and LAUGH!
  All that need to be said.

  30.9.2008 15:57 #6

• fgamer

  Dell should just get out of the business already. I laugh when people say " i got a dell," and actually think that's a good thing, cuz it's not. Rot in hell Dell. ( my anger stems from them overcharging the consumer for their crappy computers)

  1.10.2008 01:00 #7

• djgizmo

  Originally posted by fgamer: Dell should just get out of the business already. I laugh when people say " i got a dell," and actually think that's a good thing, cuz it's not. Rot in hell Dell. ( my anger stems from them overcharging the consumer for their crappy computers)IMO, this is a bad move for dell business wise. More administrative work for very little return. Even if dell keeps say 25% of the $20, (which I doubt), then they need to forward money to MPAA / select movie studios.
  
  As Americans, we're used to getting everything for cheap / nothing. $20 is a bit steep in the current market, but I do foresee dvds going up in initial release price. It costs millions to film / produce / release a title, and most movie releases don't break even. (hence the reason why you see several movie studios collaborating in the into credits of most movies)

  1.10.2008 09:18 #8

• SProdigy

  Quote:As Americans, we're used to getting everything for cheap / nothing. $20 is a bit steep in the current market, but I do foresee dvds going up in initial release price. It costs millions to film / produce / release a title, and most movie releases don't break even. (hence the reason why you see several movie studios collaborating in the into credits of most movies)This is where I disagree. The movie studios are speculators. This is why entrepreneurs such as Mark Cuban and Vince McMahon are into producing movies now. There are some movies that cost very little money, yet yield a higher profit than what could be attained through other means, such as stocks, bonds, realty, etc.
  
  Say a studio such as Warner puts out 3 movies in a year. Movie A costs $100 million to make, Movie B $50 million and Movie C $25 million. Now, A makes $500 million, B makes $5 million and C makes $35 million, the studios still make profit overall, however, they will creatively say that "piracy" or something else "lost" them money on movie B.
  
  It's just a generic example, but this summer is an indication of such, with all of the mega blockbusters, sprinkled with bombshells from "money making stars" such as Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy. It's media spin and nothing more.

  1.10.2008 16:39 #9

• IPRFenix

  Originally posted by fgamer: (my anger stems from them overcharging the consumer for their crappy computers)
  I agree. Dells online computer configuration page seems to think that the difference between 1GB DDR2 800 and 8GB DDR2 800 is +$300. $300 for 7GB more? WTF! thats MORE than double the cost of 8GBs, for an increase of only 7gb!? Holy crap.

  1.10.2008 17:25 #10

• JRude

  I can already see the stacks of Dell PC's accumulating next to the DVD stacks in my living room. NOT!

  1.10.2008 23:11 #11

• nu2duo

  Originally posted by fgamer: Dell should just get out of the business already. I laugh when people say " i got a dell," and actually think that's a good thing, cuz it's not. Rot in hell Dell. ( my anger stems from them overcharging the consumer for their crappy computers)So true. I met this guy at work the other day who was bragging about his pc. I thought this dude built it the way he was talking. Nope! He was talking about his Dell. LOL. The dumb ass even paid them for that extra ram.
  
  The fact that Dell is including these overpriced movies in their systems isn't going to help them one bit, however, you'll be surprised how many more dumb asses like my coworker will see that offer and say, "i gotta get me a dell"

  2.10.2008 10:39 #12

• borhan9

  Originally posted by fgamer: Dell should just get out of the business already. I laugh when people say " i got a dell," and actually think that's a good thing, cuz it's not. Rot in hell Dell. ( my anger stems from them overcharging the consumer for their crappy computers)I was going to write something here but i think fgamer has hit the nail on the head of Dell :) they are definite pieces of crap that are being sold to consumers that do not know much about what they are buying.

  4.10.2008 22:58 #13