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February 27, 2008

huh

Research firms to Hollywood: Cut Apple out of the equation

Posted Feb. 27, ’08, 2:20 PM PT by David Dahlquist
Category | Apple » Huh?

hollywood.jpgTwo major research firms—Park Associates and Entertainment Technology Center at USC—are drinking the Apple Hater-ade. They’ve released a document urging Hollywood to adopt (steal) Apple’s innovative tactics of offering low-cost TV shows and feature films for mobile devices, and to cut Apple out of the equation *collective hiss*.

“Hollywood shouldn’t let Apple make all the money, especially since they are the ones making the movies,” said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. “Judicious use of free mobile content can help drive ticket and DVD sales.”

While they’re at it, why doesn’t Hollywood go ahead and build a new chain of movie rental stores as well? After all, they make the movies, so why should they let Blockbuster or Netflix take some of their profit? Heck, why don’t they set up a competitor to Best Buy, Regal Cinemas, and HBO, too? Oh, yeah, these companies operate in the “real world”, unlike Apple who only distributes through the internets. *facepalm*

[Via ipodnn]


9 Comments

Chris said:

This is just what we need: Hollywood idiots taking up the cause of media content delivery.

Remember, the people who run the studios—the ones who would likely design and implement these "innovative tactics"—are the SAME people who have produced such quality TV shows and movies as

  • Survivor
  • American Idol
  • The Dukes of Hazzard—both the show and the film
  • Manimal
  • Glitter (missed that one)
  • Gigli...and of course...
  • Epic Movie

David, you raise a great point about the idea that the studios should get in on the DVD rental/sales business, too. I'm sure they'll do a fine job.

Let's all pray that their greed trumps their idiocy.

February 27, 2008 3:03 PM
Anonymous said:

just what I would expect from Anal(c)ysts

February 27, 2008 3:16 PM
Dave-O said:

Umm, you can close the barn doors now, but why? You're just locking the horses out.

February 27, 2008 3:32 PM
No-Name Coward said:

I don't understand why so many companies hate Apple? Are these people jealous? What's the deal?

February 27, 2008 4:14 PM
Anonymous said:

the studios should cut out those darn theaters!! those guys are taking all that money that belongs to the studios and they are geting all that money from snacks too!!

February 27, 2008 4:55 PM
Khürt Williams Author Profile Page said:

So instead of buying music, movies, and tv shows on iTunes on either my PC, my Mac, or my iPod these studios will offer me multiple incompatible systems and formats? And these analyst things cusumers wants that? Oh wait, who gives a crap what I ( the consumer ) want. It's all about their shareholders.

February 27, 2008 6:01 PM
Chris is an idiot said:

I love people like Chris that think everyone in Hollywood is an idiot because of some of the products they create.

Setting aside the "quality" of some of the programs/films he cited, shows like American Idol are watched by tens of millions of people every week. Last I checked, show business is still a business - and like most businesses, they're driven by a desire to make money.

Do you think that they would air American Idol 3 times a week if nobody watched it?

And what TV shows or films do you like, Chris? And where are they made? France?

February 27, 2008 10:45 PM
Trojan said:

The studios would love to control the theaters. In fact, they DID, back when they were the only way to distribute (and make money) off of films, until anti-trust lawsuits broke that up after WWII. Today, studios almost never make money off of a theatrical release; rather, they make profits after years of DVD/rental/pay-per-view/tv deals/licensing. The box office numbers you see circulated are deceiving because they don't take into account the amount that goes to the theater chains and the enormous overhead involved in promoting and distributing the films. So, if an entire industry operates on the profits it makes from home entertainment, do you think that they are going to let Apple determine all of the terms? I know we all love Apple here, but that just doesn't make any sense in the long term. The studios have been slow and clunky in their transition, but the wheel are turning.

On a side note, I go to the USC school of cinematic arts, and I've never heard of this ETS business.

February 27, 2008 10:57 PM
Howard Brazee said:

The studios used to own chains of movie theaters - but had to divest for anti-trust reasons.

They didn't like divesting them, and are hoping that the government will look the other way as they try again with different media.

There is one big difference nowadays though. There are lots and lots more small studios for both movies and music that don't want to go through the big studios.

February 28, 2008 8:37 AM

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