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January 16, 2008

itunes_store

MW08: More details on iTunes movie rentals

Posted Jan. 16, ’08, 3:00 PM PT by Aayush Arya
Category | iTunes » iTunes Store

iTunes movie rentalsJohn Gruber, over at Daring Fireball, has a nice break up of the newly reworded ToS for iTunes 7.6 to accommodate the new feature updates to the iTunes Store and the Apple TV, primary among which is the introduction of movie rentals on the iTunes Store. Here’s is a gist of the changes:

  • Rented movies can only be viewed on iTunes (on a Mac or PC), iPhone and current generation video capable iPods, which means that owners of even recently outdated iPod Videos are left in the cold. *Ouch!*
  • HD movies can only be rented, not bought.
  • You can only rent HD movies from the Apple TV. When you browse the store using iTunes on a computer, the HD option does not show up at all.
  • “Movies are viewable only on one device at a time.”
  • You must be connected to the iTunes Store when you are trying to move a movie from your computer to other devices.
  • Once it has been moved, you can no longer watch it on the computer.
  • Movies rented directly from the Apple TV may not be moved to any other device.
  • As was mentioned previously, the time restrictions are - 30 days after downloading and 24 hours after you hit ‘Play’ the first time.
  • Here’s the real shocker, “Broadband Internet connection required”!

In my humble opinion, the only two shady areas in the list are the exclusion of previous generation iPod Videos from the list of supported devices (Shame on you, Apple!) and the highly restrictive “viewing period” of twenty-four hours.

While you can chalk up that latter issue to the suspicious nature of the movie studio execs, I really cannot figure out any pardonable reason for leaving your existing customers out in the cold, leaving them with the harsh choice of either ponying up the cash to upgrade to a more recent iPod (for no reason at all) or settling for not getting access to the movie rental service of the iTunes Store.

It’s stuff like this that makes people go up in arms against the company and gives rise to articles questioning whether Apple is becoming a monopoly (like a certain Redmond based company) and intends to misuse its position of power. Watch your actions, Apple. People, who could have been potential customers, are starting to notice and it is important to keep your existing customers happy if you want them to keep coming back to you.


10 Comments

Robby said:

How can we display our frustration with Apple for excluding the previous generation video iPods from movie rental viewing?

January 16, 2008 5:07 PM
Shawn said:

It was just as I suspected since the new iPods were introduced and the vid-out required new cables/devices.

I think the new vid-out requirements are to appease the MPAA and to close the "analog hole". I wouldn't be terribly surprised if vid-out doesn't work in the older universal dock even with a newer iPod.

January 16, 2008 5:16 PM
Walt Author Profile Page said:

Now that rentals have made their appearance on iTunes, I was curious as to whether or not they can be played on the Apple TV or do you have to wait for the update to Apple TV Take 2. On one side, I thought no, it needs an update to play it much like the iPhone and iTunes. On the other hand, I argued with myself that perhaps it can still play it, I just can't rent until the update comes out, or play in full fledged 5.1.

So I rented Mean Girls with no intention of watching it really. That's the whole reason I picked that one. I wasn't expecting to be able to watch it, and I would feel bad if I ordered something I wanted to watch but couldn't yet on Apple TV. I'll be darned if I'm going to watch a movie on my computer. With over 4 grand invested in my HD/DTS entertainment center (nay... system), homey don't roll watching movies on his computer. Or iPhone for that matter. Since my Apple TV days, I haven't once connected my computer system to my entertainment center and don't plan on it now.

So the results are in - NO watchy rentals on Apple TV yet. Not even streamed from iTunes. Bummer.

No more rentals from me Apple until ATV is updated. Once it is though... good bye pay per view! Hopefully. We'll see.

January 16, 2008 8:30 PM
Anonymous said:

Needless to say the news about previous generation iPods being exempted from the Movie Rentals party makes me angry. Honestly, this is really starting to take the piss. Look, I paid my money already - what the hell is with this milking? Are iPod sales tailing off? Again, this is just not cool.

January 16, 2008 11:47 PM
anonymous said:

at the very least leave feedback:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunesapp.html

if you are not pleased regarding the exclusion of iPods with video (5g) from movie rentals.

January 17, 2008 5:59 AM
Ray Cay said:

#################################################

YES, YOU CAN BUY A MOVIE AND PLAY IT ON AN OLDER IPOD VISEO, MINE IS OVER 3 YRS OLD AND I JUST DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 17, 2008 7:43 AM
Aayush Arya Author Profile Page said:

Yes, but I was only talking about the newly launched movie rental service of the iTunes Store, as is evident by the title of the post.

You cannot play rented movies on previous generation video capable iPods, even though the ones you buy will be playable just as they always have been. Hope I'm clear now. :)

January 17, 2008 7:56 AM
Dave-O said:

Shawn nailed it. Just like everyone who assumed Apple was just bilking people by making them buy new cables, this is not Apple's attempt to sell new iPods, but the movie studios' effort to prevent piracy (as is the HD-on-Apple TV-only bit).

You can complain that Apple didn't push harder, but the majority of the blame lies with the movie studios.

As for the 24 hour limit, supposedly that is to appease the cable companies. Why can't a longer window be made available to cable companies and Apple (and Amazon)? It's just lame and shows how little understanding the movie studios have of their consumers.

The one I'm surprised isn't making more of a stir is the 30 days after DVD release crap. Now there's this ad blitz for the DVD release and that's just the beginning of a 30 day countdown to rental on iTunes. Lame.

January 17, 2008 8:39 AM
Nathan said:

Honestly I don't see why people get upset because you can't watch rented movies on older gen iPods.
It would have been nice, but not necessary.

How many people complain when the new car model comes with something they don't have on their current car?

January 17, 2008 8:45 AM
Goobimama said:

Apparently the new generation iPods have been fitted with a special authentication chip that makes sure that the rented movies can't be tampered with. Since it can't be done with a mere software upgrade, the older generation iPods have gone in the pit.

Another example of how DRM screws with people's happiness...

January 17, 2008 10:42 AM

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