Hollywood trade rag Variety has a big profile on our man Steve today. Negotiations with the record companies have proved successful enough that Jobs has set his gaze on Hollywood, and the gold mine for downloading movies. But having seen the way he manhandled the recording industry, and the power which he’ll command as a Disney board member, movie execs are rightfully worried about what kind of treatment they’ll receive.
Interesting tidbits in the article include the fact that Jobs has been pushing for a $9.99 price point for movies, while studios have been arguing for variable pricing (no surprise there). The question is if a $10 point will be incentive enough for people to turn away from both piracy and bargain bin DVDs. As I’ve argued before, they still have to contend with the idea of owning a tangible item, in the form of a DVD, as well as find some way of fighting off the encroaching world of on-demand.
Hollywood is striking deals with a number of online services, none of which have really captured the public’s imagination. Apple has the distribution network, but in my opinion, they’re still missing the link to get the movies from your computer to your TV. I’d be surprised if technology was holding them back, so I’m betting we’ll see that when we see a deal struck with the movie studios. I’ve got my fingers crossed for year’s end or Macworld SF.
[image via Mondo Digitale]
