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Movie Downloads to Coincide with DVD release 313

Posted by Hemos
from the starting-to-get-some-things dept.
gihan_ripper writes "The movie download firms Movielink and CinemaNow have made a deal with the big five studios to ensure that downloads will coincide with DVD releases at Blockbuster and WalMart. Unlike previous deals, these will be full purchase downloads, and not merely for a rental period. The move is aimed at stemming the rising tide of pirate downloads, and DRM will be in force to prevent copying the movies to DVD. The first batch of downloadable movies will include Brokeback Mountain, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and King Kong."

Movie Downloads to Coincide with DVD release

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  • Re:WIndows only? (Score:3, Informative)

    by way2trivial (601132) on Monday April 03, 2006 @08:19AM (#15049368) Homepage Journal
    a big mac base?,+switch+to+ Intel+chips/2100-1006_3-5731398.html []

    1.8 percent of the market..

    realistically, 1.8% is a fine percentage of folks to skip, when development and support would cost just as much as for the 98%

    kinda like movies that no longer get released in vhs...

  • by digitaldc (879047) * on Monday April 03, 2006 @08:26AM (#15049395)
    I dunno, who wants to buy a movie you can't rip to your PC without violating the DMCA?

    Oh, that's right, everybody.

    Everybody has given up ship, have gone underground, and are now setting sail from the Pirate Bay. []
  • Special System? (Score:1, Informative)

    by AnyThingButWindows (939158) on Monday April 03, 2006 @08:47AM (#15049542) Homepage
    It seems that movielink requires you have a special system just to get to their site. They have been added to my broken website list. You need a machine running a specific OS, a specific browser, and specific media player, nor can it be burned to DVD. Now explain to me again Hollywood why I would buy something that doesn't work, and is crippled?

    I think that ill just go to the Piratebay, and grab my copy of Kong. If Hollywood wants to pick and choose their customers, then I will pick and choose what, how, and where I get my movies.

    The more you tighten your grip vadar, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
  • Re:Nice idea, but... (Score:4, Informative)

    by Laur (673497) on Monday April 03, 2006 @09:04AM (#15049635)
    you're still looking to at least an hour for a 1.4GB compressed copy, even longer if this service uses full 4.6GB uncompressed.

    FYI, commercial DVDs are definetely not uncompressed, they use MPEG2 compression. Also, full dual layer DVDs are closer to 7-8GB, not 4.6GB (of course, this includes things like extras and special features, which I'm not sure if these downloads will have).

  • 16% small? (Score:3, Informative)

    by SuperKendall (25149) * on Monday April 03, 2006 @10:45AM (#15050574)
    16% doesn't seem that small to me [].

    Even if you think that number is too large, the argument they make is compelling for a market share of at least 10%.

    The mistake you have made is a common one of confusing market share (percentage of computers sold per year) with the installed base. There are a variety of reasons why that is much higher for Macs, especially among home users as corperate sales mask the percentage of macs in people homes - you know, where they might actually buy and watch movies.

    No worry for Mac users though as studios will be caving in to the iTunes juggernaut eventually after Disney makes a killing selling movies online at $9.99 that people actually buy.
