Katie Marsal
While Apple promised 1,000 movie rentals for the iTunes Store in January, an in-depth search reveals that only 384 movies are available — and that the rarer-still HD titles scarcely take full advantage of the format.
Some of these HD movies, such as the Kirk Douglas movie Lust for Life, date back as early as 1956 and predate most modern filmmaking techniques. Other movies, however, lack age as a reason for their stripped-down features: 40 HD movies (26 of which were released before 2000) lack Dolby 5.1-channel audio.
A few movies are even mistakenly labeled. Aliens and Dodgeball are labeled as HD titles but reveal themselves to be standard-definition upon a closer look.
Even if users are willing to pay for a permanent download, Apple supplies just 770 movies regardless of their delivery format, still 230 titles short of what Apple promised just for rentals alone. Of the entire collection, just 384 movies are available for rent.
First alluded to by a tipster in one of AppleInsider's Friday reports, the shortfall puts Apple significantly behind other online rivals, some of which take advantage of links to traditional DVD business. Amazon's Unbox claims 10,442 titles, while the mail-in rental firm offers roughly 6,000 movies — though in some cases, these titles include anything from instructional videos on marine radar systems to sports matches.
No matter how many full titles are available through each service, however, the deficit tarnishes Apple's attempts to expand its modest iTunes video library. The Mac maker aggressively claimed in January that it "has it right this time" with the Apple TV and has pushed its video rental service since its Macworld San Francisco debut, going so far as to promote 99-cent weekly rentals ever since the Apple TV's version 2.0 firmware upgrade in mid-February.
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Christine McKee
Stephen Silver
Charles Martin
William Gallagher
Malcolm Owen
67 Comments
It is a slow start. And quite confusing considering that you would think they would have a dedicated team who's sole job it is to gather masters from the studios and encode them. They should be putting 20 or 30 new movies up each week!
I do have to take issue with one statement in this article though. To say there is no benefit to downloading movies made prior to the 1980's in HD is just silly. Anything shot on film- from ANY time period- is much higher definition than 720. In general, film is rated at 4K, and some 1940's Technicolor films with separated colour elements can be rated as high as 6K. MANY of the film I personally look forward to seeing most in HD are pre-1980; and most films that have seen a DVD release in the last 10 years have been given surround remixes, so that statistic is also dubious.
No matter how many full titles are available through each service, however, the deficit tarnishes Apple's attempts to expand its modest iTunes video library.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely the number of titles available will be dictated by the content owners (studios) being tardy in supplying the titles to Apple?
This hardly tarnishes Apple. This is evidence that the studios are once again telling the consumer how they are to use their hard-earned for poor return.
The current 24hr model has so many holes in it.
Criticise the studios who provide the content, not the system that is trying to deliver it (making money for all along the way)
Whether this a problem on Apple's end or reneging by the content providers (as the number of total movies was just over 800 at one point) this makes Apple look bad,
is hardly tarnishes Apple. This is evidence that the studios are once again telling the consumer how they are to use their hard-earned for poor return.
It doesn't have to be Apple's fault for them to be tarnished. Steve made a claim of the number of rentals to expect and you are watching them with a device made by Apple.
When Apple did the battery recall for all those faulty batteries that Sony made.... Apple looks bad.
When an antagonist in a movie uses a Mac to bring down a government... Apple takes the fall.
When the US government purchases Xserves for use in Iraq... Apple was accused of starting the war.
This does tarnish Apple if they claimed they'd have number of titles certain by a date certain. This is very embarrassing for Steve and for Apple.