“Apple has started selling the first full-length movie through its iTunes media store. The Disney television movie High School Musical is offered at $9.99, after being briefly available for $1.99,” Tom Sanders writes for vnunet.com. “The movie was a hit when first broadcast on the Disney Channel, attracting an audience of 7.7 million viewers. But iTunes users have complained about the movie’s relatively high price and limited resolution. While the download costs as much as a regular DVD, it offers only a limited resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and none of the bonus features typically found on a DVD.”
Full article here.
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Apple offers first full-length movie for sale via iTunes Store – March 14, 2006
“IS $9.99 too much for Apple iTunes’ first full-length movie download?”
Yes.
Too much for me. I like DVDs for $10 or less from Walmart.
$1.99 is a great price for TV episodes and music videos – I’ve bought a bunch of episodes of Battlestar Galactica myself and it works great.
However, $9.99 for a full-length movie at 320×240 resolution is a bit much, IMHO. At that resolution, I would be happy to pay $4.99 for the convenience if not the quality.
$9.99 should be reserved for HDTV quality downloads. I think Apple could make loads of money by offering tiered pricing based on quality, including songs. For example, $0.99 is the perfect price for song downloads at 128 kbps AAC, but I think quite a lot of people would pay $1.49 for an Apple Lossless version of that song. Same with movies.
Considering the price of a new DVD, this price is too high. However, just as I wouldn’t buy other things that I consider too expensive, I won’t buy this one and I won’t complain about it.
If they think $9.99 is too much, they shouldn’t buy it. Duh.
For crying out loud, it’s a crappy Disney made-for-TV movie.
No doubt. $9.99 is ridiculous for this joke of a movie. If it were “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” movie for $9.99 (another Disney production), even at 320×240, I think it’s a fair price.
Would I prefer cheaper? Of course. Is it likely to see full-length movies for less than $10. Doubt it.
An observation in support of $4.99 pricing for feature length movies.
A TV episode of “Lost” or “Battlestar Galactica” is about 40 minutes without the commercials. A feature-length film last 100 minutes to 120 minutes.
So if 40 minutes = $1.99, then $4.99 for a feature-length film at 320×240 quality seems like it’s the sweet spot.
Even if you don’t ever buy a movie at $9.99, I think it will be helpful to let the powers that be know that we consumers aren’t stupid.
$9.99 is an absurd price point. Much too high. DVD prices are dropping and resolution is a big factor for many people. Apple should really think this through and then unleash it on the public. Putting out 1 film and then changing the price irritates the media and the customers and seems like a bad way to begin the rollout of the iTunes Movie Store. Come on Apple, you can do much better than this amateurish stunt.
I can’t imagine collecting videos sold in the iPod format, so any movies sold through iTunes need to compete with the price of a rental. $9.99? No, I can’t see it.
I would never pay $9.99 for a downloaded movie that I would have to invest time and money to burn on to a blank CD with makeshift cases and printed covers, etc. I’d much rather own a retail DVD that I can have all the extra stuff on and studio-quality printed materials. I just don’t see the market on this. I really don’t. It just perpetuates piracy including, but not limited to, people making movie copies for 10 friends or extended family members, all in violation of federal law. Thou shall not steal includes BITS and BYTES also my friends. Bottom line is it’s too much to pay unless you plan on duplicating illegally.
For that movie absolutely.
For a 320×240 movie yes. $5 makes more sense.
For an NTSC res movie $9.99 is just right, except that crappy first offering isn’t worth more than $1.99 even in hi-def.
Hi-def movies I would look at $14.99-$19.99. Too bad we don’t have the bandwidth to download those yet.
Its ok IF…
1) The quality is good if played on a HD tv.
2) You own it and can burn it to a DVD.
YES
And since his royal highness Steve Jobs constantly watches MDN, I have a few words to say about the iPod HiFi.
It’s overpriced too.
Apple better be testing the water with price points, otherwise, my recent suspicions may be correct. Is Apple out of steam?
If a TV show is worth $1.99 for 30-minutes to an hour (actually, about 21-minutes to 40-minutes), why is a 90-minute movie worth five times the money?
Answer? It’s not. It’s not worth it. $9.99 is waaaaay over priced because at 320×240 resolution it’s not competitive with DVDs, which offer more of everything (higher quality, more features, better value).
What is Apple doing? Are they telling us that we won’t get online, full-length, first-rate movies for $2.99, or $4.99? Is this a test or the shape of things to come, or simply the best that Apple can do? Maybe the problem is the content providers.
I’m content to wait a few more weeks until Apple’s 30th anniversary “surprise” package. It needs to be a good one. I’m thinking iBooks called MacBook with Intel Inside. Larger iPod with video. Online movie downloads from revamped iTMS. iPhone and iPad (wireless video iPod with OS X inside).
If most of that doesn’t show up soon, it’s going to be a rocky year for AAPL.
Tera Patricks
Mac360
Tera, when are you going to “git naykid?”
I’ll pay $9.99 for that.
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YES! WAAAAYYYY to much. I can buy a DVD of crappy Disney Channel movies for 9.99 at best buy and I can play them on whatever I want.
Apple testing what the market will come up with.
eegads! I thought $1.99 was about right for that movie. Definitely not $9.99. Being a TV movie and all, it’s barely worth the same as the average episode of Desperate Housewives.
http://getkickedoffaplanewearingthis.blogspot.com/
NewType,
right ye’are.
I’d also be prepared to pay more for Apple Lossless quality at the iTS, and I think Apple is missing out on a lot of sales here.
With good Etymotic earplugs, my iPod is fantastic with Apple Lossless. But it’s all my own CD’s and I’d love to be able to buy new stuff at the iTMS.
At the moment, they don’t get a cent from me.
Perhaps if all of us who feel this way send Apple an e-mail. . . .
YES<
YES, $9.99 is way too much for a full-length movie. ITMS does have the convenience factor, but the download times on feature-length content will be long even on high-speed. Same reason I don’t buy full length albums — there’s not enough of a price break to encourage me to do so. For about the same price (sometimes a dollar or two more, othertimes for less) I can buy an entire CD. It offers higher song quality, liner notes and often extras such as a second disc. The same is true for DVDs. You get higher quality, tons of extras and a physical backup. Why not buy the CD or DVD and import it yourself — it doesn’t take that long. Who has enough space to store all their movies digitally now anyway. Maybe when terrabyte HDs are common.
Bottom line — make it worth it. Inferior quality and the lack of cost that comes with producing a physical product to sit on a store shelf should result in a MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE digital download.
I support ITMS with the purchase of singles (over 350 and counting) but I’ll never buy a whole album, TV show or movie unless they are priced more attractively.
“Is $9.99 too much for Apple iTunes’ first full-length movie download?”
YES
Lower quality than DVD, no extras, $9.99 to much!
I’d maybe pay $3.99 – $4.99 no more.
I’ve bought several tv shows for $1.99, but I wouldn’t even consider spending $9.99 on a movie at 320×240 resolution.. It’s absurdly expensive.
HELL YES!!!
For sub-DVD quality: yes