The future of iTunes and Digital Copies

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

Yep, Vudu is much better across the board.

Before you take them all to Wal-Mart, make sure to check and see if they're eligible for the D2D program. Not all titles are. Here's the page for the in-store program: Vudu - Disc to Digital

Also, if you do the in-store D2D, it's not eligible for the 50% off promotion when converting 10 or more at a time. It will be the full price.

I checked to see if they have the ones I wanted in HDX and they do. Unfortunately, I don't have a BD Player on my computer so I have to go to the store because I want these BDs in HDX. I don't mind paying full price.

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

I checked to see if they have the ones I wanted in HDX and they do. Unfortunately, I don't have a BD Player on my computer so I have to go to the store because I want these BDs in HDX. I don't mind paying full price.

Just a heads up - technically, the stores are supposed to put a stamp on the inner ring of your discs when you take them into the store (so that they can't be used for D2D again). If they do, don't worry. A little rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball will take it right off. Some stores don't bother with the stamp.

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

Just a heads up - technically, the stores are supposed to put a stamp on the inner ring of your discs when you take them into the store (so that they can't be used for D2D again). If they do, don't worry. A little rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball will take it right off. Some stores don't bother with the stamp.

Do I really need to have the printed list with me to do the in store disc to digital transaction?

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Do I really need to have the printed list with me to do the in store disc to digital transaction?

I'm not sure. I always took it in because it seemed to make things a little easier for the associate who was doing it.

[Noahishere]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

I'm not sure. I always took it in because it seemed to make things a little easier for the associate who was doing it.

I just scrolled through the list one time and wrote down the ones that I have that can used through the D2D program. Then I put that list in my phone so it's convenient to remind myself what I need to transfer over later on.

[Jumpman]

Is there a possibility of Apple joining the DECE?

I have about 262 iTunes digital copies. Granted, none of these films are absolute favorites. They are films I enjoy from time to time but if they technically went away, I wouldn't be bent out of shape about it.

Is it possible that all of these digital copies will be UV compliant one day?

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Is there a possibility of Apple joining the DECE?

I have about 262 iTunes digital copies. Granted, none of these films are absolute favorites. They are films I enjoy from time to time but if they technically went away, I wouldn't be bent out of shape about it.

Is it possible that all of these digital copies will be UV compliant one day?

I very seriously doubt it. It's one of those "when hell freezes over" situations.

UV us a competing digital copy service, and Apple is completely against having competition (that's why there's no Vudu app on Apple TV - Apple won't allow it). Joining UV would be throwing up a white flag in surrender, and Apple won't do that. They'll continue with their proprietary offerings no matter what.

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

I very seriously doubt it. It's one of those "when hell freezes over" situations.

UV us a competing digital copy service, and Apple is completely against having competition (that's why there's no Vudu app on Apple TV - Apple won't allow it). Joining UV would be throwing up a white flag in surrender, and Apple won't do that. They'll continue with their proprietary offerings no matter what.

Hmm.

Again, I wouldn't be butt hurt if I abandoned purchasing through iTunes. At the same time, I was planning in leaving collecting BDs all together. I guess I still could and just sell the discs after I use the UV code because I'll never be comfortable using Vudu to purchase or rent. That's why I love those damn iTunes gift cards. Stock pile those and I can rent comfortably for six months.

Hmmm.

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Hmm.

Again, I wouldn't be butt hurt if I abandoned purchasing through iTunes. At the same time, I was planning in leaving collecting BDs all together. I guess I still could and just sell the discs after I use the UV code because I'll never be comfortable using Vudu to purchase or rent. That's why I love those damn iTunes gift cards. Stock pile those and I can rent comfortably for six months.

Hmmm.

Or you could just buy the UV codes straight up - Digital Copies Buy/Sell/Trade Thread

I've starting buying UV codes instead of renting. They can often be had for around the same price as a rental, and you get to keep it in your collection. I have no intention of leaving Blu-ray behind, so if I get a UV code and really enjoy the movie, I'll buy the Blu-ray later on when the price drops.

And even if I have have some UV movies that I don't end up caring for, I don't mind them being in my collection. I never know when someone else might want to watch it, or when I might want to revisit it, so I have no intention of deleting any of them. It's not like they're taking up any space on a hard drive I have or a spot on my shelf. That's part of what I like about UV.

As for the quality of streaming with Vudu on a PS3, Vudu will automatically optimize the stream to what it feels your connection can handle. So, I wouldn't anticipate any problems with your internet holding up. If your connection is poor, you'll get a lower quality stream, just like on ever other major streaming service. If it's strong, you'll get better quality.

[Walter-S_NC]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Do I really need to have the printed list with me to do the in store disc to digital transaction?

No, but I have found it facilitates the process.

[Clark Kent]

First off, iTunes is not going to disappear as a venue for digital movies. Apple is just about the most profitable company on Earth and the studios won't abandon the platform. But they also are positioning UV as a very strong alternative, so that Apple can't leverage their market dominance in negotiations with the studios.

Both Apple and Amazon are extremely likely to remain separate from UltraViolet. It is not in their best interests to join up with UltraViolet.

[Walter-S_NC]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

First off, iTunes is not going to disappear as a venue for digital movies. Apple is just about the most profitable company on Earth and the studios won't abandon the platform. But they also are positioning UV as a very strong alternative, so that Apple can't leverage their market dominance in negotiations with the studios.

Both Apple and Amazon are extremely likely to remain separate from UltraViolet. It is not in their best interests to join up with UltraViolet.

I agree. There is a core of Apple Nazis which have been indoctrinated beyond the point of seeing reason.

They will always be around till the bitter sock puppet end.

Let me tell you a story.

One time there was an application called Napster. It was so prolific it was seriously discussed that the internet would become nothing but one big collection of napster nodes.

The number of Napster accounts at high water mark numbered over 100 million.

Now, do you know anyone who has a napster account which they have used in the last five years?

The difference between UV and iTunes is iTunes is backed by a single technology company.

UV is a consortium. It is principlly backed by the distribution studios. It is they who decide where their content will be distributed through.

You say iTunes 'will not' be left out of distribution.

I say that process has already started. Fox announced that their digital copy redemption will exclude iTunes a few months back. They join Sony/Columbia and Warner Brothers who have already gone UV exclusive.

So what you suggest 'can not' happen has already begun.

Welcome to the world of consumer technolgy where nothing is absolute and where market dominance is fleeting.

[wzz]

If you agree with what Clark Kent has written, what's with all the extra paragraphs of unclear nonsense?

Is there a link between napster and what Clark Kent had said?

& From what I see, (9th paragraph), I believe "You" meant "Clark Kent"; Clark Kent did not mention about digital copies, but digital movies.

Originally Posted by Walter-S_NC

I agree. There is a core of Apple Nazis which have been indoctrinated beyond the point of seeing reason.

They will always be around till the bitter sock puppet end.

Let me tell you a story.

One time there was an application called Napster. It was so prolific it was seriously discussed that the internet would become nothing but one big collection of napster nodes.

The number of Napster accounts at high water mark numbered over 100 million.

Now, do you know anyone who has a napster account which they have used in the last five years?

The difference between UV and iTunes is iTunes is backed by a single technology company.

UV is a consortium. It is principlly backed by the distribution studios. It is they who decide where their content will be distributed through.

You say iTunes 'will not' be left out of distribution.

I say that process has already started. Fox announced that their digital copy redemption will exclude iTunes a few months back. They join Sony/Columbia and Warner Brothers who have already gone UV exclusive.

So what you suggest 'can not' happen has already begun.

Welcome to the world of consumer technolgy where nothing is absolute and where market dominance is fleeting.

[Walter-S_NC]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

I checked to see if they have the ones I wanted in HDX and they do. Unfortunately, I don't have a BD Player on my computer so I have to go to the store because I want these BDs in HDX. I don't mind paying full price.

Take it as a word of advice from a friend.

HDX is the way to go. That is for Bluray Disc lateral conversions and upgrading DVD.

Your library will be so much better if the titles are almost all HDX.

One of the reasons I took almost a year to get to where I am now is I always paid $5 to upgrade my DVDs. It cost more, and took longer for the disposable income to become available, but now I look back and have no regrets.

The vast bulk of my collection was DVDs, so it was a slow process. Sometimes only 5 titles per month was all I could afford.

...but again, it gave me time to think about each one and strategize what titles I was going to bring in for conversion. That mulling it over was something I found I enjoyed. Had I done them all at once in a big bulk transaction, I would of missed out on this slow gradient climb.

[Jumpman]

Originally Posted by Walter-S_NC

Take it as a word of advice from a friend.

HDX is the way to go. That is for Bluray Disc lateral conversions and upgrading DVD.

Your library will be so much better if the titles are almost all HDX.

One of the reasons I took almost a year to get to where I am now is I always paid $5 to upgrade my DVDs. It cost more, and took longer for the disposable income to become available, but now I look back and have no regrets.

The vast bulk of my collection was DVDs, so it was a slow process. Sometimes only 5 titles per month was all I could afford.

If I start today, it'll be like starting over. Luckily right now, I have Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, Men In Black Trilogy, Underworld Saga, Looper, and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as my only Vudu/UV digital copies, which is good. It's small.

If I'm honest, I wish I could get rid of Underworld Rise of the Lycans, Awakening, and Looper out of my collection and then I could really begin. That's my main issue with UV. You can't really delete yet except for WB titles.

When the deletion becomes viable, I might be fully in...if my wifi can hold up. Using it in my PS3, I can really only stream in HD (depending on the time of day) and SD.

I have to really think this through. This is a monumental decision. I only rent through Apple because of the gift cards at stores. I'm not comfortable with purchasing/renting from VUDU. I would mainly be using it as my digital copy collection from BDs I purchased.

So many decisions to make.

[Walter-S_NC]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

If I start today, it'll be like starting over. Luckily right now, I have Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, Men In Black Trilogy, Underworld Saga, Looper, and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as my only Vudu/UV digital copies, which is good. It's small.

If I'm honest, I wish I could get rid of Underworld Rise of the Lycans, Awakening, and Looper out of my collection and then I could really begin. That's my main issue with UV. You can't really delete yet except for WB titles.

When the deletion becomes viable, I might be fully in...if my wifi can hold up. Using it in my PS3, I can really only stream in HD (depending on the time of day) and SD.

I have to really think this through. This is a monumental decision. I only rent through Apple because of the gift cards at stores. I'm not comfortable with purchasing/renting from VUDU. I would mainly be using it as my digital copy collection from BDs I purchased.

So many decisions to make.

Yes. Big decision. I agree. For me too.

One thought. For folks who's BB is sporadic in throughput, there is the download and watch option. It works on the PS3. It is thought to be common in rural areas where bb throughput is not consistently sufficient.

When you playback a downloaded HDX title, there is no buffering issues, no matter your bb throughput at the time.