In case you missed it, Apple just recently started selling movies via iTunes in HD. I’m not sure why it took so long for this to happen, but I would bet money that it had more to do with Hollywood than Apple. When you look at the severely limited number of HD titles for sale, we can only look to Hollywood and their relentless need to control everything to blame for this. Nonetheless, HD movies are now available not only for Rental (which Apple has been doing for over a year), but also for purchase. Like most things on iTunes, the number of titles will ramp up quickly. So this now leads me to my question:
iTunes HD or Blu-ray?
Let me remind you that I no longer just buy movies just because. One day I noticed I had a few movies in my collection that were still in the shrinkwrap. It hit me that I just rarely have the time or desire to watch movies that I’ve already seen. So whereas before I was buying just about every movie that I liked, today I would have to really really really really really like a movie to actually buy it. I have to weigh the cost of the movie vs. the number of times I’m likely to watch it again. Even if I want to watch a movie again, I have to ask: is it cheaper just to rent it again than to buy it?
Any recent movies I’ve purchased (and it’s only been a few) have been in Blu-ray format. I figure that if it’s good enough to buy, then I want it in the best possible format. Owning a movie in Blu-ray though does present a couple of challenges. For one, it can only be played in a Blu-ray player. So that limits me to watching the movie at home and not on the road on my laptop. That also limits the number of friends I could loan the movie too. A few of the movies I’ve purchased came with Digital Copies. So that at least takes care of the “take it on the road” problem, but due to copy protection/DRM I still can’t loan the movie out to friends.
I had a chance over the weekend to buy my first HD movie via iTunes and the process was as simple as buying any other item on iTunes. I was pleasantly surprised/reminded that when you buy HD content on iTunes, they automatically include a smaller standard def version for your portable devices (iPhones/iPods) and to take on the road with you. While this does make the download bigger (you’re downloading two movies instead of one) and take up more hard drive space, I welcome this. I purchased Transporter 3 (not because it’s all that great of a movie, it was just that the number of available titles in HD for purchase right now is severly limited). The iTunes HD version is $19.99. The Blu-ray price is $25.99 and does include a Digital Copy.
The iTunes HD version weighs in at 3GBs of drive space plus 1.1GBs for the standard def version that’s included.
Which is better?
That’s the real question isn’t it? That’s also probably why you’re reading this. Unfortunately “better” depends on what you want. So let me give you the pros and cons and you decide for yourself:
Blu-ray
Pros:
Full HD quality 1080p, extra content (outakes, bloopers, commentary, etc.), BD Live – access to online content from within the movie including games, online communities, extra scenes, etc. Can share with friends/family who have Blu-ray players.
Cons:
Costs more per movie, requires a Blu-ray player, most laptops don’t have Blu-ray drives for watching on the go and not all titles include a Digital Copy. Takes up physical shelf space to store the discs. You have to either go out and purchase or order online and wait for the disc to arrive. Discs can become scratched and unplayable.
iTunes HD Movies
Pros:
Costs less than movies on Blu-ray, can purchase and download right in your own home, comes with a copy for your other devices (iPod or iPhone).
Cons:
Not the highest quality HD (only 720p), takes up hard drive space to store the movies (3GB for the HD version, 1.xGB for the standard def version), not sharable with others outside of your home due to DRM copy protection (when will Hollywood learn the same lessons that the music industy learned and do away with DRM?). Not burnable to optical media a video DVD/Blu-ray disc (again because of DRM protection).
The Bottom Line
Things just keep getting better as iTunes, TiVo, Netflix, Cable/Satellite companies continue to compete for our business. Having the ability to buy and download an HD movie right from my TV with Apple TV or from my computer is pretty sweet. Although iTunes HD movies are not full 1080p, I love the fact that they don’t take up any physical shelf space in my home. This also means that they are instantly available to all of my TV’s (via Apple TV streaming) because they are stored on a central media server (an iMac). Also keep in mind that 720p is still better than standard DVD quaility. So on those rare occassions when I think a movie good enough to actually own, I’ll probably look first to buying it via iTunes in HD format before going to Blu-ray now. If it’s a movie with the ultimate in visual effects and would really pop in all of its 1080p glory then I might consider owning it on Blu-ray. For right now my plan is to continue with Netflix and renting on Blu-ray for most of the movies I watch and renting on iTunes for those spontaneous moments when I just want to watch a movie that’s not physically sitting in my house/library. If iTunes ever offered a subscription rental service for movies my love for Netflix would be in serious jeopardy. I’ve recently cut my plan back to have less movies at home because they sometimes just sit here for weeks at a time when I’m too busy to watch them. This is one good thing about the pay as you go iTunes Rental model. You only pay for a rental when you’re ready to watch it!
I’m just glad to be living in a time where we have so many options for in home entertainment. I can see the day coming in the not too distant future that my DVD racks become a fond memory. I’ll either have all of my favorite movies streaming from my media server or available for instant renting/viewing over the internet. Hard drive space is cheap! I’m almost there today, building my home media center with Netflix/TiVo HD and Apple TV. Life is good!
I’d personally opt for a standalone player. They will soon hit 150 bucks or lower (expensive Canada …) and since I have a zero need for a digital copy of a movie in other formats (iPod etc.) I would always opt for a pressed quality disc which unless scratched heavily will last looong time. Disc has a higher resolution as you pointed out as well.
For some people a slow internet connection will make this an easy choice. I assume that the discs will not cost 25 bucks in the future either …
I refuse to purchase blu ray due to the heavy drm, and refuse to rent/buy from Apple due to the big price tag.
The only movies we regularly purchase are both kid and adult friendly (think pixar), as they will get watched multiple times. They then get ripped to our media center, and the original locked up so the kids don’t destroy it. We proudly own the media for every title on our server.
Terry:
The iTunes prices seem “a little” high because you are not getting any physical media.
I found these prices on DVD Price Search and the first three are pretty much in line with the iTunes prices and you get the physical media and don’t need to worry (or be concerned) that they might vanish if their storage device should fail.
Price Sales Tax Shipping Total Cost
DVD Empire $ 23.99 $ 0.00 FREE* $ 23.99
Amazon $ 25.99 $ 0.00 FREE* $ 25.99
DeepDiscount.com $ 26.89 $ 0.00 FREE* $ 26.89
Walmart.com $ 25.86 $ 0.00 $ 2.47 $ 28.33
DVD Box Office $ 24.58 $ 0.00 $ 4.09 $ 28.67
DVD Planet $ 28.36 $ 0.00 $ 1.50 $ 29.86
Overstock.com $ 26.91 $ 0.00 $ 2.95 $ 29.86
CD Universe $ 30.75 $ 0.00 $ 3.99 $ 34.74
(* on over $25.00 orders)
I have (as you do) a fairly extensive library of DVD’s (almost 500) titles which includes over 60 full season boxed sets. And yes it takes room to store them but I would be more concerned that the hard drive they are stored on would die before I run out of space to store them.
If the iTunes price was 1/2 of the price that was paid for when getting the media then to me that might be more reasonable.
I do agree with you that in order for this to be really workable the DRM must be done away with as it has with audio recordings. If the movies could be downloaded at a reasonable price and burned to a DVD then it would be much more reasonable.
Maybe that will happen. I remember when I got my first VHS VCR for time shifting the blank tape average cost was $25.00 each. When I purchased my last ones (some years ago) you could buy quality Sony tapes (6 hour) for about $2.00 each.
The prices must come down as they did with standard DVD movies.
When you download an iTunes product do you also get all of the extended Special Features as you would with a boxed purchase from a store?
For use in my home theater, it’s Blu-ray and not even close. The better video resolution and high-end HD sound formats are the most important things to me! If I watched movies in the living room like I do Seinfeld re-runs, then either way might be fine.
Brian, what the hell are you talking about? If the hard drive dies, you can download all your music, videos, movies, etc. from iTunes again… for free. They know what you have bought before under your username. You don’t lose anything…
I’m late to the game here but there are advantages people are not seeing to iTMS.
1) BluRay are licensed for 1 copy period where iTunes are licensed for 5 computers (and they don’t all have to by yours or in your house) and an UNLIMITED number of iPods, iPhones, AppleTV’s or soon to be iPads. That means I can buy a movie send a copy to my dad, my brother and a friend and we can all be watching it on all of our mobile devices and on any number of TV’s at all of our houses at the same time!
And although you can not make a DVD that can play on a DVD player, you can copy the data as a backup or to move it to any one of those other 5 computers (but I use the mobile me iDisk).
So itunes are vastly more sharable, normally lower priced, more convent to purchase, and in my experience very good quality. BluRay may not be dead but things get much better and we get a couple more players taking online download serious (Microsoft, Amazon, Netflilx, Sony) and it will not take all that long.
IMHO
I can’t count the number of times I’ve been burnt on iTunes downloads because my data was lost. All these companies with their DRM need to find common ground or they will not last. When a common format is finally reached (which looks to be Bluray) for movie’s I will convert from standard DVD’s…
“When you buy a song, video, iPod Game, or album from the iTunes Store, you are entitled to download it only once.”
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1469
I rather own media on Discs anyway. Better to share with friends, roomates and family. Internet media programs like Itunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, etc, required to have a debit or credit card which We cannot have or own one. So that is out. I like buying Discs, because if the files are gone from the site and never brought back online, then you are out of luck. Itunes and other services just removed Lion King and Marry Poppins AWAY from their services, which I do not know why? I mean if people PAY $10-15 per movie and it is no longer there in the store, then your last choice is owning a Disc format. Same with Music and Games! Itunes sucks.