Fox to sell UltraViolet Digital HD movies three weeks ahead of discs or VOD, Prometheus is first (1 Viewer)

[Sam Posten]

Note to self: Don't send Obi a christmas card this year! =p

 

[Robert George]

C'mon, Sam. Choice is a good thing. As long as it remains a choice.

 

[Sam Posten]

Cmon Obie you gotta see the humor in what I wrote. I'm more against supporting the idea of pushing digital copies in the weeks ahead of of a disk release than I am against UV. If folks are finding Vudu / UV combo to be a compelling avenue I can't argue with that, rock on.
But giving in to over priced digital copies when clearly better values are 3 weeks away (and which give you those digital copies for pennies on the dollar!!) seems to be self defeating. Maybe I'm thinking about it wrong, if you can justify it more than "I wanna see it NOW" then I'm all ears! Remember it's not bitter grapes here, I could buy it today on iTunes if I wanted to, but I see it as simply rewarding bad business that is preying on people's impatience...

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Ahhhh, you know what I just realized? When I went into preferences in iTunes it was set to download at 720p because I have a Macbook Air and that's all it can handle. When I set it to 1080p (which it warned my I can't actually do) my screen changed to look like yours for Prometheus. The Avengers is still 720p however.
Can I ask you Steve - I know you've really been into media since DVDResource - how do you feel about a movie download like Prometheus for $14.99 and non-physical copies of movies in general?

I'm fine with downloads for rentals, and I've redeemed every digital copy that came with blu-ray purchases, but I have little use for said digital copies since I have the blu-ray. I've bought one high-def download, The Red Violin, because the import blu-ray has bad reviews.
While Prometheus HD download intrigued me, a digital copy is included with the blu-ray 3D that I am getting, so I can't justify a purchase. Besides, I saw the movie in the theater, and can wait until October when it is released on blu to see it again.
By the way, Prometheus was filmed in 3D, not a conversion, and it looks really good.

 

[Robert George]

Originally Posted by Sam Posten /t/323565/fox-to-sell-ultraviolet-digital-hd-movies-three-weeks-ahead-of-discs-or-vod-prometheus-is-first#post_3977807
Cmon Obie you gotta see the humor in what I wrote. I'm more against supporting the idea of pushing digital copies in the weeks ahead of of a disk release than I am against UV. If folks are finding Vudu / UV combo to be a compelling avenue I can't argue with that, rock on.
But giving in to over priced digital copies when clearly better values are 3 weeks away (and which give you those digital copies for pennies on the dollar!!) seems to be self defeating. Maybe I'm thinking about it wrong, if you can justify it more than "I wanna see it NOW" then I'm all ears! Remember it's not bitter grapes here, I could buy it today on iTunes if I wanted to, but I see it as simply rewarding bad business that is preying on people's impatience...

Yes, I did understand the humor, just a less humorous reply.

On the topic of the digital downloads that one gets in some Blu-ray packages, I have no idea what these look like, how it's done, or anything. I've never done one as I have absolutely no desire to download what I assume to be a lower quality copy of something I already have on Blu-ray. I don't use mobile devices to watch movies. Ever.

With regard to the (relatively) higher quality digital versions that Fox is now promoting, the time before street date is a very small part of the appeal for me. Price and quality of the product is everything. The only titles I will ever have any interest in purchasing for this type of delivery is a title I will call a "marginal" title, for lack of a better term. These would be movies I would want enough to pay up to $15 for, but would not be willing to spend $25 or more on the Blu-ray. Call it an expensive rental, because even if I buy the digital version, if it turns out I like the movie enough, I'll buy the Blu-ray anyway, mostly for the supplemental material, but also because I still like to have the films I enjoy the most to be sitting on that library shelf.

This is really a fairly narrow appeal to me overall. I require the ability to download the file, at least the quality afforded by VUDU's HDX product, and a low enough price that it can be a "throw-away" purchase in the event I want the Blu-ray later on. I don't expect that to be a lot of things for me, but it is not a bad option to add to the choices the media consumer has.

 

[Sam Posten]

They are the exact same file....

 

[Robert George]

Exact same as what?

 

[Jason Charlton]

Originally Posted by Robert George /t/323565/fox-to-sell-ultraviolet-digital-hd-movies-three-weeks-ahead-of-discs-or-vod-prometheus-is-first#post_3977927
These would be movies I would want enough to pay up to $15 for, but would not be willing to spend $25 or more on the Blu-ray. Call it an expensive rental, because even if I buy the digital version, if it turns out I like the movie enough, I'll buy the Blu-ray anyway, mostly for the supplemental material, but also because I still like to have the films I enjoy the most to be sitting on that library shelf.

I really can't quite grasp the rationale here. As Sam indicated, the digital files are the same... if you purchase the Blu-ray + digital file combo pack for $25, watch the movie and like it, you have both for $25 (as opposed to $40 going the other way).

If you buy the combo for $25 and don't like the movie, you have a Blu-ray you can easily sell for $10 (yay - physical media!) and still wind up with a $15 rental - not to mention the combo pack will still have added value (how much depends on the individual) to whomever you sell it to because the digital code has NOT yet been used and is still valid.

My approach for "marginal" movies has recently become Redbox. I will rent the film on Blu for $1.50 ($1 on weekends with the coupon codes they always send me) to see if it's something I really want to own.

The only other factor that I'm not addressing is the "gotta have it NOW" aspect - I have more patience than many folks, so I am happy to wait the extra time to watch a title and save the $15. From my perspective, this is the only concrete benefit (the amount of which will vary from person to person) that these digital copies provide.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the movie. I managed to see it in theaters, and while some folks were critical of it, I found it to be an entertaining and fitting addition to the "Alien" mythology.

Cheers.

 

[MattAlbie60]

Exact same as what?

The file (or stream, or whatever you want to call it) you're paying for right now is the exact same file you'd get for free in the Blu-ray in a couple of weeks. It's literally the exact thing. They're just selling it to you now early so they can justify doing so for $15 as opposed to "free with purchase."
It's sort of brilliant.

 

[Robert George]

Originally Posted by MattAlbie60 /t/323565/fox-to-sell-ultraviolet-digital-hd-movies-three-weeks-ahead-of-discs-or-vod-prometheus-is-first#post_3978085
The file (or stream, or whatever you want to call it) you're paying for right now is the exact same file you'd get for free in the Blu-ray in a couple of weeks. It's literally the exact thing. They're just selling it to you now early so they can justify doing so for $15 as opposed to "free with purchase."
It's sort of brilliant.

Okay, so help me out here. Are telling me that the digital copy that comes with some Blu-rays is the same thing I would get by purchasing the HDX format of the movie from VUDU? 1080p with DD+ surround sound?

 

[MattAlbie60]

Yep. That's the way it's been working. You get the HD (and usually the SD, too) versions if you redeem an iTunes code, too.
That's Vudu, though. If it's available in HDX (which not everything is), that's typically what you get. With a few weird exceptions - the last UV code I redeemed was CONTAGION, and I only got SD for some infuriating reason.

 

[sbuberl]

Yep. That's the way it's been working. You get the HD (and usually the SD, too) versions if you redeem an iTunes code, too.
That's Vudu, though. If it's available in HDX (which not everything is), that's typically what you get. With a few weird exceptions - the last UV code I redeemed was CONTAGION, and I only got SD for some infuriating reason.

Early UV codes from WB and Universal were all UV SD codes. At some point a while ago they changed their minds and switched to HD codes in Blu-Rays.

 

[MattAlbie60]

Fair enough. Too little too late for me, but if you're into that sort of thing, there you go.

 

[MattAlbie60]

To all who care: if you pre-order PROMETHEUS at Best Buy starting today, you immediately get the digital copy to use.
EDIT: And it looks like Walmart is doing it as well.

 

[Towergrove]

To all who care: if you pre-order PROMETHEUS at Best Buy starting today, you immediately get the digital copy to use.
EDIT: And it looks like Walmart is doing it as well.

I'm being told that the Best Buy version is ONLY an HD stream not a download. I see where Walmart is selling a digital copy but where are you seeing they are giving a copy away with BD purchase?

 

[Sam Posten]

guess that's how they are gonna compete with Amazon?

 

[MattAlbie60]

The Best Buy version of the deal was in the ad this morning. I was at Wal-mart a little while ago and they have documentation regarding the promotion all over the place. The "digital copy" you get for $24.99 even comes in an empty BD case (the box says its empty, so I assume it just has the digital download slip inside).
So you pre-order the BD (by paying the full price), you get a Vudu-ready digital copy to "take home."
I know its the exact same thing, but if they're trying to emphasize the importance of digital copies they should be marketing it as "Buy the digital copy, get the BD free" and not the other way around.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

guess that's how they are gonna compete with Amazon?

Amazon already competed before this with the inclusion of a $10 voucher towards a movie ticket to see the film.

 

[MattAlbie60]

Seeing a movie in a theater - the ultimate digital copy

 

[Sam Posten]

Amazon already competed before this with the inclusion of a $10 voucher towards a movie ticket to see the film.

Yeah that was ok if you ordered it 6 months ago. I ordered mine via Amazon 2 months ago, before this digitial thing hit. No Amazon stream for me. I cancelled my Amazon order today while looking into it as I discovered I had not ordered the 3d version. I coulda gone with BB instead but chose to stick with Amazon despite this. I'd love to have a copy I can toss on my iPad for travel but a stream does me no good.