James Delahunty
14 Mar 2006 8:59
Apple Computer Inc. has added the first full length movie to the iTunes store. The Disney movie "High School Musical" can be found in the store for $1.99, the same price it costs to download TV shows and music videos. The movie industry is battling rampant online piracy and looking for an "iTunes for movies" that Apple would be only too keen to offer. However, Apple won't corner the market for movie downloads as easily as it did for music downloads.
A few days ago it emerged that Amazon is planning its own movie download service, which will have IMDB on its side to drive sales. Apple's success in music lies in the success of the iPod; but is the video iPod enough to drive consumers to download movies from iTunes, or would consumers prefer to get movies from Amazon (due to its huge customer base and good reputation) or other similar upcoming services?
It has been reported that Apple will begin selling movies with the launch of a new touch screen iPod. The company has been in talks with major Hollywood studios to license content.
Source:
Betanews