Universal putting all current cinema movies on iTunes etc

OU812 · 17-03-2020 12:14pm #1

https://www.macrumors.com/2020/03/17/universal-theatrical-movies-dod-itunes/

That’s the cinema industry changed forever.

jface187 · 17-03-2020 9:37pm

Does anyone know if I can rent this through sky or PlayStation store? I like watching things on my T.V.

I don't know if it's the death of cinema yet. The studio can't afford to make this big massive films (avengers etc) just for streaming. This smaller low budget films might be going day and date with streaming & cinemas.

johnny_ultimate · 18-03-2020 12:39am

jface187 wrote: »

Does anyone know if I can rent this through sky or PlayStation store? I like watching things on my T.V.

If you link your YouTube app on the PS4 to your Google account you can watch anything you buy or rent on the Play store from there. I don’t think the Universal films are there yet, but if they do show up that’s your best bet

Sleeper12 · 18-03-2020 12:45am

jface187 wrote: »

Does anyone know if I can rent this through sky or PlayStation store? I like watching things on my T.V.

I don't know if it's the death of cinema yet. The studio can't afford to make this big massive films (avengers etc) just for streaming. This smaller low budget films might be going day and date with streaming & cinemas.

The Apple TV app is available on the Firestick. I rented a couple of movies myself today. Apple are the best value. They charge 5 euros for a 4k HDR movie. Most other streaming sites don't have 4K or if they do you can pay 7 or 8 euros just to rent it.

Apple TV app is available on RuKu and obviously any Apple tv or phone. I'm guessing that you can mirror from the iPhone to chrome cast or a smart tv

Sleeper12 · 18-03-2020 12:46am

jface187 wrote: »

Does anyone know if I can rent this through sky or PlayStation store? I like watching things on my T.V.

I don't know if it's the death of cinema yet. The studio can't afford to make this big massive films (avengers etc) just for streaming. This smaller low budget films might be going day and date with streaming & cinemas.

The Apple TV app is available on the Firestick. I rented a couple of movies myself today. Apple are the best value. They charge 5 euros for a 4k HDR movie. Most other streaming sites don't have 4K or if they do you can pay 7 or 8 euros just to rent it.

Apple TV app is available on RuKu and obviously any Apple tv or phone. I'm guessing that you can mirror from the iPhone to chrome cast or a smart tv

jface187 · 20-03-2020 10:40pm

Thanks for the tips. All three titles are on the Sky Store at 18 euro each.

I would have went to the cinema to see the Hunt, but only on one of the bargain days. 5-10 euro deal days, sometimes with a drink & popcorn include in those deals.

18 euro just a bit too much. I know when I was younger I would buy a least one new Dvd a week (at least 20 euro) and rent a couple too, but those days are long gone now.

icdg · 21-03-2020 8:58am

OU812 wrote: »

That’s the cinema industry changed forever.

Not at €18 a pop it isn’t. It might be a stopgap for some during this current situation, but in normality I think I’d be hesitant to rush to pay that when I could wait a couple of months for the price to fall dramatically. For that price I expect a cinema experience and I just don’t get that in my sitting room.

Bare in mind also that with working at home now a big thing, streaming bitrates are now going to be reduced by some major providers which will mean picture quality being affected, particularly at 4K.

Oafley Jones · 21-03-2020 10:04am

icdg wrote: »

Not at €18 a pop it isn’t. It might be a stopgap for some during this current situation, but in normality I think I’d be hesitant to rush to pay that when I could wait a couple of months for the price to fall dramatically. For that price I expect a cinema experience and I just don’t get that in my sitting room.

Bare in mind also that with working at home now a big thing, streaming bitrates are now going to be reduced by some major providers which will mean picture quality being affected, particularly at 4K.

I’m sure content you own/rent isnt affected by the downgrade?

icdg · 21-03-2020 10:10am

No, only streamed content. Doesn’t effect Sky who only offer download of course.

GarIT · 21-03-2020 10:14am

icdg wrote: »

Not at €18 a pop it isn’t. It might be a stopgap for some during this current situation, but in normality I think I’d be hesitant to rush to pay that when I could wait a couple of months for the price to fall dramatically. For that price I expect a cinema experience and I just don’t get that in my sitting room.

Bare in mind also that with working at home now a big thing, streaming bitrates are now going to be reduced by some major providers which will mean picture quality being affected, particularly at 4K.

If you have a family and live in Dublin it is €18 is a lot less than the €60 you'd pay to go to the cinema and now you don't have the hastle of parking, paying insane prices for treats, sitting in dirty uncomfortable seats and watching on a low quality screen.

Oafley Jones · 21-03-2020 10:21am

icdg wrote: »

No, only streamed content. Doesn’t effect Sky who only offer download of course.

Or iTunes Store for example. However on the same box Apple TV’s content is noticeably affected.

Oafley Jones · 21-03-2020 10:22am

GarIT wrote: »

If you have a family and live in Dublin it is €18 is a lot less than the €60 you'd pay to go to the cinema and now you don't have the hastle of parking, paying insane prices for treats, sitting in dirty uncomfortable seats and watching on a low quality screen.

It’s almost 100 euro for us when you include the babysitter.

Sleeper12 · 21-03-2020 11:04am

Oafley Jones wrote: »

It’s almost 100 euro for us when you include the babysitter.

Why would you bring the babysitter??? :pac::pac::pac:

Harry Palmr · 21-03-2020 11:19am

Incredible fall off in a week.

Mar 19, 2020 Thursday 79 $143,641 -41.7% -97.3% 36 Onward $33,296
Mar 18, 2020 Wednesday 78 $246,568 -81.3% -96.2% 38 Onward $61,529
Mar 17, 2020 Tuesday 77 $1,321,687 -59.1% -88.1% 41 Onward $346,334
Mar 16, 2020 Monday 76 $3,234,151 -72.8% -53.4% 47 Onward $753,347
Mar 15, 2020 Sunday 75 $11,892,439 -39.7% -50.8% 51 Onward $2,687,350
Mar 14, 2020 Saturday 74 $19,710,626 +9.6% -50.3% 50 Onward $4,675,724
Mar 13, 2020 Friday 73 $17,977,298 +237.8% -32.4% 52 I Still Believe $3,993,234

Oafley Jones · 21-03-2020 12:14pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Incredible fall off in a week.

Mar 19, 2020 Thursday 79 $143,641 -41.7% -97.3% 36 Onward $33,296
Mar 18, 2020 Wednesday 78 $246,568 -81.3% -96.2% 38 Onward $61,529
Mar 17, 2020 Tuesday 77 $1,321,687 -59.1% -88.1% 41 Onward $346,334
Mar 16, 2020 Monday 76 $3,234,151 -72.8% -53.4% 47 Onward $753,347
Mar 15, 2020 Sunday 75 $11,892,439 -39.7% -50.8% 51 Onward $2,687,350
Mar 14, 2020 Saturday 74 $19,710,626 +9.6% -50.3% 50 Onward $4,675,724
Mar 13, 2020 Friday 73 $17,977,298 +237.8% -32.4% 52 I Still Believe $3,993,234

Unsurprisingly, onward will be available on Disney+ from April. That’s the States BTW, although I’d say it won’t be much longer here.

OU812 · 21-03-2020 1:35pm

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Unsurprisingly, onward will be available on Disney+ from April. That’s the States BTW, although I’d say it won’t be much longer here.

Good decision in their part. It’s dead in the water out in the cinema but will drive subscriptions online.

Cinema industry is in a huge amount of trouble after this.

irishguy1983 · 21-03-2020 1:39pm

Just saw it is 17.99 to rent Invisible Man....Who the hell is going to pay that???!! I don’t really see the point to this if they are going to charge so high...

OU812 · 21-03-2020 1:50pm

irishguy1983 wrote: »

Just saw it is 17.99 to rent Invisible Man....Who the hell is going to pay that???!! I don’t really see the point to this if they are going to charge so high...

It's less expensive than most brand new DVD or Blu-ray releases, if you've a couple of people that want to watch it together (as much as they can) it's not so expensive.

OK, it's not a huge tentpole movie, but it was quite successful up to last week in the cinema.

I think prices will change as they see what happens & we may get an influx of titles once we get a clearer picture of the situation - how long cinemas are going to be closed for etc.

Production has stopped on almost everything in TV & movies & won't ramp up again for several months.

[Deleted User] · 21-03-2020 3:35pm

17.99 - too much tbh

especially when there are other ways.

irishguy1983 · 21-03-2020 3:41pm

OU812 wrote: »

It's less expensive than most brand new DVD or Blu-ray releases, if you've a couple of people that want to watch it together (as much as they can) it's not so expensive.

OK, it's not a huge tentpole movie, but it was quite successful up to last week in the cinema.

I think prices will change as they see what happens & we may get an influx of titles once we get a clearer picture of the situation - how long cinemas are going to be closed for etc.

Production has stopped on almost everything in TV & movies & won't ramp up again for several months.

OK - I suppose I was thinking when I go to cinema it costs 10 for just me or cheaper on a Tuesday....Even paying for a second would only cost 20....

Don’t think that will take off but who knows...

[Deleted User] · 21-03-2020 3:53pm

I think that they should have gone for 10 dollars / euros

anyways I suppose that it only applies to current movies so it's a once-off as the other ones will be postponed.

Agent Coulson · 21-03-2020 4:11pm

I'd pay €19.99 to rent Black Widow, James Bond or F&F 9 in this current climate but not for what they have released The Hunt and The Invisible Man are just B movies really.

I was going to go see The Hunt in the cinema that would have been an afternoon discount showing however I can wait for that to come to Netflix or Prime.

Agent Coulson · 26-04-2020 8:59pm

5 weeks later or so I wonder how well this worked out financially for them compared to a cinema release?

If nothing else it was a good test case to see if people would pay for instant releases at home instead of going to the cinema.

I think 9.99 would have been a better price point myself however I as I said above I would have paid 19.99 for F&F 9, Black Widow or Bond or in other words major releases.

jface187 · 26-04-2020 9:13pm

Yeah, I hoped the price would dropped for the hunt by now. If it went down to ten euro I would had gotten it for the weekend.

OU812 · 26-04-2020 9:46pm

The movies that slid to home release were (for the most part), B-Movies.

Although I enjoyed the invisible man, didn’t bother with the hint, trolls was desperate (even the kids thought so) & onward was a decent release.

Would have been interesting with a tent pole movie.

There was a memo leaked between the production houses that stated there was now a requirement to work together in strategy that their industry has changed forever and they’ll now have less screens and less people attending. They need to concentrate on developing a robust home distribution strategy & platform.

Think it was in the Hollywood reporter.

Guy:Incognito · 27-04-2020 4:26pm

jface187 wrote: »

Yeah, I hoped the price would dropped for the hunt by now. If it went down to ten euro I would had gotten it for the weekend.

I'd imagine most people don't go to the cinema alone so 20 isn't bad imo considering that could be for anything up to about 10 people.

Jin luk · 27-04-2020 4:33pm

The cinema was good when all we had at home was an auld 24 or 26" box tv with really bad quality.

Most people have at least a 39" or more in their houses nowadays with UHD.

Add the cost up for a couple to go to the cinema at least 50euro for 1 viewing of a movie on a big screen, and uncomfortable during this time.

Or be nice and relaxed at home drink in hand feet up for a subscription of no more than a tenner.

And thats the legit way plenty going with the dodgy boxes these days also.

Cinemas are finished.

And also the foreign movies and tv shows on netflix are superior to anything hollywood pumps out these days.

Guy:Incognito · 27-04-2020 4:39pm

I much prefer the cinema for things I want to sit and watch properly. Properly dark room. No knocks at the door,phone ringing, distractions or tablets or things. People more likely to shut up and watch.

When I'm watching stuff at home I tend to be browsing stuff online at the same time.

johnny_ultimate · 27-04-2020 4:39pm

To me the price is acceptable for a film you really wanted to see, but probably a bit much for something to just pass a few hours. Never Rarely Sometimes Always is getting a digital release next month after theatrical plans were scuppered, so will gladly pay a few quid extra to watch that as it’s been too of my list for a while now. But not going to pay nearly double the price of a cinema ticket for a curiosity watch of The Hunt so will wait for that to fall to normal digital rental price.

That said, I don’t have much problem with the ‘premium’ releases given the current circumstances. I’d agree most people usually watch films with someone else, so it’s not bad value to see a new film if you consider the price of a cinema trip for two. Different prospect if it’s just for one. Ultimately if there’s a market for it, it makes sense for VOD at the moment - would be fascinated to see numbers of how Universal’s approach has done. Whether this’ll have a lasting impact beyond the crisis of the moment is another question entirely. I know I can’t wait to get back into a cinema once they’re up and running again.

OU812 · 27-04-2020 5:04pm

I LOVE the cinema. Dark room with no distractions & great sound is hard to beat.

However, I’m waiting for an atmos speaker setup to be delivered, & we’ve plans to extend our living room and I’ll be able to fit in a 65”+ screen possibly even a projector. (currently have a 55”)

To be honest, once I get that all sorted, it’ll probably be very rare for me to go to the cinema.

I’d welcome an at home platform for tent pole movies. Even if they’re timetabled & not on demand.

Decuc500 · 27-04-2020 7:12pm

Jin luk wrote: »

Cinemas are finished.

And also the foreign movies and tv shows on netflix are superior to anything hollywood pumps out these days.

Every few years something shiny and new comes along and we're told cinemas days are numbered. But yet cinema still prevails and it will this time too.

I don't think covid19, streaming, illegal downloading, dodgy boxes etc etc will put an end to cinema.

They said the same thing when television and then home video came along.

I wouldn't underestimate peoples desire to get out of the house and experience a film in a movie theatre.

Universal putting all current cinema movies on iTunes etc

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