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Wal-Mart Launches Movie Download Service

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Wal-Mart launched a beta version of their movie download store today.

The new service is available at http://www.walmart.com/videodownloads and is offering around 3,000 movies and television episodes from all the major movie studios and some TV networks.

The nation's largest retailer is using its buying power to beat the prices charged by other download services in many cases, offering films from $12.88 to $19.88 and individual TV episodes for $1.96 — 4 cents less than Apple Inc.'s iTunes store.
Click to expand...

Wal-Mart's entry into this market is significant for a number of reasons. Early reports claimed that Wal-Mart felt their DVD sales would be hurt by online-download movie sales. As a result, Wal-Mart was said to be threatening movie studios against signing on with Apple's iTunes service.

Apple's iTunes initially launched with only Disney movies and later added Paramount films in January. The article suggests that Wal-Mart's entry "now frees studios to cut deals with other online services".

Wal-Mart's movie service is only available in Windows Media, so the movies are not playable on the Mac or iPod.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2007/02/06/wal-mart-launches-movie-download-service/
OUCH! Steve's gotta be upset. Maybe if it flounders the studios will throw in with ITMS. The fact that it won't work for an iPod will make it limiting for most consumers. This store's geared strictly to the Media Center PC set.
 
You would think it was still the 1950s. Good thing I never go to wal-mart.
 
Eh, I don't see it taking off....ESPECIALLY with no iPod support. Not many people want to watch their movies at their computers. Ya, some probably have other portable video player, but the majority would want to throw them on their iPod and so on. We'll see what happens
 
It's Windows Media Player only. They say only XP or Vista is supported. Basically it's trash.
 
guzhogi said:
What about Flip4Mac? You can use that to play WM files on your Mac. And then use iMovie to convert it to iPod format.
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Alas, Flip4Mac doesn't work with WM10 or WM11 (it might work with WM9 - I've heard reports of some successes), nor does it work with the vast majority of DRM'd Windows Media files. At least that's my understanding, I could be wrong...
 
I read this article earlier this morning and it must made me mad at Wal-mart and their shady business practices. "Waaaa, you can't sell movies online because it will kill our sales. Oh, let's make our own and force everyone to sell for us first." I hope it fails. Hopefully what they say is true and it opens up other studios to come to iTS.
 
Sean7512 said:
Not many people want to watch their movies at their computers. Ya, some probably have other portable video player, but the majority would want to throw them on their iPod and so on. We'll see what happens
Click to expand...
I'd venture a guess to say that most people want to watch movies on their TVs.
 
Interesting development

I suspected Walmart would do this. What is really ironic is to see "Cars" offered on the main page.

What a bunch of crap Walmart spews. They threaten their vendors if they sign on with iTunes and then proceed to play "catch-up". Walmarts supply channel should tell they to get screwed.
 
Any word on the resolution and any of the technical details of these movies?? I can't seem to find it on the website
 
I dunno, I tried watching a movie on an iPod, and its not my thing. When I watch a movie I want it on a traditional large screen tv.
 
If Walmart's success (or lack of) in music downloads is any indication, Apple has nothing to worry about when it comes to movie downloads. Walmart isn't exactly known for tech-related innovation and ease of use.
 
Excellent. More consumer choice.

Competition is Good.

( Even though it is Walmart and IMO, going in there is like selling your soul to Satan )


Windows users will watch them on their TV via their PC ( or even XBox - if possible ).

Who seriously watches movies on their iPods?

Sean7512 said:
Eh, I don't see it taking off....ESPECIALLY with no iPod support. Not many people want to watch their movies at their computers. Ya, some probably have other portable video player, but the majority would want to throw them on their iPod and so on. We'll see what happens
Click to expand...
 
offering...individual TV episodes for $1.96 — 4 cents less than Apple Inc.'s iTunes store.
Click to expand...

Since when did the difference of $1.99 and $1.96 equate to 4¢? How many people really flock to Wal-Mart's online service because of penny differences? Anyone know their current market data in the digital download arena?
 
Wow. They weren't kidding when they said not Mac compatible...
Here's the page on Firefox 2.0.0.1 on a Mac :eek:
walmart_movies_firefox.png


Safari 2.0.4 is better, but still messed up
walmart_movies_safari.png


And just for grins, I ran the page through the W3C validator and got "Failed validation, 296 errors."

I suspect they'll sell loads of movies with a Web page that is that well designed. ;)
 
Stella said:
Excellent. More consumer choice.

Competition is Good.

( Even though it is Walmart and IMO, going in there is like selling your soul to Satan )


Windows users will watch them on their TV via their PC ( or even XBox - if possible ).

Who seriously watches movies on their iPods?
Click to expand...


I was referring that you can hook up your ipod to your tv :eek: Yes, I'm aware that on laptops they have svideo out and stuff....BUT MOST budget laptops offer NO WAY of hooking your computer up to your tv, I know since I have one :mad: So then you're other choice is hopefully your desktop is sitting right next to your big screen tv. My point was with the ipod, all you need is a simple wire and presto! Most people have iPods last time I checked, so a lot of people may be left out with getting it on their tvs.....Do I even make sense, I've been busy studying and I think I've lost it, haha
 
No big deal! I'd say the online service will be just as crappy as the in-store service.

Remember when Wal-Mart started selling music online and people were saying that this was going to be the end for iTunes. Sam Walton's gift to the world is bloated, overrated, and junky. When was the last time anybody had a good experience shopping at those places? Nobody I know of that's for sure!
 
well this could be bad. hopefully when the studios pick which way to go, they pick Apple and itunes.....Jobs will have to work his magic to swing them our way.....:apple:
 
guys, who seriously think DRM protected WMV will not be hacked? its everywhere!
 
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