Blockbuster to rent movies on memory cards

[deeaa]

So, they're gonna set up automats where the customer simply inserts their own memory card of choice, and gets a movie on it while paying by credit card simultaneously.

Very good. I envisioned this years ago to happen with movie rentals, and I also proposed having MP3 download vending machines which would work exactly like that. I even sent some emails to that effect to some media companies, suggesting they'd do something like that.

I remember sending one email to some Apple exec, proposing they build an iPod which could accept direct transfers from some iPodKiosks where you could just leech new songs for like 50c apiece while visiting a supermarket.

Only back then people would just say it'll never happen...I wish I still remembered who were they and on which forums I argued about this and people thought it ridiculous...would be so nice to go rub it in their faces, LOL.

Hopefully there will be also MP3 download booths everywhere soon enough.

[Spudman]

So then what will stop people from storing the movie on their computer and sharing it with their friends?

[deeaa]

So then what will stop people from storing the movie on their computer and sharing it with their friends?

Nothing...but is there anything to stop that as it is? Takes what, 13 minutes to copy a DVD or a harddrive on any modern PC. Roughly the same to leech one off some torrent site. Markets are full of boxes designed solely to play stuff off hard drives. Like I have a TV box that can also stream videos direct off the net. And another box that is specifically meant to play HD films off harddrives or USB sticks with full support to all modern stuff like Matroska and full HD and 5.1 sound. I can get thousands of films streamed off the net in DVD or full HD quality direct to TV for a few bucks apiece totally legally, and if I choose so I could get tens of thousands of titles semi-illegally from torrent sites.

I used to put every DVD I loaned or rented or even bought to harddrive. Not to store them indefinitely. Why would I do that when I can get any number of new films just as easy anyway...no need to store them. Just watch and delete. So...I don't rent DVD's any more except as direct download, but when I did, I didn't watch it off the DVD anyway...I just copied the content to HD skipping all the commercials and warnings etc. just the main film. And then watched it maybe some other day. Terribly inconvenient if you had to watch the film the very day you picked it up, no? But is there anything illegal about it? I don't think so. I even pay a tax on empty DVD's and harddrives called MediaTax, because the government knows I'll use them for playing/storing media which is commercial.

It's far harder to drive to town, pick up a movie which is within all probability just rented out, not available on Blu-Ray yet, or you can't find a parking lot, AND need to schedule taking it back tomorrow, when you compare it to just pressing a few buttons on your remote and start immediately streaming a movie. Or perhaps get it on your USB stick while waiting in the supermarket grocery line.

Or a couple more clicks and go make coffee while it loads from a torrent site and then watch it. It's just too easy. A while back there was a thread on horror films...check how easy it'd be to find all of them on the torrent sites in a matter of a few hours download.

BUT IF the legal ways are just as easy, or comparatively easy...I'll happily pay a few bucks to stream or get stuff on my drives legally. It'd be way less money than a pack of cigarrettes anyhow. I think almost all people would. Why spend money and time on illegal or semi-illegal hassles when you're talking savings of mere dollars a day at best?

If there's gonna be a kiosk I can just plug my iPod in and get some songs on it cheap, I'll be doing it every now and then while for instance shopping for groceries. A few more bux, what's that. Nothing to rock my balances. iTunes is also good, but why bother hassling with a computer...a kiosk would be better.

And if it's just a few dollars, people won't even bother the hassle of borrowing off their friends. I hardly ever borrow or lend out films or music...why would I? Just as easy to buy or get it yourself. I do lend other people's Xbox or computer games now and then. But those are 60-70 buck new games.

But even those, I rather just download direct to Xbox. Can't loan or re-sell 'em but they're also a lot cheaper. 20 bucks or so, what's that, nothing for a good game, better than the hassle of loaning off yer buddy and driving round to get the disk etc. It's the best thing since sliced bread...when the media is easy to access and the price is right, people will pay for it.

As it is, I can't but wonder who would want to pay like 70 bucks for a new game...or hundreds and hundreds of dollars for some software...if you could get it cheap as direct download.

I just don't get the pricing tags on some software. If something like Cubase costs 500 apiece, how many people will buy it? A handful. If it were 49,90 I bet hundreds and hundreds of people would happily buy it legit. I can't figure out how come they think it's better to sell 1000 copies at 500 than a hundred thousand for 50. Don't you think, if Photoshop cost five bux to download legit, millions would be sold in a matter of hours, huh? I'm sure it'd be a lot more profitabe in the end.

I myself get pretty much all software I need either free from my work or via some work-related discount schemes. But most don't get them so easy.