iTunes to Offer Movie Downloads Same Day as DVD Release Date

Apple announced it will now allow impatient movie buffs a chance to download new Hollywood releases the same day the movies becomes available on DVD. That cuts sometimes weeks of waiting for a movie title to be release first as DVDs and then eventually as a download at services such as iTunes and CinemaNow.

Apple has locked up deals with 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney, Lionsgate, Image Entertainment and First Look Studios to make iTunes DVD purchases available on the same day as the DVD release.

Nice Try, But I'm Still Not Downloading Movies

I can't help but speculate how this idea of day-of DVD purchases won't be as successful as Apple hopes. Unlike CDs, the value of owning a physical DVD is still high.

People enjoy filling up shelves with DVDs, having the box art, and all of the features included. One of the main difference between this situation that the iTunes Music Store is that purchasing a movie from iTunes isn't any cheaper than going to a store to buy it. New releases on iTunes costs $14.99, or about the same price as going to a store and buying the DVD, which you will own a physical copy of forever.

Regardless of how successful this may or may not be for Apple, the fact of the matter is that this is a step in the right direction. Apple just needs to cross its fingers and hope people would rather not have to leave the house and only own a digital copy of a movie. At least with this method you don't have to worry about bothersome neighbors always wanting to borrow DVDs.

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