Archive for November, 2008
Christine Peppler asked:
Online movie rental is popular. Like any service or product that sells a one billionth unit one must assume that it is valued, that the quality is high, and that customers are satisfied or it would not have reached such a mark. Indeed, the exclusive one billion club includes some pretty impressive members and in many cases members have had to endure for many years to attain membership.
In February 2007, Netflix, the founding online movie rental service, delivered its one billionth DVD. This was just beyond seven and half years after their initial offering in September 1999. Certainly, this was a milestone to celebrate for Netflix and one that reflects well upon the popularity of the service but how does it stack up to the achievements of other products and services which have attained this status?
One company that also recently hit the billion mark is Casio. In January of 2007, Casio sold its one billionth calculator. Impressive, however it took Casio approximately fifty years to reach this milestone. In 2049, when the online movie rental pioneer recognizes its fiftieth year, the 7 billion mark could be realized even if growth does not escalate. Will Netflix still be around? If it is, it will probably be a bit different, but it’s flexibility in adapting its service in response to changing technologies is a positive sign. The first step in moving toward electronic versus mail delivery was initiated earlier this year.
Computers are probably considered one of the biggest product introductions into the market during the past century. The growth of the internet was explosive in the 1990’s. However, it wasn’t until approximately 25 years after the introduction of personal computers that the one billionth unit was shipped back in 2002; and this was a worldwide market. Likewise, despite humble beginnings way back in 1969 the internet experienced its billionth user, worldwide, in December 2005; nearly 36 years later. The Netflix online movie rental service is a more local service; providing classic, indie, and new release films for an audience based in the US. Of course, all of this could change as electronic delivery takes hold in coming years; could Netflix become an international player?
Certainly, when one imagines “billions” being sold, the name McDonald’s is bound to crop up. We all know that many billions have been served but how long did it take them to reach their first billion? It appears that it took approximately 15 years after their introduction to achieve this status. At the time of course, McDonald’s was not the mega international corporation that it is now. In addition, families ate most of their meals at home in the early years of the fast food icon. Perhaps McDonalds and similar services played a role in changing how Americans dine; taking them out of the home for nearly half of their meals. This change certainly played a role in hitting the billion mark. Likewise, it would seem that online movie rental services are also changing how we obtain and view movies; first from the comfort of our homes and now on demand through electronic delivery.
Global markets certainly increase the likelihood of attaining the one billion mark and getting there fast. Mobile phones, probably more than any other product, have taken the world by storm in the past fifteen years or so. Clearly mobile phones are used globally. In addition, these devices perform a wide range of tasks that make them nearly indispensable in the modern world. From communication and entertainment to connectivity and personal assistant types of functions, mobile phones are multi-tasking wonders. It is estimated that at least one billion mobile phones were shipped in 2006 alone.
Apple’s iTunes has experienced similar success. After only three years in operation the service served up its one billionth download in Feburary 2006.
Online movie rental is not currently a global service like iTunes or mobile phones. Could this change? Perhaps. Certainly, iTunes has altered the way many people enjoy their music and mobile phones have changed the way we do business and stay in touch with others. Likewise, online movie rental appears to be gradually changing the way we enjoy movies. Perhaps recent changes to implement improved delivery will be the key to matching the success of mobile phones and the music downloads of iTunes.
Online movie rental is popular. Like any service or product that sells a one billionth unit one must assume that it is valued, that the quality is high, and that customers are satisfied or it would not have reached such a mark. Indeed, the exclusive one billion club includes some pretty impressive members and in many cases members have had to endure for many years to attain membership.
In February 2007, Netflix, the founding online movie rental service, delivered its one billionth DVD. This was just beyond seven and half years after their initial offering in September 1999. Certainly, this was a milestone to celebrate for Netflix and one that reflects well upon the popularity of the service but how does it stack up to the achievements of other products and services which have attained this status?
One company that also recently hit the billion mark is Casio. In January of 2007, Casio sold its one billionth calculator. Impressive, however it took Casio approximately fifty years to reach this milestone. In 2049, when the online movie rental pioneer recognizes its fiftieth year, the 7 billion mark could be realized even if growth does not escalate. Will Netflix still be around? If it is, it will probably be a bit different, but it’s flexibility in adapting its service in response to changing technologies is a positive sign. The first step in moving toward electronic versus mail delivery was initiated earlier this year.
Computers are probably considered one of the biggest product introductions into the market during the past century. The growth of the internet was explosive in the 1990’s. However, it wasn’t until approximately 25 years after the introduction of personal computers that the one billionth unit was shipped back in 2002; and this was a worldwide market. Likewise, despite humble beginnings way back in 1969 the internet experienced its billionth user, worldwide, in December 2005; nearly 36 years later. The Netflix online movie rental service is a more local service; providing classic, indie, and new release films for an audience based in the US. Of course, all of this could change as electronic delivery takes hold in coming years; could Netflix become an international player?
Certainly, when one imagines “billions” being sold, the name McDonald’s is bound to crop up. We all know that many billions have been served but how long did it take them to reach their first billion? It appears that it took approximately 15 years after their introduction to achieve this status. At the time of course, McDonald’s was not the mega international corporation that it is now. In addition, families ate most of their meals at home in the early years of the fast food icon. Perhaps McDonalds and similar services played a role in changing how Americans dine; taking them out of the home for nearly half of their meals. This change certainly played a role in hitting the billion mark. Likewise, it would seem that online movie rental services are also changing how we obtain and view movies; first from the comfort of our homes and now on demand through electronic delivery.
Global markets certainly increase the likelihood of attaining the one billion mark and getting there fast. Mobile phones, probably more than any other product, have taken the world by storm in the past fifteen years or so. Clearly mobile phones are used globally. In addition, these devices perform a wide range of tasks that make them nearly indispensable in the modern world. From communication and entertainment to connectivity and personal assistant types of functions, mobile phones are multi-tasking wonders. It is estimated that at least one billion mobile phones were shipped in 2006 alone.
Apple’s iTunes has experienced similar success. After only three years in operation the service served up its one billionth download in Feburary 2006.
Online movie rental is not currently a global service like iTunes or mobile phones. Could this change? Perhaps. Certainly, iTunes has altered the way many people enjoy their music and mobile phones have changed the way we do business and stay in touch with others. Likewise, online movie rental appears to be gradually changing the way we enjoy movies. Perhaps recent changes to implement improved delivery will be the key to matching the success of mobile phones and the music downloads of iTunes.
kevinnoh asked:
MacWorld Keynote speech 2008 part 2 with English subtitle
iPhone, iPod touch, iTunes movie rentals
Christine Peppler asked:
Although the aroma of fresh popped popcorn and a darkened theater with a towering wide screen lures us to new released films, most of us still view far more movies at home than at the theater. With the introduction of online movie rental and movie downloads nearly ten years ago, the selections offered by the local video store are not the only options viewers have for their home entertainment.
Aside from the improved affordability, movie fans enjoy watching movies at home because of convenience. With busy lives that keeps us at work and on the road, time spent relaxing at home is at a premium and any service that allows us to enjoy that time without additional complexity or effort is highly prized. With this in mind, which of these movie services provides the most value for the home viewer?
Traditional video stores can be convenient for some last minute movie picks; or at least convenient if a person lives within a few blocks of the store. If someone suddenly decides at 5:30 pm. that there is time to squeeze in a showing of the most recent Harry Potter flick with the kids, then it is certainly easy to get to and from the store and be ready to view within a half an hour. This assumes of course that the store will have a copy of the DVD available in house at the time it is being sought.
If Harry isn’t at the local video store, then browsing through the remaining films and examining the DVD cases may provide a hint as to what the family might enjoy. After the movie, the viewer will then have at least a couple of days to shuttle back to the store and return the movie before incurring any late fees.
Movie downloads are one of the newer options. Certainly, downloading a movie can allow viewers to decide at the last minute to view Harry Potter, or some other movie, as well. Just a quick 5 minute visit to the download site on line to select and initiate the download allows viewers to remain at home throughout the process. Most films require approximately an hour to download depending upon connection speed. The good news however is that many movie downloads are capable of allowing viewers to begin watching the movie only a matter of minutes into the download process.
There is no worry about returning rented movies that are downloaded or any late fees. Upon download, viewers have a specified period of time in which to watch the movie before it expires. Movielink for example allows movies to be stored for up to 30 days. Perhaps the one drawback for many movie downloads is that they often must be viewed on a PC rather than a television unless viewers have a connection between their PC and TV. The future however, may provide greater flexibility as legal movie download services may be better positioned to allow burning movies to DVD as some of the digital rights management issues are being addressed with movie studios.
Online movie rental services can certainly ease the process of selecting and obtaining movies. Users can go online and select from over 75,000 titles, nearly five times the number of titles offered in a local video store. Here users can create a list of movies in advance that will automatically arrive at their door. Movies requested generally arrive within 1 to 2 business days after they are requested. Users merely stick the DVDs in an envelope for the mailman to pick up when they are ready to return them; and only when they are ready to return them. There are no due dates and no late fees either. The most evident drawback to this system is for those viewers who don’t decide they have the time to view a movie until earlier that same day. Mail delivery does not allow such last minute decisions.
Online movie rental services are evolving however to better accommodate those last minute choices. Netflix, the largest online movie rental service, announced in early 2007 their service can now provide a “Watch Now” feature which allows customers to stream movies directly to their PC rather than waiting for the DVD in the mail. Although not all movie titles are available for streaming at this time, it does provide a potential solution for the occasional last minute movie craving.
One of the final conveniences of online movie rental is that the sheer number of movies offered makes it more likely that a movie of choice will be available. In situations where viewers aren’t sure what they want to see, the Netflix service is even able to provide recommendations based on the comments and ratings of other viewers and the actual viewing pattern of the user. The accuracy of the Netflix recommendations has been applauded within the industry and certainly offers a better option than merely reviewing the information provided by production studios on the sleeves of a DVD.
Each movie service offers different convenience advantages for home movie viewers. Determining whether movie downloads, online movie rental, or use of the local video store is best, may be dependent upon the preferred viewing patterns of a user and their access to a computer or the proximity of a local video store.
Although the aroma of fresh popped popcorn and a darkened theater with a towering wide screen lures us to new released films, most of us still view far more movies at home than at the theater. With the introduction of online movie rental and movie downloads nearly ten years ago, the selections offered by the local video store are not the only options viewers have for their home entertainment.
Aside from the improved affordability, movie fans enjoy watching movies at home because of convenience. With busy lives that keeps us at work and on the road, time spent relaxing at home is at a premium and any service that allows us to enjoy that time without additional complexity or effort is highly prized. With this in mind, which of these movie services provides the most value for the home viewer?
Traditional video stores can be convenient for some last minute movie picks; or at least convenient if a person lives within a few blocks of the store. If someone suddenly decides at 5:30 pm. that there is time to squeeze in a showing of the most recent Harry Potter flick with the kids, then it is certainly easy to get to and from the store and be ready to view within a half an hour. This assumes of course that the store will have a copy of the DVD available in house at the time it is being sought.
If Harry isn’t at the local video store, then browsing through the remaining films and examining the DVD cases may provide a hint as to what the family might enjoy. After the movie, the viewer will then have at least a couple of days to shuttle back to the store and return the movie before incurring any late fees.
Movie downloads are one of the newer options. Certainly, downloading a movie can allow viewers to decide at the last minute to view Harry Potter, or some other movie, as well. Just a quick 5 minute visit to the download site on line to select and initiate the download allows viewers to remain at home throughout the process. Most films require approximately an hour to download depending upon connection speed. The good news however is that many movie downloads are capable of allowing viewers to begin watching the movie only a matter of minutes into the download process.
There is no worry about returning rented movies that are downloaded or any late fees. Upon download, viewers have a specified period of time in which to watch the movie before it expires. Movielink for example allows movies to be stored for up to 30 days. Perhaps the one drawback for many movie downloads is that they often must be viewed on a PC rather than a television unless viewers have a connection between their PC and TV. The future however, may provide greater flexibility as legal movie download services may be better positioned to allow burning movies to DVD as some of the digital rights management issues are being addressed with movie studios.
Online movie rental services can certainly ease the process of selecting and obtaining movies. Users can go online and select from over 75,000 titles, nearly five times the number of titles offered in a local video store. Here users can create a list of movies in advance that will automatically arrive at their door. Movies requested generally arrive within 1 to 2 business days after they are requested. Users merely stick the DVDs in an envelope for the mailman to pick up when they are ready to return them; and only when they are ready to return them. There are no due dates and no late fees either. The most evident drawback to this system is for those viewers who don’t decide they have the time to view a movie until earlier that same day. Mail delivery does not allow such last minute decisions.
Online movie rental services are evolving however to better accommodate those last minute choices. Netflix, the largest online movie rental service, announced in early 2007 their service can now provide a “Watch Now” feature which allows customers to stream movies directly to their PC rather than waiting for the DVD in the mail. Although not all movie titles are available for streaming at this time, it does provide a potential solution for the occasional last minute movie craving.
One of the final conveniences of online movie rental is that the sheer number of movies offered makes it more likely that a movie of choice will be available. In situations where viewers aren’t sure what they want to see, the Netflix service is even able to provide recommendations based on the comments and ratings of other viewers and the actual viewing pattern of the user. The accuracy of the Netflix recommendations has been applauded within the industry and certainly offers a better option than merely reviewing the information provided by production studios on the sleeves of a DVD.
Each movie service offers different convenience advantages for home movie viewers. Determining whether movie downloads, online movie rental, or use of the local video store is best, may be dependent upon the preferred viewing patterns of a user and their access to a computer or the proximity of a local video store.
marmarxox asked:
I have a video ipod and a macbook. I just started renting movies on itunes and I want to put them on my ipod. How do i do so, because I do not see how.
I have a video ipod and a macbook. I just started renting movies on itunes and I want to put them on my ipod. How do i do so, because I do not see how.
sdirschel44 asked:
How long do movie rentals for itunes last?
How long do movie rentals for itunes last?
Miss Princess asked:
Like if I don’t sync my iPod for 30 days, will it still be on my iPod and I can watch it anytime?
This is so confusing.
iTunes doesn’t really do a good job explaining it.
Like if I don’t sync my iPod for 30 days, will it still be on my iPod and I can watch it anytime?
This is so confusing.
iTunes doesn’t really do a good job explaining it.
Help please….
Thanks ;D
Live4Love asked:
I have the newest ipod nano and i just bought a movie rental but i can’t get it to sync to my ipod. Someone told my to right click on the movie and then right click again and press send to ipod but when u click send to, ipod doesn’t show up. Anyway does any one know how to sync it?!?!?
Oh and everythings updated
THNAKS
I have the newest ipod nano and i just bought a movie rental but i can’t get it to sync to my ipod. Someone told my to right click on the movie and then right click again and press send to ipod but when u click send to, ipod doesn’t show up. Anyway does any one know how to sync it?!?!?
Oh and everythings updated
THNAKS
Mrs. Joe Jonas asked:
I rented a movie from itunes, ( I have a mac) I keep pressing play on my itunes, and it shows that the rental movie is playing, but nothing comes up. I need answers asap, because it will expire soon, and thats not enough time to email apple support. PLEASE HELP.
I rented a movie from itunes, ( I have a mac) I keep pressing play on my itunes, and it shows that the rental movie is playing, but nothing comes up. I need answers asap, because it will expire soon, and thats not enough time to email apple support. PLEASE HELP.
marie asked:
I’ve found some for ~$100-150/day but was hoping to find one for less.
I’ve found some for ~$100-150/day but was hoping to find one for less.
thanks
John Pawlett asked:
How many films would you guess you view in a week’s time? Would three be an accurate guess? Or maybe you’re addicted like me and the answer is more like 6 or 7. Regardless of your movie habit, I know where you can acquire them with minimal fuss and hassle. No, it’s not the mom and pop store down the street.
They’re typically out of every new rental because they only carry one of each. That’s lame! And it’s not the huge video chain that guarantees certain titles to be in stock. Trust me; I know this process and how it works. The videos are not ALWAYS in stock. They just say that so you’ll hit up their place first. However, if they’re not in stock, you typically get a voucher for it free the next time it’s in. Personally I would much rather go with he online movie rental business. This has the words “Convenience” and “Hassle Free” written all over it. Are you ready for the simple way of attaining DVDs?
I used to work at a video store. It was “mom and pop” joint. I actually stayed there for three years. Then it was off to another video store. This one was known as Blockbuster’s greatest competitor. I’m sure you know the one I’m referring to. I stayed there for three years as well. Anyway, I can’t say how stoked I was when they began the online movie rental concept. This was Netflix.com first, if I remember correctly.
I honestly couldn’t believe that I would never have to enter another video store. This was a great thing in my book. After all, I had seen the crowds, experienced the chaos, and dealt with the anger on a regular basis for 6 years. You grow tired of it after a while. I definitely did! But, that didn’t matter now. I had my laptop handy and a cool new concept at my fingertips. I was ready to try the online movie rental business. In no time, I realized how much better it was. The DVDs I order arrive quickly and it’s a synch to mail them back. The postage is paid and there are no hassles with late fees or crowds. This is the way I like it!
What do you prefer? Are you ready to battle the video store lines and crowds for yet another Friday night? Or, are you anxious to jump on the online movie rental bandwagon? One thing I can tell you is that it will save you gas, time and a whole lot of patience.
How many films would you guess you view in a week’s time? Would three be an accurate guess? Or maybe you’re addicted like me and the answer is more like 6 or 7. Regardless of your movie habit, I know where you can acquire them with minimal fuss and hassle. No, it’s not the mom and pop store down the street.
They’re typically out of every new rental because they only carry one of each. That’s lame! And it’s not the huge video chain that guarantees certain titles to be in stock. Trust me; I know this process and how it works. The videos are not ALWAYS in stock. They just say that so you’ll hit up their place first. However, if they’re not in stock, you typically get a voucher for it free the next time it’s in. Personally I would much rather go with he online movie rental business. This has the words “Convenience” and “Hassle Free” written all over it. Are you ready for the simple way of attaining DVDs?
I used to work at a video store. It was “mom and pop” joint. I actually stayed there for three years. Then it was off to another video store. This one was known as Blockbuster’s greatest competitor. I’m sure you know the one I’m referring to. I stayed there for three years as well. Anyway, I can’t say how stoked I was when they began the online movie rental concept. This was Netflix.com first, if I remember correctly.
I honestly couldn’t believe that I would never have to enter another video store. This was a great thing in my book. After all, I had seen the crowds, experienced the chaos, and dealt with the anger on a regular basis for 6 years. You grow tired of it after a while. I definitely did! But, that didn’t matter now. I had my laptop handy and a cool new concept at my fingertips. I was ready to try the online movie rental business. In no time, I realized how much better it was. The DVDs I order arrive quickly and it’s a synch to mail them back. The postage is paid and there are no hassles with late fees or crowds. This is the way I like it!
What do you prefer? Are you ready to battle the video store lines and crowds for yet another Friday night? Or, are you anxious to jump on the online movie rental bandwagon? One thing I can tell you is that it will save you gas, time and a whole lot of patience.