DailyTech - GUBA Begins Movie Download Price War

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Internet GUBA Begins Movie Download Price War
Michael Hoffman (Blog) - August 22, 2006 6:46 AM

23 comment(s) - last by Vertigo101.. on Aug 24 at 1:24 PM

Putting the hurt on the iMovie download, before it starts

GUBA -- the Internet site that allows users to purchase and rent content via download -- has announced lower prices that analysts expect may start a temporary online download price war. Consumers will pay $9.99 (down from $19.99) for new films just released on DVD. Catalog movie titles will be available for $4.99 (down from $9.99) and TV show episodes are going to cost $0.49 (down from $1.79) each. Users will be able to rent movies for only $0.99.

The promotion is aimed at drawing attention away from services like Apple iTunes, and should last at least one month, according to GUBA. Several major production studios, Warner Brothers, NBC and Sony Pictures included, have inked deals to offer television shows and videos through the site.

All downloaded content, due to digital rights management restrictions, cannot be burned to DVD. Guba uses Windows Media digital rights management so users can view content on Windows PCs and all portable devices which allow Windows Media. International users are also ineligible of using the program because of international copyright issues.

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Can't Burn to DVD?

By elegault on 8/22/2006 7:32:29 AM , Rating: 5

I will never buy downloaded movies until I can burn them to DVD.

RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By Vertigo101 on 8/22/2006 9:42:53 AM , Rating: 1

If you're running Windows Media Center, and you've got an Xbox 360, DVD's are a thing of the past. Why burn when you can stream?

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RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By rrsurfer1 on 8/22/2006 9:56:01 AM , Rating: 4

Because you can't stream to your girlfriend's DVD player when you want to watch a movie you just *PAYED* for.

Portability matters, we all just don't sit at home and watch our media...

DRM schemes are rediculous. They limit the number of sales made, and they hinder this new media. And technically inclined users will *always* figure out a way to rip the DRM so it doesn't even serve the purpose that was intended.

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RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By Chadder007 on 8/22/2006 5:49:25 PM , Rating: 2

Agreed. DRM has screwed up 3 times on my WindowsXP machine here. Ive given up on it. I can't listen to some of the songs I have downloaded legally because of that BS.

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RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By Vertigo101 on 8/24/2006 1:22:10 PM , Rating: 2

I can agree with that, but isn't your girlfriend portable too? Bring her over.

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RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By rushfan2006 on 8/22/2006 10:16:37 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
If you're running Windows Media Center, and you've got an Xbox 360, DVD's are a thing of the past. Why burn when you can stream?

To be blunt, that's a silly commentary. Like the other guy below states (paraphrasing) why be tethered to your PC/Xbox whenever you want to watch a movie you already shelled out the cash for no less?

This is one of the things I don't understand about tech today -- lots of stuff is geared towards "on-demand" or some other form of streaming or watching a movie over a network or something....some of us, like me -- rather have the stuff on a DVD (or when the time comes HD-DVD/BluRay/WHATEVER) so I can take it anywhere I go to watch it.

Not to mention I *LOATHE* the concept of all this stuff for another reason...time and "complexity". Yeah I want to boot up a PC or fire up my 360, ooh make sure your wireless is working good, make sure your network is up and running..etc.

Dude I like it how I have it now...one button on my remote powers on my TV and DVD at the same time, put the disc in, channel 1, play.

Done.

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RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By Vertigo101 on 8/24/2006 1:24:33 PM , Rating: 2

I launch my 360 extender with 1 button from IRShell, or my Harmony, but that's off-topic.

If you'd ever used Media Center, you wouldn't be complaining about complexity. It's a fantastic remote interface.

Just because you don't like change doesn't mean it isn't going to happen.

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RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By FITCamaro on 8/22/2006 11:19:40 AM , Rating: 3

Because hard drives go bad and the smart ones of us like to have a hard copy backup. Even if a service lets you redownload the movie at any point, that still takes a long freakin time if you have 100+ movies on your computer.

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RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By kelmon on 8/23/2006 8:22:13 AM , Rating: 2

I won't talk about the practicalities of such a system since others have done so quite well enough already. However, it is also worth noting that streaming movies requires sufficient storage space and that is a whole new practicality issue. Burning to inexpensive DVD media is more cost effective than buying hard drives and trying to manage them all.

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RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By MobileZone on 8/22/2006 2:01:46 PM , Rating: 1

So you never download PDFs or buy equipment with digital format manuals until you can print them to paper? All your mp3s are also burned to CD-A format?

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RE: Can't Burn to DVD?

By rushfan2006 on 8/22/2006 3:38:25 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
So you never download PDFs or buy equipment with digital format manuals until you can print them to paper? All your mp3s are also burned to CD-A format?

Where you people come up with this stuff. Another silly comment (at best) and at worse just a very very bad analogy.

I watch movies (DVDs) way more than anything on TV. In fact 80% of the time I watch TV is me watching a movie on DVD. That said...consider the following against your argument..

1) Of course I download PDFs or bought products with PDF manuals...what's your point here? I don't quite understand this comparison. For starters I have WAY less PDF documents/manuals than I do movies, likewise I'd assume I'd be downloading WAY WAY *more* movies from the service the article mentions than I ever would PDFs. Also, I don't have a single PDF that is multiple GIGs of data. I think the largest PDF on my home PC is actually a book I bought online its about 80 megs and that's only because it has a lot of full color illustrations and maps. Next, Movies are in a different class than written material - so again I fail to see your "PDF point"....do you gather round with your friends and family in the living room to share printed stories in PDF format? Perhaps you bring it over to your "significant other's" house and look at your printed manuals together..because that's oh so fun.

2) Music. Again fail to see the point here as music is different than watching movies. Again you have the size comparison -- hmmm...high quality movie several GIGS, verses a 5-6 meg music file? Next....music is easily portable w/o compromising your comfort level or destracting your enjoyment of that medium. There are portal players (MP3 players/cell phones/and god forbid "old fashioned" discmans and the like) to take and listen to your music anywhere...it makes sense to use your PC as method to download and transfer music onto such devices regularly. If I want to watch a movie....I want to be comfortably seated, watching it on a good size screen (preferably at least 32") with surround sound audio. Unless you are rich -- your PC ain't delivering that first off, and secondly if your PC IS setup like that -- still doesn't address the issue of being mobile with the movie....watching it at someone else's house.

I just think your analogy/comparison of movies you download versus PDF files or music is way off base and silly.

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Most important question:

By Aquila76 on 8/22/2006 9:44:10 AM , Rating: 3

Will they have pr0n?

RE: Most important question:

By tfranzese on 8/22/2006 10:04:43 AM , Rating: 2

Why don't you go to their site and find out, it's not like this is a new service. L2Read

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RE: Most important question:

By rushfan2006 on 8/22/2006 3:42:45 PM , Rating: 2

I think he was trying to be funny...don't you keep up on your modern culture these days...

(yeah I know...I'm tired of the "pRoN" jokes too..not as much as the "Chuck Norris" ones though I'd have to admit...)

The problem with the kids today is they don't understand any rules of comedy...like after 80 BILLION times of saying something, even the funniest thing in the world, it's no longer funny -- just annoying.

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RE: Most important question:

By Ringold on 8/22/2006 4:15:03 PM , Rating: 2

It'd be nice if that were the *only* problem they have :)

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I'd buy in a second

By ET on 8/22/2006 8:24:39 AM , Rating: 2

I could buy TV episodes anywhere, I would. At this price, I'd probably buy quite a few. Unfortunately, no service lets international users buy.

RE: I'd buy in a second

By ET on 8/22/2006 9:07:58 AM , Rating: 2

(That was supposed to be " if I could buy...")

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thanks but no thanks

By h0kiez on 8/22/2006 8:36:17 AM , Rating: 2

I can see TV shows for $.49 having appeal for lots of people. If you missed a show or want it on your iPod, this is cheap enough to make this a viable alternative. Nobody in their right mind, however, is going to pay near-DVD prices for a DRM-laiden garbage that can only be played on a computer...not to mention that these prices are theoretically "special promo" pricing. I'd love to see their sales figures after redoubling their prices when the promotion ends.

RE: thanks but no thanks

By Ringold on 8/22/2006 11:47:55 AM , Rating: 1

Yes, .49 is juuust about right for me. $10 or so for a 20 episode season.. but they said 'rent'. I want to 'own', like I would a DVD set. Also would definitely be worth it if they avoid heavy compression and offer everything that can be offered in it HD. 1080p shows to my desktop that I own for .49? We'd have a deal there!

The DRM I'm sure I could get taken off.. there has to be a torrent kit for that sort of thing somewhere...

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Not worth it

By ForumMaster on 8/22/2006 7:33:54 AM , Rating: 2

but there is still going to be crappy DRM that will severly limit what you can do with the movie. I would rather buy the DVD and be able to do what ever i want with ti whether it be to rip it so that i can stream it via Orb and SlingBox or to lend it to a friend.

Renting

By Alphafox78 on 8/22/2006 8:54:17 AM , Rating: 2

I would possibly consider renting the movie for .99, but you have to download it and Im sure it wouldnt look as good as a DVD. if it did tho that might be a posability. we have this dvd vending machine in some supermarkets here and its $1 a day for a movie and they have lots of them. as long as you return it the next day its extremely cheap!

Another funny debate...

By XtremeM3 on 8/23/2006 1:49:12 AM , Rating: 2

First off...DRM sucks. I think we can all agree on that. The limitations put onto the media because they want to stop those from abusing it is hindering honest customers from doing what they like for their own use. No doubt the first thing I was thinking when I read this was "hey i could buy movies pretty cheap, have good quality, and burn them to dvd...oh wait...eh..only 2 outa 3. Not entirely bad. I do have a way of streaming media to my projector in the living room either via the 360 or my original xbox with media center(a wireless media center as well but I like the xbox better). Now I'm not as cool as RushFan, having my Proj. and devices turn on with one button click, but I can swap movies/tv shows without having to get up from the couch. (j/k man don't get all upset ;) )

I do like the idea of creating a complete Movies on Demand system. I've thought about ripping all of my DVDs to a NAS and using it as a server for movies. A friend of mine is using his NAS for TV shows. Streaming from the NAS to his old xbox and it works pretty good. No getting up to swap discs every couple of episodes. So when you want to watch "24" all the way through you don't have to swap discs, just run to the bathroom every now and then and answer the door for the delivery guy(everyone knows someone that's actually done that, right?)...I'm still just streaming from my pc since I haven't gotten off my wallet for a good NAS.

Here is what I'm thinking about though. With HD-DVD and Blu-Ray content out there, I think you're going to lose a bit of a customer base on that alone. Those without streaming capabilities or Media Center PCs won't be all that interested either, but that's all sales is about. A product/service with a large enough customer base to sell to that you more than you spend. It doesn't have to be a good idea for everyone, just enough people that they make money. So basically their customer base is people with media centers who want/have a "movies on demand" setup. Not a bad market I guess. I don't know how many have that capability (Almost everyone I know does but I know that doesn't speak for everyone.)

I'm sure there are a few people that are stoked this is going on, and a few people that could care less. But I wouldn't think I'd see anyone upset about it. My bet is their customer base is big enough to make $ off of...and that's probably all they care about. How that base holds up with the switch to HD quality rolling into more and more homes the next couple years will be interesting though. I don't know what the ratio of HD TV's are across the board, but about 7/8 people I know own them and love their HD and picture quality is important. I would HATE to go back to SD tv now, and I still find myself wanting better and better quality.

Anyway, just my $.02

Can't burn to DVD?

By Wilco on 8/23/2006 7:46:59 AM , Rating: 2

Okay, DRM is more annoying than non-DRM, but for me its livable with. Now I'll admit I currently only buy music off iTunes as I don't know of any service in the UK that does movies (will try skybybroadband soon). However as regards to backups, surely you can burn the files to DVD (for your "hard-copy"). You may not be able to burn them to DVD-Video to watch on your player, but can't you put the actual file on a backup disc, and then when you load it authorize your computer if your HD falls over (a-la iTunes). Then you can take it to your G/Fs house, put it in her computer, authorize it, and away you go (I'll say again I haven't used WM DRM and don't know if you can do this, I'm going off iTunes).