iTunes a ripoff

Firstly, they overcharge for old films that are 2/3 decades old. For example, I just paid £6.99 for Robocop in SD. I really wanted to watch the film because its one of my all time favorites and I hadn't seen it in ages. But the film I am sure is shown on TV now and then because its old and am not really sure how iTunes can justify charging £6.99. I could understand £4.99 for such and old film and £1.50 for rental (maybe £1.99).

Also, another thing I find is that sometmes I download apps on two different iPads and, despite stating that you won't be charged when you download the second time, I find myself charged again each time. I then have to go through the trouble of getting a refund.

 

Dont buy it then!!!!

 

Yeah, I don't use them for much of anything other than apps. I have Netflix and Hulu for streaming needs and then a healthy blu ray library for movie watching.

They are pricey but as the other poster said.... Don't buy anything from them.

 

Yes both iPads are indeed on the same ID. I didn't mind paying £6.99 because its a still a great film, but I have resisted buying other good films from the Eighties and Nineties because I felt they overcharging. Good thing some of these films come on TV from time to time (channels like Film4) and so can always record it. Recorded Trading Places with Eddie Murphy yesterday but was actually considering buying it from iTunes a few days before because I wasn't aware it was going to be on TV.

But I so like the convenience of just attaching HDMI cable to the iPad and connecting it to the the big TV and watching that way. You can forward and rewind to exact scenes of a film so quickly.

But I've decided to to buy a storage device and connect it to the TV and record films (and The Simpsons on Channel 4) from now on and build up a library of all the great films.

 

It is only recently that Movies became a part of the pay once download forever content deal. Not all studios are onboard, and it may not always be retroactive. I know a lot of people really hate iTunes, but the safest bet is to download them on the computer and sync them to your devices. Assuming that is an option.

I've never bought a movie from iTunes. At the rate I consume movies I'd fill up my hard drive fast, and with my internet connection it takes too long to download them for online storage to be convenient. Even rental is too much of a pain (I've done that) when I can rent a DVD for about the same price.

I have bought a few TV series though, and long ago deleted them from the hard drive. It is nice to know that I could download them gain if I wanted to, but again, it is not convenient enough, yet.

 

Amazon are asking £5 for the DVD - is that a rip-off too? Or you could pick up a used one from eBay for a couple of quid. Rip them to the quality and format of your choice, and it's just like the download - but all you've saved is a couple of quid, and it's taken an hour of your time plus however long it takes the DVD to be delivered - so I'd say that iTunes is charging you for the convenience of having it *now* in the right format, with all the artwork etc...

To me, that sounds pretty good for a couple of quid...

 

Another thing to mention here is that some of the so called 'HD' films have only marginal picture quality improvement over SD films. I don't know if the HD version of the same film on dvds is much better though.

 

I like iTunes for music and apps, but there isn't a lot of value in the movies or TV shows. Of course, I'm just speaking for me.

 

Regarding movies & amazon w/ prime...after I got this iPad 3 I considered signing up for Az w/p to stream movies but was told that only the kindle fire can get streaming video from amazon. Was I getting a line of BS?

 

Interesting...i just downloaded iswifter ( the free trial version to see if I like it). It runs flash video better than the photon browser. So I could run streaming video from amazon prime with that? Incidently, i'm using OnCloud ( free ) and it gives me a pretty good version of MS OFFICE but no IE.

 

I use iTunes occasionally for first run movies. They are about the same price point as other on demand services and I buy through Apple TV and just rent them. It's handy and beats renting on the iPad because they stream immediately on Apple TV whereas they must be downloaded to the iPad when rented or purchased which is a substantial wait time between ordering and viewing.

Now as related to dated media? They are gouging. Movies readily available on Netflix and other providers are billed at about 80% of the price of a first run rental. It is ridiculous and while buyer beware sounds great I still see their attempt to gouge me as exactly that.,,,an attempt to gouge the unknowing or naive folks who pay these outrageously high fees for watching something TNT or AMC runs with regularity.

I suppose their is a market that pays for these. My guess is folks who don't have cable services for TV viewing....a market that is larger than many expect and it isn't a new market. Sure many folks are migrating away from cable now with the Hulus, Netflixes, and other streaming providers but there were, and still are, a great number of people who never bought into cable services yet embraced streaming as their exclusive means of home entertainment. The ones I know aren't lacking for money either, most frown upon the reality of TV news and entertainment shows as harmful to their children so they prefer entertainment ala carte where they control all content.

Still though I think iTunes should examine a subscription model for dated content because the prices they charge for this genre are out of line as I see it.