News - Amazon Disc+ On Demand allows instant streaming with DVD purchase

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30-day online access to film granted as soon as disk is ordered.

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Read more.

Anyone have any ideas how much it costs for the production/distribution of physical media compared to digital download?

For many consumers, e.g. those with HTPCs, it's often much more practical to have a digital copy than a physical copy, and I'm sure most of these people would rather have half-price films and no disk than full-price and a disk.. it would be a win-win situation for distributors, saving perhaps more money than the discount passed on, but still a significant discount for the consumer. Of course, it'd never happen, because of piracy fears, despite pirates already having access to high-quality rips of all these films already :rolleyes:

I good step in the right direction .... for the US.... Now people have no excuse to the embrace the idea of digital downloads for films.

definitely a step in the right direction :D well done amazon!

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Originally Posted by miniyazz

Anyone have any ideas how much it costs for the production/distribution of physical media compared to digital download?

For many consumers, e.g. those with HTPCs, it's often much more practical to have a digital copy than a physical copy, and I'm sure most of these people would rather have half-price films and no disk than full-price and a disk.. it would be a win-win situation for distributors, saving perhaps more money than the discount passed on, but still a significant discount for the consumer. Of course, it'd never happen, because of piracy fears, despite pirates already having access to high-quality rips of all these films already :rolleyes:

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The worst part is the DRM, and not knowing what'll happen to your purchase - sorry, licensed media - in n months time when the provider changes/kills the service.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Give us DRM-free video file downloads, with well-encoded programmes and films in standard and HD definition, at a lower price than the disc equivalents, and I will buy them.

This, by contrast, is a load of rubbish.

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Originally Posted by snootyjim

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Give us DRM-free video file downloads, with well-encoded programmes and films in standard and HD definition, at a lower price than the disc equivalents, and I will buy them.

This, by contrast, is a load of rubbish.

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By contrast, I like the direction this is going.

I've argued many times that the digital distribution model doesn't interest me, in large part for the reasons that Steve outlined a couple of posts back. But I can't see the downside this provided Amazon aren't charging a premium for it. I want a physical disc, be it gamer, music or film. But I have no objection to the availability of a download as well, provided it's not charged for. In all likelihood, I'd never bother with the download, though. I'm not quite sure why an SD download would interest me if I've just bought an HD disc? I'm not likely to be so keen to watch a film that I'll watch the SD version rather than wait a day or two for the disc, because I'm not likely to want to watch a film again when the HD version arrives.

But then personally, I'm not likely to buy games, music or films online anyway - I like to have a rummage through the discs and buy what appeals to me .... then go home and play it.

But if Amazon extended this to books, now that would interest me. Buy the printed version and get the e-book (Kindle version) download thrown in. That would almost certainly trigger the purchase of a Kindle for me.

What I won't do, though, is buy a download instead of a disc, even if it is DRM-free. I want the disc. Period.

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Originally Posted by Saracen

By contrast, I like the direction this is going.

[snip]

But if Amazon extended this to books, now that would interest me. Buy the printed version and get the e-book (Kindle version) download thrown in. That would almost certainly trigger the purchase of a Kindle for me.

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For a 30-day period, at which point the electronic version ceases to exist? I don't see any benefit there, I'm afraid.

As snootyjim said, until companies realise DRM only hurts legal buyers and we don't want some crappy codec it won't work, certainly not for me anyway.

At least there is something on the market which is pushing the digital format for some of its important merits. If people start using this service it might be just the kick that the industry needs to start realizing they can benefit from providing such a service.
All it takes is one or two of the services to start offering DRM free downloads and openly advertising it as a bonus so that things will be forced to change. Its happened to some degree with the music industry so just need to wait for TV and film to catch up.

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Originally Posted by snootyjim

For a 30-day period, at which point the electronic version ceases to exist? I don't see any benefit there, I'm afraid.

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Indeed, hence me saying it's the direction I liked, not the specific scheme. But for books, you're dead right, 30-days would be useless, and I didn't mean 30-days on books would be of any interest, 'cos it wouldn't. I'd require lifetime use, or it's a non-starter for me.

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Originally Posted by Biscuit

At least there is something on the market which is pushing the digital format for some of its important merits. If people start using this service it might be just the kick that the industry needs to start realizing they can benefit from providing such a service.
All it takes is one or two of the services to start offering DRM free downloads and openly advertising it as a bonus so that things will be forced to change. Its happened to some degree with the music industry so just need to wait for TV and film to catch up.

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Yeah that's a good point. I think something similar is happening with games, lots of indie games are now DRM free or offer a patch to remove it, and even games like Mass Effect 2 have now gone DRM free. Maybe the stats on games like Spore i.e. one of the most highly pirated games of all times have made something click for some publishers...