News
Apple and Fox intro iTunes Digital Copy
By Charles Starrett
Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Tuesday, January 15, 2008
News Category: iTunes
As expected, Apple and Twentieth Century Fox today announced Digital Copy for iTunes, which provides customers who purchase a DVD with an additional, iTunes-compatible digital copy of the movie. Once a customer buys the DVD, they insert it into their computer, enter a unique code into iTunes, and the movie is automatically copied into their iTunes library. iTunes Digital Copy offer the same viewing options as other iTunes Store video content, including the ability to be viewed on a computer, video-enabled iPod, iPhone or Apple TV. Each DVD will only transfer its iTunes Digital Copy to one iTunes library. “One of the most requested features DVD buyers have been asking for is the ability to get the movies they bought into their iTunes library,” said Jim Gianopulos, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to offer such an incredibly simple way for our customers to get even more out of their DVD purchase, and we look forward to releasing many more DVDs this year with iTunes Digital Copy.” “Now movie fans can easily transfer a free copy of the movie they purchase on DVD into iTunes,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “DVDs containing an iTunes Digital Copy allow movie fans to get a copy of their movie which can be viewed on a computer, iPod, iPhone or on Apple TV.” The first DVD to ship with an iTunes Digital Copy is the Special Edition DVD “Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest,” which is being released in stores today; Fox and Apple are planning to ship “many more” DVDs with iTunes Digital Copy this year.
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1
Will this be included on Blu-ray Discs as well?
Posted by Galley in Greenville, SC on January 15, 2008 at 12:58 PM (PDT)
2
Even if it is, would mean you need to have blu-ray drive on your computer which for those of us with iMacs would mean no dice unless we got external drives.
Also did they say anywhere how much more a DVD with iTunes Digital Copy would be compaired to the DVD only copy? Or are they the same product from this point on?
Posted by Tosa Deac on January 15, 2008 at 1:56 PM (PDT)
3
Now since I never cashed in on my digital download from Live Free or Die Hard will they make that available in this format, too?
Posted by Dr. Spock on January 15, 2008 at 2:18 PM (PDT)
4
Also, Gailey has a good point. I will go one step further. The digital download on a Blu-ray disc should be in HD as well.
Posted by Dr. Spock on January 15, 2008 at 2:20 PM (PDT)
5
dr. spook, i too have not cashed in my digital copy of live free/die hard. i will try it out this evening.
Posted by vsolis on January 15, 2008 at 2:25 PM (PDT)
6
I tried transfering Blue Harvest today. I click on the transfer to itunes, it opens tunes and then nothing happens. :(
Posted by Cherno on January 15, 2008 at 5:21 PM (PDT)
7
cherno, did you update to itunes 7.6?
Posted by vsolis on January 15, 2008 at 6:57 PM (PDT)
8
Yeah I did. There is also a thread started in the forums that is talking about the problem. When you click on the Blue Harvest disc in the attached devices section, it goes to itunes store and gives an error.
Posted by cherno on January 15, 2008 at 10:07 PM (PDT)
9
The digital copy was in its own separate dvd from the main feature. I’m guessing that’s what they’ll continue to do with blu rays. And about packaging the digital copies with HD-DVD’s, I doubt Fox will do that, considering they’re exclusive to Blu Ray.
Posted by D on January 16, 2008 at 7:08 AM (PDT)
10
Yeah, actually what happens is that it downloads a copy from the iTunes store once you enter a code, the digital copy isn’t on the disk.
Posted by xraymark on January 16, 2008 at 8:32 PM (PDT)
11
No, the digital copy is on the disc itself—it just goes through the same download process to transfer it from the disc into the iTunes library. If you look at how fast is transfers, and listen/watch the activity on your DVD drive, you’ll see that it’s coming from the disc and not over the Internet.
See our Secrets & Features of iTunes 7.6 article for more information.
Posted by Jesse David Hollington in Toronto on January 18, 2008 at 2:29 AM (PDT)
12
I got Hitman Blu-Ray it works fine well as Blue Harvest. The Digital Copy will always be on DVD.
Posted by Houston2007 on March 15, 2008 at 5:23 PM (PDT)