macworld 2008, apple, fox, gadgets, home entertainment, ipod, itunes

iTunes/iPod-Ready Digital Copies on Fox DVDs Official, Free

This is a tiny bit of news amidst iTunes movie rentals and the newly formidable Apple TV, but Fox's CEO has confirmed that Fox DVDs will come with digital copies for iTunes and iPod at no extra charge. Also confirmed: First DVD with the copies is Family Guy: Blue Harvest Special Edition. Official Press Release:

Twentieth Century Fox & Apple Introduce iTunes Digital Copy

DVDs Include Free Copy of Movie for iTunes

MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Twentieth Century Fox and Apple(R) today announced Digital Copy for iTunes(R), which provides customers who purchase a DVD with an additional Digital Copy of the movie. Just like movies purchased from the iTunes Store, an iTunes Digital Copy can effortlessly be transferred to iTunes and then viewed on a PC or Mac(R), iPod(R) with video, iPhone(TM) or on Apple TV(R). The first DVD to make its debut with iTunes Digital Copy is the Special Edition DVD premiere of the Family Guy "Star Wars" parody, "Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest," which is being released in stores today. Fox and Apple are planning to deliver many more DVDs with iTunes Digital Copy this year.

"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 new iTunes Digital Copy provides a consumer friendly way to transfer a DVD purchase to a user's iTunes library. Once a customer buys the DVD, they insert it into their computer, enter a unique code into iTunes and iTunes automatically copies the movie to their iTunes library within minutes. Customers own the iTunes Digital Copy of the movie and it has all of the same great viewing options as other iTunes Store video content, including the ability to be viewed on a computer, iPod with video, iPhone and Apple TV. Each DVD will only transfer its iTunes Digital Copy to one iTunes library.

1:04 PM on Tue Jan 15 2008
By matt buchanan
10,754 views
28 comments

Comments

BadBoyNDSU at 01:22 PM on 01/15/08
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Sweet! Now I can pirate high quality iPod videos without having to re-encode them. Thanks Apple!
ITsPennywise at 01:42 PM on 01/15/08
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I hope this becomes standard with all the movie studios that are already on board with the iTunes movie rentals.

Will there be any special marking on the DVD coverbox letting the customer know that an "iTunes copy" is included?
DougOLis at 01:51 PM on 01/15/08
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Will DVDs from Netflix include the same features?
daftrok at 01:56 PM on 01/15/08
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This is for Fox DVDs it doesn't matter where you get it from.
The Chad at 02:02 PM on 01/15/08
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what about that simpsons movie dvd I got for christmas? SOL I guess
Noobs-R-Us at 02:14 PM on 01/15/08
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Netflix, Netflix, Netflix! How would the DRM work? Humm, Stevie introduces it but failed to explain how it would work. How do we get it to download into iTunes? Can we download it without iTunes?
Noobs-R-Us at 02:14 PM on 01/15/08
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Never mind...I should have read it more closely...
i_kenefick at 02:15 PM on 01/15/08
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@Dougolis: There is no way that the movie studios will allow these to be distributed via rental versions of DVD's. There would be no reason to buy a DVD then.
i_kenefick at 02:15 PM on 01/15/08
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The name suits you :)
csmith75 at 02:25 PM on 01/15/08
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Hope to see other studios hop on board with this. Even though it's easy to rip content, I would like to be able to have a copy for my iPod without being made to feel guilty about it.
Jud at 03:26 PM on 01/15/08
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Blegh, I'll keep with my handbraking. Apple doesn't get to tell me what to do with my DVDs. If I want to stream them to my 360, I will. If I want to put them on any of my devices, I will.
takotchi at 03:45 PM on 01/15/08
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I bought Blue Harvest today, and it has a little sticker on the shrinkwrap telling you about the digital copy. I haven't tried it out yet, but it seems from the little instruction sheet that you can only choose to transfer to your iTunes library or a PlaysForSure device. I hope if it gets deleted somehow you can re-copy it from the disc...
Galley at 04:41 PM on 01/15/08
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Nice, but will this be available on Blu-ray Discs as well?
chillywilly at 05:41 PM on 01/15/08
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@Galley: Good question. I would hope do, although I would imagine you would need a Blu-Ray drive on your computer to read the disc.

This is a step in the right directed. Wonder what took them so long? Guess they needed to iron out the copy details.
FLskydiver at 06:22 PM on 01/15/08
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So basically they are taking (at first guess) at least 14% of the available space on the DVD to encode a second copy of the movie; instead of using that space to maximize the bit rate of the main mpeg2 movie that 95% of the public will be viewing exclusively. No, thanks.
miro at 08:40 PM on 01/15/08
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Has anyone tried to transfer Blue Harvest to iTunes yet? I've been trying but I keep getting "unknown error 11556".
avnerd at 12:15 AM on 01/16/08
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buy a psp and a ps3 if you want to do that, it's in the next (or current) update. plus you would have to have a blu ray player on your mac or pc in order to do that. why would you want to do that to a beautiful 1920x1080 resolution movie anyway? ever thought what resolution you monitor supports anyway?
superhalo at 12:30 AM on 01/16/08
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I bought the special eddition today and transfered the movie over to Windows media player. It transfers very quickly and it is a good quality. Also they put the digital copy on its own disc. Now I'm going to try to put it on my zune.
everclear75 at 02:40 AM on 01/16/08
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@ Superhalo: Let me know if you get on to your zune.

MY question about this is, is the Itunes "code" on the disc or is it a card in the clamshell?
What if I rent a copy of the movie, can I still copy it over?
Noobs-R-Us at 10:12 AM on 01/16/08
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@everclear75: You can't rent it.
Skeezix404 at 01:09 PM on 01/16/08
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@everclear75: Yes, you can. You have my permission.
Skeezix404 at 01:49 PM on 01/16/08
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@everclear75: Yes, you can. You have my permission to do that. Every rental will contain a unique code, a coupon for a triple scoop ice cream cone at Baskin-Robbins, a lottery ticket, and a new car.
asabru88 at 04:08 PM on 01/16/08
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This is my question, will the digital copy have copy protection also, or is it DRM free?
CyRu5 at 05:31 PM on 01/16/08
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@ASABRU88: If it lets you copy it once, to either iTunes or PlaysForSure, which are both DRM standards, i assume it has DRM. Just hope you have a device compatible with one of those DRM schemes. I'll probably put it on my Creative Zen. I think it's convenient that i could do that without having to rip it myself. although i'm pretty sure you can just buy the episode off of Amazon Unbox for $2...
CyRu5 at 05:36 PM on 01/16/08
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.... I take it back, for some reason it's not up, but the rest of Season Six so far is up.
asabru88 at 07:02 PM on 01/16/08
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Well, I just got the dvd, so I'll give it a try.
Andham at 07:14 PM on 01/17/08
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What would prevent you from copying it to two computers?

It can't write to the DVD, so how would iTunes be able to tell if you have used it or not?

If I get a Fox movie with an iPod compatible version on it, I will unplug one of my 'puters from the net, copy it, then try and copy it to another 'puter before reconnecting the first one....

Then what?
TheAbominableCellist at 12:36 PM on 03/01/08
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@Andham-- Maybe it takes it off the second 'puter when you reconnect both of them. Ah, hell, I don't know. Tell me what happens...