Cineplex launches movie download service

[Emil]

Cineplex Entertainment, a Canadian-based retailer and motion picture theatre exhibitor, has announced a new Download To Own (purchase) and Video on Demand (rent) service from the Cineplex Store that lets you download movies legally. Movies for purchase range in price from $5 to $25, with a typical new release costing $20. Most new release rentals are priced at $5 while older titles cost $3 or $4. Rented movies need to be watched within 30 days and once viewing has begun, it must be completed in 48 hours.

Purchased and rented content can be stored either on a customer's HDD or in a digital locker that stores movies safely and securely without using HDD space, while still allowing unlimited future downloads of purchased titles. New releases will be available for digital download, for playback on your PC and other compatible devices, on the same day they are released on DVD and Blu-ray (the Cineplex Store already offers DVD and Blu-ray products for purchase).

The Cineplex Store features thousands of titles available for purchase or rent from major motion picture studios, including Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Cineplex promises to add hundreds of titles daily over the next several weeks. To celebrate the launch of the download service, the company is offering a buy-one-get-one-free promotion until December 31, 2010: purchase any regularly-priced movie and receive a second movie of equal or lesser value for free.

In 2011, Cineplex will add streaming High Definition content and UltraViolet, a digital rights locker and account management system. It will allow consumers to watch their digital entertainment across multiple platforms (connected TVs, PCs, game consoles, smartphones, and tablet PCs).

"When Canadians think of movies, we want them to think of Cineplex," Ellis Jacob, Cineplex's President and CEO, said in a statement. "The best way to experience a movie is still in-theatre but when guests want to enjoy the movie again, they can now choose from a variety of formats available from Cineplex.com including digital downloads via our Download To Own or Video on Demand service, or on DVD or Blu-ray. By adding the digital download service to Cineplex.com, especially with the features planned for 2011, in addition to our existing entertainment content and online ticketing, we believe we are creating one of the most powerful online entertainment experiences available to Canadians."

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/41204-cineplex-launches-movie-download-service.html

 

[cardriverx]

How do they stop you from shareing the download to own copies? THeres gotta be a catch right?

 

[Guest]

Best experience is still in a theater where people wont STFU?! Yeah..don't think so.

 

[TorturedChaos]

I'm wondering how exactly the in force their rental policy if you d/l the rented movie to your hard drive.
One would think it wouldn't be all that hard to rip of any DRM setup they put on the video file, even if they are using some proprietary file format and player.

 

[Renrew]

" Movies for purchase range in price from $5 to $25, with a typical new release costing $20. Most new release rentals are priced at $5 while older titles cost $3 or $4. Rented movies need to be watched within 30 days and once viewing has begun, it must be completed in 48 hours"

This is a Joke, No.
Who's going to download a movie that costs from $ 5.00 to $ 25.00 to view in 48 hours. Major Fail!

 

[Jibberish18]

Why the HELL would I pay up to $25 for a movie when I can go pay $10 and watch it with full Surround Sound on a huge screen? I'll never understand these movie companies.

 

[vlad4861]

From globe and mail : http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repo...unveil-movie-download-service/article1803454/

"Cineplex’s new offering works on a different model from Netflix – instead of movies that play online, Cineplex functions like iTunes. It sells movies, which are downloaded and stored permanently on the user’s computer. Rented movies are also downloaded, with a sort of digital self-destruct built into the file once it is viewed, or after 30 days, whichever comes first."

 

[vlad4861]

"Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund (CGX.UN-T21.470.482.29%) is developing movie tickets to be sold directly to mobile phones, similar to the digital boarding passes many airlines now use, chief executive officer Ellis Jacob said on Thursday. Cineplex will soon launch mobile applications for Blackberry, iPhone, and Android smart phones, as well as the iPad – setting up the infrastructure for those mobile ticket sales."
from Globe and Mail too: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-online-cineplex-goes-digital/article1795808/

 

[matrix86]

@renrew
"Who's going to download a movie that costs from $ 5.00 to $ 25.00 to view in 48 hours. Major Fail!"

Why don't you try actually reading the ariticle?

Most new release rentals are priced at $5 while older titles cost $3 or $4.

This is nothing different from the on demand service from comcast.

@Jibberish18
"Why the HELL would I pay up to $25 for a movie when I can go pay $10 and watch it with full Surround Sound on a huge screen?"
First of all, these downloads are released same day as DVD/Blue-Ray...not same day as theatrical release. You're buying the movie without having to go to a store. So you can still pay that $10 to go watch it with screaming kids and morons on their phones, ad then buy the movie online when it's released on DVD/Blue-Ray.

You two guys should really pay attention to what you read and think before you comment.

 

[Guest]

@matrix86
+1
Thanks, I was thinking the same thing. Read & try to comprehend before ranting on making yourself look like an *****!

 

[Jibberish18]

You two are sooo clever! Thanks for the corrections. But you're right, should've thoroughly read the article.

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

This doesn't sound bad... in fact i'm very interested. However the article seems to be mixing renting and buying/downloading up a bit. So i'm interpreting it like this:

BUY a movie and download it to your hard drive, $20-25 for a new release... unknown price for older movies.

or

RENT a movie and stream it, $5 for a new release, $3-4 for older movies.

With the buy option, you can download it to your hard drive, or access it their service any time you want and stream it, a one time cost.

With the rent option, you have 30 days to watch it. And I'm assuming you cannot download this to your hard drive.

Does anyone else see it like this?

Either way it sounds interesting... and if you can download a 1080p quality movie to your hard drive, DRM free, for $20-25 on new releases or $5-20 for older... then i'm in. This sounds pretty decent, although $25-25 is a bit on the high side so i would probably wait until the movie is $15 or less.

If you cannot download full 1080p, and/or it is DRM protected... then screw it, I don't want the hassle for standard defintion movie with the annoyance of DRM.

 

[Guest]

If only we all had unlimited data plan,love to have that on my ipad for camping .