Apple TV+ May Support Downloads for Offline Viewing, Limit Simultaneous Streams

[ersan191]

It may not be as easy as you think. Theater chains like AMC and Regal do have a lot of clout. They can, and have in the past refused to screen movies that are released on streaming services or for rental at the same time. At that point, the movie essentially becomes a direct to video release. No studio can afford to do that.

The idea that you speak of is not new. I forget the name, but I do believe that a company offers new release rentals. But the cost is very high, and their clientele is mostly millionaires. They install special copy protection hardware in the house to make sure new releases are not leaked. That business model can survive cause theater chains are not worried about high cost rentals to millionaires. But they won’t stand by to allow their exclusivity be lost to the mass market.

Prima Cinema - $50,000 for the unit, $500 per movie, no more than 25 seats in the room.

 

[Robnsn2015]

You are an unabashed crazy Apple supporter at times. Netflix should start worrying? Their shows are some of the only ones nominated for Emmy’s and to win. Not even Amazon or Hulu have reached their heights and they’ve been to market for years. At times Netflix has traded higher than Disney itself and is worth over $140b.
[doublepost=1566337486][/doublepost]Apple should have purchased Netflix IMO.

HBO was nominated for more Emmys than Netflix, and their new HBO Max streaming service (which features HBO, Cinemax, TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, and other content) is coming.
[doublepost=1566357556][/doublepost]

While I don't think Netflix is even remotely in trouble, even after they lose most of the licensed TV contents, they have to rethink their business model, which depends on:

• Increasing subscription price every 18 months or so.
• Producing "seemingly infinite" number of Netflix Originals so that they can be suggested instead of searched titles.

I could be wrong, but for Netflix to compete in post-Disney+ world, it would have to:

• Stop increasing subscription price.
• Consolidate 3 plans into 1 plan. HD and UHD are not something Netflix can continue charging extra for. And generous account sharing outside a single household is probably not good for their bottom line. I think a single $12.99/month plan that includes UHD and 3 simultaneous streaming within the same household is an ideal balance. Maybe offer referral bonus where both referred and referees get $2-3 off or so.
• Offer cheaper ad-supported plan to compete against $5.99/month Hulu (while offering ad-free plan at premium price).
• Decrease Netflix Originals output. Quality matters more than quantity. Acquire companies like AMC or CBS instead.
• Offer discounted annual payment option to reduce churn.

CBS Inc. and Viacom are reunifying, so I doubt if Netflix could buy CBS. AMC might be available, though.

 

[ErikGrim]

Yawn. Can we say late to the party?

When is Apple not?

It doesn't matter if you are late to the party if you are fashionably late.

 

[Classie]

This is not getting me excited. Apple is playing it to safe/expected - stir things up, like you used to do!

 

[JuicelessMango]

Netflix should start worrying.

Apple, Disney and others are coming.

All streaming subscription services should be worried. The more and more they continue to play games and try to make people subscribe to a million different things the more and more people are going to resort to piracy.

 

[JPLC]

Not only are they coming, but a lot of these streaming competitors own content they will be pulling from Netflix -- that's the bigger problem.

That’s right. And it’s becomes mostly our problem because all the content gets fragmented this way. And I’m sure nobody is going to pay for three services to cover everything. Disney is really wrong about this one.

 

[Duncan-UK]

Disney is really right to price how they are pricing. At six dollars a month there will be no real reason not to subscribe and it will gradually make the other streaming services look poor value for money. Wouldn’t surprise me if Netflix was gone or merged with a competitor within 5 years.

 

[incoherent_1]

It's interesting to me that this keeps being referred to as a "crowded marketplace" as if it isn't going to completely replace cable in a decade. I get that part of the benefit for telecom companies is regional monopoly, but people will still have preferences due to unique programming, and many people will be subscribed to multiples (I currently have Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime). The multiple subscriptions is no more annoying than surfing channels, honestly, and if service providers will get their heads out of their sand *cough* and sync with the Apple TV app, I would gladly continue to add more subscriptions for more content.

I think the crowded marketplace comes from the insane amounts of money getting pumped into content. Some great analysis has been done arguing there’s more money chasing subscribers than there are subscriber dollars to support it.

Disney is really right to price how they are pricing. At six dollars a month there will be no real reason not to subscribe and it will gradually make the other streaming services look poor value for money. Wouldn’t surprise me if Netflix was gone or merged with a competitor within 5 years.

Don’t expect that price to stick around for long. That price point is a gateway drug to get people hooked.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Netflix should start worrying.

Apple, Disney and others are coming.

Outside of content made for Netflix, most of what Netflix offers just sucks.

 

[lmac33]

Another streaming service meh. What would get subscribers would be day & date Hollywood theatrical movies. I’d rather pay for that and watch in the comfort of my own home than deal with rude people at the theaters. Going to the theater just isn’t worth it anymore.

What you ask for is available but outrageously expensive. $500 to rent the film and you need a $35,000 device.
https://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Ultra-Rich-Watching-Brand-Movies-Home-70760.html

 

[AlexGraphicD]

Another streaming service meh. What would get subscribers would be day & date Hollywood theatrical movies. I’d rather pay for that and watch in the comfort of my own home than deal with rude people at the theaters. Going to the theater just isn’t worth it anymore.

Exactly! Another streaming service and another boring credit card! I fail to see the success of these two services from Apple. Sounds to me they will be a failure like Apple news +

 

[robjulo]

it's not "sparse" nor does it "suck". Let me guess....you will find every Apple show to be amazing.

And have more money.

Most of the content (some guess 2/3) watched on Netflix is licensed. Their original content is sparse and mostly sucks.

 

[JCarmona]

The market for streaming services is getting fragmented. It's going to be costly to put those fragments together.

That's where PirateBay strikes again.

 

[TroyBoy30]

as if it isn't going to completely replace cable in a decade.

no chance

the chord cutters are already starting to see the main issue. youre going to end up paying more than you were for cable

 

[itsbrandon150]

Yeah I still can't believe they haven't tackled this, it has definitely been discussed if not prototyped with Apple, Amazon, and others. With how much importance the studios assign the opening weekend theater performance, they are missing out on potential revenue from people with more money than time or patience for movie theaters.

What they should be doing is same-day iTunes rental of movies in theaters for $49.99. At 2 weeks, that should drop to $29.99. At 1 month it should drop to 19.99 and remain that way until the normal digital release, and then drop to $5.99.

There could (and should) also be additional DRM restrictions for the in-theaters rented content. Single viewing, allowing only for pause/play throughout but not rewind.

That's fair. It would cost me the same amount to take the whole family to a theater for a movie that we can't pause for breaks. I'd much rather pay that to rent it at home.

I think that the direct-to-home model hasn't happened yet because it's that much harder to stop bootleggers. Sure they'd miss out on a little more in revenue from folks who'd buy at home, but movie theaters have security to stop people from setting up a camera and taping the whole thing. You can't control that with a same-day release direct in someone's home

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Just rewatched the trailer for The Morning Show with my wife & son on ATV, followed by the Snoopy, For All Mankind and the Storytellers trailers. Wife & I are in for TMS, all of us for Snoopy & For All Mankind (wife & I love Ron Moore's stuff going back to TNG & DS9). Son is already pinging me to ask when all this will be on and can we subscribe.

Looking forward on seeing what might be available re family sharing, and surely some limited downloading/offline viewing will be required for commuters, plane journeys and car trips etc.

I watched it, and thought 'Wow, she's looking old!' Then realized I'M OLD! *sigh*

 

[Alan Wynn]

I don't know if Apple will succeed or fail in this endeavor.

Good start. Among the reasons you cannot know is that you have no idea what the service will actually be nor what its price will be. You have heard some rumors about the price, and have seen some announcements and trailers for some content. Maybe the shows they have discussed are all the shows they have, and maybe the rumored pricing is exactly correct. Neither you nor any of the other commentators on here know for sure.

However, yes, they should be scared. Apple has tapped some pretty BIG names for creating content.

They should be scared, as they should always be scared. Being complacent is bad for their future. None of these services is so embedded in people’s lives, that a different service (Apple or someone else) could not win customers over. In addition, it also seems like it is always a good to expect Apple to succeed and plan accordingly. There are hulks of many established vendors that were sure they had noting to fear from Apple entering their market. They do not always succeed, but betting against them and doing nothing, seems like a bad plan.

Will all of it be good or great? Probably not. Apple will probably have some stinkers in the bunch, as well as multiple quality shows that won't find an audience, much like every TV network or streaming service has experienced.

Spot on.

I find multiple shows being developed for Apple TV+ to be intriguing, but I personally find $9.99 to be too high for starting out with so little content, even if they add catalog content from A24 or a spattering from various studios.

I am glad that you are so confident of their plans, that you know they do not have enough content. I will wait until they announce their plans and pricing. They may launch with many other shows and movies from other studios or they may only launch with only the few shows and films about which we have already heard and nothing more from their $6 billion.

Just because you do not find value in Apple TV+ at this time, does not mean you won't find value in the service two years from now. Remember, the service hasn't even launched yet.

Or maybe after they actually announce the details of the service. Who knows, maybe they have thought of some of these issues themselves.

 

[Baymowe335]

it's not "sparse" nor does it "suck". Let me guess....you will find every Apple show to be amazing.

I find Netflix in a world of debt trying to make original content and losing key licensed content. Netflix doesn't make or have enough money to fight richer players like Disney and Apple.

 

[George Dawes]

We’re going to need bigger capacities then

64gb isn’t going to hold much downloaded iTunes tv and movie stuff , especially in HD

4K ? No way.

 

[Tech198]

Netflix should start worrying.

Apple, Disney and others are coming.

I doubt Apple can get Disney's 'full' catalog.... Stan here in Australia is on the top of that one. But perhaps U.S only

offline downloads is good

 

[Baymowe335]

I doubt Apple can get Disney's 'full' catalog.... Stan here in Australia is on the top of that one. But perhaps U.S only

offline downloads is good

Disney is by FAR the king of content. No one comes close.

That said, Apple could literally buy all of Disney. Big acquisition, but that's how much money Apple has. Won't happen though.

 

[Beyo]

you can offline view HBO if you subscribe through Apple channels

O,really? I am in Poland and guess what. There is no HBO in TV app! How stupid is that?
HBO should get their **** together and fire a bunch of managers if they cannot handle simple task

 

[jdiamond]

Still wondering if there will be a way to watch AppleTV on a Mac? The current generation doesn't use TVs very often, so the laptop is the TV.

 

[Hi Tek]

Titans is actually not a Netflix original in the U.S.

It's a DC Universe original, and is licensed to Netflix outside the U.S. Will probably be available on HBO Max in the U.S. next year as well.

Thank you for clarifying.

 

[doelcm82]

I always thought these arbitrary restrictions were in place because the dinosaur media companies required it for licensing terms. But if Apple owns the content, why be so customer hostile? I thought they were supposed to think different. Lately they are more inclined to think dollars.

They may own the content, but they likely have royalty contracts with their big-name stars and content creators that prevent them from allowing you to give your ATV+ password to all your cousins and your coworkers.

On the other hand, this could be a simple matter of greed. Apple may feel that it's worth losing some "customers" who weren't paying for the service anyway. Or, if the content is compelling enough that your family legitimately wants to watch it onto seventeen devices, there's an opportunity to sell you a second or third subscription.

My sister and I have a Netflix subscription that only allows one screen to stream at a time. When I get a message that someone is already streaming, I use Download (if that option isn't already maxed out), or I switch to another service.