The nation’s largest retailer is trying its hat at selling movies and TV shows online. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced that it has launched its long awaited online movie download store.
The service debuted today and seems to boast a larger selection than Apple Inc., it’s competitor that offers that widely popular iTunes service. iTunes only offers movies from 2 studios, Walt Disney and Paramount.
Wal-Mart movies will cost between $12.88 and $19.88 whereas Apple movies sell at one price $14.99 (you can preorder movies or buy them within 1 week of release for $2 cheaper). This one-price strategy has turned off many studios from signing with Apple.
Oh, and Wal-Mart will sell TV shows for a full 3 cents less than iTunes ($1.96 vs. $1.99).. big deal. For all you iPod crazy people, Wal-Mart downloads will not be viewable on the popular device, only on a PC and TV.
I personally think that watching movies and TV on the PC has a long ways to go. It’s great to be able to catch up on missed shows on the net, but it’s never better than watching it in full resolution on a nice HDTV. The fact that these online movies cost about as much (or in some cases more) than a DVD of the same movie ensures me that I’m not wasting money in adding to my large DVD collection. I always have the option to rip them onto the computer and or take them with me to a friend’s house for a viewing. Not only that, but who wants to get popcorn butter on their keyboard?
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