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Digital cinema refers to the adoption of digital technology within the film industry to distribute or project motion pictures as opposed to the historical use of reels of motion picture film, such as 35 mm film.
- Overview
- Vudu
- Google Play
- Apple iTunes
- Amazon Prime Video
- Where NOT to Buy Your Movies and TV Shows
- Movies Anywhere
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In 2000, it was hard to imagine the music CD becoming obsolete, and even crazier, being replaced by... nothing. In 2001, Apple released its first iPod. Vinyl has outlasted the CD, perhaps in the same way that the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) became a best-selling console over 30 years after its original release. Even digital music is seeing its replacement looming as subscription services pop up left and right. And soon, the digital world will eat our movie collection. But where should we buy our digital movies and TV shows?
In 2001, Apple released the iPod and unleashed digital music unto the world. So when the launched the iTunes Music Store two years later, it was an easy decision to go with Apple. But with digital video, Apple, Amazon, Google are all competing to be our provider. Even Microsoft is belatedly getting into the mix. They all have their perks, but one unsettling fact remains true with all of these providers: you can't simply download your movie and use it on any device you want. You are locked into using that particular company's app, which may not be available on every device.
Which company is the cheapest? With retail prices set by the studios, they are all about the same in terms of price. However, you can still find some movies on sale, so it's possible to shop the deals. Unfortunately, this splits your library, which means you'll need to use multiple apps and even multiple devices to view your collection.
We'll start with the one that you may not have heard about before reading this. Vudu popped up in 2007, so they've been around for a while. But who are they? One primary thing you need from your digital movie provider is trust. You don't want to buy some movies and have the company shut down in two years, and with Amazon, Google and Apple, you don't have those worries.
You also don't have those worries with Vudu. In 2010, they were acquired by Wal-Mart. And while Vudu isn't a household brand, Wal-Mart certainly is. Vudu offers movies in SD, HD and their own HDX format, which is a slightly superior rendition of HD. Some movies are also available in Ultra HD (UHD).
One nice benefit of Vudu is the ability to download the movie to your PC. Most video providers are now offering offline downloads for mobile, but Vudu and Apple offer the same service for desktop and laptop PCs. You still must use their respective apps, but it's a nice benefit.
Vudu supports UltraViolet, which was a digital locker that gives you access to digital copies of DVD and Blu-ray titles. This was a great way to build your online collection while still buying DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
UltraViolet has shut down, but you can continue to redeem unexpired codes at Vudu.
Vudu also offers some movies for free with advertisements.
While this list isn't to be interpreted as best-to-worst, Google Play gets the second mention based mainly on the ability to stream their offerings on a wider range of devices than Amazon Video or Apple's iTunes movies and television.
It's easy to trust Vudu's neutrality in the war over our digital video lockbox because they don't have a device they are trying to push. Google's Android, Chrome and Chromecast platforms don't exactly make them Switzerland, but they've played nice in the war for our living rooms. Google's philosophy is more about providing the opportunity to watch on the largest range of devices rather than battling it out for platform dominance.
Google Play offers some titles in UHD, but these titles aren't marked in the store, so it can be difficult to know if any particular movie is available in UHD until you go to buy it. Google Play does offer a $0.99 rental to new customers, so it is worth checking out if just to save a couple of bucks on a movie night.
You can stream Google Play on your iPhone, iPad, Android, PC, Roku, many smart televisions or through Chromecast. While there's not an app for game consoles, as long as your Xbox or PlayStation can open YouTube, you can get to your rentals and purchases in the YouTube app.
If you own an iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, it may seem like a simple decision to do your shopping in iTunes. As you can imagine, Apple's ecosystem works great together. The TV app on Apple TV and iPad brings your collection together with various subscription services like Hulu, which makes browsing for what to watch much easier. You can also download movies to your desktop or laptop and well as your iPhone or iPad, so you can enjoy your collection offline.
What you can't do is watch anything on Android. Or your Smart TV. Or that Blu-ray player with all the streaming apps. Or basically anywhere besides a PC or an Apple device.
That's enough to give even Apple Watch owners some doubts on whether or not to put all those eggs in Apple's basket.
There is a Roku channel for iTunes purchases, called, appropriately enough, Apple TV.
Apple also offers 4K streaming. While digital 4K movies are expensive compared to HD and the titles are limited, if you want to build a top-quality movie collection, having the option is a definite must.
Apple isn't a bad choice for those who love their products. But in a decade, we could all be using smart devices from a company that doesn't even exist yet. And will we be able to take our movie collection with us?
Amazon Prime includes a Netflix-style streaming service alongside its many other benefits. It also offers a selection of 4K video and allow downloads to mobile devices for offline viewing.
Amazon doesn't always play well with others: for a time, it wouldn't sell Apple TV or Chromecast, because, neither device worked with its streaming service. The company eventually reversed course, Amazon Prime Video is now available on a wide range of devices, including Apple TV and Chromecast. Amazon also supports iOS devices, Roku, XBOX, PlayStation, PC, most smart TVs and (of course) Amazon's Fire devices, which run on top of Android.
It's all well and good to list out the various options for your digital video lockbox, but what about those companies you should avoid at all costs?
Obviously, if you've never heard of the company, you shouldn't trust them with your movie collection. We've all heard of Apple and Google and Amazon, which makes us more comfortable doing business with them.
Don't like your digital library tied to one single company? Neither does Movies Anywhere. The big difference is that Movies Anywhere can actually do something about it. And the big surprise is that they actually did.
Movies Anywhere allows you to buy movies from iTunes, Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube, Microsoft, XFINITY, and Verizon FIOS.
- Daniel Nations
May 16, 2002 · With more and more filmmakers embracing the new technology, including big names like Steven Soderbergh and Robert Rodriguez, digital cinema is well on its way. In this article, we'll find out what digital cinema is all about, and we'll see what it means to the film industry.
Jan 5, 2016 · What is digital? Director Quentin Tarantino has been at the center of many conversations about film versus digital. “If I can’t shoot on film I’ll stop making movies,” Tarantino said on Los...
Digital media redefines the very identity of cinema. In a symposium that took place in Hollywood in the spring of 1996, one of the participants provocatively referred to movies as “flatties” and to human actors as “organics” and “soft fuzzies.”
Apr 24, 2020 · Your Guide to Digital Movie Options. With theaters shut, online outlets have proliferated. Here’s how to make sense of all your choices. (Hint: it depends on the kind of film you’re looking...
May 16, 2002 · To the audience, the most important aspect of digital cinema is the projection system. This is the final piece of technology that controls how the movie actually looks at the end of the line. Pretty much everybody agrees that a good film projector loaded with a pristine film print produces a fantastic, vibrant picture.
