Target is nearing a release date for its official movie-streaming and
download service, Target Ticket. Unfortunately, the company's "fall" deadline is
still a bit nebulous — which is to say, we don't have an exact date for when
you'll be able to start streaming and viewing movies and TV shows.
The service is currently in beta testing for select "Target team members"
as of this article's writing, so at least the company appears to be busy working
out all the kinks. Sort of.
Target Ticket is expected to launch with a total of 15,000 "titles, new
releases, classic movies, and next-day TV," according to a description on the
service's otherwise-bare website. While pricing hasn't been publicly revealed,
it's expected that most movies will go for around $14.99, with TV show episodes
hovering around $2.99 each. Expect to be able to pick up full TV seasons for
around $34.99, and rent movies for either $3.99 or $4.99.
Of course, the final prices do depend on the specific movie or show that
one's interested in picking up, so don't take those numbers as hard truth for
every single bit of media within Target Ticket. It's likely that Target will
attempt to match up its prices against Apple's Rival iTunes Store as it can – if
not its features, as well.
Those renting movies will be given the customary 30-day window to view
their titles, just like Apple's iTunes Store. However, Target Ticket will bump
the duration one gets for unlimited views of the rented movie to 48 hours –
double that of iTunes.
That said, TV fans allegedly won't be able to purchase a season pass to
their favorite shows in advance within Target Ticket. Season downloads will only
be available after a show's entire chunk of episodes has run. And it's currently
unclear whether Target Ticket will offer any kind of discount for season
purchases – and what those fanatics who piecemealed together a season from
individual downloads will be able to do, if that's the case.
In other words, will Target Ticket also have some kind of "Complete My
Season" discount like Apple's iTunes?
According to a Friday report from TechCrunch, Target will also tie its
Ticket service into the company's existing REDcard program. If you're using the
Target-branded credit card or debit card, you'll be able to enjoy a 5 percent
discount on anything you rent or purchase via Target Ticket (yes, Target
employees; your greater discount will work on the service as well).
Media downloaded (or rented) via Target Ticket is expected to be playable
on iOS and Android devices, as well as various streaming players, televisions,
and gaming consoles. There still appear to be a few kinks to be worked out with
the company's iOS app – one allegedly has to download one's movies to a desktop
or laptop and then transfer them over to an iPhone or iPad, which is a bit of a
convoluted way to do it. Additionally, support for television-based streaming is
currently manufacturer-dependent. If your TV isn't up to snuff, it might be time
to invest in a set-top box.
No comments:
Post a Comment