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Tag: iTunes Movie Trailers

The New Star Wars Teaser Will Blow Your Mind

If you’ve been preoccupied, you may have missed a significant disturbance in the Force last week.  The good news is your opportunity to catch up is only a click away…

If you’ve been preoccupied, you may have missed a significant disturbance in the Force last week. The good news is your opportunity to catch up is only a click away…

I’ve always enjoyed watching movie trailers. They used to be the favorite part of my film-going experience. But no more… That’s because every blockbuster trailer I’ve seen at the multiplex I’ve already caught at home when I’m online.

Download Vs. Streaming
Typically, I go to the iTunes Movie Trailers page to find the newest previews.

I usually prefer downloading the ones I really like to my iPhone and then watching them whenever the moment moves me.
(Usually when my commuter train isn’t moving too fast)

You may recall, I’ve had some ups and downs with this….

A couple years ago, Apple inexplicably began taking away its trailer downloading functionality, leaving streaming as the only viewing option. This is hardly ideal when your smartphone doesn’t have a strong connection.

…and Barrett was frustrated.

Then, a year later, Apple seemingly gave it all back.

…and Barrett was happy again.

Prepare Yourself
So this past week, I was looking for the newest summer movie teasers, as the blockbuster season is nearly upon us.

Imagine my glee when I spotted the second teaser trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

When the first teaser came out in November, millions of geeks in galaxies near and far could barely contain themselves. The fact that J.J. Abrams had successfully recreated the look and feel of the original “Star Wars” was almost too much to handle.

Come on… This is J.J. Abrams we’re talking about.
“Lost,” “Star Trek,” “Fringe.”
You didn’t think he was going to get the basics right?

I thought the first teaser trailer was just fine.
It was nice to have a quick peek.
That’s what any first teaser usually does…

Traveling Back in Time
But then I clicked on this second teaser trailer.
My finger was running on autonomic instinct; my brain, barely keeping up.

I felt like I was fourteen years old again watching “Star Wars” for the very first time with my mother at the east 86th street multiplex in New York City. I was transported back to those two mesmerizing hours…

And then I heard-
“You have that power too.”

And then I saw-
“Chewie, we’re home.”

OMG.

Now, this is more like it!

An A+ Trailer
I’m not entirely surprised J.J. Abrams blew my mind with this new teaser trailer. He did something similar with the early trailers for his first “Star Trek” movie. But those suggested something different from the “Star Trek” we grew up with.
(And in fact, it was an alternate reality.)

This “Star Wars” trailer by comparison feels exceptionally familiar. Of course, because the Star Wars universe is being continued, not re-imagined.
(It would seem.)

We’re given the perfect balance between what we already know about and teased with what we don’t.

And then that last shot: We get to see Han Solo!
Glorious…

I Have a Good Feeling about This
We’re still eight months away from seeing how strong the Force really is with Episode VII.
That said, this trailer completely reenergized all my geeky energies.

After I watched it, I just stared at the screen.
“Whoaaaaah….”

And then I downloaded the two minutes of movie (and marketing) magic.

I felt like a kid again.
It was the perfect moment…

Thank you, Disney for spending $4 billion in 2012 to keep it all going.
Only now, at the end (of the wait) do I understand…

Apple Returned My Movie Trailers

My love/sometimes-hate relationship with Apple has taken a recent happy twist. It’s not a universe-changing event, but for those of you who like to maintain your own personal collection of movie trailers, I’ve got some good news for you buried in iTunes…

My love/sometimes-hate relationship with Apple has taken a recent happy twist. It’s not a universe-changing event, but for those of you who like to maintain your own personal collection of movie trailers, I’ve got some good news for you buried in iTunes…

A year ago, I bemoaned the loss of downloadable movie trailers on Apple’s iTunes. Without explanation, newly posted QuickTime trailers became streaming-only. And only at a resolution of 720P.

Nothing in 1080P!
And no more downloading!!
(gulp)

I really enjoyed watching my movie trailers on demand and having them live on my iPhone to be summoned wherever and whenever I had two minutes to kill.
(Without a strong wireless or Wi-Fi connection, a streaming solution just isn’t going to hold up.)

I experienced this new stark reality as a slow, cruel, excruciating loss.
And this geek was really sad.

I publicly pleaded with Apple to reconsider this decision.
“Please…. Restore my little joy,” I posted on my mighty, tiny blog.
(as if I had some inside track)

And then… I moved on with the rest of my life.
(Because what else can you really do?)

But I did not forget…

In a World Without Downloadable Movie Trailers…
Over the past year, I think I’ve adjusted quite nicely, thank you very much.
Ironically, Apple’s iTunes Movie Trailers website is still the best game in town to watch trailers for the season’s upcoming movies. So despite it all, I’ve remained a frequent visitor.

But deep down, the disappointment… it hadn’t entirely dissipated.

Every so often, I still Googled “Download Movie Trailers” to see if anyone else had picked up this particular torch. Sure, there are a few homegrown efforts out there, but I’ve always felt more comfortable downloading content from a known commodity.

A couple of days back, I found myself randomly running the Google search before hitting the sack, as if some ‘Q-based’ life force in the universe would simply ‘will’ there to be different answer.
And guess what…?

Just before I was about to power down, I glanced over some of the wording under Apple’s standard link to iTunes Movie Trailers.

I almost missed it, but there they were… “Download” and…”1080P”

What?

I quickly navigated to Apple’s movie trailers homepage.
No. Nothing had changed.

Hmmmm…

There Lived One Man Who Almost Lost His Faith…
Then it hit me!

  • I opened up iTunes as a program and immediately clicked on the iTunes Store.
  • Then, I navigated to the Movies section.
  • Buried at the bottom of the ‘Movies Quick Link’ section on the right is ‘Theatrical Trailers.’
    (I rarely go there, because of the extra steps it takes to open up the same inventory you can more quickly access on the website.)
  • Click

At that moment, I think I noticed the wind pick up outside.
And was that some distant thunder I heard?

I focused my gaze from the myriad of trailer choices down to the thumbnail photo for this winter’s final “The Hobbit.”

I hovered my mouse over “The Battle of the Five Armies.”
(A chill ran down my spine.)

Click.

OMG.

He Would Wait a Near Eternity for the ‘Return…’
There it was.
A download icon right under ‘Play.’
And when you click on ‘Download,’ you can choose between 720P and 1080P.

I sat there stunned.

It was back. All of it.

For the Fate of the Universal Movie-Trailer Experience was Finally at Hand
On the edge of the next month’s anticipated Apple announcement where the world is salivating over the upcoming iPhone 6 and who knows what else…

I am already satisfied.

My movie trailers have been returned… securely positioned within the iTunes ecosystem.
My faith is restored.

I don’t know how long these downloadable trailers have been back.
And I don’t care.

Oh yes, it’s the little things in life…

Apple Took My QuickTime Movie Trailers Away

If you like downloading your movie trailers, you’re in big trouble. Apple is quietly removing this functionality from iTunes Movie Trailers. Now, it’s streaming only!

If you like downloading your movie trailers, you’re in big trouble.
Apple is quietly removing this functionality from iTunes Movie Trailers.
Now, it’s streaming only!

I really like movie trailers.
A lot.

A well-crafted movie trailer can capture the essence of a really great movie.

I’ve got a little folder in my iMac with all my favorite movie trailers from the past few years. Plus, they live in smaller form in iTunes so I can watch them on my iPhone.

Sometimes I just like watching my trove of trailers on the train during my daily commute as a Road Warrior.
(call me wacky)

So yes, I like having my little collection of movie trailers, thank you very much.
But I’ve paid nothing for the privilege.

And once you download the trailer, you essentially own the file.

I suspect there are a bunch of Hollywood folks out there intent on killing my joy, because they feel they’ve left some money on the table.

And I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve been having a few lunches with Apple lately.

Now You See It… Now You Don’t!
Depending how you look at it, May 22 in history has not been a fabulous day:

  • 334 BC – Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia
  • 1931 – Canned rattlesnake meat goes on sale in Florida
  • 1992 – Johnny Carson leaves the Tonight Show
  • 2013 – Apple quietly eliminates QuickTime movie trailer downloads in iTunes

What?!

Suddenly, every new QuickTime movie trailer posted after May 22 is no longer downloadable…

And it’s just a matter of time until Apple’s older downloadable inventory is erased from existence as the newer trailers replace them!

It’s a slow, but sure downgrade.

This is bad.

(pause)

But it gets worse.

Before, you could download a trailer in glorious 1080p.
Not anymore.
And guess what? You can’t stream it in 1080p either!
Because 720p is the largest streaming size Apple has ever served up.

So you can kiss your entire 1080p movie trailer viewing experience goodbye.
(at least via iTunes Movie Trailers)

If you’re starting to hyperventilate, I recommend you go to the phone and call
1-800-I’m a Nerd.

I’ve done the research, and I’m estimating there are about seventeen other people who seem to care about this dastardly secret I’ve uncovered.
(Actually, MacRumors broke the story.)

Everyone else can go happily about your life.

1080p Is So Yesterday?
Streaming your movie trailers might be fine as long as you have a strong Internet connection.
Without one, you’re going to have to wait a while before watching anything!

But if streaming is now the new norm for watching your trailers, you’d feel a bit better if you had the consolation prize to at least stream your movie trailers in 1080p.

Other websites are streaming 1080p…
(like YouTube)
What’s up with Apple?

In an ever evolving 1080p/3D/4K world of more pixels, Apple has inexplicably ceded a leadership position and taken a step in the opposite direction, settling comfortably back to the ‘HD light’ flavor of 720p.

You know, I think it’s time to write a letter…

Dear Apple…
I don’t really know why you’ve chosen to forsake the movie trailer lovers of the world.
(in fact, nobody seems to)

Yes, maybe you’ve been getting pressure from the movie moguls, but you’ve been quietly reacting without public comment.

Please know that we’d really like the download option back, please.
(including those 1080p files)

I can guess being in the movie trailer distribution business has probably not been a profitable venture for you.
(It’s been a free QuickTime service up until now…)

And Hollywood is probably giving you some pressure.

So if this is about money… that’s okay.

Please come up with some new ‘i-Service’ that includes the movie trailer downloads, and I’ll send over more money.
(I’m already happily paying significant green to maintain my own ‘i-Life.‘
A few more dollars won’t matter.)

Just, please… restore my little joy.

Your friend,

-Barrett

(sigh)

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