[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI]
Marvel’s blockbuster Captain America: The Winter Soldier won’t be available on Blu-ray for another three weeks, but fans of the franchise can grab the movie for $19.99 right now on the iTunes Store as part of an early release deal.
The movie, which takes its influence as much from political thrillers as more traditional popcorn-friendly superhero fare, is the followup to last year’s Captain America: The First Avenger and the subsequent team-up film The Avengers.
It’s not the first time a studio has timed the iTunes release of a movie ahead its physical media counterpart. Last year Star Trek Into Darkness got the same treatment three weeks before it hit store shelves. Typically movies will debut in both formats around the same time, with services like Netflix being forced to wait even longer to get them. It’s certainly interesting to see a subtle shift in priorities for some of the more popular movies.
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Quite a lot of films have gotten early releases on iTunes here in the UK over the last couple of years. We got Captain America last week.
It’s a trend for digital movies now. They get released up to 4 weeks in advance from their physical copies.
This isn’t news. Most films are released digitally before their packaged media versions these days.
Getting an early digital release is awesome. But the problem is when the physical copy comes with the iTunes version already. Because now you’re looking at it like this:
8/19 Captain America iTunes
$19.99
+ Digital iTunes Movie
+ Get it early!
– iTunes Special Features (not sure if its complete or has commentary but many times its not)
9/9 Captain America 3D Blu ray
$22 (preorder on Target. Possibly cheaper on date)
+ iTunes/Digital copy
+ 3D Bluray (if you don’t want it, sell for $10)
+ Bluray Disk
+ DVD (for those who use car DVD players since aTV doesn’t have a HDD)
+ Full special features
+ Commentary
+ Promotional Tie In (specific to retailer)
Walmart has a system where you can preorder a movie and then you get a VUDU code to download early and then you get the disk later. So its a shame that there’s no system thats iTunes compatible to do that. Especially with a Disney movie. So as much as I want to watch Cap 2 right now, I’m going to have to wait for the retail version.
Not to rain on your parade but is already available here in nz on dvd bluray and 3d bluray
Not here (NZ)- I bought bluray 3d which came with digital plus hd copy ( playable on itunes). If itunes did 3d probably would have got there