Thoughts on Digital Copy

Early this year Apple and several movie partners debuted a new DVD feature known as Digital Copy. This allows purchasers of DVDs to transfer a copy of the movie onto their computer, which can then be transferred to iPods, iPhones, and other portable players.

Though Digital Copy has been around for a while, it has just recently started to become common. It still is primarily used on special editions and typically is only available on big name movies. I was able to try it out for the first time after receiving the 3 disc special edition of Wall-E for Christmas.

The process is actually quite simple. After inserting the Digital Copy disc into my computer, I opened iTunes and was presented with a screen asking for the authorization code.

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After entering the code, my download began. I was surprised at the size of the file at 1.1 gigabytes. Once I sampled the movie though, I understood. The quality of the digital download from iTunes is pretty impressive.

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For comparison after watching a minute or two of the Digital Copy I popped in the actual DVD and fired up DVD Player. Switching between both versions of Wall-E I can say there is almost no discernible difference. Considering the state of internet video just a few years ago, I was very impressed at full DVD quality being transferred to my machine in just about three minutes. Just a note, I can assume this digital copy is identical to the copy one would get if the movie was purchased straight from the iTunes store. However I personally have never used it before (and probably will not in the future…but physical vs. digital media is for another post).

Of course, it is unlikely I will watch the Digital Copy on my computer, because I own the DVD. The true benefit is definitely the mobile capability. I do not own an iPhone or iPod Touch which I think would make Digital Copy much more exciting. No more pulling out your laptop on a flight when you can just start watching movies like Wall-E or The Dark Knight (both available with Digital Copy) with a few clicks on your mobile device.

Without a portable video player I cannot test what I consider the full Digital Copy experience. What I was able to do was simple and I think it is a good move by the studios. If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, have you had any experience with Digital Copy? Is it something you would find useful?