Download Feature Length Movies via iTunes?

There’s a great article in Variety Magazine this morning, about Apple’s attempts at allowing full-length movie downloads through the iTunes music store. This has been rumored ever since the music store went live April 28, 2003. Apparently Steve Jobs has been on a campaign at the major Hollywood studios, trying to cement deals that would make feature-length downloads through iTunes a reality.

It seems it’s not simply Apple wanting access to Hollywood; Hollywood wants access to Apple’s technical savvy and well-established customer base. The article reads:

“Film moguls are eager to get access to the huge base of customers, especially as an antidote to piracy. But Jobs’ reputation as a brilliant yet arrogant executive used to getting what he wants has left many in Hollywood wondering whether the new-media titan will prove a friend or foe.”

Later in the article:

“The question is how much Hollywood will be willing to adjust to his style and his terms. The industry is famous for not tolerating brash outsiders, no matter how successful or astute their plans.”

Read the article here.

I hope we do have full-length movie downloads via iTunes, or an iTunes like service. It would beat pay-per-view and save trips to the local video store. I love Netflix, but there’s nothing like the occasional burst of immediate gratification.

Of course, feature-length movie downloads will take up a lot of bandwidth, and probably won’t be feasible over a dial-up connection. Also, it would be technically difficult to distribute truly DVD quality movies over the internet. But if any company can solve these problems, it’s Apple.