

Iron Man 3 was the most anticipated movie of this summer and fans showed their love for Tony Stark and his genius by making it the highest grossing film domestically and worldwide. The success of Iron Man 3 was no suprise. Robert Downey, Jr. took the complexity of the comic book character and masterfully brought him to life. After the third movie it is hard to imagine someone else every playing Tony Stark. Fans can now buy Iron Man 3 as a digital download, weeks before it becomes available on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray disc sets will be released on September 24. Surprisingly, there are not any Blu-ray exclusives for Iron Man 3 (this is the case at the time of writing this article). This Buyer’s Guide list both Blu-ray and digital download options.

Iron Man 3 from iTunes



Selling full-length feature films since 2006, iTunes continues to be the market leader regarding media sales. iTunes provides a seamless buying experience for every screen size available. In addition to a great shopping experience, iTunes consistently offers special features and extra content. Iron Man 3 from iTunes is no exception. Buying Iron Man 3 from iTunes comes with numerous “iTunes Extras.” For $19.99 you will get the movie and the following extra content:



Iron Man 3 iTunes Extras

Iron Man 3: Marvel – One Shot: Agent Carter

Deconstructing The Scene: Attack On Air Force One

Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look at Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World

Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Unmasked: A Crash Course in Epic Movie Making

Gag Reel

Deleted & Extended Scenes

iTunes is offering nearly every special feature you get with the Blu-ray disc sets. The only thing missing is the audio commentary from director Drew Pearce. If you are invested in the Apple ecosystem of products this is a great purchase. It can be watched on iPads, iPhones, Macs, Apple TV and PCs. It is presented in 1080p video with Dolby 5.1 surround sound.

Iron Man 3 from Vudu

What I appreciate most about Vudu is versatility. You can watch a movie from Vudu on nearly every platform that is available in the states. Apple iOS, Android, PCs, Macs, PS3, Xbox 360 and the list goes on. Iron Man 3 from Vudu is priced at $22.99. What really makes Vudu stand out from the crowd is them offering Iron Man 3 in 3D. You can buy the movie in 3D only for $34.99 or get the 2D and 3D versions for $35.99. An unexpected treat with this purchase are the extras that you get. Here is the list:

Iron Man 3 Vudu Extras

Iron Man 3: Marvel – One Shot: Agent Carter

Deleted Scenes

Deconstructing The Scene: Attack On Air Force One

Full Process

Gag Reel

Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look at Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World

It appears that the Deleted Scenes and Full Process are the equivalents of Deleted & Extended Scenes and Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Unmasked: A Crash Course in Epic Movie Making, respectively. Vudu is owned by Walmart so you can get this purchase through either Walmart.com or Vudu.com. This purchase comes in 1080p video with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound.

Iron Man 3 from Amazon Instant



Get out of town!! Even Amazon Instant is offering Iron Man 3 with extras. It is a rare occasion for Amazon Instant to ever offer any extra content with a movie purchase. It is great to see that for $19.99 you will get Iron Man 3 from Amazon Instant in 1080p video and stereo sound with the following “bonus features”?

Iron Man 3 Amazon Instant Extras

Iron Man 3: Marvel – One Shot: Agent Carter

Deconstructing The Scene: Attack On Air Force One

Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look at Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World

Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Unmasked: A Crash Course in Epic Movie Making

Gag Reel

Deleted & Extended Scenes

Iron Man 3 from Xbox Live

Iron Man 3 from Xbox Live is selling the movie for $19.99 with bonus features. I take issue with the limited scope of devices on which you can watch this purchase. Windows Phone 8 does not support a direct purchase (this feature is coming soon). But still, even though it comes in 1080p video with 5.1 surround sound, I can feel like I would want more options. Even with a purchase from iTunes you can still watch it on PCs. Like the competition Iron Man 3 comes with extras.

Iron Man 3 Xbox Live Extras

Iron Man 3: Marvel – One Shot: Agent Carter

Deconstructing The Scene: Attack On Air Force One

Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look at Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World

Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Unmasked: A Crash Course in Epic Movie Making

Gag Reel

Deleted & Extended Scenes

Iron Man 3 from Cinema Now

Nearly a year ago I wrote a brief review of Cinema Now. I was not happy with the service then. It was limited in numerous ways. That is no longer the case. Owned by Best Buy, Cinema Now has filled in the gaps in their service to become competitive. The devices you can use to watch your purchase is comparable to Vudu’s list of devices. Cinema Now is selling Iron Man 3 for $24. That is the most expensive price on this list. You will also get bonus features with this purchase:

Iron Man 3 Cinema Now Extras

Iron Man 3: Marvel – One Shot: Agent Carter

Deconstructing The Scene: Attack On Air Force One

Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look at Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World

Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Unmasked: A Crash Course in Epic Movie Making

Gag Reel

Deleted & Extended Scenes

Iron Man 3 from Google Play

I am surprised to see that Google Play does not offer any extras with there offering of Iron Man 3. It is normal for Google Play to sell movies without extras, but it is surprising to see that they are the only digital download service that lacks extras with a purchase of Iron Man 3. However, Google Play did remember to charge you a price similar to the competition. Iron Man 3 is $19.99 with 1080p video and stereo sound. I wonder if Google released Chromecast at the really low price of $34.99 to compensate for the subpar products they often offer through Google Play?





Xbox Live iTUNES VUDU GP AI CinemaNow Price $19.99 $19.99 $35.99 $19.99 $19.99 $24.00 Ways To Watch PCs, Xbox 360, Windows Surface tablet, Windows 8 Phone Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod or PC PS3, Xbox 360, Roku, Smart Blu-ray players, Smart TV’s, iPad, iPhone, Mac and PC, Roku, Android tablets and Phones Android tablets and phones, Google TV, Mac and PC PS3, Xbox 360, Roku, Smart Blu-ray players, Smart TV’s, iPad,Kindle Fire (HD), Roku, Mac and PC PS3, Xbox 360, Roku, Smart Blu-ray players, Smart TV’s, iPad, iPhone, Mac and PC, Roku, Android tablets and Phones Max Resolution On TV 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p Digital Copy Max Resolution 1080p 1080p Standard Definition for mobile devices 1080p 1080p 1080p Audio 5.1 DTS-HD Dolby Digital 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Stereo Stereo Dolby Digital Plus 5.1

Iron Man 3 on Disc

All of the Blu-ray disc sets all come in full 1080p video with 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The DVDs are in standard definition with 5.1 surround sound. Here are the special features that are included with all Blu-ray disc sets:

Deconstructing The Scene: Attack On Air Force One

Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look at Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World

Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Unmasked: A crash course in epic movie making

Gag Reel

Deleted & Extended Scenes

Audio Commentary with Drew Pearce & Shane Black

The DVD set contains the following special features:

Deconstructing The Scene: Attack On Air Force One

Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look at Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World

Iron Man 3 Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + Music





This set contains every version of the film you could possibly want. Unless you are an early adopter and own a 4k television. Minus that, you are completely covered. It even includes the soundtrack of the movie. The digital copy will get you a version on UltraViolet and iTunes. This disc set is priced at $35.99. You can see what is in this disc set in the WaysToWatch.com Unboxing of Iron Man 3.



Iron Man 3 Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy



The only difference with this option is the cover and the absence of the 3D disc. You will still have every screen size covered with this purchase. You can buy this option for $29.96.



Iron Man 3 Blu-ray + DVD



Personally, I like to have as much viewing versatility as possible. This particular disc set does not offer the Digital Copy. Making it difficult (though not impossible) for you to watch it on mobile devices. This set is priced at $24.96.



Iron Man 3 DVD + Digital Copy



Of the disc sets this is the most affordable priced at $19.96. Even with blu-ray player upscaling, DVDs lack the sharpness seen with Blu-ray. You may save a few dollars, but you will compromise your viewing experience substantially.



Wrap Up

Iron Man 3 is a must buy for any comic book / sci-fi / blockbuster / Marvel / Avengers fan out there. Even though I am disappointed by the lack of exclusive Blu-ray disc sets, the digital download options offer comparable bonus content to that of the Blu-ray sets. If you are not hung up on having a tangible item in the Blu-ray case, then a compelling argument can be made for buying this from Vudu. Which version of Iron Man 3 will you buy?