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Rent A Downloadable Movie

Posted by timothy on from the like-divx-without-the-joy dept.

Syn Ack writes: "The New York Times is reporting (free account, blah blah blah) that five (5) major Hollywood studios (MGM, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures) are going to begin offering downloadable time restricted movies. The video will remain watchable for 30 days but will become unplayable 24 hours after it has been viewed at all. Sounds like if you start the movie at all, the clock starts ticking so no peaking until you're ready to watch it ALL. Downloads are expected to be in the 500MB range. However downloads will only be available well after the DVD release of the same movie so as to not cut into DVD sales. Expect to see something late this year or early next. Perhaps the Music People can get some tips from the movie people?" What a bargain.

5 of 361 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Well... by TZA14a · · Score: 2, Informative
    These 500mb downloadable movies, are they dvd rips? if so wouldn't that be illegal? Somewhere in the DMCA it should say that of course.

    Meep. Wrong answer. The copyright holder can rip whatever the fuck they want.
    Just like Linus Torvalds can sell you a binary-only Linux version or Hans Reiser can do commercial versions of reiserfs.

  2. ATTN: Movie Studios, You're a Bit Late by Redking · · Score: 4, Informative

    Downloadable movies? Haha, who are they kidding? Ok, let's go over the math again.

    First, 90% of American households with internet access STILL USE DIAL-UP. Like people want to sit there and download a 500 meg file to watch it ONCE.

    Secondly, those with broadband already have easy sources for movies currently in theaters or just released on DVD. Kazaa, Gnutella, Hotline, FTP, IRC, etc...

    Thirdly, why would anyone want to wait to rent movies that are available as DVDs? If you have US Postal Service, you can sign up for NetFlix and rent DVDs thru the mail. It's $19.95 a month and you get to check out three DVDs at a time. They have new releases and foreign films. There aren't any late fees and to return DVDs, just drop them in the return envelope they provide. Mad easy! (Only problem with NetFlix is that since I'm located in NJ, it takes a while for them to ship and receive the DVDs I rent.)

    w00t!

    --
    Rangers Lead the Way!
  3. Re:I guess they didn't learn their lesson with DiV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Registration Free Link

  4. Without NYT Registration by dazed-n-confused · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://archives.nytimes.com/2001/08/17/technology/ 17STUD.html

    As always.

  5. It's already reality in Germany by ^ZuLu^ · · Score: 3, Informative

    As we have Streamgate here, this is somehow pretty much what those hollywood-companies try to do. You will get a DSL (with 1024kbit/s download and 128kbit/s upload) and you could watch movies which will be "streamed" to you and could be watched for 24hrs.