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Netflix to Offer Movie Downloads

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the only-a-matter-of-time dept.

kev0153 writes "Over at CNN Money they are reporting on a story about Netflix offering a video on demand over the web service in '05. They are also eyeing the multibillion-dollar video game market. "We're playing it a little defensively, because if we lose the digital download market, you'll soon be hearing about the rise and fall of Netflix," said Netflix CEO Reed Hastings."

6 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. Not likely to work... by LostCluster · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't think anybody can launch a Hollywood-movies-on-demand without having the cable companies on board. They can place servers closer to their users, and have the advantage of being able to allocate more bandwidth to themselves on their cable systems. They're going to have an advantage over any outside provider...

  2. Re:Video-on-demand, eh? by Bobdoer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Netflix doesn't rent porn.
    They will once they look at the numbers. Porn is one of the best selling things ever, and nobody would want to lose an opportunity that large. Except, possibly, some religious or morally incensed people, but greed should rule those out.

    --
    EVERYDAY IS CATURDAY
  3. If the movie streams to my cache can I keep it? by darthcamaro · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So I get a video on demand over the internet - and I assume that it'll stream and make use of my cache (or some other temp file). If I keep the cache/temp file, does that mean I can keep/own the movie??
    Or will these guys have some kind of no-cache proxy in place?

  4. Re:Bandwidth? by Bagels · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The obvious answer is that they'll take a leaf out of BitTorrent's book and have people that are downloading/viewing the movie share with each other (maybe they could even give you a little discount if you provide enough bandwidth). Only, of course, it would be a closed, DRM-encumbered system...

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    --- Bwah?
  5. Re:Does downloading games require a mod chip? by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "How can games be downloaded from netflix or any other place."

    There's a relatively simple way, well simple if Microsoft lends a hand. XBOX's have a network port. Connect that to broadband. Then, create a disc that alters things on the XBOX a bit, where the data that should be coming through the optical drive is instead pulled in from the network connection. So, in essence, the data is pulled down from the net in real time as if the disc is in the drive. There are obvious issues here, but I've seen a variant of this technique done on the PC before. It'd require broadband and a special disc.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  6. CinemaNow's hard to beat. by agslashdot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Lion's Gate (LGF ) owns a majority stake in CinemaNow, the closest competition. LGF stock has been all over the place in the past few months due to Video-On-Demand deals with major studios. Unlike LGF, which grew from strength to strength after acquiring Artisan Films, is based in Hollywood, and has exclusive rights to several hundred movies as well as ties with the major players in the entertainment business, Netflix is more a rental mall for DVDs.
    otoh, Netflix's CEO has been predicting his entry into the VOD market for the past few years, and they did trails with sample footage for most DVDs.
    Competition's always beneficial to the consumer.