Skype, Sony Working to Offer On-Demand iTunes Rivals

The field of on-demand video services continues to grow. Both Sony and Skype have announced their intentions to challenge the dominance of iTunes via download services. Sony is going to be offering movie downloads via the PSP, no doubt as a partial rebuff to Microsoft's entry into the field. Meanwhile, Skype is planning to roll out a broadband television service they are calling 'the Venice Project'. Funded with the money made when Skype was sold to eBay, the beta version was apparently launched last week. From the article: "On his blog, Mr Friis said the partners had been 'quietly testing with a small circle of people' for a few months, and that they would now expand the circle. The service will offer high-quality programs through an ad-supported platform. The project aims to bring quality TV programs free to consumers who have a broadband internet connection, the spokesman said."

Comments

Xbox 360 and iTunes untouchable

[elrous0]

So far, of all these new "video on demand" services, the best are definitely iTunes and MS offerings on the Xbox 360. The former is great because they also incorporate free video from sites like Digital Life TV and Diggnation, and make it easy to move video to the iPod. The latter is great because they make it very easy to play video on your TV and because they are the only service offering true HD content.

If MS were to incorporate free content (sans DRM), offer MUCH larger hard drives for the 360 (120 GB+), and improve their interface (adding search capability, and RSS feed-like subscription option, etc. like iTunes) they would be the kings.

As it is, considering Sony's half-ass online support for the PSP and PS3, and their legendary obsession with locking-down everything they touch with near-criminal levels of DRM and similar restrictions, I don't even consider them as even being in the game. They're a joke, and they're going to stay that way even as their stagecoach plummets off the cliff.

-Eric

Re:Not sure XBox 360 will ever be the king

[elrous0]

Most people also aren't interesting in watching TV shows and movies on their computer screens either. The big advantage of MS's service is that it connects right to your TV or HDTV. Apple may negate this advantage somewhat with their iTV box, but it would have to sell a lot of units to compare to the 360's already-substantial install base.

-Eric

Re:Accounts and clients suck

[earnest murderer]

The matter gets worse when they want you to install software to download. Not only do I need the iTunes client to download from Apple, but now I have to install a Yahoo client to download a non-DRM MP3, and I'll probably have to go into the registry to keep it from showing up in my "tray" at startup.

Use emusic instead? No client or DRM.

What will Sony and Skype want me to do? Who knows. But if they're trying to attract new customers, my advice would be to try and make it easier.

Don't underestimate Sony's ability to fail. This isn't exactly their first attempt at a "music store" or a whole lot of other things? It seems that when one of their divisions wants to produce a new product the MBA's from all their other divisions swarm it and synergize... presumably with baseball bats.

Maybe the Skype founders have something up their sleeve, but if you are playing middle man to someone else's content you can bet there are plenty of other people who will work harder for less money.