Amazon, Studios in Talks for Burn-to-DVD Movie Downloads Service
Posted Fri Mar 10, 2006 at 09:55 AM PST by
Only days after online retailer IndiePix announced
a new pay service that will allow consumers to download independent films and burn
them on a DVD, The New York Times reports that Amazon is in
advanced
negotiations with major studios Warner, Paramount and Universal for
a similar, broader, service.
Amazon's move comes at pivotal time for both the studios and online retailers.
Both industries are making a mad dash to entice tech-saavy consumers with
instant access to their products, amid a dizzying array of new internet
and on-demand services and technologies.
Although the studios have been experimenting with video-on-demand
services such as MovieBeam and MovieLink, and making select
television shows available for download on Apple's iTunes, none offer
the ability for consumers to burn purchases to a DVD disc and then play
them on any DVD-compatible device.
If talks between Amazon and the studios are successful, the launch of such a service would send shock waves through the industry. With the online retail giant's huge reach -- and a hybrid approach that would allow consumers the instant satisfaction of a download, coupled with the ability to continue to watch movies on DVD -- Amazon could quickly bring movie downloads to the masses.