Is Fox Trying to Fire Up a New Media Download Service or Burn Everyone With Silly Restrictions?
Digital Journal — News Corp. wants to fit in with the cool crowd. Funny enough, in the media industry, you’re only cool if you go high-tech. Now one of the largest media conglomerates is trying to win online fans by selling downloadable copies of Twentieth Century Fox movies and TV shows.
Set to launch in October, the service will include popular films such as X-Men: The Last Stand and The Omen, selling for $20 (US) each. TV shows, like Prison Break and Bones will sell for $2 (US) an episode.
News Corp will take advantage of their social networking phenom MySpace as one hub to download TV shows and movies. But it will start with a test run on Direct2drive.com, which attracted 277,000 U.S. visitors in July.
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Set to launch in October, Fox’s new media download service will include popular films such as X-Men: The Last Stand. — Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox. |
Wait, there’s the catch: media can’t be burned to DVD or transferred to an iPod. Only Windows Media-compatible devices can play the copy-protected shows and movies, limiting the service’s appeal. As well, sales will be limited to the U.S. What a joke.
If you want to fit in, make it easy for everyone. News Corp. is breaking new ground, surely, but why not go the full monty and give everyone a chance to nab Fox properties? iPods are ubiquitous these days, yet this new opportunity will pass by Apple users. I’m calling shenanigans on this News Corp. online venture.
At the very least, though, the download service will make other media companies rethink their online strategy. Opening the door to competition, this announcement will force powerhouses like ABC and Paramount to adventure into the hinterland of online-only films and shows.
And who could possibly be enraged by this move? Wal-Mart, the middleman selling DVDs by the boat load, won’t be smiling once people start downloading flicks instead of buying hard copies. Watch for a backlash that might spark a war of words between retailers and film studios.
You’ll want to buy a large popcorn and put your feet up for this delicious drama.
