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'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' Released on USB
Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 02:00 PM ETTags: Industry Trends, Paramount (all tags)
Kingston and Paramount have teamed up to bring the much watched Transformers sequel directly to USB.
Paramount Digital Entertainment has announced that they’ve signed a deal with Kingston to bring their films to USB drives and SD cards, but the release of 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' just has us scratching our heads.
Everyone seems to agree that digital distribution is the future of entertainment, but just how it will be delivered seems to be in strong contention. Netflix and Hulu take a streaming approach, while Blockbuster and Amazon go for a pay per view sort of download service. Kingston and Paramount have, on the other hand, created a way to combine the inconvenience of having to leave the house to purchase a movie with the video quality of a stream.
For $30, consumers are able to pick up the newest Transformers film on a 4GB USB drive. According to Kingston, users simply need to plug the USB drive into their computer to play the file, but details on what format the file will be in and what kind of DRM will be involved aren’t there.
There’s also no information on the quality of the video included, but since it’s on a 4GB drive, we can assume it’s not up to Blu-ray standards.
All this wouldn’t be so bad if the cost of the USB drive and movie were less than the two purchased separately, but for $30, that just isn’t the case, as a quick Amazon search quickly confirms.
Paramount says that more movies are coming via USB sticks and SD cards, but if a $30 price tag and less than impressive visuals are what we’re getting, expect the trend to end soon.
Source: Video Business
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Paramount DVDs and Blu-rays Coming Too Fast For Theater Owners
Mon Oct 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Paramount, Industry Trends (all tags)
While a quick turnaround for Blu-ray and DVD releases may please consumers, theater owners are calling foul.
Paramount has sparked the ire of the North Association of Theater Owners (NATO) with the incredibly quick release of a pair of films to home video. The release dates in question involve 'The Goods,' starring Jeremy Piven, and 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' starring a lot of people who should have known better.
Falling only 88 days after the theatrical release, these movies beat the 129 day industry average by over a full month. When considering that 'G.I Joe' in particular had a fairly long tail, this window seems even shorter. The worry from NATO of course, is that these quick releases will mean a decrease in theater revenue.
Ellis Jacob of Cineplex believes that consumers will be less likely to see movies at the theater if availability increases. “We at Cineplex have invested a lot of money in our theaters and in new technology such as 3D,” he says. “So when something like this happens, it creates an issue with people from the standpoint of entertainment choices. If a guest of ours knows a movie is going to be on DVD in less than 90 days, then they know that if they miss it they can catch it on DVD not too much later.”
NATO president John Fithian took a less diplomatic tact, saying “Our members are ballistic. We don't know what Paramount is up to, but it's highly objectionable.”
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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