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YouTube seals deals with major studios to compete with iTunes
Google-owned YouTube plans to expand the premium on-demand video rental services offered through its website. Earlier this week, Google and YouTube reportedly closed deals with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Brothers, Universal and Lionsgate to offer filmed content from these studios as streaming rentals -- including access to new releases the same day as competing movie-on-demand services. YouTube's new service is expected to compete with market leaders in the online video rental market: Apple and Amazon. In an effort to generate revenue with professionally produced content, YouTube began offering premium video rentals on its website about a year ago, starting with a limited number of films from the Sundance Film Festival, Weinstein Co. and MGM. But the Google subsidiary has struggled to transform its 130 million monthly users into a sizable audience for its paid and ad-supported feature films. This week's licensing agreements that expand YouTube's library of rental titles may help more customers see value in paying the website for access to Hollywood films and make it a more competitive rival to Apple's iTunes and Amazon's Instant Video services. Google isn't the only big brand making big moves in the streaming video business. According to The Hollywood Reporter, both DirecTV and Dish Network are exploring subscription streaming service businesses to challenge Netflix and iTunes. Meanwhile, cable television provider Comcast is trying to negotiate deals to offer premium video-on-demand options that would allow cable subscribers to enjoy new movies only 6–8 weeks after their theatrical release dates.
Norio Ohga, former Sony chairman and multimedia pioneer, dies at 81
There's more sad news out of Japan this morning, we're afraid -- Sony is reporting that former chairman Norio Ohga passed away in Tokyo yesterday from multiple organ failure. He was 81. You may not personally remember a Sony under his reign -- Ohga directly helmed the company from 1982 to 1995 after decades of service in product planning -- but Norio Ohga was arguably the man responsible for turning Sony from a high-profile analog electronics manufacturer into a digital multimedia conglomerate. He helmed the deals that formed Sony Music, paved the way for Sony Pictures and established the very same Sony Computer Entertainment that would birth the PlayStation, and it was he who pushed the optical compact disc standard that all but replaced the magnetic cassettes and diskettes that held portable media. Without him, DVDs and Blu-rays might have fallen by the wayside, and that's another thought that brings tears to our eyes. You'll find Ohga's official obituary after the break.
Crackle for iOS brings free movies and TV shows to iPads, iPhones
After appearing on Android, Bravia TV connected platforms, the PS3 and Roku, Sony's Crackle has finally brought its ad-supported movie and TV show streaming act to iOS. The iPad / iPhone / iPod Touch clients also have an advantage over their Android counterparts, like the PS3 and Google TV apps they have access to extra content from the website (all in SD resolution) which now includes episodes from Seinfeld and movies like Pineapple Express. While senior VP Eric Berger tells USA Today the name is a reference to the need for content to "crackle" or be special, there's plenty of fluff in the catalog along with many well known older shows and movies. Still, at the low, low price of $0 we're sure you'll find something worthwhile.
DirecTV's $30 per rental premium video on-demand service launches Thursday
If the actual trip to the movie theater was the only thing preventing you from checking out Adam Sandler, Brooklyn Decker and Jennifer Aniston in Just Go With It, you can still check it out before it arrives on Blu-ray or DVD starting Thursday thanks to DirecTV's new premium video on-demand service. The Hollywood Reporter mentions Sony's flick will be the first one on the service and is already available for preordering on the new Home Premiere service, available only to customers with the satellite company's HD DVRs, which is about 6 million people. As far as DRM, HDMI is required but only a "digital watermarking technology" is mentioned. The next several flicks planned for the service include The Adjustment Bureau (Universal), Cedar Rapids (Fox) and Hallpass (Warner Bros.); they will be available for two weeks at a $29.99 pricetag, in 1080p with 48 hour viewing windows. Movie theater owners don't seem thrilled by the new service, we guess the next question is whether or not you are -- the poll is after the break.
Theater owners ready to fight over $30, 60-day window VOD movies
While we're not exactly in a hurry to spend $30 each on 60-day delayed movie rentals, theater owners are quite upset by the whole premium video-on-demand plan apparently being pushed by Warner, Sony, Fox and Universal. The most active objector so far appears to be AMC Theaters, which announced yesterday (press release after the break) it would notify studios that it plans to "adapt its economic model" regarding movies bound for p-VOD. What it wants is likely a bigger slice of the revenue and also a heads up on which movies will be getting the earlier releases. Rival theater chains Regal and Cinemark have already expressed plans to cut promotion and screens for movies headed to p-VOD, but without any official announcement it's still not clear which movies those will be. Of course, cutting down promo and screens cuts into the theater's own revenue, so we'll wait to see who blinks first. (Hint: it won't be us -- we wouldn't pay $30 to watch The Adjustment Bureau on Mars, much less in our own living rooms on DirecTV, Vudu or Comcast.)
DirecTV, Comcast, Vudu could start offering 'premium VOD' $30 movie rentals in April
Despite the questionable appeal of watching movies two months after they come out in theaters for $30 a pop, The Hollywood Reporter reports Warner Bros., Sony, Fox and Universal are going ahead with their premium video on-demand scheme. According to the always helpful unnamed insiders, DirecTV will be launching the service nationally at the end of April, with Walmart-backed Vudu and a regional launch by Comcast soon after. Company Town mentions movies like The Adjustment Bureau, Paul, or Just Go With It could be among launch titles. There's no word on DRM although apparently Paramount has taken a pass specifically due to piracy concerns -- theater owners aren't happy either -- so we'll just wait and see if the quality of scene rips suddenly make a jump by this time next month. Either way, expect some new variation of Gregor and his lap giraffe to make an appearance soon.
Sony licenses Microsoft's PlayReady DRM
No one really likes DRM, but until Hollywood realizes what we already know -- it is more trouble than it's worth -- it is a fact of life for those who wish to enjoy premium content at home. And in the world of DRM, when it comes to digital distribution, there are two giants; Apple's FairPlay and Microsoft's PlayReady. But while Apple doesn't license its technology to anyone, Microsoft is more than happy to add a name to its long list of licensees. The latest to join that list is Sony, and although we have no idea what said company has in mind, the new Blu-ray players announced at CES will be the first to sport it. Our best guess is that this has something to do with UltraViolet, which seems logical considering the PlayReady is one of the few DRM systems approved by UltraViolet and the CTO of Sony Pictures also happens to be the president of the industry group behind UltraViolet.
Fifth Resident Evil movie in the works, scheduled for 2012
Like the zombies it's based off of, the Resident Evil movie franchise will not die. Although the fifth film has yet to be subtitled, it does have a date. "Resident Evil 5" will be in theaters -- in 3D, of course -- on September 14, 2012. There's good reason for the hastened production schedule for yet another sequel. According to Box Office Mojo, last year's Resident Evil film, Afterlife, was the highest grossing in the series, generating over $236 million, which is "about as much as the first three movies combined," the site notes. Afterlife enjoyed success in international markets and generated additional revenue through its 3D presentations. According to the report, about 80 percent of Afterlife's domestic revenue came from its extra-dimensional screenings. With the success of Resident Evil on the silver screen, it's no surprise Capcom and Sony Pictures are trying to strike gold again. In addition to Resident Evil, a Devil May Cry film is also in the works.
Taxi Driver comes to Blu-ray for its 35th Anniversary April 5th
Yet another classic flick finally has a Blu-ray release date now that Sony Pictures has announced Taxi Driver will be released April 5th. There's plenty of extras in store, with the inclusion of a commentary by the director Martin Scorsese and the writer Paul Schrader recorded in 1986 by the Criterion Collection for the Laserdisc, and an exclusive "Script to Screen" feature that scrolls the original script along with stage notes onscreen as the movie plays and points out the differences. Along with a 5.1 audio track, the picture has been remastered in 4K from the original and approved by both the cinematographer and director for this release. It's hard to find anything missing from this release of an iconic film starring Robert DeNiro and Jodie Foster, check the press release after the break for all the details.
Sony schedules The Social Network Blu-ray for release January 11, 2011
After an impressive run in theaters and a recent slew of year end awards, it's no surprise Sony Pictures has quickly scheduled the release of The Social Network on Blu-ray for January 11, 2011. The two disc set includes extras like a commentary with director David Fincher, another with writer Aaron Sorkin and the cast, a documentary about the making of the movie and more. Of course, we think they really might be missing out if there's not some sort of BD-Live powered Facebook checkin included, but that's just us.
Sony launches a Salt on the App Store
Remember Salt? No, not the tasty mineral humans require in moderate amounts, but the Angelina Jolie movie from this summer. Way late for the theatrical release, but just in time for next week's DVD and Blu-ray retail versions, Sony Pictures has released an iPhone and iPad game based on the film. The good news is that the side-scrolling action game is free. The bad news is the game. See for yourself after the break.
The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Film in 3D Blu-ray review
It's hard to believe that the 2010 World Cup was just a few months ago, but even though many 3D events have come since, it was certainly the biggest broadcast at the time and this week viewers at home can archive it with Sony's The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Film in 3D disc. This 3D Blu-ray disc (don't even try it in 2D players, we have no idea what will happen but the warnings are very somber -- we suspect a universe eating wormhole) captures 64 minutes of action from all the key games and matchups from South Africa in the highest quality you'll find. While we're currently experiencing an unprecedented flood of movie releases on Blu-ray 3D, this is our first opportunity to dive into some real sports action, check after the break to see if we found it worth the effort.
Sony Pictures schedules Resident Evil, Piranha flicks for Blu-ray 3D release
Sony Pictures queued up a couple of new Blu-ray 3D releases, revealing that Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D will arrive on shelves December 28, while Piranha 3D is getting ready for a January 11, 2011 release across 3D, Blu-ray 2D and DVD formats. The December release schedule is quickly filling up with 3D, with Despicable Me, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore and Step Up 3D already slated for retail release next month. Check after the break for a full list of special features on both, plus another box shot and trailer for Resident Evil.
Sony, IMAX & Discovery's 3D channel to feature content from... Sony, IMAX & Discovery
Sony, IMAX and Discovery announced at CES this year that they would be bringing a new 3D network home next year, and now they've laid out some of the initial content that will be airing on it. No surprise, we guess, that it's a mix of their own catalogs, but we figure content starved 3DTV owners will be very happy to see this mix of documentaries and feature films including Monster House and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. Check the pres release after the break for the full list, while they didn't put a specific launch date other than 2011 we're already thinking CES in January is as good a time as any.
Sony queues up The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Film in 3D on Blu-ray for November
Just in case you missed out on the 3D broadcast of this year's World Cup or if you simply want to relive the experience, Sony has followed through on its promise of a Blu-ray 3D release, scheduled for November 16. If there's any disappointment (other than remembering the United States team's exit against Ghana) it's that despite a $39.95 MSRP ($27.99 on Amazon currently) it has a running time of a mere 64 minutes and no extras are listed yet. Of course, if you're looking for something to hold you over until 2014, we guess this will have to do, but even if you don't purchase we're sure this is a demo disc that will be playing in Sony Style stores for quite a while.
Monster House 3D Blu-ray reviewed, hints Sony's skills are improving
If your 3DTV and eyes are moaning from endless replays of the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 3D Blu-ray, High-Def Digest says Sony's second 3D Blu-ray release, Monster House, can provide some relief. Besides gushing over the "spectacular" 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer, they note that Sony has fixed the issue of background smearing and image ghosting present in the few other 3D Blu-ray titles out there like Cloudy and Monsters vs Aliens. The "impressive" DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack was also deemed a great improvement over the original Blu-ray release's English PCM 5.1 version. Combined with the refreshing lack of pointy-objects-in-your-face 3D gimmick shots and accurate color reproduction, they gave the title 4.5 out of 5 stars for both HD video and audio quality -- which certainly isn't kids stuff. Good news aside, it probably won't make up for the scorn of Pansonic's Avatar exclusive for those using LG, Sony or Samsung gear, but then again, you can always just rent Dances With Wolves if you just need to belong. To read the full review, hit the source link below.
Warner has six Blu-ray 3D discs headed to retail November 16, Sony brings along Open Season
We're not sure if they were just waiting for the PlayStation 3's Blu-ray 3D update to be officially announced, but Warner Bros. has finally responded to our pleas and mentioned a few Blu-ray 3D discs that are headed for retail without any exclusive bundling holding them back. Home Media Magazine reports that among them, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore will be a day-and-date release along with the standard DVD and Blu-ray editions, while the other five are Clash of the Titans, The Polar Express, IMAX Deep Sea 3D, IMAX Under the Sea 3D and IMAX Space Station 3D, all sporting $44.95 MSRPs. According to SVP Dorinda Marticorena, this push "is just the beginning" and timed to capitalize on an increase in sales of Blu-ray 3D hardware during the holidays. No doubt, as Sony Pictures has also apparently dated the release of Open Season in 3D for November 16 as well, the same day A Christmas Carol arrives -- 3D early adopters mark your calendars appropriately.
Sony planning to expand Crackle presence on PSN
Speaking with the New York Times about its web-based video content portal Crackle.com (it's not a TV channel, folks), Sony execs ambiguously noted that "an expansion is in the works" for the service on PlayStation Network. Currently, Crackle content is available through PSN in the "Featured Collections" video section, offering some free and some paid programming (as seen above). Through its web portal, Crackle avails a sizeable piece of Sony Pictures' film collection as well (read: over 200), though, currently, these films are only offered on PSN behind a pay gate. In the future -- with any luck, at least -- we might find ourselves perusing that same, streamable selection of films at no charge from the comfort of our living room couch. Or we might just see more content in general from Crackle making its way to PSN in a similar, partially paid structure. Yeah, we're betting on the latter too.
Sony's second retail Blu-ray 3D, Monster House, goes on sale September 14
Add one more to the list of retail Blu-ray 3D discs, now that Sony Pictures has put a date on Monster House. Due September 14, Sony Pictures' website currently lists the same special features included on the original Blu-ray release back in '06, which we expect to see included in the package, just like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and a similar $39.95 MSRP. Outside of these kids features, the Blu-ray 3D is looking very dry for the near future, while IMAX: Grand Canyon Adventure has been announced for October 26, we're still waiting to find out when Sony is shipping Open Season and Resident Evil: Afterlife, and when the other movies currently locked in as exclusive pack-in offers will go on sale.
Sony plans to launch Sony Pictures Movies HD, FEARNet linear channel later this year
Get ready for a few more movie channels to hit your guide listing, as the L.A. Times reports it's heard Sony is planning to launch two new channels later this year. The first is the familiar FEARNet, currently existing as a video on-demand only provider that it hopes to get in more homes by adding a traditional channel, and the other would be an all new Sony Pictures Movies HD venture. So far Sony Pictures hasn't pursued its own movie network in the US but it does have channels overseas, and this would be a high definition channel along the lines (and pricing) of MGM HD. It doesn't have the three screen flair of EPIX HD, but if we can get some OAR movies with proper surround sound, that would be something to look forward to.
