AfterDawn: News

Real offers 'unlimited' movie downloads for $12.95

The joint effort of Starz Encore, a cable TV film supplier, and Real Networks is now offering a movie pay-per-download service. The downloads are unlimited with a decent $12.95 monthly fee, but the selection of movies is limited to 100 movies which are rotated monthly.

The movies will only be playable when viewed through the RealNetworks Realplayer which has basic copy protection and some DRM rules to prevent subsequent copying. It’s seems likely that the service is really effectively a video rental transaction and that permanent copies of the film will not be allowed.
...
The original deal is a five year exclusive deal between the two where they share revenue, which means that Starz can’t change its mind and offer Microsoft Windows Media Player files, for at least another three years.

Source: ReThink

Written by: Lasse Penttinen @ 14 Jun 2004 11:41

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• 2 comments

• HawkEyez

  The new napster i can handle BUT THIS, OHH COME ON, its ridiculous, this to me is not a way to reduce level of movie downloads but a way for REAL to earn some cheap dollar!!!!

  14.6.2004 12:55 #1

• Ghostdog

  To me this sounds like a step in the right direction of offering electronic movie 'rentals'.
  
  A selection of 100 movies is pretty limited considering there are a lot of different people with different tastes in movies. Hopefully Starz Encore and Real will increase the selection.
  
  Personally I don´t really watch movies on my PC anymore, not since I finally got my TV hooked up to it (no stand-alone DVD-player yet).
  I don´t really watch movies anymore, period. No time.

  15.6.2004 09:17 #2