BitTorrent to open video download store

BitTorrent, a company who's popularity results from million of file sharers' use of its software, is soon to open a legal video download site. BitTorrent spokeswoman Lily Lin said the company is now in talks with several content providers. "We want to aggregate video and other content and make it available in a legal and sanctioned area," says BitTorrent co-founder and president Ashwin Navin. The company doesn't give any details on what video will be available however.

One major advantage of an online store was pointed out by BitTorrent. "It's going to run the gamut because we don't have limited shelf space," Navin says. With millions of file sharers downloading movies using P2P networks or the BitTorrent software, it's time for the movie industry to offer a proper legal alternative that will be familiar to consumers. The use of BitTorrent to distribute movies has an advantage in that millions of people already understand it and use it regularly.

Of course, the company will have to ensure the MPAA and others that its service is secure and that their content will be adequately protected. The company believes it can find a solution that will be good for both sides. "The MPAA tells us that 650,000 movies are being downloaded every year, and nobody�s getting paid," Lin says. "We see P2P being utilized so that the publisher, the artist and the ISPs all get paid for the content."

Source:
Light Reading

Written by: James Delahunty @ 2 Mar 2006 7:13

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30 comments

wheelman7

It really is the Movie industries fault for all the illegal downloading, if they would have stayed with the times and provided people with a legal alterative years ago thins would not be as bad as they claim.

2.3.2006 10:25 #1

hummus19

i think most of those 650,000 are on my mantle. fuck 'em.

2.3.2006 15:40 #2

ZippyDSM

as long as the video is good quilty I dont see no harm in it,also if the price is resaonable a month fee of 5-20 or a single download of 1-10 and the format is somehtign I can easily either leave as a file to save space on a DVD or make a full vid DVD DVD.
altho why do I ahve this feeling you are not going to have a choice in format or qauilty 0-o
but tis a start in the end we all want the industy to open its fing monoply on DVD/CD prices....

2.3.2006 15:52 #3

arcanix

Quote:The MPAA tells us that 650,000 movies are being downloaded every year, and nobody�s getting paid By one person maybe. If we look at piratebay, lord of war movie has been downloaded over 1 million times since november 25th 2005. There's also one movie that's been downloaded over 30 million times.

2.3.2006 23:36 #4

WarForOil

I can see nothing wrong with legally downloaded movies providing the price is justified for what you are getting, lets not forget that for many people to download a large file it takes heaps of time not forgeting the costs of the computer and the monthly isp charges etc.We shouldnt forget either that the savings to the film industry not having to mass produce the a dvd and transport it to every shop etc, they no doubt wont pass this saving onto the consumer, same happened to the cd, you pay 79pence to download 1 track the cost is more expensive than buying the cd from a store where you get the case the booklet etc.Total greed on whos behalf, i doubt the artists get anymore then they would from store sales, shame most bands dont via there website sell direct to the public minus the money to the big moguls, however downloaded movies are never going to as good quality quality picture and sound as the dvd counterpart so i hope this is reflected in the price.I see nothing wrong with a fee of say �4 a movie, they would still rake in billions from sales.This will have a knock on effect to the piracy problems as well, well piracy sales at least.

3.3.2006 01:06 #5

ktulu14

@ Warforoil, i even think that �4 is too much. i know where i can get films for �2 on the QT. The only way to make this a going concern is to keep the price really low, and to ensure that the transfer rate is kept high. People will not bother with this when they know that they can get a better connection speed from a "pirate" torrent site rather than the "legit" site. the best format for the downloads would be hi quality DivX, and as it is the film only you want, there is no need to charge a high fee for the file. It will be interesting to see how this takes off in the coming months, but will it be as "successful" as iTunes?? I don't know.

3.3.2006 02:46 #6

ZippyDSM

ktulu14
I DOUT they will use universal files you kind have to sell your soul away to get premession from the MPAA/RIAA it will be some DRM locked media but the question is will be be a crapy M$ dependant thing like napster or somehtign that kinda works like Itunes.
Its always cost vrs pain BT is free but you have quilty and renameing issues adn even then the moive not be worth it in the end with a paid plan you should get speed and accuery at the least but wil it be wirth the DRM and them choseing what media you can place the moive on,it seems to me fair use has been compeltey throwen out the window much like with CD protections it wont stop the problem pll will always hack it your better off enfocreing fair use laws and letting pll do with what they want to with the media once they pay for it.

3.3.2006 04:30 #7

iccee

Just look at iTunes, Napster, and Rhapsody...I think people will slowly start getting their movies legally and it will take off. If might be a rocky start, but it will catch on and then things will get better for them. I think they are just trying to take the corner so that they can pull in the most off this idea. Just wait till apple offers the service though...iPod Movies will really tell the tale if it is going to be an idea the works or not...

3.3.2006 06:30 #8

Persbian

I think there are a few obstacles to overcome that sets this apart from the iTunes idea.

1) popular movies are pirated sometimes even before they are released in the theaters. the MPAA definitely wont release the downloads as soon as the theatrical release-it would definitely attract some moviegoers to stay in and download it, which means significantly lower box-office numbers...and less profit (if theaters get less business, they will pay less to buy the rights to a movie, not to mention that legal downloads of movies should be nowhere near 8$ or whatever the skyrocketting ticket prices are now). In contrast, I speculate that music is available as soon as the release date, which is generally when piracy begins. I don't use iTunes, so I dont know for sure.

2) Even if they offer a cheap means and have all the bandwith and what have you, if movies are downloaded via torrent, they will undoubtedly include some sort of anti-copying mechanisms..think about it-if you could copy it to CD and give it to all your friends, they are unlikely to provide the service. I wont be surprised if the MPAA eventually moves to the idea of 'internet lockers' or whatever steve jobs was developing. It's an interesting idea because people will be able to access their 'files' from anywhere, but at the same time, quality must be hampered, and without having the physical (or digital) product to show for the price you would pay, is it worth it?

even if they overcome all the obstacles and provide movies with copying restrictions built in...people will rent becaues they can copy the dvd or vhs at home and keep themselves a copy, albeit illegally.

3.3.2006 06:48 #9

Persbian

3.3.2006 06:49 #10

banagher

Seeing as i live in a town in the relative middle of nowhere and dont have a cinema within a 25mile radius, i think that legal downloads would be great. I gave up downloading movies from torrent sites because i much prefer to wait till they come out on DVD. The quality of both sound and video is much better than anything you can download at the moment.

The one thing they have to get right, if people are going to pay for them then they are going to have to give them "decent" quality as i for one wouldnt pay for some of the ones that are around now. Yes they will be probably heavily protected but if it meant i could watch a dvd in the comfort of my own home without having to trapse off to either the video shop or the cinema then i will be one of their customers.

One of the things i can see being a downer would be is the fact that ISP's will still throttle the downloads and probably throttle them more if people take that service up.

All in all it could be a good service but i can see their being plenty of problems with it

A phones not just for christmas, if your lucky the credit will last to new year...

3.3.2006 06:56 #11

ripfuel

The MPAA does not need any more damn $$$$$$.

3.3.2006 12:11 #12

ZippyDSM

banagher
yup am that currently used to live in city and cabed it to the movies once every few months 30-60 easy and frankly not worth it its jsut easier to downlaod it and see if its worse trying to get to.hell the only thign that would make me want to sleep out by the threater to get earily tickets is anime on the big screen and that anit happening in any mid to small citys 0-o

3.3.2006 14:41 #13

DVDBack23

Quote:By one person maybe. If we look at piratebay, lord of war movie has been downloaded over 1 million times since november 25th 2005. There's also one movie that's been downloaded over 30 million times.Yeah, those numbers from the MPAA are way off. Although ive never seen anything close to 30 million downloads (star wars workprint and harry potter 4 being the closest), it is safe to say that many good quality movies are downloaded millions of times, from a variety of sources.

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3.3.2006 15:39 #14

hummus19

i cant wait to buy movies online with a new pricing policy.

how lucky can i get? probably get a format that is not compatible with anything and destroys itself after 1 viewing, is illegal to modify/burn in any manner and all that for the new low price of 2 dollars more than it would be at wal-mart. cant wait.

4.3.2006 12:30 #15

mikey_ray

ok i have bben saying this for years:
there is a way to make money MPAA if you pay attention k

here goes:
first off when the movie is released on the big screen wait two weeks after its initial big box office run make it availible online for download for 3 dollars(but)
make it availible an a loose format like ver ruff VCD quality and make the size of the video small to where even if they blow it up it looks a lil crappy--
but people can enjoy it on a small size portables but not big screen-----that way you made a lil extra money--like an itunes download---if i didnt want to gop to see that particular movie at a theater i would download it ----then if its good buy the dvd whe it comes out--therefore you got extra money from me--for a movie i wasent even going to see----
plus if it was an awesome movie i would go to theater then download it --or the opposite------

i think that is a neat strategy----because you will never stop pirates---but you can do them one over---cause pirate handheld copys suck--i would rather watch the smaller version----from the studio---just my opinion

6.3.2006 03:29 #16

ZippyDSM

mikey_ray
that sounds great and reasonable but they are more intrested in putting you in jail for copying your owen wedding video or downloading a MP3 that was not made in the US and dose have any C-P owenrs in the US (bascily the shit they pulled to close soem great free MP3 sites becuse they had MP3s that didnt have any Copy rights violiated)

6.3.2006 06:06 #17

hot_ice

I can rent my new movie releases for 1.15 cents. Why in the world would I want to pay 4-6$ for a download that honestly takes a lot of time, frustration, and impatience to have.

Personally, I will stick to cheap movie rentals, so they can nimble on it with their crappy alternative.

6.3.2006 17:56 #18

hot_ice

Nibble i mean oops mistake and no my movies...

6.3.2006 17:57 #19

ZippyDSM

*blink blink*
Are you ok hot ice? I hope my negitve IQ is not spreading 0-o

Downloading moives is a pian between the renameing,quailty and copurtion its easier to rent it,altho I like downloading to preview,I am glad I previewed the doom moive god it was worse the VCD qauilty to 0-o

6.3.2006 19:01 #20

mikey_ray

well hot ice --if you read my post- i meant movies that are still in wide release--not yet availible on dvd for rent for 1.15 cents------downloading does take a long time---but remember these pirates are already downloading gigabyte files of a crappy videocam movie---why not make it availible onl;ine at a file size of like 300 mbits --pirates would pay a few bucks to see a better copy even if it is smaller--
(as to my post above)

7.3.2006 01:49 #21

mikey_ray

and people say well only a few will buy the file then pirate that file-----true--but if its an official site the download speeds would be like 6 x quicker the torrents with small seeds --etc---so a 20 minute download of a movie sounds better the waiting 6 or 7 hours
worth 2-3 dollars for me

7.3.2006 01:53 #22

hot_ice

Downloads are terrible, I am impatient, I can't handle the wait.

And yes Zippy, even I babble incoherencies it seems...

7.3.2006 01:55 #23

mr335

If they want to do it right,they movies release should coincide with the theatrical release.It should be put out in high-def through current cable providers on demand.You would not have to download anything and you could fastforward,rewind and pause the movie or even come back to it after a bit.One time only viewing.After all,you don't get a copy of the movie when you view it at the theater.Plus the high-def quality beats anything you can get at the movie theater.Home theater joins the 21st century.

7.3.2006 08:27 #24

ZippyDSM

hot_ice
and it seems I have bouts of brillance..altho its much much rarer 0-o

mr335
the trouble wiht that is not everyone has the
"going to be out of date in year"
1.0 version of Hi def if you can even call i that....and not everone has 10+MB cable net.
plus what happens when your power goes out you crash or some over thing you have no controll over...of corse you'll just have to buy that time again I guess...><

7.3.2006 09:25 #25

mr335

Yeah and what if my house blows up or there's a hurricane or my dog eats my TV or iran nukes us or...

7.3.2006 16:02 #26

P_Quinn

My TV's just eaten my dog!
'crappy videocam movie'??? you don't have to download it. The 'cam' in the title gives it away. I stick to XviD DVD rips, or DVD isos, quality almost always excellent. And I get review copies before film's release date...
MPAA can't stop it, torrent sites will just relocate to more lawless countries, former USSR etc

9.3.2006 13:28 #27

ZippyDSM

P_Quinn
that might help if the quality of the writing/acting was something to remember 0-o

9.3.2006 14:24 #28

xanthony

STOP YOUR WHINNING MPAA!!!
Alright, I haven't posted for a long while, but I feel strongly on this.
Between the high cost of seeing a movie in the theater to the chance of getting busted for purchasing or illegally DLing a movie, the MPAA is making there money. I'm tired of hearing them whine about all the money they're losing. Regardless of what happens, no one at the MPAA/ Actors guild is going to get the pink slip because we get their movie at a discount or free.
It's much like the sports arena... the proffesional athlete asks for more, they give it and hand us the bill. All of this in the name of entertainment. It's wrong and THEY should be held accountable for their own Fankenstien!
Yes, they should set up a service like iTunes and charge a monthly fee or a per DL fee. But just like renting a movie, who cares if it's copied?!?! As long as it's not shared or sold, big deal! They've made their money, the service has made their money.
I personally have purchased over 300 movies new and used and very rarely do I watch them repeatedly, I look at all the money I've spent and think they have made there's just fine.
Instead of all the whining about loss and showing us numbers of illegally DLed movies how about showing us your net profit off the release of a movie in theaters or on video. Better yet, show us some numbers of how often your movies are rented or purchased!!!
STOP YOUR WHINNING MPAA!!!!

10.3.2006 01:35 #29

will5317

I can not understand what MPAA has a problem with. Paying someone to download a movie, or going to Walmart and buy the movie for 5.50. Half of my collection of movies were bought from Walmart for 5.50. Normal price 19.50. If the price of DVD movies were 5.50 every where. There would be no need to download and buy all the software, computer, internet, discs, labels, disc containers, and all the other stuff that is necessary to collect movies, or copy movies. It is only greed that causes these issues.

11.3.2006 16:15 #30

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