Among the first titles to be offered by Columbia Pictures, Tri-Star, ScreenGems and Sony Pictures Classics are Bugsy, Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, and Stand By Me. Subscribers of AT&T Mobile TV, which is set to launch next month, will be the first to use the PIX network.
"PIX will give viewers their own personal movie theater wherever they take their mobile phones," said Eric Berger, vice president of mobile entertainment for Sony Pictures Television. "With an incredible library of quality Hollywood hits, it's a mobile destination channel for convenient, enjoyable entertainment, and the latest offering in SPT's distinctive portfolio of mobile games and video."
Sony is in talks with other studios but has not named any specifically, nor has it mentioned any pricing model for the system. Analysts say the pricing schemes are likely to be set by the carriers themselves, with some opting for a pay-per-use option and some possibly going with an ad-supported free service.
There are some obvious problems that might jump out at consumers however. The screen-size of many mobile phones, or portable media players, is considered by many to be too small to attract an average consumer. Also, PIX is not an on-demand service. Instead it will take a TV-schedule approach with movies, which means that at the times when users are more likely to use the service (commuting etc.) they might end up in the middle of a film or video instead of at the start.
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Written by: James Delahunty @ 2 Apr 2008 0:09
