AfterDawn: News

Full-length Sony films headed to YouTube?

According to a Cnet report, the popular online video sharing site YouTube is currently in negotiations with Sony Pictures in an effort to bring full-length videos to the site.

Although neither company has commented on the rumor, the report says YouTube is pushing for free, ad-supported versions of the movies, similar to Hulu.



The video sharing site continues to struggle to get major studios on board for full-length features, but over the year has made deals with major record labels to carry music videos. More recently, YouTube signed a deal with Disney to carry ABC, Disney and ESPN TV shows.

The source says any "formal agreement for Sony would give owners of mobile devices with full YouTube clients, like the iPhone and multiple HTC Touch series phones, access to whole movies for free or near-free as long as the movies themselves aren't deliberately excluded from non-web visitors."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 6 Apr 2009 15:44

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• 4 comments

• plazma247

  come on sony my HTC Touch PRO needs more films :) hehe

  8.4.2009 03:07 #1

• champman

  I know this will eventually lead to paid-for premium copies. Nothing good is free, even if its YouTube.
  
  Firstly, YouTube just streams video and thats it. Whereas Sky, Virgin, BT, etc.. can store new films to watch as many times within a 24 hour period. If you can save the film to stream as many times within the rental period then that would be more attractive.
  
  I'd rather pay 3 pounds to watch it in comfort on my 50" HDTV than my PC's 24". Sitting over 1 hour to watch a crap film on my PC or with friends isn't my idea of fun.

  17.4.2009 00:07 #2

• plazma247

  Think thats why all the new ranges of tellys/BD players etc are geared to net streamig..

  17.4.2009 02:19 #3

• champman

  Originally posted by plazma247: Think thats why all the new ranges of tellys/BD players etc are geared to net streamig..Good point, just remembered about that after reading about the new blu-ray player from Panasonic. Thats more like it. Nothing TV wise available for UK market. Now our old broadband network will collapse if its readily available via usual entertainment ways, bring it on!
  
  Just a shame the old films from the per-80's announced for YouTube is to made available for just the US. I'll have to use proxies then to view it then.

  19.4.2009 03:16 #4