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Re-activateFor the first time, a major motion picture will be available as an Internet download before it comes out on DVD and Blu-ray. The movie, Hancock, which was in theaters this summer, will be available as a 24-hour rental from Oct. 28 through Nov. 19th to Sony Bravia TV owners.
To receive the movie, which is priced at $9.99, Bravia owners will need Sony's $300 Bravia Internet Video Link adapter and a broadband connection. As part of the promotional offering, those who buy the video stream and register online will receive a free Blu-ray copy of the movie when it's released at the end of November.
Three different streams of the movie will be offered: one 720p HD version, and two DVD-quality (480p) versions that will use different encoding for those who have lower-bandwidth connections. Once connected to the Sony website through the Bravia Internet Video Link, the service will automatically check the available bandwidth and select the most suitable stream for the customer. Presumably that means that some who'd like to get the HD version of the movie, but who have slow Internet connections, will instead be sent a 480p version. It's unclear whether you can cancel the movie after it starts playing if you decide the video quality is lower than you'd like.
This should be an interesting test of whether consumers will pay a premium for being able to access movies prior to their release on DVD and Blu-ray—and if so, how much they're willing to spend. Sony is expected to offer other Sony Pictures releases via Internet streams the day-and-date of home video availability. While other TV manufacturers have Internet-connected TVs, Sony is unique in that it also owns a major Hollywood studio.
—James K. Willcox
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