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DESCRIPTION OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Film industry
is slow to embrace the internet as a media
The Film industry is still fighting a losing battle to prevent piracy.
The Motion Pictures Association of America is working to enact laws
that will penalize those who surreptitiously record films in movie theaters.
 Spiderman 2 |
Meanwhile, 10 million people
online have already downloaded bootleg copies of ``Spider-Man'' or ``Star
Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones.'' A summer blockbuster like
"Spiderman 2 is now likely to be on the piracy chopping block.
The Film industry is spending more time on preventing illegal distribution
of movies online while its not doing much to devise ways to adopt the
Internet as a medium for legal distribution of movies. Movie companies
must embrace the Internet and try to address demands for movies by accelerating
their licensing of content for online distribution. Movies should be
available online the same day DVDs are available in stores.
Online Piracy , Bootlegging & Napsterization of the film industry
A new generation of file-swapping services -- including Morpheus, Kazaa,
Limewire and iMesh -- has allowed computer users to find and trade movie
files with similar ease. File trading is done directly over instant-messaging
services provided by America Online, Yahoo and Microsoft. As many as
400,000 to 600,000 illicit copies of films are downloaded every day.
There is an increased activity on IRC to share online film copies,
Internet Relay Chat -- a sophisticated network of servers that
requires users to know pass codes and basic code language and offer
something to barter as the price of admission. The growing problem of
online piracy could be costing film makers as much as 20 to 30 per cent
of their home entertainment take.
A further problem is indicated by a study at AT&T Labs that found
the majority of current films are leaked to peer-to-peer networks from
inside the industry. John Stanley, Marketing Director of home entertainment
at 20th Century Fox, fears that every part of the chain of making and
releasing a movie is now vulnerable.
Online rental services
gaining popularity
Success of Netfilx has proved that users are ready to shift base from
Blockbuster shops to rental movies online. Netflix has made the movie
rental experience delightful to the users. The simple drop-ship method
at reasonable subscription fee has clicked with the user. This may slowly
shift the movie rentals completely online in coming years.
Download-to-own and streaming
options
Major studios are partnering with online companies who have taken up
the task of providing legal downloads or streaming of movies at pay-per-view
basis by www.cinemanow.com and www.movielink.com
 CinemaNow subscription, streaming and downloads |
CinemaNow, a pioneer in Internet-based video-on-demand, has become the leading destination for the authorized downloading and streaming of feature films on the Internet. It also introduced a download-to-own feature, or what's called "digital sell-through," which lets people buy and download a permanent copy of a film for unlimited playback.
Advanced
digital media technologies and new developments
CinemaNow
introduced progressive download capabilities that are designed to let
people begin watching a newly rented movie within 30 seconds of the
start of the download. The technology also lets people view films when
they're not connected to the Internet.
The list of content partners with Cinemanow includes 20th Century Fox,
Disney, Lions Gate, MGM, Miramax and Warner Bros which indicates that
large number of studios are ready to adopt this medium.
People with Windows XP Media center can watch CinemaNow downloaded movies
on a television set; and in the second half of 2004, they will be able
to view them on a compatible portable device with Microsoft's upcoming
Portable Media Centers, via USB 2.0.
Advancements in digital media
technology like
Windows Media 9
series technology can be adopted as a single, cross-channel distribution
format by film industry to meet growing demand of users to view movies
online.
RealNetworks' new RealPlayer 10 will help drive adoption of digital
media and interoperability because it supports all major music file
formats, rights systems and a host of devices according to RealNetworks
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rob Glaser.
RealNetworks has partnered with IBM to offer a product that will
allow organizations to digitize, manage and secure their media content
as well as distribute and sell use of that content, without having to
create the technology infrastructure from the ground up.
Film industry is experiencing
a new technology termed Machinima, or machine cinema, which is
about shooting films in virtual reality. It is bringing traditional
filmmaking together with animation and games technology..
The website www.machinima.com provides complete information, tutorials,
books, production kits and software for shooting films in virtual reality.
More of Machinima will be covered in the Future category.
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OPPORTUNITIES AND
CHALLENGES
Film industry
is slow
in embracing internet
as a media
Online Piracy,
Bootlegging & Napsterization of
the film industry
Online movie
rental services gaining popularity
Download-to-own and streaming options
Advanced digital
media technologies
and new
developments