Here is a not yet well received device with a certain wackiness that got a boost today.
They say 100 movies available at a time; and up to 10 new movies per week. I gather the movies are all stored on the hard drive and replaced as new ones are received. What is even more bizarre is that apparently the content is received by an attached antennae which picks up a data feed from the local PBS TV station; considering that Disney - which incubated this thing - owns ABC, that's also quite ironic.
The wild card here is the ethernet/usb to broadband/PC connectivity, the Cisco/Linksys involvement and Intel (ViiV); it is stated there will be extended functionality/content later in the year using these features. That's where it could get exciting - folks with multi-megabit broadband connections downloading shows and movies in real time (even HD) from an almost infinite selection.
I understand why this would come from Disney; they do not own any cable assets and this is a way to distribute content without the cable middleman. An entity that provides boxes like this and can get content licenses can become a virtual cable company. To succeed, the device will have to handle content from many publishers and not just be a Disney box. With Cisco and Intel involved, this is a chance to create the standard by which all studios will encode and distribute their content. That's a long stretch, and nothing indicates that 100 other companies could not make boxes that do the same thing - indeed, that is the more likely scenario. The bigger prize, though, is laying down the standard by which studio content will be distributed over the internet; this may evolve into the forerunner of such devices
HOT OFF THE WIRE PORTFOLIO NEWS - from Lycos Finance
(NYSE
IS) The Walt Disney Company
MovieBeam, Inc. Launches Across the Country, Movies-On-Demand
Service Dramatically Improves the Movie-Rental Experience
- Feb 14, 2006 08:02 AM (BusinessWire)
-
http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=55721756
===========================================================================
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2006--
Newly Formed Venture Backed by Disney, Cisco, and Intel Delivers
Instant Access to Movies From the Comfort of Home, With
High-Definition Capability
MovieBeam, Inc. today introduced the new MovieBeam System and
launched its movies-on-demand service in 29 major metropolitan areas
across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, reaching
nearly half of all U.S. households. The MovieBeam movies-on-demand
service provides instant access to an ever-changing lineup of new
releases and other popular favorites from virtually every major
Hollywood studio. There are always 100 movies immediately available,
with up to 10 new titles automatically delivered digitally each week
-- including select movies in high definition (HD) -- via MovieBeam's
exclusive, low-cost over-the-air datacasting technology. The MovieBeam
System is composed of: 1) a set-top box that stores, protects and
plays movies; 2) a small indoor antenna that receives new movies to
automatically refresh the selection; and 3) a simple remote control
that facilitates navigation of the intuitive user interface.
MovieBeam, Inc. is a newly formed venture backed by The Walt
Disney Company, Cisco Sytems, Intel Corporation (through its leading
venture capital arm, Intel Capital), Mayfield Fund, Norwest Venture
Partners and VantagePoint Venture Partners (see today's related
announcement).
"We have built MovieBeam to directly address what's most important
to our target customers: convenience, quality and choice," said Tres
Izzard, president and CEO of MovieBeam, Inc. "Our target customers are
movie lovers who want a more convenient way to rent the movies they
want to watch when they want to watch them and value the overall
quality of the experience. MovieBeam provides an attractive
alternative to other options -- bringing the sizable selection of the
back wall of the video store directly into customers' living rooms.
Movies are always available for instant viewing, with no trips to
video store, no out-of-stock titles, no damaged discs, no late return
fees and no waiting by the mailbox for DVDs."
"MovieBeam, with its easy-to-use service, breakthrough content
rights, and low-cost delivery platform, is serving a previously unmet
need in the marketplace -- providing consumers with a more convenient,
higher-quality movie-rental experience through an unmatched
combination of content, technology and relationships," said Gerry
Kaufhold, principal analyst, In-Stat. "As a stand-alone company, with
a strong investor syndicate, MovieBeam is well-positioned to become an
important player in the digital entertainment business by delivering
on the promise of on-demand movies."
Key features of the new MovieBeam offering include:
-- Every new release and select popular favorites from virtually
every major Hollywood studio, with 100 movies always instantly
available and up to 10 new titles automatically delivered each
week
-- Unprecedented access to high-definition movies -- with
specially selected titles in native HD format and an HDMI
connection that up-converts standard-definition content when
connected to an HD TV
-- Breakthrough content rights, including select titles from a
major studio day-and-date with DVD release
-- Full playback functionality, with familiar controls such as
Pause, Stop, Fast-forward and Rewind
-- Intuitive user interface that sorts movies by title, genre,
actor/director and rating
-- Free full-length theatrical trailers for every movie available
for rental
-- Pay-as-you-go model, with no subscription fees and no annual
contracts
-- Simple set-up, requiring no professional installation or
special equipment
-- Personalized spending limits and parental controls
Availability and Pricing
The MovieBeam service is now available in 29 metropolitan areas
across the U.S., reaching more than 40 million households. Included in
the initial markets are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago,
Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas,
Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York City, Orlando,
Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland (Oregon), Salt Lake City, San Antonio,
San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington,
D.C.
The MovieBeam System is sold by major national consumer
electronics retailers including Best Buy, CompUSA and Sears, as well
as regional and independent retailers in the markets in which the
service is available. It will also be available through several
national Internet retailers. Additionally, the MovieBeam System can
also be ordered at
www.moviebeam.com
or 1-800-MOVIEBEAM.
"Consumers are outfitting their homes today with high-end audio
and video equipment to create a theater-like experience within the
comfort of home," said Mike Mohan, vice president for home
entertainment at Best Buy. "High definition content really makes home
theater come to life with enhanced picture and sound. By offering
unprecedented access to high-definition movies and appealing to the
entire family with a broad array of entertainment options, MovieBeam
is potentially accelerating consumer interest in the high-definition
experience."
The advertised price of the MovieBeam System is $199.99 after an
introductory rebate of $50. There is a one-time service activation fee
of $29.99. Movie-rental prices are $3.99 for new release titles and
$1.99 for library titles -- with a $1 premium for HD movies. Each
rental covers a 24-hour viewing period during which customers can
watch a movie as many times as they like, with full video playback
functionality. There are no annual contracts or monthly subscription
fees.
Technology
The MovieBeam player features a 160 GB hard drive and a 200 MHz
central processing unit (CPU). The player easily connects to virtually
any television set, with video connection ports including HDMI,
component, S-video, composite and audio connection ports including
digital coaxial, SP/DIF, HDMI and left/right stereo audio. MovieBeam
supports advanced audio and video formats, including Windows Media(TM)
9/VC-1 and Dolby Digital 5.1(TM).
With this flexible platform and PC-compatible digital movie files,
the MovieBeam service can in the future be extended to other devices.
As part of Intel's investment, the two companies are collaborating to
develop a USB peripheral that will, in the future, bring the MovieBeam
service to other devices.
The player also features Ethernet and USB 2.0 ports, which will
enable broadband connectivity later this year, giving MovieBeam the
ability to add even more features and content to the service. The
player is co-branded with Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems and a
leader in home networking devices, as part of Cisco's investment in
MovieBeam. The two companies intend to explore future joint
development opportunities.
Through a long-term agreement with National Datacast (and its
nationwide network of PBS stations), MovieBeam's exclusive
over-the-air datacasting technology provides a low-cost content
distribution solution and enables the efficient, secure and
simultaneous delivery of hundreds of digital movie files to millions
of customers' homes across the country. The MovieBeam datacasting
signal rides on top of the existing PBS broadcasting infrastructure
and National Datacast's 15 years of experience provides MovieBeam with
a distribution solution including network coordination, management and
monitoring.
About MovieBeam
MovieBeam, Inc. is a leader in digital entertainment that is
changing the way people rent movies. The MovieBeam movies-on-demand
service provides instant access to an ever-changing lineup of new
releases and popular favorites from every major Hollywood studio,
including select movies in HD -- always 100 to choose from, with up to
10 new movies automatically delivered digitally each week using
over-the-air datacasting technology. The MovieBeam service is
available in 29 major metropolitan areas across the U.S., and the
MovieBeam System is sold by leading consumer electronics retailers and
e-tailers. MovieBeam, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered
in Burbank, Calif. Investors include The Walt Disney Company
(NYSE
IS), Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation, Mayfield Fund, Norwest
Venture Partners and VantagePoint Venture Partners. More information
is available at
www.moviebeam.com
.
CONTACT: MovieBeam, Inc.
Michelle Cox, 818-840-1950
[email protected]
or
Blanc & Otus for MovieBeam, Inc.
Erin Olsson, 415-856-5115
[email protected]
SOURCE: MovieBeam, Inc.
