In recent years, the release window surrounding DVDs/Blu-Rays and the initial cinema release schedule has been getting shorter and shorter as the months roll by. This has troubled some industry watchers, who have suggested that the profitability of movie studios (and video rental outlets) will continue to erode as it gives consumers little motivation to see movies at the cinema.
As a sign of these changing times, Warner Brothers will release Benjamin Button straight to Foxtel Box Office Pay Per View, and via the Net through sites like iTunes and Bigpond - the same day the Benjamin Button DVD and Blu-Ray goes on sale. Will customers gravitate towards the online version or the tradional hardcopy alternative?
Fans of downloading online content will probably strike this up as big win. More access to films, not just in the rental or to-own markets will likely give customers the added benefits of having greater movie choices to get stuck into innovative download platforms such as ITunes.
Not surprisingly, the online method of getting movies is growing. Based on the popularity of video on delivery (VOD) services such as Foxtel on demand and TiVo home movies, these have been shaping up as direct competitors to the traditional rental markets that used to be the only way to watch new releases straight after they left the cinema.
With all the talk surrounding the recent win over the Pirate Bay founders, it's no wonder Hollywood studios are looking for a way to take the spotlight off the dominance of BitTorrent and offer more convenient ways of getting films at home.
Earlier this year, Apple announced that ITunes would start to offer video downloads (read Adam Turner's interesting spin on the news here).