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New technology being touted by Walt Disney will allow consumers to ditch DVDs for permanent access to films across a range of platforms — from the internet to mobile phones.
The media giant has been showing off the technology, codenamed Keychest, to other studios and technology companies as the film industry tries to adjust to customers' growing reliance on computers and mobiles rather than DVD players and televisions.
Disney intends to unveil Keycrest next month.
When buying a movie with Keycrest, customers will pay a single fee in store. Their account with participating services — such as mobile phone operators and cable companies — would then be updated so that the movie could be watched on all devices, rather than just PCs or laptops.
Instead of consumers downloading the film and taking up space on their computer's hard drive, however, the movies will reside with the different companies.
DVD sales — once a big boost to the bottom line in Hollywood — have fallen by up to a quarter at some studios. This has forced the industry to search for a replacement for the lost revenues.
Reader views (2)
This material of Disney’s has a very, very limited market.
The main problem with DVD players today is that the reader chips aren’t programmed with good quality ‘all format readers’ so I’m informed. Hence if you have the most expensive Home Studio money can buy you can’t even burn to disk and play back via a DVD player all your own movies you take with a camera unless its as DVD Camcorder.
- Carl Barron, Christchurch, Dorset
We're told by Hollywood that in the not-too-distant future ALL films will be in 3-D.
So does Disney believe millions of idiots are going to be walking the streets, sitting on trains and 'buses and park benches annoying the rest of us as they look at their mobile 'phone & laptop screens while wearing 3-D glasses?
If they do, can Disney please buy me a private island to allow me to get away from this madness?
- Jargonaut, South London
