Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and Disney are in exploratory talks with the largest cable TV systems to offer films for as much as $30 per showing soon after they run in theaters.
The three studios are conducting exploratory talks with In Demand, a partnership of Cox Communications, Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable for the establishment of a new digital cinema system.
At the same time, Disney is focusing on its Internet presence by discussing the possibility of streaming its films on devices such as Microsoft’s Xbox console and Sony’s PlayStation 3, according to sources.
The proposed joint venture comes in the wake of Hollywood studios’ search for new income-generating schemes to spur additional sales of their movies as DVD purchases continue to decline.
The solution could be the proposed $30 “premium” service allowing the public to watch their movies on TV without waiting three or four months for their favorite movie to appear on DVD or cable at $4 or so on-demand showings.
This would done through the digitalization of current cinema and projection systems, allowing for Internet-connected television.
The three studios would contribute money saved from print and shipping costs for the deployment of digital cinema systems, which in turn would be managed by a separate entity that would coordinate with various theater chains nationwide for installation of the digital cinema system in their theaters.
Lawrence Mijares – AHN News Contributor
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