Meta-Luxury

rss

tech wars

Disney's New "Keychest" May Unlock Universal Movie Access

Posted by Barry Silverstein on October 22, 2009 03:25 PM

DVD movie sales are dropping as computers and cell phones become the primary channels for all things visual, especially the way consumers access movies. That's why the entertainment industry is scrambling to figure out a new delivery system that protects their revenue.

And smack in the middle of the fray is none other than Disney, who is ready to unveil "Keychest" next month. According to The Wall Street Journal:

The technology would allow consumers to pay a single price for permanent access to a movie or TV show across multiple digital platforms and devices... It could also facilitate other services such as online movie subscriptions.

Who else is lurking in the background of this story? Why Apple, of course. As Disney's top shareholder, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is likely to encourage Apple's support of Keychest. This sets up a potential battle with a competing initiative known as DECE (Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem), says The Journal.

DECE has similar goals to Keychest, but it is driven by Disney's rival, Sony, in association with five Hollywood studios and several technology companies. Disney says, however, that Keychest uses existing digital formats, while DECE involves new standards and formats. Keychest will literally generate a "key" when a movie is purchased so the consumer can view it in any available format.

Both Keychest and DECE lag behind online subscription service Netflix, which already offers the ability to rent  DVDs or watch movies instantly on a computer or television. However, the entire Netflix library is not available for online viewing, and instant TV viewing requires another device at an additional cost.

Keychest may prove to be further evidence that two companies -- Disney and Apple -- dominate innovation in the entertainment world.

Comments

Jonathan Salem Baskin United States says:

It's not a distribution or technology issue, but rather a CONTENT issue: nobody wants to watch 2 hour movies on their cellphones, any more than a new-fangled e-reader can make folks spend hours reading novels.  Why wouldn't the opportunity be to design new forms of content for phones?  For that matter, where is the plot/narrative development for the video game channels?  Talk about an existing way to distribute stuff that's sorely lacking in meaningful content...

October 23, 2009 10:32 AM #

DVD Multimedia United States says:

Great idea. However I would only be interested if I was personally allowed to back up my own data to my own hard drive. I'm not too trusting of "cloud computing" due to the recent Sidekick fiasco.

January 29, 2010 02:27 PM #

cheap printer ink United States says:

Hi,
   Awesome tips. I’ll be passing this post on for sure

February 10, 2010 01:29 AM #

dvd packaging United States says:

Hi,
   Awesome tips. I’ll be passing this post on for sure

February 16, 2010 11:25 PM #

access equipment United States says:

Useful info. Hope to see more good posts in the future.

March 17, 2010 02:25 AM #

cheap replica handbags People's Republic of China says:

2222   Useful info. Hope to see more good posts in the future.

April 13, 2010 12:44 AM #

Comments are closed

What Branders are Saying on Twitter

elsewhere on brandchannel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
brandcameoThe Avengers
Acura leads brand blitz
Martin LindstromMartin Lindstrom:
On Brandwashing, Brand Ethics, and Privacy
debateJoin the Debate
What's your can't live without brand?
BPBP
Back in Business?
Michael Stone and Nancy BaileyMove Over Mad Men: Here Come the Brand Licensors
Beanstalk's Michael Stone & Nancy Bailey
Digital Watch: WahlWahl Climbing
Wahl’s Digital Branding
paperThe Millennial Consumer: Debunking Stereotypes
The latest from The Boston Consulting Group
Jeff Weedman
P&G's Jeff Weedman

Connect + Develop Your Career
Marketing to the New MajorityBranding 123
By Barry Silverstein