Studio Movie Downloads 'Convenient' and 'Complementary'

The LA Times reports that the MPAA and member studios are up to their old tricks again by offering 'convenient' feature-film downloads that are available the same day as DVD releases. The Catch: downloads that are then burned to DVD will only play on a PC and, oh yeah, it will cost roughly twice that of a store-bought DVD.

"We think this is a great consumer offering that complements the DVD release," said Rick Finkelstein, Universal Pictures' president and chief operating officer. "If somebody wants to get their content online and create a digital library, this gives them the opportunity to do that. This is another way for consumers to access movies."

'Complements the DVD release'?! What, now I have to buy both? Complements your filthy corporate pockets maybe, but paying nearly double the price just to relish the novelty of downloading movies hardly qualifies as complementary or convenient, my deceitful little friend. Newsflash pal, we can already get content online to create a digital library, so you're not broadening anoyone's 'opportunity.' In fact, by providing the movie via your over-priced download, we can all rest assured that our computers will get jacked by sneaky little DRMs that will keep us busy for weeks to come. Not exactly the promising kind of innovation that we should expect from corporate systems professing their devotion to the consumer, is it?

[Link to the full article]


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