There are restrictions on moviegoers recording films in theatres but now, Sony and Disney are fighting piracy by streaming movies that are still in cinemas.
It’s a frustrating thing for movie production companies, promoters and viewers alike – piracy. Under the ire of piracy, production companies risk having their hard work reproduced badly or taken out of context, particularly in terms of CGI where, recorded on handycams over the heads of those in the cinema, high budget effects look shoddy and badly made. Promoters can’t promote a film in good faith knowing that people have already seen it, illegally downloaded from the Internet, thus proving their marketing null. Piracy also results in increased prices for moviegoers who have to shell out to protect the movie developers’ investment. Needless to say, piracy’s a problem, which is why Sony and Disney have found a way to solve it : movie streaming.
Currently, films air in theatres for around 17 weeks before they arrive in our homes via DVDs or Blu-Rays but now, Sony and Disney are both launching services that let hopeful movie watchers watch the films at home within this 17 week window. Both companies plan to trial the service in South Korea, a good midway test point for both Sony and Disney as it’s the 8th largest movie market in the world.
How this streaming would work is that anyone in South Korea with a cable, Internet or satellite TV subscription would have the option to either purchase a ticket to the cinema showing of the film, or, they can just stream it, right there and then. It’s unclear whether there would be some price disparity, but it’s likely that prices will be similar to ensure that one way of watching doesn’t become the clear favourite and that both remain beneficial to consumers.
As of right now, the two movie making big-hitters are offering up Django Unchained and Brave (both of which are Oscar winning films), as well as Disney’s quirky, video-game based outing, Wreck-It Ralph.
Of course the scheme’s international promise rests in whether or not it proves successful inside of Asia but it may be a long wait for those outside of South Korea as the last time Disney tried to change up the 17 week default, one UK cinema chain nearly refused to show Disney’s Alice in Wonderland in their theatres.
The streaming of movies has proved popular and this could be a game-changer so we’ll keep you updated on the progress of this new service.
Source : The Verge
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