From today’s New York Times:
In an industry first, Sony Pictures’ hoped-for blockbuster Hancock, starring Mr. Smith as a bungling superhero, hits theaters on Wednesday and will be available — after its theater run but before release on DVD — over the Internet, directly to viewers’ television sets. That is, if they own a Sony Bravia TV with a Web connection.
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In November, after Hancock has had its run in theaters, it will be available for a fee with the click of a remote control for consumers who own Internet-equipped Sony Bravia televisions. The Bravia Internet link adds $299 to the cost of the television.
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Sony executives are adamant that the Hancock experiment is just that — an experiment that is as much about showcasing the potential of Sony’s Internet-enabled Bravia television sets as it is about the future possibilities of movie watching. It is not, they said, a push to change Hollywood’s carefully calibrated windows for the various outlets in which a film is released: theater, DVD and pay television.
Sony makes the content, makes the PS3 game console (with an internet connection and Blu-Ray support), and makes the TV (also connected to the net). It’s a huge company, but I would honestly be more surprised if they didn’t pull something off that makes everything work better together.
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