Sony Shrinking Windows?

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.

…

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.

…

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.

Comments

[Liz]

This is an interesting idea, but not too revolutionary and not likely to change the entertainment industry or anything like that. It's a glorified version of movies on demand.

[Craig Beilinson]

Crawl before you walk, walk before you run.

I'm sure the studios would love to find a way to reach customers directly, without having to share with 1) theater owners, 2) cable/satellite providers, 3) cable networks.

This won't happen tomorrow, and it may never happen, but it is a shot across the bow of all the middle-men with their hands out.