Andrew
03-09-2007, 11:31 AM
Lackluster MovieBeam snapped up by Movie Gallery (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070309-moviebeam-snapped-up-by-movie-gallery.html) -- Ars Technica, 2007-03-09
MovieBeam was acquired today by Movie Gallery, the second-largest video store chain in the US, for around $10 million. MovieBeam began life in 2003 (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20030930-2901.html) as a pilot project by Disney. Users in 10 pilot markets were able to buy set-top boxes preloaded with 10 movies and could get additional movies on-demand for $7 per month, plus $2.50 to $4.00 per title.
Disney's shot at on-demand video didn't resonate with customers. Besides the price, the service was somewhat cumbersome. Movies were sent wirelessly to the set-top box, were DRMed, and consumers couldn't stream them throughout their homes or move them to other devices. In 2005, Mickey Mouse's parents kicked MovieBeam out of the house, spinning it off after the service failed to gain popularity.
Editor's note: MovieBeam was previously discussed here (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=20722&highlight=moviebeam).
MovieBeam was acquired today by Movie Gallery, the second-largest video store chain in the US, for around $10 million. MovieBeam began life in 2003 (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20030930-2901.html) as a pilot project by Disney. Users in 10 pilot markets were able to buy set-top boxes preloaded with 10 movies and could get additional movies on-demand for $7 per month, plus $2.50 to $4.00 per title.
Disney's shot at on-demand video didn't resonate with customers. Besides the price, the service was somewhat cumbersome. Movies were sent wirelessly to the set-top box, were DRMed, and consumers couldn't stream them throughout their homes or move them to other devices. In 2005, Mickey Mouse's parents kicked MovieBeam out of the house, spinning it off after the service failed to gain popularity.
Editor's note: MovieBeam was previously discussed here (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=20722&highlight=moviebeam).