Rich Fiscus
4 Feb 2008 22:44
Cablevision is now offering an upgrade to their standard Video On Demand (VOD) service that will allow quicker access to movies, while also selling DVDs. Under the terms of Cablevision's partnership with Popcorn Home Entertainment, the cable provider's New York customers get access to titles the same day they're released on DVD.
The catch? You must also buy a copy of the DVD, which will be delvered several days later. The VOD movies must be watched within the standard 24 hour window.
Popcorn Home Entertainment is headed by former CEO of VOD provider In Demand, Steve Brenner, who notes that the only time the studios have any interest in reducing (or eliminating) the wait between DVD release and VOD offering is when its tied directly to DVD sales. “At In Demand, we tried to get windows moved up, but the studios do so much better selling DVDs,” Brenner said. “This is nicely positioned to do what’s good for them and good for cable.”