Interesting article, can you imagine the bandwidth demands if movies on demand become commonplace? Unfortunately we are dependant more on RBOCS rolling out DSL than people wanting the content:
One firm ventures to Net, one retreats
Miramax puts movies on net while AOL cuts failed site
By Russ Britt, CBS.MarketWatch.com
10:46 AM ET Jan 18, 2001
LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) - When it comes to Internet ventures for rivals Walt Disney Co. and AOL Time Warner, it was a tale of two companies on Thursday.
It has yet to prove itself as the best of times, but Disney's (DIS: news, msgs) Miramax Films unit is experimenting with the sale of a full-length feature film online.
Miramax is selling its 1999 release "Guinevere" for $3.49, a 500-megabyte file that takes a half-hour to download. The film can be used for 24 hours.
Meanwhile, AOL Time Warner's (AOL: news, msgs) Web ventures may be falling on the worst of times as evidenced by the planned closure of Entertaindom on Feb. 1. Prior to its merger with America Online, Time Warner had experimented with a number of Internet ventures, most of which fell by the wayside.
CNET News.com reported that Entertaindom was being cut as part of the combined AOL Time Warner's integration plans, despite promises of company officials that it would converge entertainment and technology.
Disney stock was down a little over 3 percent in early trading, while AOL Time Warner was fractionally lower.
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Russ Britt is a Los Angeles-based reporter for CBS.MarketWatch.com. |
