Sony’s PlayNow Trying to Take On iTunes

Clearly a move designed at competing directly with iTunes, Sony has gone after the lucrative apps and mobile content market in Europe. Sounds a bit dodgy though, compared to iTunes and the convenience with the iPhone:

Last week, the company announced a mobile movie subscription service for PlayNow, allowing users to watch up to 60 movies a year on their phone. About 15 films will be available at a time for users to choose from, with new titles added monthly. Sony Ericsson hasn’t yet said which studios will offer films, or which films they will make available.

A one-year subscription to the PlayNow movie service will be included with select phones sold initially in Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and the U.K., but will be rolled out to additional countries.

To watch movies on their phones, users will first have to download the movie to their computer and then transfer it to a handset, where they can watch it an unlimited number of times for 90 days. Films are only viewable on Sony Ericsson mobile phones.

Meanwhile, the company said today it has inked a deal to offer premium apps on PlayNow through GetJar, a Lithuanian company that sells 45,000 apps. Sony Ericsson said it will continue to offer free and premium apps through its Fun & Downloads section, where it sold more than 150 million music, ring tones, games, themes, wallpapers and movies in 2008.

Thanks to VidBiz.

New Sony PSP Go a Download Only Portable

Sony has wisely opted to make their updated PSP unit a download only machine. Details:

The PSP Go is the industry’s first portable advanced gaming system that solely plays downloadable content. Users will be able to access Sony’s download marketplace, PlayStation Store, on PSP Go’s screen via its built-in wireless connection. Sony has signed on new content partners for its PlayStation Store, including Showtime Networks, Starz Media, Summit Entertainment, The Weinstein Co., HDnet and Magnolia Pictures.

PSP Go, with 16 gigabytes of internal flash memory, will street on Oct. 1 in North America and Europe for $249. It is 50% smaller and 40% lighter than Sony’s original PSP design.

Going forward all PSP games will be released as both downloads and physical UMD product. Sony plans to continue supporting its $169-priced PSP 3000, which plays physical media as well as downloaded content transferred from the Playstation 3.

After the widely ridiculed and failed format of UMD, Sony seems to have wised up. Still, the portable marketplace is really changing with smart phones taking over that territory slowly but surely. Story thanks to VidBiz.

Apple Dabbling in iTunes Kiosks

According to a recent patent application, Apple is developing plans to deploy iTunes kiosks in which their mobile device users can connect and load up on digital content. Apple is considering launching the kiosks in “virtually any location” including boats, airports, and train stations where users would be stuck traveling and looking for some entertainment to pass time. Check it:

Supplementing the local media server would be a connection between the kiosk and the iTunes Store, which would provide broad access all the audio and video media available through the digital download service. Users could provide their iTunes login and password to download content they select using the keyboard and screen on the kiosk, or swipe their credit card to buy content that may be more readily accessible on the local media server. 

These kiosks would be particularly useful for users who are traveling, don’t have access to a wireless connection to access the iTunes Store, but wish to load their iPod, iPhone, computer, or tablet device with a movie or audio album before — or even after — boarding a flight, ship or train, Apple says. 

Some of the plan’s details and even some mock up drawings of the kiosks can be had over at AppleInsider.

Microsoft Brings New Shows to Zune and the MSN Website, Possibly X360

Microsoft is trying its hand at original content solely for digital distribution once more, after some of the initial attempts did not work out as nicely as they had probably hoped. This time around, they’ve got some more big names like Dave Foley (Kids In the Hall), Rainn Wilson (The Office), and Jim Henson’s company behind them. Here’s their plan:

Microsoft is working with stars from Arrested Development, The Office and Kids in the Hallto develop at least four original Web series to be offered through Zune portables, the MSN Web site and possibly the Xbox 360, reaching the three screens where consumers watch video.

The company unveiled its development slate to advertisers last week in New York.

Already in production and set to debut in June is Cinemash, a spoof comedy that will feature Will Arnett, Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon Levitt and other stars acting out their favorite roles from movies they weren’t in. Arnett, for example, will play the title role in Carrie.

Rainn Wilson, Dwight from The Office, will star in and serve as executive producer of The Foley Guys, a comedy about two guys who move to Hollywood to make it as foley artists, the sound crews on movies.

Microsoft also is working with the Jim Henson Co. to create a live-action/puppet series about a hapless guy who works as a mall cop by day, but turns into a crime-fighting hamster at night.

Dave Foley from Kids in the Hall and NewsRadio has signed on for the Untitled Workplace Comedy, to be named by the advertiser or sponsor that supports it. The show itself will be developed around the sponsor. (You can see Foley give the presentation in this YouTube clip below.)

Microsoft plans weekly installments of the shows, which will run between five and 12 minutes and be offered for free with ads.

There’s an interesting statement at the end, which is this:

“As long as content is done well, users view it and take advantage of it,” Reilley said.

Amen to that. Will Microsoft be able to do it well? Thanks to VidBiz.

Conflict of Interest: Hulu iPhone App On the Way

Rumor has it: Hulu is hard at work on an iPhone app that will allow iPhone denizens to play Hulu content on their hand held devices. This app might put a dent into mobile content offered on iTunes. Read up:

Hulu is in the process of developing an app for Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone and iPod touch, we have learned from a plugged-in industry executive. The app is coming soon (within a few months) and is “badass” — as excellent as Hulu’s Web site. Video will work over both wi-fi and 3G, we’re told.

It won’t be the first Web video app for the iPhone — CBS’s TV.com app is on the market, as are Joost, i.TV and several others — but it could be the best. Hulu’s tech and design teams have demonstrated themselves as the best in the Web video industry, as everyone is now trying to emulate them. One hurdle, we assume: Because of Hulu’s streaming architecture, it might not be possible to download videos to watch later, such as on the subway or an airplane.

Apple will still need to approve the app before it is offered officially. On one hand, allowing the app would sell more iPhones but on the other it directly competes with iTunes. It will be interesting to see how Apple plays that one out. Tip of the hat to Silicon Alley Insider.

New Smartphone Apps Allow Blu-ray Special Feature Transfers to Phones

Coming next week are new apps for smartphones like the Blackberry and iPhone which will allow consumers to transfer special features and interactive segments from Blu-ray discs to their phones. The app will also allow you to control your Blu-ray player with the phone itself. Blu-ray players need to update their firmware to support the feature. Check it out:

The app, which will be available for free at the iTunes store beginning this weekend, works on Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch, the Palm Pre, Google Android and BlackBerry. With it, consumers can transfer downloadable content and interactive features from their Blu-ray Disc to their phone. The phones also can be used as a remote control for a compatible Blu-ray player.

Blu-ray developers and consumer electronics companies have to add the BD Touch capability to discs and players to allow consumers to transfer content. “It’s just one line of code they have to put in,” Pantoja said. “We made it extremely, extremely simple.”

Backers say they intend BD Touch to be an affordable and simple add-on for developers. BD player manufacturers can add the capability through a firmware upgrade so the function can be added to players already in consumer homes. BD Touch backers say the mobile interactivity will help further set the format apart from DVD and make it more appealing to a younger audience that uses mobile phones more and more.

An interesting spin on interactivity for sure, and driving the usability of smartphones to do way more than call. Perhaps Blu-ray films will also see higher quality interactive elements to take advantage of the new app. Full story on Video Business.