The Canal+ Group has launched a new version of its Canalplay download site offering over 2,000 videos including 1,300 feature length movies. The web site offers two new features: download-to-own and HD. Consumers can order a movie for prices starting at 9.99 euro for library titles and keep a permanent copy on their hard disc drive. They are also free to burn a copy on a DVD playable on any DVD player.
Starting in February a number of movies will be available in HD, but for the time being only “for rent” rather than “to own”. Titles include “Mulholland Drive”, “Stargate”, “Basic Instinct” and “Renaissance” for rental prices starting at 5.99 euro for playback on HD enabled PCs.
With the download-to-own service Canal+ claims to be the first in Europe. The technology is delivered by the German company Ace GmbH and the system is called FluxDVD. Canalplay offers movies from 20th Century Fox, Sony-Columbia, Pathé, Europa Corp, Studio Canal and Dreamworks.
Wow, 10 Euro’s for something you usually find in the Euro 5,- or Euro 2,50 bins.
As for the claim of being first to offer downloadable movies to own, local (Dutch) cable op Multikabel just announced they have launched an online movie service. The back-end is provided bij http://odmedia.nl/, who also buld the Casema portal and other on demand streaming and download platforms.
Multikabel will also allow its customers to download some of the movies on offer for keeps. As well as burning them to a DVD. However, pricing for this features has yet to be announced.
Time-limited rentals are about Euro 2,99, depending on genre* and title.
Still no HD though. Of course there have been various service providers claiming to offer HD streaming, but anything under 10 megabit/s is far removed from HD quality.
* I.e. adult will have to provide the bulk of the service’s margin;-).