Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment is trying to develop and own the next iTunes-but for films.

Filed in archive IPTV on April 1, 2005

One IPTV topic that I plan on writing extensively about isP2P file sharing technology -- particularly BitTorrent. It is not important to debate whether you agree (or not) that P2P should officially be included in IPTV. It much more important to investigate its very real impact on television. Plainly: file sharing is IP based and BitTorrent technology performs best when sharing large files like video. Sony obviously gets that.

In an article entitled "Hollywood seeks iTunes for film" at ZDNetl.com is the poinant observation that Sony is "trying to create the new 'anti-Napster" for video. This sentimate is similar to Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast who has often said in meetings that Comcast must be aggressive and not be "Napsterized." You know an idea is strong when it becomes an adverb.

From ZDNet:

"We want to set business models, pricing models, distribution models like (Apple Computer CEO Steve) Jobs did for music, but for the film industry," Michael Arrieta, senior vice president of Sony Pictures, said at the Digital Hollywood conference here. I'm trying to create the new 'anti-Napster,'" he added.

To that end, Arrieta said, his group plans to digitize Sony Pictures' top 500 films and make them available for the first time in various digital environments within the next year.

For VOD and IPTV to be both successful businesses and acceptable to the consumer, it is vital that content owners (like Sony) legitimize access to stuff that people actually want to see. I think this addition to MovieLink and CinemaNow continues to point out that an IPTV marketplace is feasible.