Bit Torrent and Hollywood, where are movies and P2P heading?

While Hollywood offers summer flops instead of money-makers – namely Mission Impossible 3 and Poseidon – smart people in the entertainment business seem to be getting closer and closer to changing the way we go to the movies. Bram Cohen, the founder and inventor of the Bit Torrent application, which allows extremely fast downloads of large files, such as movies, has been slowly establishing a relationship with some of the Hollywood studios over the past year; and last week it was announced that it had signed an agreement with Warner Brothers studios to use their software, bit torrent, to distribute movies and television shows. Warner will sell the movies and TV shows for about $ 1, below iTunes’ price for similar downloads.

Bit Torrent has been used by the P2P community for years and while the Bit Torrent app is legal to use, it has been widely used to download pirated movies, TV shows, and videos.

Perhaps the real meaning of this agreement with Cohen and Bit Torrent is that it will begin the process of familiarizing more people with the software. Why is this important? because the rumor is that the next step will be the simultaneous release of movies in all formats. That would mean simultaneous release on DVD, video-on-demand via cable or direct TV, and via computer download. Many people say that this is not the future of movies and that downloading from a particular computer would not allow viewing on your home television. However, Netflix has just requested permission to make movie downloads available to its customers in the future. So there must be something going on somewhere in Hollywood. As for the download aspect, I am sure there is an easy solution, be it via a Tivo type box or via a software application, after all why are all the big companies like Microsoft, Dell and Gateway focusing on home media PCs?

The press has mentioned this from time to time, but it seems that downloading movies is a long way off. I would not agree. The new King Kong release has been released on DVD even earlier than most of the previous major movies. What leads one to wonder why delay simultaneous release further?

The short answer is cinemas, or should I say multiplexes that exist. They still benefit from having the first shot at the audience and struggle not to lose that income advantage. But as Marc Cuban (What Business Are Theaters?) And Mark Pesce (Piracy Good? How Battlestar Galactica Killed Broadcast TV) have written in some recent articles. What business are theaters really in? And will simultaneous launches really hurt them? or simply to provoke the long evolution due to the business model of movie theaters.

There are two different forces at work in the world at this time. They are both unstoppable and both will eventually change the experience of cinema as we know it now. The first is the portable multimedia device. The ipod, cell phone, blackberry, and other similar devices that make media portable and accessible anytime, anywhere.

The second is the new culture of choice. What do you want, when do you want it, and where and how do you choose to consume it? This second concept may not be as clear as the first. It means that instead of going to a multiplex at the mall, with cell phones ringing and teens texting and gossiping, to catch a movie, you can choose to go to a quiet little local movie theater. One that fits your neighborhood or your lifestyle. One that offers matinees for housewives who can bring young children. One that might have dinner included on a dinner theater stage at night. One that bans cell phones and doesn’t appeal to teens or tweens. Sound unlikely? you would be surprised. Marc Cuban has developed a completely new model of cinema, similar to those that are emerging throughout the country. Here is an example:

In rural Connecticut, this type of theater experience is thriving. The small local movie theater is reborn and caters to two profitable demographics, the young family with young children wanting a family night out or family-oriented movie afternoon, and the older baby boomers looking for a night out with dinner included in their neighborhood. . Smart entrepreneurs are developing this small kind of specialized filmmaking experience. The demand is there. This is just the next level of choice on offer. You can watch a movie at home, you can watch it at the mall with your 15-year-old friends, or you can watch it in a quiet little local theater with dinner or lunch and your young children. You are still consuming movies, the options are more numerous and more diverse.

If you think the concurrent launch is still a long way off again, take a look at what Dell, Gateway, Microsoft, and other vendors are focusing on. The home media center computer. One that does it all and integrates with your TV or home theater system. The application for downloading large media files, Bit Torrent, is here and is being exposed to a wider audience. Now the application just has to be easier to use for the general public. I think that would not be too difficult for a room full of engineers.

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