Wal-Mart shutters its download service
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business,12/28/2007
DEC. 28 | After less than a year since its February bow, Wal-Mart’s movie and TV download service quietly shuttered on Dec. 21.
Wal-Mart’s Video Downloads marketplace debuted with 3,000 films and TV programs, and it was initially envisioned as a rival to video offerings on iTunes. The chain competitively sold its new theatrical movies and TV downloads starting at $12.88 and $1.96, respectively, which represented several cents less than comparable titles on Apple’s service.
But Wal-Mart’s service never evolved out of its beta-testing stage, indicating that it never met the chain’s goals to become a permanent retail fixture. However, studios were considered fans of Wal-Mart’s downloads, as all the majors offered content. In contrast, only a selection of studios offers film downloads on iTunes.
Wal-Mart soft-launched its service in November 2006 with the help of Warner Home Video. The studio offered a download of Superman Returns to anyone who purchased the film’s DVD at Wal-Mart. That initiative kick-started Warner’s ongoing push to enhance its physical media with digital content.
Studios were largely not commenting, but it appears that Wal-Mart’s download exit shouldn’t affect their own online ambitions. One studio executive said that content “will just need to be downloaded from someplace else.” Apple is said to be close to signing on 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios for film rentals, marking a potential expansion of the digital business.
The decision to shutter Wal-Mart Downloads came after its technology partner, Hewlett-Packard, opted to end its support of the chain’s service, said Walmart.com spokesman Ravi Jariwala.
“HP has made a business decision to discontinue its video-download-only merchant store service, which powered the Wal-Mart Video Downloads beta service,” Jariwala said. “While the beta service is no longer available, we’ll continue to provide our customers great values in movie entertainment, both online and in stores.”
Customers are being notified that they can still view any previously purchased Wal-Mart downloads. They also are being directed to the chain’s large selection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray, HD DVD and UMD for the PlayStation Portable.
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| Submitted by: | Bill Myers (bill@education2000i.com) 12/31/2007 5:41:34 PM PT |
| Location: | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Occupation: | Media distributor/wholesaler |
Wal Mart only needs to get back into this by contacting VDOAKTV.NET one for the first European software developers for audio and video streaming and downloading used since the 1980s by major International industries.
Downloading is the "green" answer. Higher profits, no hard product to make or ship.
WE ARE GOING GREEN WITH DOWNLOADING IN 2008!
However, DVDs will continue to sell. We have scaled back on packaging already. It's amazing that schools and libraries still buy VHS cassettes??? Of course there are over 1 billion VHS players on earth now, so I guess people will still want VHS tapes.
We see the future as downloading, but it will probable take another 25 years to see it reach a 90% market share.
People will always want portability, a CD/DVD or video they can share with a friend or give as a gift.
Our downloading plan is underway,both in-house and with outside vendors in 2007.
Education 2000 Inc., a 17 year old Fort Lauderdale, Florida, based owners and wholesaler of Special Interest programming announced plans for downloading and creation of many more proprietary titles for 2008. With over 400 company owned titles already, the small footprint firm has been over run with requests and purchase orders from retail leaders such as Amazon.com. Spokesperson Bill Myers, Marketing Director, says "People just cannot seem to get enough educational products at the retail level. We tried for nearly 20 years to sell our titles to Blockbuster and other major retailers to no avail. So, we bring it all to Amazon where the hit counter is off-the-wall for Special Interest titles. We plan allocating a substantial acquisition budget for SI titles in the New Year.
Contact for information: Bill Myers 800.927.2949
| Submitted by: | DS (ahyesiam@yahoo.com) 12/30/2007 2:02:42 AM PT |
| Location: | NW Ark. |
| Occupation: | Video Store Owner |
Someone needs to stop Wal-Mart from selling movies before street date. War and Resident Evil3 went on sale 12-26-07 and I just purchased 3:10 to Yuma.
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