Disney paves the way for the death of DVDs
New technology being touted by Walt Disney will allow consumers to ditch DVDs for permanent access to films across a range of platforms — from the internet to mobile phones.
The media giant has been showing off the technology, codenamed Keychest, to other studios and technology companies as the film industry tries to adjust to customers' growing reliance on computers and mobiles rather than DVD players and televisions.
Disney intends to unveil Keycrest next month.
When buying a movie with Keycrest, customers will pay a single fee in store. Their account with participating services — such as mobile phone operators and cable companies — would then be updated so that the movie could be watched on all devices, rather than just PCs or laptops.
Instead of consumers downloading the film and taking up space on their computer's hard drive, however, the movies will reside with the different companies.
DVD sales — once a big boost to the bottom line in Hollywood — have fallen by up to a quarter at some studios. This has forced the industry to search for a replacement for the lost revenues.
