Enron s 20 year exclusive deal to deliver Blockbuster videos on demand to SBC, Verizon, Qwest and other DSL customers failed miserably. But other video-on-demand schemes might prove more long lasting. CinemaNow, which is backed by Lions Gate Entertainment runs a Web site offering movies either as streaming media or a download, and claims to have 1 million users a month. The site tends to offer rather less-well known works for viewing, such as "Leprechaun" with Jennifer Aniston. But it recently signed a deal to provide content for start-up Cflix, which will test a streaming media "channel" offered over the Duke University LAN, which offers bandwidth at up to 700K.
"College students are historically the first adopters of new technologies," claims an executive at Cflix, which plans to offers services to other colleges this fall.
Meanwhile, cable TV channels like Starz and Showtime are looking to get in on VOD having begun testing and marketing pay-per-view movies for digital cable users, who can order movies at any time pause, fast forward and rewind; and don't need any special equipment besides the already installed cable box.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Horizon House Publications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group
