Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/30/warner_harry_potter_movie_download/
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has become the second major home video giant to offer pay-to-keep movie downloads. Today, it announced Dutch consumers will be able to download Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on the very day the DVD goes on sale in the Netherlands.
The download version will be made available from Midnight, 4 April through Dutch content provider Free Record Shop along with "nearly 100" other Warner-owned movies including the Matrix movies, Ocean's Twelve, Constantine and Lethal Weapon 4, along with classics like Casablanca, Doctor Zhivago and Gone with the Wind.
The downloads are DRM-protected, of course, using Microsoft's Windows Media format, so they'll be of little use to iPod owners. Downloaders have rights to unlimited playback of the download system, Warner said, and presumably on a portable device too. Warner did not say, however, what resolution the downloads will be. It did say the movies will cost between €10 and €15 ($12-18), so they'll cost less than the DVD versions - €35 ($42) in the case of Harry Potter 4, according to Free Record Shop's website.
The announcement comes a week after Universal and UK content provider Lovefilm said they would offer pay-to-own downloads at DVD prices and with the DVD bundled - essentially to minimise individuals ripping the disc to transfer the content to a range of devices.
Earlier, Apple posted the first full-length movie download on its iTunes Music Store, possibly as a test-run before launch a full-scale service. ®
French teen held over online Potter translation (9 August 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/09/pirate_potter_translation_arrest/
Harry Potter transcript claim doesn't convince (20 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/20/harry_potter_transcript_hack_boast/
Warner mulls bundling music DVDs with iPod-friendly songs (7 August 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/07/warner_apple_ipod_tunes_discs/
BT to offer Universal movie downloads (26 July 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/26/btvision_to_offer_movie_downloads/
Apple to announce movie rentals next month? (18 July 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/18/apple_movie_rental_announcement/
Dutch bears in monkey murder shocker (16 May 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/16/bear_monkey_murder/
BitTorrent to sell Warner movie downloads (9 May 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/09/bittorrent_to_sell_warner_movies/
Warner faces 14 download overcharging cases (8 May 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/08/warner_sued_downloads/
UMD format's outlook 'bleak', warns analyst (3 May 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/03/npd_sony_psp_umd_future/
Apple to boost iTunes downloads with BitTorrent? (2 May 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/02/apple_osx_leopard_bittorrent/
Napster subscribers up, losses down (7 April 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/07/napster_q4_forecast/
More pay-to-own movie download services debut (3 April 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/03/sony_movie_download_deals/
iTunes offers music DVD download (27 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/27/itunes_dvd_download/
Universal launches movie downloads... at DVD prices (24 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/24/lovefilm_universal_movie_downloads/
Amazon poised for film downloads assault (16 March 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/16/amazon_enters_film_downloads/
Archos readies twin-tuner handheld PVR (16 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/16/archos_unveils_700_tv_pvr/
Apple posts full-length movie on iTunes (15 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/15/apple_itunes_full-length_movie/
The year of the Legal Film Download starts CES video frenzy (13 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/13/vod_google_ces/