In support of the changing customer demo-graphs, Twentieth Century Fox will be releasing digital copies of films ahead of it’s DVD and Blu Ray releases.
This decision seems to be an effort by the company to boost the sales of digital media and diversify the stream of availability of movies for the consumer.
Fox has decided to start this trend with Alien prequel, Prometheus, by releasing it on digital download format on September 18, 2012 while the DVD and Blu Ray release is dated for October 11, 2012. Regarding the pricing of this format Fox has revealed it to be lower than the regular purchase price. It is reported that the price for each download copy will be $15, which is less than the regular pricing of $20.
The digital copies of the movies have been renamed as “Digital HD” or “DHD.” To further the initiative Fox has now joined forces with UltraViolet digital locker system which allows consumers to have the purchased digital media, available on all entertainment devices that they own.
According to reports, “The struggle to revive home video sales is critical for the industry; consumer spending on entertainment delivered through discs and other formats has fallen from a peak of about $21.8 billion in 2004 to about $18.4 billion last year.”
Currently only Prometheus has a solid digital release date, but the studio has indicated a digital download release for it’s newer titles such as “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” “The Watch” and “Ice Age: Continental Drift”, all of which will be priced at $15 and will be available across 50 countries.
Tell us what you think of this initiative by Fox studios? And would you rather own a disc or digital copy of movie? Leave your comments below.