BRAVIA Internet Video Link Owners Can Watch Movie at Home Prior to Blu-ray and DVD Release SAN DIEGO, Oct. 14
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony today announced that for a limited
period, BRAVIA(R) Internet Video Link owners will have the opportunity to
watch the Sony Pictures summer hit, Hancock, prior to retail DVD and Blu-ray
Disc(TM) availability.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081014/LATU046)
The movie, which can be rented for $9.99, will stream directly to BRAVIA
televisions equipped with Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video Link for a 24-hour
viewing period. This offer will be available to BRAVIA Internet Video Link
owners beginning on October 28 and running through November 10.
As a bonus to consumers who purchase the rental stream and who register
online, a free Blu-ray copy of Hancock will be mailed to consumers after the
Hancock Blu-ray street date, November 25. This combo package is valued at
nearly $70 ($29.99 for the stream and $39.95 for the Blu-ray Disc).
This marks the first time a top grossing theatrical movie will reach
consumers' homes via an Internet-enabled platform prior to the packaged media
release. Additionally, it demonstrates Sony's unique ability to combine its
innovative hardware with content created by its own movie studio.
"Bringing Hancock directly to BRAVIA is something only Sony can do," said
Randy Waynick, senior vice president for marketing in Sony's Home Products
Division. "No other CE company has an entertainment portfolio like Sony and
we will continue to push hardware innovation that brings value to our
customers.
"This is an important development not only for the industry, but for
consumers seeking new entertainment options."
Sony Pictures is in discussions to offer a high-definition VOD motion
picture day and date with its DVD release, with premium pricing, on BRAVIA
Internet Video Link and other platforms.
Sony will offer three versions of Hancock including a high-definition
stream (720p), and two standard definition streams (480p) with different
encoding for lower bandwidth customers. The BRAVIA Internet Video Link
service will automatically detect the customer's bandwidth and select the best
stream for optimum performance. Once the customer clicks the "Buy Now" button
in the BRAVIA Internet Video Link menu, the feature will immediately play.
The BRAVIA Internet Video Link Module, which attaches to the back of a
compatible BRAVIA TV, streams on-demand entertainment including hit movies,
televisions shows, YouTube videos, and a variety of other high-definition and
standard-definition content not found on network or cable/satellite TV. The
service connects to the Internet via an existing broadband Ethernet connection
and streams content, much of which is available at no additional charge.
Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video Link Module is currently available for about
$300 and can be purchased online at http://www.sonystyle.com, Sony Style
retail stores and Sony authorized retailers across the country.
Academy Award(R) nominee Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness) stars in
the action- packed comedy as Hancock, a sarcastic, hard-living, and
misunderstood superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public. When
Hancock grudgingly agrees to an extreme makeover from idealistic publicist Ray
Embrey (Jason Bateman, Juno), his life and reputation rise from the ashes and
all seems right again -- until he meets a woman (2003 Academy Award winner
Charlize Theron, Actress in a Leading Role, Monster) with similar powers to
his and the key to his secret past.
SOURCE Sony
