File-sharing sites may conjure images of Napster's
BitTorrent is currently one of the Internet's best-known file-sharing services. As the open-source BitTorrent program finishes downloading a file, it begins to upload the same file to other users, essentially passing a file from user to user instead of sending it out from a single central source.
Warner Bros.' deal with BitTorrent will allow Internet users to buy or rent high-quality digital movies and TV shows via the BitTorrent.com website. BitTorrent's "file-swarming" technology is an added benefit; since users can download different portions of the same file from multiple other users, files can sometimes download more quickly. It's estimated that movies will be available for the same price as DVDs, including the right to burn backup copies that will play on PCs. TV shows will be available for about a buck a pop. The latter seems reasonable, but given current trends for downloadable content, most people will likely consider DVD prices for digital content too steep.
Piracy remains a major issue, but through services like Apple's
Of course, for many people, the "right price" is free. Video site YouTube, which streams free video clips from its servers to users, has helped to launch several videos into widespread popularity, but it's running into its own problems. Several months ago, General Electric
Warner Bros. will consider it a victory if it can convert even a small percentage of BitTorrent users into paying customers. I agree. In my opinion, media companies' more heavy-handed antipiracy tactics often alienate potential customers by treating them like criminals, even when they follow the rules. Offering paid video options with better quality than pirated content gives users an incentive to pay up -- but of course, the price has to be right.
A flood of further Foolishness:
- Want Movie Downloads? Pay Up!
- Amazon Keeps 'Em Guessing
- Make it a Google Night?
- NBC Changes YouTube's Channel
Time Warner and Amazon.com are longtime Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendations. To discover the most recent stocks that David and Tom Gardner have recommended to subscribers, click here for a 30-day free trial.
Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned.