Q&A: Get high-quality movies on your PS3 and PC for only $10

DivX Q&A: Get high-quality movies on your PS3 and PC for only $10

INTERVIEW: We talk with DivX executives to get the scoop on Film Fresh, a new service available today that allows you to download hundreds of high-quality films for less than the cost of DVD and Blu-ray movies.

GamePro's Patrick Shaw talks with DivX technical architect Eric Grab, content services director Greene, and Film Fresh's founder and CEO Rick Bolton about their new service where you can download crystal clear blockbuster films like Iron Man, Watchmen, and Resident Evil for less than the price of DVD and Blu-ray movies and play them on your PS3 and PC.

Eric: Well, we've been able to use the extent of the Internet to put anything on your PC, to watch a movie. So, Divx has worked really hard by enabling you to move that file to a TV, whether it's a DVD player or some other device that's Divx-Certified. So, have you ever used a Divx-Certified program before?

Patrick: No I haven't.



DivX Q&A: Get high-quality movies on your PS3 and PC for only $10

Play DivX films on your PS3, which like the PS3 Slim don't take up any space like DVD/Blu-ray movies.

Eric: Okay, so that's a program that puts our technology into consumer electronics devices. So, there's millions of devices out there -- ranging from DVD players, TVs and mobile phones -- anything that you can connect to a monitor or screen, that would want it. And with that logo, it means that you can take content that you download on the Internet and play it seemlessly on your TV.

So, we usually want to explain that sort of basic "What Divx Technology Can Do," like using the Internet for distribution. The next question is usually, "Can I find a movie?" and "Where can I find a movie?" And the answer to that [first] question, until recently, is usually "No," in the United States. We're basically announcing that the answer now is "Yes." If you can't buy a popular Hollywood movie, we have several studio partners -- in fact, we have a retail partner that's selling this. The name of that retail partner is Film Fresh. FilmFresh.com is a site where you can download movies, into Divx format, from major studios such as Paramount, Sony, and Lionsgate.

So, I'll introduce Rick Bolton, who is the CEO of Film Fresh, and our partner, who is making this possible in the States. So, Rick, you want to introduce Film Fresh?

Rick Bolton, CEO of Film Fresh: Good Morning, Patrick.



Patrick:'Morning. You guys mentioned that Paramount, Sony, and Lionsgate are some of the movie studios you guys have lined up for distribution. Do you guys have other studios planned later on to sign up?

Rick: Yeah, we've got one more studio that we'll probably announce later this week. UPDATE: Warner Bros. has just signed on and now you can get their films on Film Fresh as well.



DivX Q&A: Get high-quality movies on your PS3 and PC for only $10

Watchmen, one of the hundreds of movies you can purchase from Film Fresh today.

Patrick: So you'll be gradually rolling out more studios as Film Fresh gets more and more users?

Rick: That's right. Just to give you a little bit of Film Fresh background, we've been around since 2005. We've been selling downloads in Divx format since the beginning of our company. Up to this point, we've focused only on Independent films and Global Cinema, World Films. But this new iteration of the company, which is launching tomorrow, is a brand-new expansion of the business that will include about 600 to 800 new films to begin the process. And then, as we go forward, we'll be rolling out new releases every week from all the studios and expanding selections from their libraries. So, we're the first company in the U.S. to sell movie content in Divx format. We're pretty jazzed about that. It's been a long time coming. We think the market's ready for it.



Patrick: How much does it cost to purchase a Divx-format film?

Rick: We're only doing sales, not rentals, and the purchase price ranges from around $9.99 to $15.99. [We're] pretty comfortable with the existing plans and services that are out there. It's cheaper than DVD. And, it's about the same standard film prices that you can see on market right now.



Patrick: So, $9.99 is the low-end, and $15.99 is the high-end.

Rick: Yes, $15.99 for new releases.



Patrick: How long does it take to download a full movie?

Rick: Yeah, it sort of depends on your Internet connection, as you might expect. It's anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on how wired someone is. The thing about this particular technology is that you can download it in the background and go about your business, and the film will be there. The thing about Divx is that the format has progressive downloading, so the player actually finds out how fast the download is coming and allows to you to watch it when enough of the film is downloaded. What we're particularly interested in is Divx's ability to move films to the television so you can put the films on DVD, or you can load them into your PlayStation and move away from your computer and watch things on television. Which is what people want to do, obviously.

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InnerHippie

Awesome interview, its cool that you can do this now. And now with the new 120gb PS3 those movies won't take up much space.

duffmanth

Better than paying $25-40 for Blu ray movies, greedy asshole movie studios!

PatrickShaw

My favorite thing about this new service is that once you buy a movie you have the file forever... so you can burn it onto a disc, play it on your PS3, etc.

maverickneo

Im already losing interest for DVD movies. This news will be great for me if it was a Blu-ray movie or Blu-ray 1080p quality with the HD surround sound also.

Yes Im spoiled, but If I have a blu-ray player (PS3) I want to take advantage of blu-ray qualities NOT Dvd.

htown4life

duffmanth wrote:

Better than paying $25-40 for Blu ray movies, greedy asshole movie studios!

I'm glad I dont pay those prices for none of my
Blu-Ray movies...I get mines on sale from Best Buy
or off of Amazon.com

MaulerX

Ughh... At first I thought it was $10 a month ala Netflix. Funny how this article says PS3 & PC. but fails to mention that this would work just as fine with your 360. Why would I buy a digital download for $10-$15 that has the same quality as a DVD when I can get a physical copy for the same price when they come out at BestBuy?

maverickneo

LOL @ $10 low end = old movies $15 high end = New movies.

Very true however, these are about the same prices as new dvds at best buy.

I thought "High end" meant "Blu=ray" quality... :(

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