Amazon in talks for movie, TV downloads
Viewed as competition to Apple's iTunes
IDG News Service - Online retailer Amazon.com Inc is holding talks with three Hollywood studios on creating a service to allow consumers to download movies and television programs and copy them onto DVDs, The New York Times reported today.
Citing three people briefed on the discussions, the Times said Amazon is in advanced negotiations with Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios and Warner Bros. The report did not give a timetable or estimated cost of such a service.
Such a fee-based service could compete with new video download options available at Apple Computer Inc.'s popular iTunes digital download store.
In February, sources familiar with the matter confirmed that Amazon is in talks with four major music labels on starting a digital music service.
Warner Bros. is part of Time Warner Inc., Universal Studios is owned by General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, and Paramount is part of Viacom Inc.
Amazon officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the report.



- Excel 2010 Cheat Sheet
- Register for this Computerworld Insider Cheat Sheet and gain access to hundreds of premium content articles, guides, product reviews and more.
- Smarter Commerce is redefining value chain visibility
- Smarter Commerce is redefining the value chain in the age of the customer. It starts with putting the customer at the center of...
- IBM Synchronizes its Commerce 2.0 Strategy with 'Smarter Commerce' Initiative
- On March 14, IBM announced "Smarter Commerce", a strategic initiative that addresses the surging market for Commerce 2.0 solutions that take advantage of...
- Proof Positive - Extended Validation SSL Increases Online Sales and Transactions
- With the threat of identity theft and other types of fraud rampant on the internet, many consumers are reluctant to release their details,...
- Overcome Top 7 Admin Challenges of Active Directory
- As Active Directory's role in the enterprise has drastically increased, so has the need to secure the data. Gain insight on creating repeatable,...
- Insiders Can Ruin Your Company. Take Action.
- Did you know that 80 percent of threats to an organization come from the inside? The threat from insiders is often overlooked in... All E-business White Papers
- Optimizing Networks for the Cloud
- Join guest speaker, Rohit Mehra, IDC Director of Enterprise Communications Infrastructure, to explore current trends, discuss best practices for optimizing Data Center and...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 2: Designing and Deploying SQL Server on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn about the design considerations for virtualizing SQL workloads, performance and scalability information and high-availability options, as well as...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 1: Designing and Deploying Exchange 2010 on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn the virtual hardware design considerations for Exchange 2010, deployment using the building block approach, options for high-availability and...
- Customer Spotlight: How IPC The Hospitalist Company Implemented Oracle on VMware
- Have you been looking to hear about customer's experiences with the new VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager product? View this webcast to learn...
- Virtualize Business-Critical Applications with Confidence
- Virtualizing business-critical applications has become a key focus for organizations as they move along their virtualization journey. With the launch of VMware vSphere®... All E-business Webcasts