Sony movie to rent a month early on networked TVs
updated 09:35 am EST, Mon November 9, 2009
BRAVIA sets get expensive HD rental early
Sony today hoped to lure customers to its HDTVs and Blu-ray players by giving them advance access to one of its movies. Similar to last year's deal, the electronics maker will give those with one of its modern networked TVs or Blu-ray players, such as the BRAVIA W5100 or the BDP-N460, early access to a streaming rental of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs about a month before the retail street date. The run will start from December 8th and last until January 4th.
Every device will have the option of streaming the video in 720p, though in an unusual step the company will price the rental well above pure digital services: a 24-hour rental of the movie will cost $25, or roughly as much as purchasing a Blu-ray version. Those who buy a supporting TV from today onwards, however, get the rental for free.
Sony is one of the few to offer its own rental service directly through TVs as others like LG have often turned to third-party services like VUDU or Netflix instead.
