VOD or DVD?

The movie industry is moving fast to differentiated distribution channels. Traditionally, a movie is first showed in theaters, then distributed some months after in DVD, then available on Internet some months later. But the digital technology is overturning this schedule. Main American studios announced they will sell films in digital format simultaneously in DVD and online. Be it via the MovieLink (Warner Bros, Universal, Sony, Paramount, 20th Century Fox et MGM ) or Cinemanow (Lionsgate) portal, movies will be available on line (and down loadable) when the DVD is printed. Where is the interest of a DVD now? Difficult to say – even constituting a shelf of DVDs for memory is not valid with downloads permanently available in your PCs – VOD should be the future (mid term) of DVD. But the road could be chaotic. No VOD business model is yet proven. If seeing a film can cost about €3-€5 in Europe, multiple subscription types are yet tested (for one film, for a bunch of films, a package for a period or unlimited, ..), as well as various options such as number of copies, window of accessibility, etc. The VOD demand, however, is surging, served by a growing number of VOD providers (+1100% in four years), and by a current offer of up to 2000 movies on line in Europe.