iniN DEMAND UNVEILS PLAN TO DELIVER ON DEMAND MOVIES IN HIGH DEFINITION

[gb4fan92]

This is where i got my information:


iN DEMAND UNVEILS PLAN TO DELIVER ON DEMAND MOVIES IN HIGH DEFINITION

NATION'S LARGEST VOD PROVIDER TO DEBUT HD-VOD WITH APRIL DEBUT OF MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING

NEW YORK, February 10, 2003 – In support of digital cable's two biggest initiatives – Video-On-Demand and High-Definition Television – iN DEMAND is now obtaining rights to deliver VOD movies in HD, kicking off its first HD-VOD title in April with the release of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

At present, iN DEMAND has lined up HD on-demand movies from three of its suppliers, obtaining HD rights from HBO Enterprises for last year's box office surprise, plus additional movie titles from DreamWorks and New Line Cinema.

Those additional titles include Road to Perdition and The Tuxedo from DreamWorks and Knockaround Guys from New Line Cinema.

All of the titles will be available in high-resolution, wide-screen format and will feature Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. While the audio is equivalent in quality to that found in most DVDs, the picture quality in HD is superior to that of DVDs. iN DEMAND is working with major digital file-server vendors and set-top manufacturers to ensure HD compatibility.

The delivery of content in HD format is a response to major shifts in the way consumers watch television, an evolution that has accelerated the roll out of VOD on cable and that is now driving the demand for on-demand HD content.

"This initiative represents another evolution in our business," said Rob Jacobson,

iN Demand's executive vice president. "First we evolved from scheduled pay-per-view to an on-demand platform, and now we're taking that platform to the next level and offering it in HD. This also represents the perfect marriage of two of cable's most important initiatives, while helping to reestablish cable as the premiere provider for quality and convenience in the way of program offerings."

My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which was produced by Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, was a huge box office success, having earned over $232 Million at the domestic box driven in large part by favorable word of mouth. Road to Perdition, starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, earned over $104 Million at the box office, while The Tuxedo, starring Jackie Chan, earned over $50 Million.

New VOD titles on tap from New Line include Friday After Next, About Schmidt and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, while upcoming titles from DreamWorks include The Ring and Catch Me If You Can.

iN DEMAND delivers new releases and library titles for VOD from Hollywood's top studios, including Artisan Entertainment, DreamWorks SKG, MGM, New Line Cinema, Sony's Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios and Warner Bros.

Those studio agreements provide iN DEMAND with access to over 75 percent of the new films released by the major studios, reinforcing the company's position as the industry's leading aggregator of VOD content. In addition to new releases, iN DEMAND's agreements with several of the studios provide access to library titles as well.

In addition to recent releases and Hollywood titles, iN DEMAND delivers hundreds of hours of content through its agreements with entertainment companies such as BBC AMERICA, Comedy Central, Court TV, ESPN, Fox News, and Sesame Workshop.

iN DEMAND is now delivering VOD content to over 5 million active VOD subscribers, a number that is expected to reach over 8 million by year end, on a base of over 20 million digital subscribers.

iN DEMAND, the world's leading PPV and VOD provider, delivers television premieres of the best movies, championship boxing, mega-event wrestling, professional and college sports, plus original entertainment. iN DEMAND's 60-channel digital lineup also offers MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, WNBA Season Pass, NHL Center Ice, ESPN Full Court and NASCAR IN CAR on iN DEMAND. The company's shareholders are Comcast iN DEMAND Holdings, Inc., Cox Communications, Inc. Time Warner Entertainment – Advance/Newhouse Partnership.

[ajs1122]

This might be the first thing in the last few years that convinces me to rent movies again.  With blockbuster prices going up and the cost of dvd's going down, i have been simply buying them and taking my chance.  I think this is a big step forward and an excellent move for In-Demand.  i hadn't used the technology previously, but i will definitely start now.  here's to hoping all goes well.

-adam

[Gregg Lengling]

They've been offering a channel on Directv (198) for the last 45 days...however the selection hasn't been all that great and they haven't really changed what's available lately.  I did purchase one and enjoyed it...but it's not as handy as all the other PPV selections and times.