Warner Bros to offer movie downloads via BitTorrent

BitTorrent goes Hollywood

9 May 2006 12:24 GMT / By Stuart Miles

It used to be the enemy of Hollywood, now BitTorrent is to become its saviour but today, BitTorrent, the peer-to-peer technology that allows the quick distribution of large files has turned good.

Warner Bros has today announced an agreement with BitTorrent to become the first major studio to provide legal video content via the BitTorrent publishing platform.

Content published with BitTorrent will be available on the BitTorrent.com website and feature downloadable programming.

The service is intended to launch in summer of 2006 and will initially feature more than 200 Warner Bros. new releases, catalogue favourites and television series.

Featured titles to be initially offered will include newer releases such as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride," "Dukes of Hazzard," "North Country," and "Rumor Has It," as well as library titles such as "The Matrix," "Dog Day Afternoon," "Natural Born Killers," and National Lampoon's "Vegas Vacation." TV programming will include shows such as "Babylon 5" and "Dukes of Hazzard."

Warner Bros is yet to announce pricing, but it is expected to be around the same price for a current DVD.

Warner added that whether a TV show or feature film, it will only play on the initial computer used to make the download.

The downloads will not therefore work on other PCs or standard DVD players, perhaps limiting their appeal.