Movies, Video Migrate Online

The Internet’s virtual video shelves continue to bulge, with several companies last week announcing Net-based content offerings ranging from slick Hollywood blockbusters to dimly lit suburban cinema verité.

• Microsoft struck deals with six entertainment companies to rent downloads of 1,000 hours worth of TV shows and movies to its Xbox 360 video-game console. Starting Nov. 22, Xbox customers will be able to download and watch programming from CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System, Ultimate Fighting Championship and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Titles to be available via the Internet service include episodes of CBS’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Survivor, Adult Swim’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and Paramount’s Nacho Libre and Jackass: The Movie. Microsoft didn’t announce pricing. The announcement came as gaming rival Sony geared up to launch PlayStation3, set for Nov. 17.
• Comcast launched a “beta” version of Ziddio.com, a user-generated video-uploading Web site akin to YouTube, and the cable operator has plans to migrate some of the best bits to its free video-on-demand platform. Comcast officials declined to comment on the service, which is expected to officially launch later this year. However, an executive familiar with Ziddio said it will encourage users to submit videos for such different categories as comedy, music and horror/science-fiction, among others. The goal is to draw in advertisers to support the content, and the best videos could “bubble up” onto Comcast’s free-VOD area. Ziddio is owned and operated by Comcast Interactive Media, along with partners interactive-advertising agency Genex and ThePlatform, which helped create and develop the site.
• Sony Pictures Entertainment will provide clips from 25 of its well-known movies and TV shows through the company’s Grouper.com video-sharing site. The new ScreenBites channel on Grouper.com initially includes 100 clips. After watching a clip, visitors are shown offers to purchase the full-length film or TV show on DVD or digital download. Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired Grouper.com in August for $65 million. At launch, ScreenBites will include clips from Sony movies such as A Few Good Men, Charlie’s Angels, Jerry Maguire, Men in Black, On the Waterfront and Spider-Man. Sony TV shows that are part of the channel include Diff’rent Strokes, Fantasy Island and The Three Stooges.
• Verizon Communications was reported to be in “advanced talks” with video-sharing site YouTube to provide short-form, user-generated content to Verizon’s wireless phone and TV subscribers. The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, said the deal could temporarily give Verizon exclusive rights to carry YouTube content, but the newspaper noted the talks could fall through. Verizon declined to comment on the story.