Monday, 26 September 2011
Channel 4 has launched a download-to-rent service for its video-on-demand (VOD) film service Film4oD.
The broadcaster is working with FilmFlex to deliver the service, which will let viewers download films to watch offline for the first time.
Viewers can download and rent the films, including new releases Attack the Block (pictured) and Arthur, for between £0.99 and £3.99. They can also start watching the film while it is downloading.
All film rentals are available to watch on an unlimited basis for 48 hours following the first play, with a 30-day rental window for each film.
Channel 4 and FilmFlex, a joint venture between Sony Pictures Television and The Walt Disney Company EMEA, launched Film4oD last November (nma.co.uk 2 November 2010). It now has over 50,000 registered users, according to Channel 4.
It launched as part of the broadcaster’s strategy o broaden its VOD service and experiment with alternative payment methods. At the time, head of VOD content Sarah Milton told new media age that film lends itself well to an alternative payment model to the usual ad-funded. “Film4oD will provide us with good insight into the willingness of people to pay for content and their viewing habits,” she said.
