Microsoft, Real featured on Movielink
C|Net | at | by Mike
Video-on-demand site Movielink said Wednesday that it will use technology from both RealNetworks and Microsoft to run its imminent service for Internet movie rentals. In two separate announcements, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based company said it chose Microsoft Windows Media and RealNetworks technology for its service, which is expected to launch by the end of the year. The deals cover video-streaming encoding, decoding and media player technology, as well as digital rights management technology to protect Movielink's library of films from Net piracy.
Movielink, which is backed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal and Warner Bros., has been two years in the making, during which time many other Internet film distributors have come and gone. As the service gets ready to debut, it has signed several technology deals to prepare the venture, including those with RealNetworks and Microsoft. In September, it inked a three-year deal with IBM for film storage and security.