To Download, or Not To Download?

That is the question.

I've toyed around with using the tagline "Techcrunch for the Snowsports Industry" for Freeride Inc, and this blog post on Techcrunch is a good example why.

At nossaTV we constantly heard from critical filmmakers regarding the wisdom of offering free downloads of their latest content. The same content they are trying to earn a living off through DVD sales. We developed a comprehensive strategy that works right now. But what about tomorrow?


This blog post on Techcrunch addresses an online survey that Amazon is conducting. Amazon offers a movie download service called Unbox. Apparently they recognize its not quite there yet. They face stiff competition from Netflix. But they are smart enough to ask their customers what they can do to improve.

"Free streaming with ads is the most radical concept." - Techcrunch

Techcrunch adds their own survey in their blog post. They are cool on paid subscriptions, and relatively cool on ad-supported models as you can see from the quote above. Here's their list and the definitions:

Free Video Streaming with ads – The ability to watch movies and TV shows online within an Internet browser. Watching videos would not cost anything but would include advertisements.

Burn to DVD - The ability to burn purchased movies and TV show downloads to a DVD for playback on a DVD player. To burn videos to a DVD you would need to have access to a special DVD burner on your PC, and use a special type of DVD.

DVD & Instant Stream - The ability to purchase a DVD from Amazon.com and receive a streamed video of the same title you could instantly playback while you wait for your DVD to arrive. This would be included in the DVD price.

High-Definition Videos - The ability to purchase and watch High-Definition (HD) movies and TV shows.

DVD & Digital Copy - The ability to purchase a DVD from Amazon.com and, for a small additional fee, get a permanent digital copy in Your Media Library.

Hit Movie Subscription Service – The ability to watch a defined number of videos per month for a flat monthly fee, including top Hollywood titles. Not all movies would be available for viewing; however, the selection would be comparable to most pay movie channels (i.e. HBO, Showtime, Starz, etc).

Video Extras - The ability to select and watch video “extras” (i.e. DVD extras) when purchasing or renting a movie.

Paid Video Streaming without ads - The ability to immediately watch your purchased Unbox movies and TV shows on your PC within an Internet browser without commercials, instead of having to download them to your PC or TiVo.

Independent Film Subscription Service – The ability to watch a defined number of independent films per month for a flat monthly fee.

Browse your Unbox media library on your TiVo – The ability to access all of your purchased Unbox videos on the TiVo user interface.

I need to investigate the Unbox service a little more myself, but this discussion is extremely relevant for ski and snowboard filmmakers. They need to figure out how to monetize videos in the coming years, as DVD sales transition to downloads or streaming. If the market supports ad-supported video, where do the ads come from? The key for snowsports filmmakers will be to keep up, or stay ahead of the latest "adoptation" and develop a strategy to balance exposure with revenue. The key for snowsports marketers will be to understand how core snowsports video is being distributed, and how to stay, or get, involved.


Via Techcrunch.