Disney is ironing out a technology that would effectively give video watchers a license to view content on any screen.
Code-named Keychest, the technology lets users purchase a movie or television show once and be able to watch it on their television, computer or mobile phone, the Wall Street Journal reports. Keychest will officially be introduced next month, and Disney executives have been demonstrating it to others in the entertainment industry in hopes of signing them on.
Nowadays, watching a video on multiple devices can be pretty obnoxious. You have to tote the file around with you, and even then you might run into file format issues or DRM restrictions. The idea behind Keychest is to give users universal access rights, so they'll be able to watch from anywhere. For example, if you purchase Keychest access for a movie, your cell phone and your cable box will automatically register the purchase and let you watch from either source. And if you buy a DVD, there will be a code for unlocking the media on other devices.
Disney's technology would stream media over the cloud or through cable, eliminating the need for downloads and file transfers. This also serves the entertainment industry by reducing the chances of piracy.
Though I'm excited about the idea, it does raise some red flags. Most importantly, the no-download nature of Keychest risks being able to access the media forever. For instance, if your cable company goes belly-up or decides not to support Keychest, the means of viewing would no longer available. This could be solved by giving the user a physical copy for storage, but then Keychest loses its anti-piracy allure.
On a related note, Keychest's success will be based on how many studios, cable companies and Internet service providers sign on. And there's another group, known as the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, that's trying to do the same thing. A digital format war, especially with such direct impact on your ability to get content, would be a headache for consumers.
Still this is a step in the right direction. It's at least better than locking down everything with DRM and preventing movie buyers from doing much of anything with their media.
