HP today announced agreements with 30 content providers that will license their libraries – including more than 4,000 movie, television, documentary and other titles – for production and distribution via HP Video Merchant Services.
Launched earlier this year, the services are designed for retailers and enable them to offer DVDs – manufactured on demand or pre-packaged – as well as digital downloads of a wide variety of video content.
Through the agreements, HP will now be able to offer premium sports, health, lifestyle, music, theatrical, animation, television and special interest content. The expansion marks the company’s first steps toward building one of the largest catalogs of licensed commercial video available.
The content companies include: Arts Alliance America, First Look Studios, Gaiam Americas Inc., Nelvana Enterprises and Venevision International Films LLC.
“These agreements mark significant progress for the entertainment industry, allowing content providers to further monetize their assets,” said Willem de Zoete, vice president and general manager, Digital Entertainment Services, HP. “It’s equally exciting for HP’s retail partners and their customers as they now have access to a broader array of DVD content manufactured on demand.”
HP Video Merchant Services provide efficient aggregation, merchandising and fulfillment of commercial video content, enabling retailers to address the growing consumer demand for greater selection of titles, improved online shopping experiences and multiple media formats. The services also enable the wider distribution of specialty and niche content.
“As a leading independent studio, First Look strives to offer independent film makers the best opportunities to reach their audiences as cost effectively as possible,” said Dean Wilson, chief operating officer, First Look Studios. “Given HP’s extensive experience in IT and management of digital assets, I believe they are well positioned to lead the entertainment industry in providing a service that promises more effective production and distribution of specialty content.”
In addition to the content companies above, HP has also signed licensing agreements with Anthem Pictures, Azteca International Corporation, Bennett Media Worldwide, Cinequest Inc., Film Chest Inc., Inspired Studios, Janson Media, Lightworks Program Distribution, Media Blasters, Monarch Films Inc., Mukta Arts Limited, MVD Entertainment Group, Opper Sports Inc., Santa Fe Productions, Seedsman Group Inc., Smooth Motion Pictures Inc., Starlight Home Entertainment, Tai Seng Entertainment, TLA Releasing, UTV Communications, V.I.E.W. Video, Vanguard Cinema, Wink Inc. Productions, Wolfe Video LLC and World Events Products, Ltd.
HP’s manufactured-on-demand DVD service is used to produce a DVD of any movie, TV show or other video content regardless of niche or obscurity in much smaller run quantities than would be economically viable for traditional DVD replication. Content currently being targeted for release includes: classic and older TV shows never before released on DVD; foreign movies; specialty genres such as religion, education, lifestyle, health, food and sports; specialty cable TV programming; independent movies; and recently broadcast TV shows and sporting events that have high relevancy in specific geographic markets or with specific consumer segments.
The service is a component of HP Video Merchant Services, which enable retailers to fulfill the increasing consumer demand for broader video title catalogs, immediate availability, and varying media formats, including digital downloads, traditional packaged DVDs for popular titles and DVDs produced on demand for special interest and catalog titles. More information about HP Video Merchant Services is available at www.hp.com/go/des. -HP
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