Taking aim at the electronic sell-through (EST) market, Walt Disney launched its own cloud-powered, multiscreen offering Tuesday on the Web and with tight ties to EST juggernaut Apple iTunes.
Initially offered on iOS-powered iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices, the Apple TV (through iCloud or AirPlay), and PCs running most major Web browsers, the Disney Movies Anywhere service marks the long-anticipated debut of "KeyChest," a digital rights platform that offers a proprietary alternative to the UltraViolet system that's in use by most other major studios. Like UltraViolet, the aim of Disney’s version is to allow customers to buy titles once and play them back on an array of IP-connected devices.
iTunes "is the premier digital movie provider" for the new Disney Movies Anywhere service.
The debut of Disney’s EST offering comes alongside the digital release of hit film Frozen before it’s offered on DVD and Blu-ray. The initial library is stocked with more than 400 titles. To prime the digital pump, Disney Movies Anywhere users who activate and connect their Disney account to their iTunes account will receive a free digital copy of Disney/Pixar flick The Incredibles.
