By : Erik Gruenwedel | Posted: 08 Jun 2010
egruenwedel@questex.com

Sonic Solutions June 8 said it has partnered with kiosk vendor MOD Systems to jumpstart digital entertainment distribution at the retail level.

The genesis involves bowing a multiplatform kiosk that delivers new-release movies to Internet-connected devices with RoxioNow software. MOD Systems’ kiosks cater to delivering non-packaged media content via SD cards and related portable media.

Retailers would be able to provide consumers in-store and connected-device options for purchasing digital film and television titles, which could be accessed from devices including PCs, laptops, Blu-ray Disc players, HDTVs and smart phones.

Novato, Calif.-based Sonic, which last week said it would acquire the DivX platform, has licensed its backend RoxioNow movie download technology to a variety of third-party retailers and consumer electronics devices, including Blockbuster On Demand, Blu-ray Disc players, PCs, HDTVs and Best Buy’s pending digital content service, CinemaNow.

Anthony Bay, chairman and CEO of MOD Systems, said the partnership provides a bridge connecting physical and digital entertainment options.

“We’re taking a major step toward … giving consumers easy access to digital entertainment, whether in-store, online, at home, or on the go, all sold and supported by the retailer brands consumers trust,” Bay said.

The new kiosk would allow retailers to offer consumers access to digital entertainment for purchase from online digital download and streaming storefronts, as well as self-service, touch-screen kiosks that load to Secure Digital (SD) memory cards. Entertainment from online storefronts would be streamed or downloaded to portable and connected devices through the RoxioNow entertainment platform.

“Many [consumers] still turn to physical storefronts as their destination for entertainment,” said Sonic CEO Dave Habiger. “Leveraging kiosks to provide an in-store way for consumers to purchase entertainment in a digital form will help educate more consumers to the convenience and flexibility digital entertainment can afford them.”

Further details of Sonic/MOD initiative will be announced later this year, pending obtaining the appropriate license rights from content owners.

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