Showtime Dumps DVD Screeners
Showtime won’t be mailing out the usual stack of DVD screeners of its programs to Emmy voters this year. Instead, the pay cable network is partnering with Brightcove to stream 82 full-length episodes of shows like Weeds and Dexter to members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Last year Showtime mailed out 20 DVD screeners to each Academy member. This year it will mail out just three DVDs, each consisting of select episodes and a brochure that contains a unique passcode; each recipient uses the password to log on and watch the rest of the season online.
Showtime claims this is to green up its screener process. While true that three DVDs create less landfill than 20, what makes more economic sense is to dump DVDs altogether. Without them, there’s no elaborate packaging to create, and it’s less expensive to mail. And it’s a more secure process for Showtime, as it would eliminate the risk of any advance copy DVDs making it into the wild.
Look for other networks to follow suit…unless Showtime doesn’t pick up any Emmy nominations. Then, planet be damned, Emmy voters will get The L-Word served up on a shiny disc.
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as it would eliminate the risk of any advance copy DVDs making it into the wild.
Eh, the shows are already out there in HR quality anyway… there’s not the danger of DVDs of TV content being pirated in the same way as the movie stuff is…
heddy on January 31st, 2008 at 11:52 am - Permalink
[...] Showtime Comes to iPhones Full seasons of Showtime’s original series are coming to iPhones and iPod Touches in April. BUT they’ll be password protected, so as to only be available to voting members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The app, powered by mobile video startup Transpera, is part of Showtime’s ongoing efforts to move away from DVD screeners for Emmys voters, following on the network utilizing web streaming powered by Brightcove to distribute its shows to voters last year. [...]
Showtime Comes to iPhones « NewTeeVee on March 4th, 2009 at 12:33 pm - Permalink