Prima Plan Release-Day Digital Movies For $500 A Pop On $20k System

How much would you pay to see movies on launch day without having to share a theater with anybody else? Prima Cinema Inc. hope the number you have in mind is $500 per film, since that's the sort of cash they're expecting for their new digital delivery system, a $20,000 niche content platform hoping to create its own segment in around twelve months time.

The concept is not to replace DVDs or streaming platforms like Netflix, but to find room in the market that's previously been untapped. "We're not here to replace anything," claims company founder Jason Pang, "we are trying to create new revenue streams for studios and new viewing opportunities for moviegoers."

That target audience is, more accurately, those who would like to see new releases but in the comfort of their own home cinema room rather than at a public theater. Hollywood already circulates launch-day copies among a limited cadre of high-profile figures, but Prima would allow them to expand that number as well as make some money from it. Industry analysts are skeptical that the company will find a sufficient audience with both interest and cash, but Prima has already secured backing from Universal Pictures and the venture arm of Best Buy.

[via WSJ]