Amazon: Get Blu-ray or DVD, then Stream for Free

1:30 PM - December 10, 2009 - By Kevin Parrish - Source : Tom's Guide US

Disk+ On Demand provides a free digital copy of select DVD and Blu-ray movies purchased on Amazon.

Online retail giant Amazon has launched a service that may give iTunes, Netflix and other virtual retailers a run for their money. Called Disk+ On Demand, this new service provides a free streaming version of a movie purchased via Blu-ray and/or DVD. This means that anyone ordering physical copies of "select" movies will receive the Amazon Video on Demand standard definition (SD) version for free... possibly forever (or until the Internet explodes and collapses).

"When you purchase a Disc+ On Demand Blu-ray or DVD, we'll automatically add the digital version to Your Video Library," the company writes in this FAQ. Amazon also reports that moviegoers can download the digital versions for offline viewing using as well using the "Download" feature ("Watch Now" activates the online streaming).

So will all DVDs and Blu-ray movies have free, Digital SD versions? Apparently not, however, there will be a Disc+ On Demand message designated to qualified products. Once the DVD or Blu-ray movie is purchased, the digital SD version will appear in the customer's account "as a gift."

Currently there are loads of Disc+ On Demand disks to choose, including Interview with a Vampire, Unforgiven, Ghostbusters, the remastered version of The Fifth Element, and tons more. Unfortunately, this program only applies to customers located in the United States. Sorry Marcus, no streaming Teletubbies for you. (Being Canadian, I'm more upset about missing out on Kids in the Hall. -Marcus)

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Montezuma 12/11/2009 5:23 AM

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This is a great idea, but unless is will apply to all movies, including all new releases, then Amazon will fail with this. This is the reason that Netflix fails with their instant view section. I mean, we live in the year 2009, but it still feels like 1999. This is a nifty idea, but kind of useless.

daship 12/11/2009 6:32 AM

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Who wants to buy another copy of a old movie just to get a digital copy. New movies great, but old movies = fail. Its easy to make your own movies digital anyways. If its legal for amazon to give you a digital copy, how is it different then making your own?

AIstudio 12/11/2009 9:46 AM

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How will this work if the governing bodies get there way and we are all capped in bandwidth due to them pointing the finger at piracy. Sorry but you cant cut it both ways??

staalkoppie 12/11/2009 2:29 PM

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LOL....South African internet is so backwater, I'll order the dist, and download the movie...the disk will arrive, I'll watch it a million times, and my PC will still be downloading the digital version...