March 09, 2006
Movielink Signs Pact for Microsoft's Ultra-Mobile PC
After a protracted period of teasing, Microsoft finally unveiled today its “Origami” tablet PC, which is officially called the Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC). The reviews range from very good to just so-so, but if the price is right (no definite pricing yet but MSFT says $599 to $999), I definitely want one.
This device is capable of running Windows applications and has a nice-sized screen and seems to fit in one man-sized hand. This also makes it perfect for portable video viewing, and at least one online video distributor, Movielink, has signed a pact with Microsoft to make its content available on the device.
Movielink will be the “premier brand and provider of video content for the UMPC Program Launcher.” Movielink is a studio-backed consortium that delivers films online for PC-based viewing for a per-viewing fee of $1.99 to $4.99.
The company has faced a lot of uncertainty over the past year, with the studios at one point ready to sell Movielink. Take-rates for Movielink films are supposedly very low due to the lack of blockbuster content and the inability of customers to watch the films on anything other than a PC, or a PC-connected TV.
Now, however, with the UMPC Movielink is freed from the stationary PC platform, its fortunes could change. In any event, the deal with Movielink signals that Microsoft surely has other video content-related deals in the works, which could position the Redmond, WA-based software giant as a rival for Apple’s hot iTunes video store.
Posted by Cynthia Brumfield at March 9, 2006 11:06 AM