Some great news for independent filmmakers has just come down the pike from
TiVo and
Amazon's Unbox download service. Instead of just being able to grab movies and watch them on your computer (which not many of us do or even want to do), Amazon is working with
TiVo to make their entire library available for rental on series 2 or 3
TiVo boxes (but not
DirectTiVos) with a broadband connection.
While this finally makes the long-desired connection between the
internet and your TV a reality for movie studios, the best news is that indie content producers could have access to this distribution channel as well.
Customflix is Amazon's service that allows anyone with
suitable material to have their stuff available for download via
Unbox (something
iTunes doesn't offer). Promotion is still up to you, but with an installed user base of 1.5 million, the opportunity is huge.
Still in the beta stage, this service has yet to be rolled out.
TiVos are great devices in and of themselves (my 6-year-old
ReplayTV is still kicking), but this could be great new frontier for filmmakers of all budgets and abilities. Viva Tivo!
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