UK FILM COUNCIL Feasibility Study of a Digital Platform for the delivery of UK Independent and Specialised films to the Home by Screen Digest/Magic Lantern Feasibility Study for a Digital Platform for the delivery of Independent UK films and Specialised films to the Home 1 UK Film Council © 2006 UK FILM COUNCIL 1 Executive Summary .........................................................................................................................................4 Key Objectives.................................................................................................................................................... 4 Summary........................................................................................................................................................... 4 Proposals and Recommendations........................................................................................................................... 6 2. Demand for independently produced UK film and specialised titles ..................................................................9 Key findings ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 Opening up the market ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Missing opportunities?........................................................................................................................................ 11 Levelling the playing field ................................................................................................................................... 13 Increasing the market for the UK and specialised film sector?.................................................................................. 15 Title by title comparisons ................................................................................................................................... 19 Other evidence ................................................................................................................................................. 23 3. The supply of independently produced UK films and specialised films ............................................................24 Key rights holder issues and summary ................................................................................................................. 24 Exploitation of rights via on-demand platforms: current trends ................................................................................ 25 The problem of Internet Rights............................................................................................................................ 27 Rights holder perspectives on the potential for new platforms.................................................................................. 29 4. Existing digital on-demand platforms .............................................................................................................31 Platform issues and summary ............................................................................................................................. 31 UK on-demand market overview.......................................................................................................................... 32 Video Networks................................................................................................................................................. 36 NTL-Telewest/Filmflex........................................................................................................................................ 40 BSkyB ............................................................................................................................................................. 45 BT Freeview Plus............................................................................................................................................... 48 BBC ................................................................................................................................................................ 50 Film Four ......................................................................................................................................................... 51 Internet-based (open gateway) Platforms ............................................................................................................. 55 Lovefilm........................................................................................................................................................... 58 Video Island ..................................................................................................................................................... 59 CinemaNow ...................................................................................................................................................... 60 Feasibility Study for a Digital Platform for the delivery of Independent UK films and Specialised films to the Home 2 UK Film Council © 2006 UK FILM COUNCIL World Cinema Online ......................................................................................................................................... 63 Greengrass ...................................................................................................................................................... 64 Sony Connect ................................................................................................................................................... 65 Apple iTunes..................................................................................................................................................... 67 ISPs ................................................................................................................................................................ 68 AOL UK............................................................................................................................................................ 69 Yahoo! UK & Ireland .......................................................................................................................................... 70 Wanadoo UK..................................................................................................................................................... 71 Tiscali UK......................................................................................................................................................... 72 5. Platform Choice Assessment ...........................................................................................................................75 Digital Master ................................................................................................................................................... 76 Transcoding...................................................................................................................................................... 77 Metadata ......................................................................................................................................................... 78 Storage ........................................................................................................................................................... 80 Productisation................................................................................................................................................... 80 Media delivery .................................................................................................................................................. 81 DRM and licence serving .................................................................................................................................... 84 Support Content ............................................................................................................................................... 86 Navigation and Search ....................................................................................................................................... 86 Peer to Peer meets Client/Server......................................................................................................................... 87 6. Strategic options and recommendations .........................................................................................................89 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 89 Strategic options in relation to rights ................................................................................................................... 89 Strategic options in relation to distribution............................................................................................................ 96 7. Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................103 8. Interview List................................................................................................................................................105 Feasibility Study for a Digital Platform for the delivery of Independent UK films and Specialised films to the Home 3 UK Film Council © 2006 UK FILM