October 4th, 2007
HP bolsters digital video library
HP is building out its digital library for its turnkey on-demand video services.
Back in February HP announced an effort called Video Merchant Services and signed Wal-Mart up as its first customer. The general idea was to offer on demand video downloads. Simply put, HP was angling to be a video arms dealer.
Since that announcement, however, HP has been largely silent until Thursday.
HP said in a statement that it has inked agreements with 30 content providers to license their libraries for distribution of HP Video Merchant Services. In total, HP will be able to add 4,000 movie, TV and documentary titles to its library. In a statement, HP said the agreements are the “first steps toward building one of the largest catalogs of licensed commercial video available.”
The studios dealing with HP include Anthem Pictures, Lightworks Program Distribution, Santa Fe Productions, Seedsman Group, Starlight Home Entertainment, Vanguard Cinema, Wink Inc. Productions and World Events Products among others.
The game plan for HP appears to be building out specialty content for its on-demand DVD service. HP is offering an on-demand DVD service where consumers can order classic TV shows, sporting events and specialty content packaged DVDs in small quantities.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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