Disney shows alternate Key Chest
January 7, 2010
The Walt Disney Co has unveiled KeyChest, its proprietary alternative to DECE's Digital Rights Locker, to enable consumers to buy films or television shows from various distributors, store them on remote servers, and play them on multiple platforms ranging from TVs to computers and phones.
Disney said it plans to roll-out KeyChest for both the U.S. and the international market, and that it will soon announce partners who will participate in the program. Disney said negotiations with content distributors, cable companies and telecommunications services have been ongoing for several months. It hopes the technology will be deployed before the end of 2010.
The company also said a third-party company will operate KeyChest, and that it expects other studios to make their content available through the authenticating technology Disney has developed. “The idea is to have all the movies consumers want to buy available in this way,” said Kelly Summers, vice president of digital distribution, “if it’s Disney only, there really isn’t much value here.” Disney said they hope to use KeyChest to build momentum for the long-stalled digital distribution of films.