Digital Home Thoughts: Sony to offer Video Downloads later this year

According to IDG News Service, Sony announced plans to offer video downloads at its Connect download service. "Sony Connect, our music download service, has just been launched at beta-testing level and video downloading will follow later this year," according to Sony executives at a news conference. Later according to PC World, "A company spokesman later downplayed the remarks and said that while Sony is considering a video download service it has made no decision on timing or the type of video content that may be offered." Who knows what the eventual decision will be, but Sony does have quite the library to pull from.

Questions arise to the format that Sony might release videos in. Music can currently be downloaded in ATRAC audio, which can be played on only a few of Sony's CD Walkman players. You may remember Sony has been involved with Movielink download service (you can keep an unwatched movie for 30 days, but only 24 hours after you first start watching it) which currently allows for downloading movies directly to your PC.