MUMBAI: Guba, a leading online multimedia entertainment site, announced its new video service featuring Warner Bros. Entertainment content. This offering allows users to rent and buy, on a download basis, movies and television shows online. With the launch, Guba becomes the first US video sharing community to distribute licensed Warner Bros. Entertainment’s content online.
Guba enables its users to search, upload and share video posted to Guba and Usenet. Guba transcodes video so that users can view content on a wide range of video formats and portable devices. Now, Guba enables users to download DRM-protected films and TV shows from Warner Bros. Entertainment.
More than 200 of Warner Bros. Entertainment’s latest movie releases are currently available from Guba, including Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Everything is Illuminated, as well as catalog titles such as The Matrix, Batman Forever, and Best in Show. TV programming includes Babylon 5, Dukes of Hazzard, The Flintstones and The Jetsons. All video content can be downloaded and played on compatible home computers, streamed to the TV, and loaded onto portable devices.
“Guba, has been working directly with the Motion Picture Association and has instituted filtering and security measures to ensure the protection of copyrighted films and television content,” said Warner Bros. Technical Operations executive vice president distribution technology and operations Darcy Antonellis.
Rental prices start at $1.99 per movie for unlimited views during a 24-hour period. Viewers can buy extra viewing days for reduced fees without the need to download the film again.
Guba also allows users to buy movies and television shows. Catalog films will retail for $9.99 and new releases, available on the same date that DVDs are released in stores, will retail for $19.99. Television shows will retail starting at $1.79 per episode. Users may keep permanent copies of purchased titles, load purchased titles onto portable devices, and stream purchased and rented content through their home network.
“This new service brings premium studio content to an Internet audience in an easy-to-use and intuitive way, without the necessity of downloading additional software. For years we’ve been making access to online video easy — now we’re bringing that experience to Warner Bros.’s catalog of films and TV shows. Warner Bros. is a pioneer in internet distribution and is creating a new online video rental market. Warner has great content that I know our millions of monthly visitors will enjoy,” said Guba CEO and co-founder Tom McInerney.
“We’re pleased to open our movie and TV content to Guba’s community through the launch of this service. Guba’s platform is user-friendly and easily accessible which is critical for the emerging online digital distribution market. With Guba, more Internet users will be able to legally and securely buy and rent our films and TV series. Warner is committed to providing our programming to fans when, where and how they want it, and this deal is another example of our commitment to do that,” said Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group senior vice president digital distribution Jim Wuthrich.
