A presentation of electronic delivery options for adult content sparked thoughtful and, at times, competitive debate during today’s How Would You Like It? Advances in Delivery Technology seminar at the AEE. Hotmovies.com, WAAT Media, and Entice TV were on hand to discuss technical advances in VOD, mobile media, and interactive TV networks.
Moderator Mark Fisher of the Entertainment Merchants Association began the seminar by stating that no one has figured out exactly what the consumer wants to watch, what type of device they want to watch it on, or where they want to watch it.
Hotmovies.com CEO Richard Cohen, however, did not seem to agree with Fisher’s assessment. “Customers don’t want to see entire movies. They want to see scenes,” explained Cohen. “They want to see five minutes of this movie. Five minutes of that movie. They don’t want to own it. They don’t want to download it. They just want to see it once, maybe twice, and go on to the next thing. It’s an impulsive thing. They don’t have to go to the video store. They don’t have to stand in line. They go home and watch what they want on Hotmovies.com. The average customer spends 20 minutes. In and out.”
To date, Hotmovies.com has acquired over 40,000 titles from over 1,200 production studios. The company continues to add 50 to 100 new titles a day. Cohen credits the public’s need for variety and convenience as a big part of his company’s success and that of VOD in general. “The videos being put out today aren’t movies. They’re a collection of scenes,” observed Cohen.
Talk about VOD’s inability to make the jump to the televison allowed for Entice TV’s Susan Keil to engage the audience with a description of her company’s interactive TV interface, which functions as a network programmed to the consumer’s taste in adult entertainment. The network provides downloadable HD-quality content.
Cohen was quick to point out the public’s aversion to adding bulky equipment to their entertainment centers as a possible deterrent for Entice TV, which requires a set-top box. The outspoken businessman also drew chuckles from the audience when he questioned the need for adult content delivery on mobile phones. “Those people also have PCs,” he snapped.
Marc Brown of WAAT Media, a mobile media company, noted the technology is in its infancy, but felt that the cell phone’s hold on contemporary culture would only get tighter.
The seminar concluded with an enthusiastic Q&A between panel members and the audience.
Pictured: Mark Brown, Susan Keil, Richard Cohen. Photo by Hewman Being.
