After delaying it because of technical snags, Akimbo Systems is preparing to launch an Internet-to-television video service in October, a service said to include copy-protection mechanisms to keep users from copying shows or playing them on personal computers or other devices.
The planned adult entertainment will include offerings from Canada's Naked News and Danni's Hard Drive, the former an adult news programming format known for its anchors appearing in the nude or near-nude and the latter the Internet home of the adult entertainer known as "world's most downloaded woman." The service will also include parental controls.
Akimbo plans to launch with a library featuring over 20,000 hours of video from 50 providers, including independents and iFilm and AmazeFilms shorts as well as foreign-language programming from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, and specialty sports programming like boxing, the company said.
Akimbo founder Steve Shannon was unavailable for comment and Naked News did not return a query for comment before this story went to press.
But Danni's Hard Drive business affairs director Duane Dauphine said teaming up for distribution over the Akimbo Net-to-TV platform was an interesting idea Ashe wanted to explore for her content.
"We do it as an opportunity for the public to see our content on a television screen other than via Internet monitor," Dauphin said. "It's the same idea behind providing our content on DVD and VHS formats. It's a new format for people who enjoy our content. And I'd say I think it will broaden our reach. I hope it will reach to people who haven't seen our content in the past."
He said Ashe and Akimbo have developed an ongoing relationship that will continue to develop. "We're interested in seeing how the [Net to TV] system works," he said. "[and] if it proves to be an extremely successful avenue of distribution. It's an experiment."
Akimbo won't exactly lack for competition, according to several reports, with SBC Communications and EchoStar teaming up to launch their own online movie-on-demand service in 2005 and TiVo said to be at work on a product tying Web content to television. And its spectrum requirements, too, might make it easier for competitors to jump in, according to the Associated Press.
The AP also said that choosing rather "esoteric" programming to begin the service is a shrewd move, instead of launching right away with mainstream offerings that cable services already have and might smother them with in the beginning.
