McLean, Va. – XStreamHD said last week that it has entered a
long-term electronic sell-thru and video-on-demand home entertainment-distribution
agreement with Lionsgate, to provide the studio’s movies through its new
satellite-TV entertainment-on-demand platform.
Under the agreement,
subscribers to the XStreamHD home entertainment service will be able to
digitally purchase or rent Lionsgate HD video releases, as well as provide
access to Lionsgate’s content library of more than 12,000 titles, XStreamHD
said.
After several delays, XStreamHD said it now plans to launch its
home entertainment service and equipment this summer. The system will enable
customers to
digitally purchase or rent recent Lionsgate HD releases and fare from other
studios.
The
service is pitching the superior quality of content through its state-of-the-art
delivery platform that will enable high bit rate FullHD 1080p HD video and up
to 7.1 channels of lossless audio.
Music
will also be available through the system in a variety of digital formats
including high-quality FLAC.
“Our customers will enjoy unparalleled digital quality, access
and convenience to HD entertainment without the hassles associated with slow
Internet downloads or limited retailer inventory,” stated George Gonzalez,
president and CEO of XStreamHD.
Pricing
for the individual Lionsgate VOD titles was not announced. But titles produced
by the studio that would be open to the new distribution deal include cable TV
programs – including “Mad Men,” “Weeds,” “Nurse Jackie”
and “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” –
and theatrical titles including “Tyler
Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too?,”
“Kick-Ass” and “Precious”.
“Our
partnership with XStreamHD presents us with a new opportunity to distribute our
content in the digital marketplace,” Lionsgate distribution and digital
executive VP Jon Ferro said in a statement. “Our decision to distribute our
titles through XStreamHD reflects our commitment to offer consumers the
highest-quality home entertainment and access to our enormous library of
titles.”
Recently,
XStreamHD announced it has signed a multiyear deal with EchoStar Satellite
Services to use Fixed Service Satellite (FSS) capacity leased on SES World
Skies’ AMC-16 satellite.
The
video files are automatically downloaded to subscribers’ media server library
based on their preferences and previous title selections, the company said.
Equipment
will be sold in several configurations including a Fast Start package ($399)
that includes one HD Media Server with 1TB of storage, one HD media receiver, a
remote control and accessories, including an HDMI cable and two Ethernet
cables.
A Pro Start package will be offered for $499. Storage capacities
of 2TB and 4TB are also available with both starter packages.
Consumers can pre-order either package to receive priority
shipment of the first release systems at
.
System distribution is being handled largely through direct sales.
The company has also partnered with an installer network for
installations and setup, although a DYI install option is available.
XStreamHD’s
media server includes three ATSC tuners, which will provide access to
over-the-air broadcasts and let customers record and view up to three separate
HDTV programs simultaneously with the additional network video recorder
feature.
