Disney’s KEYCHEST Allows You To play Films On Any Device. DVD Extinction On The Horizon?

There’s a new way of watching home entertainment. Is it Blu-Ray, nope. DVD is yesterday’s news, even the download-to-own Video On Demand has its limitations because it limits you to certain devices that you can watch that download on. So…Let’s see if the following idea will catch on, according to Variety, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment may have come up with the next big thing, a system that would allow you to access to movies anywhere, anytime. If you want to, you could even pay just one price for rights to a movie that you could play on multiple devices (Zune, iPod, Mac, PC, Roku box) even simultaneously. So what is this latest magic that the Mouse house will proudly present you?…

The technology is called KEYCHEST

Here’s how it works…

Using digital cloud-computing concepts that could be coupled with physical product, you’d be able to pay one price for permanent access to movies or TV shows that are stored on a remote server, so you don’t download it but you can always access it via a wide variety of devices, including cell phones, cable services, PCs and Blu-ray players.

You, the consumers, would access the content by purchasing a digital “key” or password.

For example, if you purchase the password to classics like Aladdin or blunders like Race To Witch Mountain , you can then watch the movie on your laptop, then continue on a TV, then view the ending via mobile phone.

That’s the idea that Disney is gunning for, to deliver content to nearly any device capable of playing back digital films, to create a world where consumers can demand convenient, instant access to entertainment choices.
The report says Disney would demonstrate KEYCHEST two months from now, and it could be available to consumers in the next couple of years or even earlier than that.

But Disney isn’t the only one, it’s not the father of this idea. The competition, potential rival, was formed last year called DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT ECOSYSTEM or DECE, an initiative from a group that includes Sony, Fox, NBC Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount and Lionsgate attempting to develop a digital standard that would allow you play digital movies back on virtually any digital device.
So what’s the difference?

KEYCHEST uses the formats already in place while DECE wants to introduce new formats and standards. The experts are anticipating another turf war ala HD DVD & Blu-Ray. Remember that?
What stinks for Disney is that it’s the only studio not involved in DECE, so how are they going to sell the idea when they’re obviously outnumbered? On the other hand, Disney still got Apple which is probably going to go with KEYCHEST initiative.

Earlier I say let’s see if this will catch on. Well some say it would take time before it becomes a trend because although DVD sales fall sharply, digital sales haven’t come close to showing great prospect either so it would most likely remain small until digital content is as easy for consumers to access and watch as a DVD today. So no worries, I got a feeling Red Box will stick around for a while.

That said, is this a sign that DVD and Blu-Ray will be extinct? Are you going to be ok with not having Blockbuster Video or local rental store in your area anymore?