Amazon streams direct to TV

Amazon announced Wednesday that users can now stream full-length, ad-free films and TV episodes directly to their web browser. Viewers can also rent or buy Amazon Video On Demand products and view them with the beta version of Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video Link feature, which streams the videos directly to compatible Sony HDTVs.

After linking customers link their BRAVIAs to their Amazon accounts, purchases can be viewed immediately, and a back-up file to the stream is saved for future use.

In an effort to encourage purchases, Amazon also will allow the first two minutes of all content to play for free once the detail page of a video is selected. Purchased content will be stored in "Your Video Library" for access at any time.

If the service is a success, expect content owners to start complaining about compensation, a la the writer's strike. Without ad revenue, TV series streamed through the service will have to rely on the pay-per-view model to generate profits, and those might get cannibalized rather quickly. 

For more:
- see the Amazon press release here 

Related Articles
A Little Stream From Amazon
Netflix: 20 Million Future Streaming Customers, DVD Peaking
Scopus to acquire Optibase streaming business