CORP TALK: Memory manufacturer Kingston will be teaming up with Paramount Digital Entertainment (a division of Paramount Pictures) to deliver full-length motion picture feature films on Kingston Flash memory products.

The movies on Kingston memory will be available to consumers as part of a bundle package and for sale.

According to LegitReviews, “Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen” is available in selected US-based Office Max stores at US$29.99.

Customers who purchase this, receives the movie on a 4GB Kingston DataTraveler I drive with additional storage space. Kingston DataTraveler USB Flash drives are backed by a five-year warranty and 24/7 tech support.

HWM Indonesia

HWM Indonesia: It’s a novelty which won’t generate a lot of additional sales.

Ordinary people won’t just buy this UFD (USB Flash Drive) based on the movie in it because they still have to find another storage medium to put the movie if they intend to use the UFD for other purposes.

If the UFD is sold in video stores, they might appeal to movie buyers who will buy the UFD for the movie, and not for the storage purpose.

Navin Danapal, Technical Editor, HWM Malaysia

Navin (HWM Malaysia): This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this attempt. Back in Computex this year, Kingmax showcased the same concept about tying up their USB Flash memory devices with other partners to provide a more value-added delivery system where the USB Flash drive has now become the CD medium of delivery.

Kingmax bundled the online MMORPG WarHammer with its 16GB Flash products as part of its content-packed Flash memory initiative.

Not only content but also apps like bundled Language Learning software, online games DLC, and so on.

According to Kingmax, they’re also considering working with entertainment partners like Disney so perhaps you’ll be able to buy 2010’s animation films on a USB Flash drive and watch it on your USB-capable device.

Of course, we might end up with a deluge of USB Flash drive content like people did in the past with all those jokes about AOL bundled CDs. But at least with USB Flash drives, you can always erase it and use it.

A timely distribution move compared to the fragility of CDs for sure.

Vijay Anand, Editor, HardwareZone.com

Vijay (HardwareZone.com): Actually, Kingmax was the first memory vendor to have pioneered the concept several years ago of providing movie content on their flash products - an easy way to charge a premium over the bare basic storage devices which is already busy with competition.

However as Martin (see quote above) has voiced out, for this to become a success, they should target others outside of the PC retail stores and in the existing video stores where people are genuinely looking to purchase videos - the thumb drive option is another convenient method.

Kingmax however isn’t pursuing this anymore now. We’ll have to see how Kingston manages their planning and distribution of this idea, else it’ll end up nowhere as well.

In my view, this is a short-lived option for consumers as online video streaming, pay-per-view videos and other online forms of viewing would be the ultimate consumption choice once bandwidth is available reasonably for all and when there are enough vendors offering adequate choice.

Remember, TV-based internet services are on their way (including the TV itself) to house enough processing power to handle the new wave of media consumption.

Besides, just how many thumb drives do they expect people to purchase? It’s not the best way of storage unlike the neat jewel boxes for disc-based media and their excellent package designs.

All other retail formats of media purchase options are likely to decline ever further as the Internet becomes the centralized center for media consumption and choice.

Of course top-notch quality content such as Blu-ray and other future formats will likely stay on as obtaining such high-definition content via the Net may not be practical.