Bloomberg reports that Sony, Warner Bros., and Walt Disney are all in talks to offer a home streaming option for movies "soon after" their theater runs. Except they want to charge $30 for the privilege.
The studios are all in talks with In Demand about giving a streaming option months in advance of DVD or on-demand availability. Disney, in particular, is looking into streaming movies to Xbox or PlayStation 3. Sony has tried this twice before, with Hancock and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, for both of which they charged $25. Disney's planning to test the waters early next year with a single film.
Theater owners are upset because they're worried that an early streaming release will eat into their sales, but I don't think they should be. I have a hard enough time paying $4 for an on-demand movie and sending Netflix my $9 each month. I don't care how good Tron: Legacy turns out to be, I'm not coughing up $30 to watch it on my couch. [Bloomberg]