The Movies Anywhere digital movie locker consortium has just launched Screen Pass, a beta feature that allows folks to share their purchased movies with others… as Vudu once did. However, there are a number of gotchas that Movies Anywhere spells out. Beyond the obvious limited catalog of supported movies, due to licensing issues that persist in this space, some addition considerations:
How many Screen Passes can I send and do they expire?
You will earn 3 Screen Passes when you become eligible. As long as you remain eligible, you will be able to send 3 new Screen Passes starting on the first day of each calendar month. Unused passes expire at the end of each month and do not roll over month-to-month.Do I have to pay any fees to send a Screen Pass?
There are no fees to send a Screen Pass. To send a Screen Pass, you must have a Movies Anywhere account and must have purchased a Movies Anywhere-eligible movie from a connected participating Digital Retailer or redeemed a non-promotional digital code in the past 6 months.
I guess their approach is not entirely unreasonable and I understand the need to generate ongoing revenue. But, on the other hand, digital is still inferior to physical media on so many levels – resale is impossible and sharing is restricted… unless giving up your credentials.
Perfect way to watch a movie “together” while practicing social distancing!
I would be thrilled if they would/could add a NetflixParty style sync to the app/web site!
Mabye a conscientious parent would use this so they could pick out movies for their children to watch.
I was just approved for the beta the other day and tested it out with a friend. They have 14 days to start the movie, and 72 hours to watch once they start it. What’s nice I can still watch the movie while it’s “loaned” out. The only downside right now is the selection, but it’s still in beta.