Voole Online Cinema launched in Beijing

By Yang Qi (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-11-17 15:36

A new website, www.voole.com website was launched on November 12, 2008 in Beijing. [chinadaily.com.cn]

A new website, www.voole.com will offer a new digital entertainment platform for Chinese mainland Internet users with a great number of copyrighted high-definition TV and movie entertainment programs.

It was launched on November 12 by Beijing Union Voole Technology Co. Ltd., providing video-on-demand for a small viewing fee. The “China Internet Video Anti-Piracy Association” proposed and initiated by the company was also unveiled at the launching ceremony.

The company aims to crack down on the piracy of Internet movies in partnership with video production and distribution institutes in China and overseas in order to promote the healthy development of online cinemas in China.

Officials from the Central Propaganda Department of the People’s Republic of China, National Copyright Administration of the People's Republic of China, The State Administration of Radio Film and Television, chief officers from a dozen of renowned movie and TV companies including CCTV, China Film Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), and Warner Brothers attended the ceremony.

The “China Internet Video Anti-Piracy Association” was unveiled at the launching ceremony. [chinadaily.com.cn]

Warner Bros. inked deal with Beijing Union Voole Technology Co at the end of August this year, becoming the first Hollywood studio to operate transactional video-on-demand services in China following a deal with Union Voole Technology.

The service will be priced and positioned to make it competitive with pirated DVDs and compatible with China's fast-developing broadband Internet service. Movies will be available for DRM-protected rental- only at 1 yuan-5 yuan (75 US cents) each or at 5 yuan for a monthly payment for all movies and TV series voole.com boasts.

At present, about 2,000 movies and 10,000 episodes of TV series are available on the website, according to the communication director from the company. China already has significant broadband usage, with a projected 253 million users according to the latest report of the China Internet Network Information Centre.