Qriocity gets Videos On Demand and Music Unlimited cloud support

by Steven Mostyn - Sep 2 2010, 06:43

It’s been a busy day for Sony coverage, with the Japanese electronics specialist announcing that its upcoming Qriocity digital entertainment platform (previously called Sony Online Services) is to include support for both Videos On Demand and Music Unlimited cloud-based streaming.

Unveiled at the IFA Consumer Electronics show currently taking place in Berlin, the ‘Video On Demand powered by Qriocity’ service – which is already available in the United States – will be rolled out across Europe during Q3 of 2010.

The entertainment platform will offer those in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, access to hundreds of high-definition and standard-definition movies from major studios such as 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, NBC Universal, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney and Warner Bros.

The Video On Demand service gives customers the opportunity to rent content “at the touch of a button” through 2010 models of Sony’s online-enabled Bravia televisions, Blu-ray players, and Blu-ray Home Theater systems.

Adding another string to Qriocity’s bow, Sony has also announced plans to introduce ‘Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity’, an unlimited digital music streaming service supported entirely by cloud-based content. Music Unlimited will arrive across Europe and in the U.S. during Q3 of this year.

While similarly available through 2010 models of Sony Bravia TVs, Blu-ray players and Blu-ray Home Theaters, Music Unlimited will also be carried by the popular PlayStation 3 videogame console, VAIO notebooks and other Sony computers.

“With access to a huge library of songs through the cloud, users can discover new music through channels personalized to their tastes on multiple devices and without the requirement to manage digital files,” outlined Kaz Hirai, president of Sony’s Networked Products & Services Group.

“Services ‘powered by Qriocity’ will revolutionize the way that users play, listen, watch, share, communicate, learn, discover and create their digital entertainment content,” he added.

Sony has not yet outlined its region-specific pricing plans for either Videos On Demand or Music Unlimited.

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