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For the first time, consumers will be able to download and burn movies onto DVDs legally - that is, with the copyright protection technology that the movie studios demand.

Despite the advent of movie downloads, DVDs are still highly sought after. They pack more information than the typical downloaded movie. Their quality is far superior than streaming movies wirelessly - which are going to look horrible on a regular Wi-Fi connection.

You can lend DVDs to friends and family. They're easy to mail. And you get instant access to all of their features and every scene in a movie, instead of having to wait for the download to end.

This week, software developers Sonic Solutions and Macrovision Corporation made a deal that could save retailers a lot of rent money. Sonic makes software that helps consumers burn discs, while Macrovision sells copyright protection services to the entertainment industry.

Because suddenly it becomes possible for stores - both online and off - to burn DVDs on demand.

A video store offering hundreds of thousands of movies, instead of, say, the thousand that currently fight for space on store shelves. Amazon will be a big winner because it will be able to burn discs as customers order them, thereby reducing inventory costs and boosting margins.

This post was adapted from DVDs: They will survive.

Categories: DVD, copyright, movie, inventory, costs, margins