Flixchip Corp. Announces Select Movie Content Now Available On Muvichip

Oct. 4, 2012 - PRLog -- Chico, CA, October 4—Since the advent of the CD and DVD, the entertainment industry’s next content major delivery platform has been “right around the corner.”  In the last few years, however, USB-based storage media has become so compact, it was only a matter of time before someone came along to marry the ubiquitous USB platform with pre-loaded, solid state entertainment content users can enjoy on any device. Now, a technology company led by lifelong serial entrepreneur John Strisower has launched FlixChip Corp., a company that promises to deliver

FlixChip has partnered with FilmChest Media Group—the same group that first provided movie content to Vudu back in 2007 (that company was purchased by Wal-mart, Inc. in 2010).   FilmChest has one of the largest libraries of film classics and TV series in the world. These titles will be among the first available on FlixChip’s muvichip, where through its USB-compatible format a movie can be played on any device without the Internet. For devices without a USB port, (such as many smartphones and tablets), FlixChip has developed a companion device, the muvifi, that wirelessly transmits the movie to any Wi-Fi-enabled device. As many as five devices can stream a movie from muvifi at the same time.

The industry and the public are ready and eager for FlixChip’s products.  While a lot of music content is migrating to the cloud, “metered” wireless (and soon, wired) data plans and still-jittery, intermittent  wireless streaming of bandwidth-hungry content means the public promises to embrace a solid-state solution that provides instant access and a familiar interface, yet requires no optical drive, which has already begun disappearing from computers.

FlixChip’s first product offering, the muvichip, is a small, durable, streamlined, solid-state device with pre-loaded film content that works on anything with a screen and a USB port. Pull it from its case, insert in the port and voila: movies on the go, in the car, wherever you are, even without an Internet connection. There’s no need to preplan a download, sync movies to portable devices, or learn to rip DVD’s. Now movie fans and gamers can take their entire collection along—even without Internet access. muvifi is cross compatible with iOS, Windows, OS X, and Android, and FlixChip plans support for other platforms beginning in early 2013. Manufacturing has already begun; muvichip and muvifi are expected to be available on the FlixChip website and Amazon with FilmChest and any other content confirmed by then within the next 45 to 60 days—just in time for the holidays.  

“The time is definitely now for the launch of filmed entertainment on the USB platform,” explains CEO and founder John Strisower, whose half-dozen plus start-ups paired state-of-the-art technology—typically semiconductors, computer hardware and software—with electronic, electromechanical and laser-based technologies to address industry problems and opportunities. “The key thing is that the customer already OWNS the hardware they need for muvichip playback and muvifi local streaming, and they already know how to use it.  Along with hard media, VOD and other digital delivery systems, muvichip promises to be the next major content delivery platform.”

The muvichip has both method and physical patents and patent pending properties, and uses the industry’s UltraViolet™ (UV) movie distribution and digital rights management protocols. The Sierra Club Green Home recently recognized muvichip as a friend of the environment, since it requires far less plastic than a DVD, as well as less packaging that could end up in a landfill. Strisower expects muvichip pricing to be competitive with BluRay; the muvifi will retail for around $35.

Customers can pre-buy muvichip and all of FlixChip’s products on FlixChip’s IndieGoGo site at http://www.indiegogo.com/muvichip and on http://facebook.com/flixchip. “We’re friend-raising as well as motivating the experimenters, the first movers in this category,” says Strisower.

Senior management includes Strisower; co-founder COO Greg Helland, whose company wrote the software that allowed all the major studios, broadcasters and sports entities like NASCAR and the NHL to manage their intellectual property; CFO Pat Bennett, with 40 years of experience  as a CFO and legal officer; Aidan Foley, VP business development, who has held top management positions at companies such as Tektronix, Kodak and Ascent Media and consulted on business development for Sony, NCR and News Corp.; and Han Cho, VP manufacturing and design, who’s worked with Barnes & Noble, Apple and Motorola throughout Asia.

Initial industry reaction to FlixChip has been very positive. FlixChip’s management is already in negotiations with four major film studios and numerous independent distributors to license their proprietary movie content for distribution on FlixChip media, and the company has begun discussions with two video game producers and a number of other content providers.  Distribution deals are being inked with brick and mortar and online retailers in time for holiday/winter 2012/13.

The numbers augur just as positively on the customer side. Even though media sales are moving to the cloud, physical media sales continue to account for over 50% of music (CD) and over 90% of movies (DVD/Blu-ray) according to Sony, DECE (Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, LLC), The Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) and Morgan Stanley (information released in 2012). Industry experts believe consumers’ buying habits could remain close to these levels for the next decade.

Not withstanding its manifest advantages, FlixChip believes it can succeed owing to download and streaming not always being available—such as on airplanes, boats and in vehicles, or anywhere due to inconsistent Internet bandwidth or overloaded or unavailable cellular service—or overseas, where roaming costs are prohibitive. In this way, FlixChip serves as a reliable, compact bridge technology between the bulky DVD’s, CD’s, game cartridges and other hard media of the past and an uncertain cloud-based future.

Strisower concludes, “FlixChip products represent a new yet familiar model for digital media distribution. We’re working with the world’s largest and smallest entertainment companies to bring their content to audiences.  With the disappearance of optical drives from computers, optical media are becoming buggies.  Our products represent the next step in the miniaturization and portability of filmed and gaming content.”

http://www.indiegogo.com/muvichip