The test launch is intended to help Tesco explore the consumer appetite for downloading video content to watch on a PC or laptop.
Under the scheme, shoppers can download movies and episodes of TV shows to own, and the retailer has firm plans to extend this with a download-to-rent option and will assess further developments.
The Tesco Digital site has been created with the assistance of digital agency Conchango. Conchango senior business consultant Derek Dunlop told Retail Week that, for Tesco to launch the download-to-rent offer only small changes to the digital rights management system that the site uses are required. Consumers would download content and be able to watch it for a limited period of time. He hinted that the option could go live on the site before Christmas.
Gift cards that can be purchased in Tesco’s stores can now be used to pay for content on the Digital site, as well as across the rest of Tesco Direct.
The new section of the site will stay in beta beyond Christmas. Dunlop said that customer feedback is expected to show that consumers want to be able to watch the content they purchase on their TVs, so Tesco is looking into a streaming device that would make this possible.
Conchango is also exploring technologies from Microsoft and Adobe that could allow Tesco to sell content that is streamed live from the site, in the same way as people watch TV programmes using BBC’s iPlayer service.
Other future developments could include moving to a different file format, so that customers can play the content they buy on any device they choose, although still within the limits of a digital rights management system.
No comments yet