Warner Bros Archive Instant: Streaming Classic TV and Movies

Instead of joining the race to collect the newest and hottest content, Warner Bros. is taking a different approach in its attempt to get a share of the huge revenue generated by video streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix. The company’s alternative to trying to compete with the content hounds is to crack open the vault and dust off some classics, and rare ones at that.

Exclusive Film Collection

The content catalog is a collection of TV shows and Movies from Warner Bros., RKO, MGM, and Allied Artists. The company boast of their “rare” and “hard-to-find” selection that ranges from the 1920s to the 1990s. Archive Instant’s films include titles like 1991’s “Until the End of the World” with William Hurt, and 1921’s adaption of “The Scarlet Letter”. Fans of classic films can get unlimited access to the site’s selection for $9.99 monthly, and right now you can try it out for free for 2 weeks

This is surprisingly $2 more per month than both Hulu Plus and Netflix. But Warner Bros. believes that their service is worth it, due to the rarity of its content. The company is promoting its hard to come by catalog as a main selling point and even their FAQ page refers to the “other streaming services” and their shortage of the classics.

How much Content is available?

While Warner Bros. is promising “regularly added” content, the company launched only 122 titles initially. The service is also lacking for device compatibility. Though users can always stream videos straight from the website, the only TV device that is compatible with the service is Roku. And the web version won’t stream in HD, so only the Roku users will be capable of streaming any of the optional high-definition films.

Archive Instant is likely to have a very specific group of followers that are devoted fans of classic films and will enjoy similar genres and themes. The service will feature streaming movie or TV marathons each month, based on its users common interests.

It should be interesting to see how much of a following Warner Bros. will be able to attain with such a specific niche. What are your thoughts, and would you spend $10 a month to watch rare classic films?

[Image via sensesofcinema]