HOME ENTERTAINMENT Disney works on new ways for people to watch movies

The company is offering a new way to rent movies without a trip to the store.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Walt Disney Co. will test two technologies this fall -- movie downloads and self-destructing DVDs -- designed to broaden the distribution of its films and boost profits by cutting out the middleman.
The first service, called MovieBeam, will beam films to consumers through thin air to boxes atop their TVs.
Disney will launch it in Salt Lake City and two other markets yet to be announced. Viewers will need to rent set-top boxes available at consumer electronics stores that plug into a television like a DVD player.
Pricing of movies will be similar to a rental at a video store. Viewers will be able to watch a rented film as many times as they wish in a 24-hour period.
MovieBeam intends to offer another alternative for movie fans who can now get video-on-demand from cable companies or via Internet through such services as Movielink.
DVDs
In August, Disney will also begin selling self-destructing DVDs that will allow viewers to buy a movie for slightly more than a video rental. Once the package is opened, the DVD can be played for 48 hours, after which a chemical is released that renders the disc useless.
Both systems, Disney says, are designed to eliminate the inconvenience of visiting a video rental store.
Disney says it will continue to distribute films through a number of platforms, including the Internet, cable and video rental stores. MovieBeam does not plan to make films available until after they have debuted in video stores.