Download Version of New Rescues DVD Unlikely To Happen

As of this morning, it is highly unlikely I will be able to make our new Rescues DVD, Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown- Volume 2, available as a Download.

I am very disappointed about this.

Many people have contributed their thoughts about downloads and DVDs. I’ve spent a lot of time developing a download system which works well for DVD1. And I’ve been trumpting the fact the new film will be released simultaneously as DVD and Download.

Now it won't. So what’s gone wrong? Put simply, this.

If I sell a download, retail stores probably won’t stock the DVD.

That’s the stark warning from one of our distributors. And I have a good relationship with distributors and retailers. I want to support kayak stores. So I feel it's wise to to right by them.

The argument goes something like this.

One of the advantages retail stores have over online stores is their ability to deliver something instantly.

If you want the DVD today, go to your kayak store and you can get it today, rather than waiting a few days for it to arrive in the mail.

Downloads remove that advantage. When online stores offer that immediate gratification, there’s no reason for the retailer to give the product shelf-space.

There’s also a concern that a new product, released without digital copy protection, will be ripped off instantly. You wouldn't, but others might.

So again, why would a retailer give shelf space to a product you can get free on a pen-drive from your friend?

I’ve loked into copy-protection, thought I had on which might work, but decided it didn’t.

So for the forseable future, Volume 2 will not be available as a download, whereas Volume 1 will.

However, I have some really positive developments to share, including a new sea kayaking film with superb archive footage which will be available as a download.

More about this tomorrow – and then I’m taking a month off blogging to travel and ride my bike.