Warner Archive streaming has launched, bringing back catalog titles from the company’s extensive library to the Roku , Venture Beat reported on Tuesday.
The service will run $9.99 per month with unlimited streaming options for movies and TV shows, joining new services such as Red Box and Verizon as alternatives to the big players of Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.
The offering appears to carry more appeal for a niche audience rather than the younger demographic populating the more active streaming service providers.
Some of the standouts currently being featured from the Warner Archive include the masterpiece A Face in the Crowd starring Andy Griffith, the vastly underrated 1970s action-comedy Freebie and the Bean with James Caan and Alan Arkin, and, of course, The Disorderlies featuring what are perhaps the 1980s most talented rap artists, those beloved Fat Boys.
While the $9.99 monthly fee may seem steep given the selection available, it does offer a better value for Warner Archive titles than what was previously available.
The non-streaming side launched a few years ago as an on-demand DVD seller.
Historical movie buffs could find a title not given the proper DVD treatment and order it on-demand, receiving a DVD-R of the film in a made-to-order commercial package with color artwork.
The films are still available directly through Warner, or one can purchase via Amazon, but the above mentioned titles would cost more than $100 brand new.
(The company inexplicably ditched production on The Disorderlies , making it a rarity that commands around $70 brand new from Amazon .)
Warner Brothers has not announced plans to hit other streaming boxes at the present, but with Paramount, Amazon, and Crackle, making a move in 2012 to Xbox 360 and other playback devices, we’re betting it won’t be long.
Are you game for giving the Warner Archive streaming service a chance, or do you plan to stick with the established players? In case you’re on the fence, check out this sweet clip of the Fat Boys movie:
