Beginning with the Alien prequel Prometheus on 18 September, Twentieth Century Fox offers the digital downloads of new high-definition releases for $15 three weeks before the DVDs and Blu-ray discs go on sale.

The standard-definition download - for only $2 less - will be available at the time of the DVD released on 11 October. The studios says it plans to roll out all its new releases this way, at least in the foreseeable future, according to the New York Times.

Fox offers its HD titles online for $5 less than the current industry standard of about $20. Lionsgate is offering a standard definition download version of What to Expect When You're Expecting, released on DVD last week, in the iTunes Store for $15.

Fox chairman James Gianopulos told the New York Times that he thinks Fox is the first studio to offer digital downloads three weeks ahead of home video sales. The studios did offer last year new release rentals on-demand only two months after their cinema release for a stiff $30, a strategy opposed by theater owners who killed it.

Another example is Radius-TWC which released its indie comedy Bachelorette first on iTunes in August. It opened in the cinemas last week. When on iTunes the title topped the list of movie rentals.

Story filed 02.10.12