As Internet connections have become faster, analysts have expected the next big potential market to be in downloading movies and television shows. Some analysts believe it could be significantly larger than the digital music market. Parks Associates, a market-research and consulting firm, estimates that annual revenue from Internet video, including ad-based and user-paid services, could exceed $7 billion in the U.S. alone by 2010.

Apple offers video-compatible iPod devices and the iPhone, along with downloadable television shows, music videos and movies for purchase on its iTunes Store. But analysts say there's no clear winner yet and the market is up for grabs.

"The real key is going to be who is providing the best high-definition experience for viewers," says Kurt Scherf, a Parks Associates analyst who studied this market. He adds that companies ranging from electronics makers to cable companies and content providers are all experimenting now in search of the best strategy ...

"We've been saying for years that if there's a company that can marry all this emerging content to products that people want, it's Sony that's going to make it happen," says Parks Associates analyst Mr. Scherf.

From the article Sony to Challenge Apple In TV, Movie Downloads - CEO Stringer Sees Video As Key to Reclaiming Title as No. 1 Innovator, by Yukari Iwatani Kane.

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