The Christmas-themed movie "Noel" most likely won't be coming to a theater near you — but if you miss it on cable, there's always the self-destructing DVD. The movie's producers hope its "trimultaneous" roll out this month, which starts this weekend with a theater release in just five major cities, will prove the public is willing to "rent" movies that must be tossed in the trash after just a viewing or two. Disposable DVDs look and play like normal DVDs, except that their playable surface is dark red.
Each disc contains a chemical time-bomb that begins ticking once it's exposed to air. Typically, after 48 hours, the disc turns darker, becoming so opaque that a DVD player's laser can no longer can read it. (Discs can live as little as one hour or as long as 60 hours.) The format has been around for a few years but hasn't generated much interest from movie studios, video rental companies — or customers — despite experiments to deliver movies direct to consumers and eliminate late fees.
News source: Yahoo! News
