Seagate And Paramount Bundle Movies Onto 500GB FreeAgent Go Hard Drive

Much like Western Digital's My Book line of external hard drives, Seagate's FreeAgent range has been pretty successful over the years. Here recently, the external HDD market has really heated up, with even 2.5" drives approaching the 1TB mark and enclosures becoming more port-filled and stylish all the while. One thing that companies have yet to do, however, is bundle any software or multi-media in with the drives in order to offer some differentiation, but all of that is changing with the new 500GB FreeAgent Go.

The company calls their new partnership with Paramount an "industry first," and we believe it. The new FreeAgent Go looks exactly like the USB 2.0 FreeAgent Go drives that are currently on the market, but it's what is on the inside that counts. These come with a selection of movies pre-loaded, and the 2009 version of Star Trek is even unlocked and provided at no additional cost. This means that you can transfer it to your portable players or watch it right on your media streamer at home without any DRM to mess with.


The other films (20 of them) onboard are all locked down, but you can purchase them by buying unlock codes from $10 to $15 each. If you wish to just get them out of the way, you can delete them to free up space. This is certainly a unique move, and one that could very well cause a lot of "copycat" reactions from rival companies. But any move made to get more multi-media to us in digital forms is alright with us. Pricing remains unknown at the moment, though shipping should occur soon.

AN INDUSTRY FIRST: SEAGATE OFFERS FREEAGENT GO™ HARD DRIVES PRE-LOADED WITH PARAMOUNT PICTURES' FEATURE FILMS

Ultra Portable Drive Comes Pre-loaded with One Movie for Activation and Twenty Other Films for Purchase to Help Jump Start Consumers' Digital Movie Collections

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. - April 12, 2010 - Today, Seagate (NASDAQ: STX), the worldwide leader in hard drives, and Paramount Digital Entertainment, a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, announced their agreement to pre-load a selection of 500GB FreeAgent Go™ ultra-portable hard drives with Paramount movies. Beginning immediately, United States' customers who purchase specially-marked packages of the award-winning FreeAgent Go ultra-portable hard drive will be able to activate Paramount Pictures' popular film, Star Trek (2009), for no additional fee. This collaboration between two industry leaders underscores a new era in digital movie collecting by enabling people to build, store and enjoy their personal libraries of favorite films in their preferred medium-whether on the computer or the TV-at home and on the go.

In addition to Star Trek (2009), those who have purchased the specially marked hard drives also receive an assortment of 20 Paramount Pictures movies pre-loaded on the FreeAgent Go 500GB ultra-portable drives that can be easily and securely unlocked through the online purchase of a license key. The films will be licensed for multiple devices to allow for portability and enjoyment of them on a desktop computer, laptop computer, or widescreen television, using the FreeAgent Theater+™ HD media player[1].

"Seagate and Paramount Pictures are delivering major motion pictures to consumers in a unique and innovative solution. For years Seagate hard drives have been powering the devices that allow consumers to enjoy their digital libraries. Today, we are simplifying content delivery by giving consumers the ultimate flexibility in how they enjoy their movies all in a convenient package," said Dave Mosley, executive vice president, Sales, Marketing and Product Line Management, Seagate.

To take advantage of this special offer, simply purchase a specially marked 500GB FreeAgent Go ultra-portable drive from Seagate.com, or wherever Seagate FreeAgent Go portable hard drives are sold. After online registration of the drive, a promotional code will be provided for redemption at http://seagate.paramountshop.com. Redeeming the offer code provides the license key to unlock Star Trek (2009) and the option to purchase additional keys to unlock the remaining film titles that are pre-loaded on the drive.

A choice of up to 20 popular Paramount titles can be unlocked for a fee[2] including:

* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* GI Joe
* Shooter
* The Hunt for Red October
* The Italian Job (2003)
* Ghost
* Patriot Games
* Beowulf
* Enemy at the Gates
* The Spiderwick Chronicles
* The Love Guru
* Coach Carter
* The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
* Nacho Libre
* Jackass 2.5
* A Plumm Summer
* Carriers
* Dance Flick
* Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
* Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

"Collaborating with Seagate on this massive movie pre-load reinforces our commitment to embrace technologies that give consumers choice and flexibility in how they access and purchase their digital entertainment. Paramount Digital Entertainment has created a powerful solution that allows companies like Seagate to offer a seamless experience for consumers to access and securely activate pre-loaded movies, ensuring that exciting films are available everywhere they wish to enjoy them," said Malik Ducard, senior vice president, Digital Distribution The Americas, Paramount Digital Entertainment.

"And with over 38 hours of movie viewing enjoyment pre-loaded onto the portable device, we are offering consumers a great opportunity to jump start their digital libraries."

About Paramount Digital Entertainment

Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) is a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation. PDE develops and distributes filmed entertainment across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices, videogames, and emerging technologies.

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.