Studios Form Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem

Major media groups, such as Sony, NBC Universal, Fox, Paramount and Warner have decided to join together and form a tech consortium, called the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem.

Other companies joining in on the crusade are Microsoft, HP, Intel, Philips, Toshiba, Cisco, Lionsgate, Comcast and Best Buy.

The DECE's goal is to form one universal environment for digital content; once you downloaded something from one place, you can use it anywhere. However, Apple is conspicuously absent from the group.  Apple works on a closed environment for media that is not portable to devices other than the iPod or iTunes.

Mitch Singer, Sony's chief technology officer, says that there is a need for standardization in the digital market. "If it's not standardized, you are really telling consumers to make a tech decision before they buy content. The reason digital distribution is so small is because user experience is not what it could be."  he went on to say that as a group, they will create standards for the field that will allow customers to transfer content they purchase from one device to another. 

Singer says, "We would love Apple to join us. That would be a benefit for us. But they are not looking at the same consumer."

In January, at the CES, The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem will be releasing a logo and name that is to be displayed on all devices.