Like a DVD in the present tense': are we ready for film distribution via USB drives?

"Ash Cook, the former Sundance programmer who founded the new distributor Video StoreAge (pronounced like storage), is trying to figure out a third way. He described Video StoreAge's products—indie movies sold on USB drives—as like a DVD in the present tense. It's a way to have a physical copy of a movie, but in this case you can play it on your computer. It has digital utility."

"Like almost anything else these days, Video StoreAge is available as a subscription, with quarterly collections of five features and five shorts. But they also sell single films, including Drew's, or any combinations of available films as a sort of digital indie-movie mix tape on those format-flexible USB drives. (The quarter's shorts package is included with every movie regardless, an automatic special feature.)"

Home video consumers face limited options: corporate-controlled rentals and purchases from Amazon or Apple, or expensive curated physical media like Criterion releases. Video StoreAge, founded by former Sundance programmer Ash Cook, presents an alternative by distributing independent films on USB drives—described as DVDs for the present era. The format provides physical ownership while maintaining digital utility through computer playback. The service operates as a subscription model offering quarterly collections of five features and five shorts, with individual film purchases also available. Customers can create custom combinations on USB drives, with shorts packages automatically included as special features.

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