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• Movies and shows are licensed rather than sold outright
• Pay-TV and video on demand are usually licensed before streaming
• Rights are increasingly being licensed to multiple platforms

If like me you enjoy nothing more than watching a great new movie on great home cinema kit, you've probably asked this question more than once about an exciting new release: when's it coming to one of the best streaming services – and which streamer is it coming to? And the answer is: it's complicated.

In a simpler world every movie would come to every streaming service. But of course we live in a world that's much messier, which is why we write separate guides to cover the best movies coming to Netflix, to Disney Plus, to Max, to Prime Video, to Paramount Plus and to Apple TV Plus.

So how do certain movies end up on certain streamers, and who decides who gets what and when? Let's find out.

How movies aren't sold

Some streamers are also in the movie business: Netflix's Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F was a Netflix Original. (Image credit: Netflix )

It's important to clarify what it means when we talk about films being released. Films aren't sold outright; in most cases, the companies that paid for them own them and like to keep it that way. What studios and their distributors do is sell licenses to show, sell or stream movies in a particular way, in a particular place, for a particular period of time.

When your local megaplex shows Wicked, it hasn't bought the movie; the theater chain has bought a licence to screen it in certain territories for a few weeks or months. Similarly, when Prime Video, Max or Paramount Plus offers a movie as part of your membership, the streamer has bought a licence that gives it the right to stream it – again, in certain territories for a certain period of time.

In addition to being licensed to different companies in different parts of the world, movie licenses are also sold in several stages. A studio movie will typically be shown in theaters first, made available digitally as pay-per-view or buy-to-own, and then made available on streaming.

Things are slightly different with TV shows, because of course there's not a theatrical release. But unless a show is made in-house by a streamer, it'll be licensed in much the same way that movies are.

Windows on the world

Apple TV Plus released Wolfs in theaters, but only for one week. (Image credit: Sony Pictures / Apple)

The movie business uses the term "release windows" to describe the different stages of a movie release campaign. So you have the theatrical release window, the pay-per-view window, the first streaming release window and so on.

The first release window is the original theatrical release. That used to be very long, typically three to six months or more, and then COVID came along. With theaters shut the studios either massively reduced the theatrical release window or abandoned it completely, turning to pay per view and streaming deals instead. And while COVID closures are thankfully a thing of the past, the much shorter theatrical windows remain.

Theatrical licences are traditionally exclusive: you won't usually be able to rent or buy a movie anywhere while it's still having its initial theatrical run. But the time between a movie hitting theaters and being available to rent, buy or stream is much shorter than it used to be.

Everything's accelerating

Five Nights at Freddy's took an unusual approach with a simultaneous theatrical and streaming release. (Image credit: Blumhouse/Universal)

According to Indiewire, the average theatrical window across all the big studio movies in 2023 was just 37 days. There were outliers such as Oppenheimer, which spent 122 days as a theater-only release. But that one was really unusual. The same studio's Super Mario Bros Movie was more typical (and more profitable), ending its theatrical run after 41 days.

Indiewire's analysis shows that Taylor Swift's Eras Tour movie ran for 60 days while Disney movies averaged 62 days, A24 movies 48 days, Paramount 42 days and Sony 35 days. The shortest theatrical window? Five Nights At Freddy's, which didn't have one: it was available on Peacock from day one.

FNAF was the third-biggest horror movie opening in cinema history but its release isn't likely to be widely copied. The consensus is that simultaneous releases are more likely to cannibalize box office sales – especially in genres such as horror, which teens like to see together in theaters – and by missing out on the word of mouth that can turn modest successes into big ones.

When the run is done

Barbie followed a typical schedule: theaters first, then buy to own, then streaming (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Once the theatrical run is done, it's time for the release window that matters to streamers. That's called the Pay One Window, and it's when movies move from theaters to home viewing.

During the Pay One Window, the rights to show a movie are sold to two different markets: the PVOD/TVOD market (paid/transactional video on demand, aka pay-to-rent and buy-to-own) and the SVOD market, which is short for streaming video on demand.

SVOD means streamers such as Max, Prime, Netflix and Hulu; TVOD means rental and purchases on the likes of Apple TV (but not Apple TV+), Google Play, the Microsoft Store, Amazon (but not Included With Prime) and other digital storefronts.

It's always clearest if we use a real example, so let's take Barbie. Barbie's theatrical run started in July 2023 and stayed exclusive to theaters until September 2023, when it became available through TVOD platforms as a pay-to-rent and buy-to-own digital release. It then became available for Max subscribers to stream in December 2023.

When the Pay One Window expires, it's time to sell more licences. This next release window is known as the Pay Two Window, and it's when older movies are licensed, often to other streaming services than during the Pay One period. For example, Sony has a Pay One deal in place with Netflix but a Pay Two deal with all the Disney platforms.

Of the two windows, the Pay One Window is the more desirable: pent-up demand for big-name movies drives sales of new streaming subscriptions in a way that older movies don't. But Pay Two Window licences tend to be cheaper, and that means they enable streamers to expand their catalogs relatively cheaply.

Relationship status: it's complicated

Joker Folie à Deux was released on Max two-months after its theatrical run. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Traditionally, Pay One Window deals were for up to 18 months and were exclusive – so if a movie was going to Peacock then it wouldn't also go to Amazon Prime for at least a year and a bit. But modern movie markets are much messier, and as Variety reports, most studios now licence to multiple streamers either simultaneously or slightly staggered.

As if that wasn't complicated enough, some of the movie studios also own streamers and some of the streamers make movies. So for example Apple TV+ and Netflix make movies that hit theaters first but which were made with streaming in mind; Disney the company owns Disney the studio and Disney Plus the streamer, so Disney movies will move to Disney Plus after their theatrical run finishes. But Disney also owns 20th Century Fox and Searchlight, and those movies don't just end up with Disney+ or the Disney-owned Hulu; they are usually licensed to HBO and Max too.

Here's how Variety describes it. "Netflix gets major studio fare from Sony Pictures and additional prestige films from Sony Pictures Classics, while Prime Video offers rotating selections of Universal and Paramount titles, alongside Amazon’s MGM films after they’re done on MGM+. Disney’s streamers eventually get Sony titles, too, and Hulu is also where art-house distributor Neon’s films stream after their theatrical runs."

As we said, it's complicated – and it'll only get more so.

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• HBM is fundamental to the AI revolution as it allows ultra fast data transfer close to the GPU
• Scaling HBM performance is difficult if it sticks to JEDEC protocols
• Marvell and others wants to develop a custom HBM architecture to accelerate its development

Marvell Technology has unveiled a custom HBM compute architecture designed to increase the efficiency and performance of XPUs, a key component in the rapidly evolving cloud infrastructure landscape.

The new architecture, developed in collaboration with memory giants Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix, aims to address limitations in traditional memory integration by offering tailored solutions for next-generation data center needs.

The architecture focuses on improving how XPUs - used in advanced AI and cloud computing systems - handle memory. By optimizing the interfaces between AI compute silicon dies and High Bandwidth Memory stacks, Marvell claims the technology reduces power consumption by up to 70% compared to standard HBM implementations.

Moving away from JEDEC

Additionally, its redesign reportedly decreases silicon real estate requirements by as much as 25%, allowing cloud operators to expand compute capacity or include more memory. This could potentially allow XPUs to support up to 33% more HBM stacks, massively boosting memory density.

“The leading cloud data center operators have scaled with custom infrastructure. Enhancing XPUs by tailoring HBM for specific performance, power, and total cost of ownership is the latest step in a new paradigm in the way AI accelerators are designed and delivered,” Will Chu, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Custom, Compute and Storage Group at Marvell said.

“We’re very grateful to work with leading memory designers to accelerate this revolution and, help cloud data center operators continue to scale their XPUs and infrastructure for the AI era.”

HBM plays a central role in XPUs, which use advanced packaging technology to integrate memory and processing power. Traditional architectures, however, limit scalability and energy efficiency.

Marvell’s new approach modifies the HBM stack itself and its integration, aiming to deliver better performance for less power and lower costs - key considerations for hyperscalers who are continually seeking to manage rising energy demands in data centers.

ServeTheHome’s Patrick Kennedy, who reported the news live from Marvell Analyst Day 2024, noted the cHBM (custom HBM) is not a JEDEC solution and so will not be standard off the shelf HBM.

“Moving memory away from JEDEC standards and into customization for hyperscalers is a monumental move in the industry,” he writes. “This shows Marvell has some big hyperscale XPU wins since this type of customization in the memory space does not happen for small orders.”

The collaboration with leading memory makers reflects a broader trend in the industry toward highly customized hardware.

“Increased memory capacity and bandwidth will help cloud operators efficiently scale their infrastructure for the AI era,” said Raj Narasimhan, senior vice president and general manager of Micron’s Compute and Networking Business Unit.

“Strategic collaborations focused on power efficiency, such as the one we have with Marvell, will build on Micron’s industry-leading HBM power specs, and provide hyperscalers with a robust platform to deliver the capabilities and optimal performance required to scale AI.”

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• CISA has released an advisory for US government communications
• Government officials are encouraged to lock down their devices
• This follows the discovery foreign actors have breached US telecoms networks

CISA has urged ‘highly targeted’ individuals in the US Government or in senior political positions to immediately review and implement strict security measures with their mobile devices.

This comes after multiple major US telecoms firms were hit by security breaches earlier in 2024, most likely originating from state-sponsored Chinese hackers.

Recent reports also confirmed that the group behind the attack, Salt Typhoon, had not yet been fully eradicated, and still lurks inside US telecoms networks.

Lockdown mode

As part of its advisory, CISA also released a best practice guide for mobile communications, which includes instructions on using end-to-end encryption, password managers, Fast Identity Online (a phishing resistance authentication), and advice on how to migrate away from SMS based multi factor authentication.

CISA recommends iPhone users turn on ‘Lockdown mode’, which strictly limits certain apps and makes many features unavailable in order to reduce the attack surface that attackers could potentially exploit.

The scale of this attack makes it a serious concern for any high-ranking officials, with major networks like Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies found to have threat actors with access inside their systems.

“Highly targeted individuals should assume that all communications between mobile devices — including government and personal devices — and internet services are at risk of interception or manipulation,” CISA said.

Communications remain an attractive target for foreign actors, as breaches can result in significant disruptions and sensitive data loss.

US communications in particular have come under attack this year, especially against government and political targets in the run up to the US election last month. A ‘hack and leak’ campaign hit president-elect Donald Trump on the campaign trail in an attempt to compromise the campaign, which resulted in two indictments for the suspected individuals.

Via The Record

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HTC Vive Focus Vision: two-minute review

As a professional device I can see the appeal of the Vive Focus Vision. The simultaneously standalone and high-end PCVR headset offers a versatility its rivals don’t – which will be well suited to the diverse needs of a work environment. Plus its easy-to-clean material, intuitive controls, and eye-tracking for automatic lens adjustments will benefit a use case in which different people (of different VR experience levels) will be jumping in and out of the headset’s experiences – and who may not have their own dedicated machine.

However, I’m not reviewing this headset as a professional device.

Instead, I’m tasked with looking at whether it stands up as a consumer headset, and whether it does enough to justify its $999 / £999 price tag and convince people to buy it over the Meta Quest 3 (or Quest 3S, or a non-Meta alternative). TL;DR, I don’t think Vive makes a compelling enough case.

The two main options for VR headsets are PCVR headsets (those which connect to a PC and serve as effectively a wearable display, as the processing is done by a computer) or standalone headsets (which are all-in-one units with displays and their own processing power). Most standalone headsets can also be used for PCVR, but with typically less impressive displays they aren't as good for this purpose as proper PCVR headsets.

With its effective 5K display resolution and DisplayPort compatibly via the Wired Streaming Kit (which facilitates improved data transfer rates for higher image quality) the Vive Focus Vision attempts to market itself as a full-on hybrid of the two VR headset types. Unfortuantely, it also has several flaws that are impossible to ignore, and which mean it's neither an excellent standalone or PCVR headset, or even an excellent hybrid.

I’ll get into the problems in more detail in this review, but briefly, the headset isn’t the comfiest, boasts outdated specs which feels a little odd for a 2024 flagship, and (most importantly) doesn’t have a software catalogue that comes close to rivalling that of the Meta Quest. And fundamentally, what’s the point in paying more for a headset that (for consumers) does less than a cheaper alternative?

I was supremely excited to try the Vive Focus Vision because of the jack-of-all trades approach it promised, but unfortunately it has simply proven itself a master of none.

HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Price and availability

• Headset costs $999 / £999
• Available since October 2024
• Look out for deals which including the excellent Streaming Kit for free

The HTC Vive Focus Vision launched on 18 October 2024 and is available to buy now. You can pick up the Vive Focus Vision headset on its own for $999 / £999, with the Wired Streaming Kit coming in at an additional $149 / £159.

The headset comes with a battery, straps, controllers, 30W power adapter and charging cable and a lens-cleaning cloth as standard, while the Streaming Kit adds a DisplayPort-compatible cable and converter.

That Streaming Kit is a massive benefit for PCVR, so unless you need the headset immediately or don't mind paying extra, I’d recommend waiting for a deal which bundles the two together for no extra cost. We’ve seen this deal before, so it’s likely to return; stay patient and keep an eye out for it if you want to save a not-insignificant amount.

• Value score: 3/5

HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Specs HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Design

• Rechargeable battery is a nice touch
• Heavier than Quest 3
• Not comfortable for long sessions

Out of the gate the Vive Focus Vision makes some excellent design choices. The adjustable plastic strap ensures the headset maintains a stable position on your head, its removable battery allows you to easily swap in a new one if you want to extend your play sessions without waiting for a recharge, and the padding is an easy-to-clean PU leather material which makes this device perfect for sharing with friends or family – or working out in VR.

Beyond this, the Vive Focus Vision boasts a decidedly standard design, rather than following the more interesting headset/glasses transforming setup of the Vive XR Elite. This in and of itself is nothing to complain about, but despite chasing a more typical build, the Vive Focus Vision makes a few disappointing mistakes.

(Image credit: Future)

At 785g the headset is heavier than the Quest 3 (515g), but lighter than PCVR headsets such as the Valve Index (810g) and Pimax Crystal Light (815g). That extra weight vs the Quest is noticeable, and while the issue could have been mitigated with a well-balanced weight distribution and sufficiently padded cushions, the Focus Vision ultimately doesn’t do a good enough job in these regards.

While it does well with the former by moving the battery to the back of the strap, so it serves as a counterbalance to the display unit sitting on your face, the padding isn’t sufficient. The pad on the back of the head strap feels paper-thin – providing effectively zero cushioning from the solid battery housed inside – and it simply isn’t comfy for extended periods of time (I’m talking 15 minutes or more).

The other issue is the fresnel lens choice. Fresnel lenses are bulkier than their increasingly popular pancake lens rivals, leading to a thicker front box on your face. What's more, fresnel lenses cause visual distortion at the fringes of the lens. This means you need to physically turn to see virtual objects at your periphery, rather than simply moving your eyes like you would in real life, which can be immersion-breaking.

(Image credit: Future)

I’m also not a fan of the controllers. While they’re fundamentally very similar to those on basically all other modern VR handsets (with regards to the button placements) they felt unnecessarily chunky and the long handle always felt kinda clunky next to the streamlined Meta Quest 3 or Pico 4S controllers.

• Design score: 3/5

HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Performance

• Last gen chipset is disappointing
• DisplayPort is a major upgrade...
• ...but comes at an added cost

For PCVR, the Vive Focus Vision’s DisplayPort compatibility via its Streaming kit was something I was excited to experience. This more direct connection with your PC’s graphics card allows for higher frame rates and resolutions, because you’re not as restricted as you might be via a typical HDMI- or USB-C-to-USB-C connection.

It was also very simple to set up by simply following the Vive Hub app’s instructions – so don’t be put off by the various connector cables in the box, it will all make perfect sense when you do it.

The end result is a PCVR experience that takes full-advantage of the roughly 5K combined resolution of the 2,448 x 2,448 pixel-per-eye displays. It's noticeably better overall than any other standalone headsets I’ve relied on previously, including the Meta Quest 3 – which not only lacks DisplayPort compatibility, but which only boasts two 2064 x 2208 pixel-per-eye displays. The only downside of this tool is it is an added expense at $149 / £159, which is a significant additional cost on an already pricey headset. Although as I say above, you can sometimes find it bundled with the headset for free.

It’s worth noting, too, that the PCVR experience will be determined by your PC’s specs. With aged hardware, the DisplayPort upgrade won’t seem as significant as it will for someone running an Nvidia RTX 40-series GPU.

Unfortunately I don't have as many positives to levy at the headset’s standalone performance. That’s because the Vive Focus Vision relies on the now years-old Snapdragon XR 2 Gen 1 chipset – the previous model of the chipset found in the Meta Quest 3, Quest 3S, and Pico 4 Ultra, to name a few.

The wired streaming kit (Image credit: Future)

Seeing this in the specs sheet was a massive surprise, so much so that when I first wrote about the Focus Vision I unconsiously added a “Gen 2” at the end because I was so used to only seeing the most recent model in new headsets.

This is a major disappointment, as it means the standalone apps don’t look as visually impressive as they would on rival VR headsets – which is a shame, because while even the XR 2 Gen 2 wouldn’t be able to take full advantage of the Focus Vision’s screens, it would at least do a better job than its Gen 1 sibling.

While I understand the Vive Focus Vision does boast some other enhancements – more on that in a second – it's borderline inexcusable for a 2024 standalone headset with a price of $999 / £999 to not have the most recent XR2 chipset.

At least the Vive Focus Vision boasts a few neat extras, including eye-tracking – which facilitates automatic IPD adjustments, and eye-tracking support in compatible games – and full-color mixed reality.

On that topic, the mixed reality is in a word: fine. It’s neither noticeably worse nor better than what’s offered by a Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S, which is to say it’s definitely not life-like, but it's believable enough when you’re distracted by engaging with virtual objects.

Lastly, I’ll add here that the Vive Focus Vision is compatible with optional additional facial and external trackers for full-body rigging to bring a virtual avatar’s face and body to life. I haven’t tested this feature, but it is an option you’ll be able to take advantage of in apps like VRChat if you want to.

• Performance score: 3/5

HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Software

• Full access to Vive and Steam VR software on PC
• Standalone software library is disappointing
• Clean operating system

For PCVR the Vive Focus Vision should be able to facilitate the vast majority of experiences given its feature set, with the deciding factor being your PC’s specs – though this is true of most PC-compatible VR headsets.

Where this VR headset shows its weaknesses is when it comes to standalone software. The titles it offers are fine – you’ll find a few delightful options across the full range of VR game and app genres – but it simply doesn’t compete with the biggest name in the space: Meta’s Horizon OS.

Toy Trains VR was fun, but it's not an exclusive (Image credit: Something Random)

The Vive system, unfortunately, doesn’t have meaningful rivals to titles such as Batman: Arkham Shadow, Asgard’s Wrath 2, and so many more other found in Meta's store. Many of these are either only available on Quest headsets, or are on a few other VR devices but skip Vive’s.

This is a problem for every non-Meta headset, admittedly, but it immediately relegates devices such as the Vive Focus Vision to at best second-place – because it’s impossible to recommend a headset when you know a different VR device can offer a wider range of better experiences.

In the Focus Vision's case, it's in an even worse place – because even if it did have some solid Meta alternatives, the weaker specs would make it an inferior option for people after standalone XR excellence. Some modern titles might even be completely incompatible.

At least the Vive headset’s operating system is generally clean and as intuitive to navigate as other VR headsets I’ve tried.

• Software score: 3/5

Should you buy the HTC Vive Focus Vision? Buy it if

You want a hybrid
The Vive Focus Vision’s strength is as a headset for both PCVR or standalone VR experiences, rather than being a master of either.

You want to share the headset
Eye-tracking makes it easy to adjust the IPD settings, and the easy-to-clean materials make wiping this headset down a breeze – so it’s perfect as a headset that’s shared between people.

Don’t buy it if

You’re not getting the Streaming Kit
The DisplayPort connection compatibility afforded by the Wired Streaming Kit is easily the Vive Focus Vision’s best PCVR feature.

You want the best standalone headset
With outdated specs and a lackluster library of software, this isn’t the headset to buy if you want a premium standalone VR experience.

How I tested the Vive Focus Vision

I tested the Vive Focus Vision for a couple of weeks, using it to play a handful of standalone and PCVR apps across various play sessions. I also made sure to boot it up alongside my Meta Quest 3 (which I use frequently), so I could easily swap between the headsets to compare their abilities.

For my PCVR gameplay, I used a PC equipped with an Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti 16GB.

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• Researchers said that Rockstar2FA went quiet in November 2024
• But a new PaaS emerged soon afterwards, with partly overlapping infrastructure
• The new PaaS is called FlowerStorm, and it targets Microsoft365 accounts

Cybersecurity researchers from Sophos have warned a new Phishing-as-a-Service (PaaS) tool has emerged, allowing threat actors to easily hunt for people’s Microsoft 365 credentials.

This tool is called FlowerStorm, and it might have emerged from the (defunct) Rockstar2FA, the company revealed, noting how in November, detections for Rockstar2FA have “suddenly gone quiet”.

The organization’s infrastructure was taken offline, at least partly, for reasons yet unknown - but the researchers don’t think this was the work of law enforcement, though.

Long live FlowerStorm?

Rockstar2FA was a PaaS platform designed to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA), primarily targeting Microsoft 365 accounts. It worked by intercepting login processes to steal session cookies, allowing attackers to access accounts without needing credentials or verification codes. Through a simple interface and Telegram integration, threat actors that purchased a license could manage their campaigns in real time.

The new platform, which emerged in the weeks after Rockstar2FA went quiet, was dubbed FlowerStorm by the researchers. Apparently, much of its tools and features overlap with that of Rockstar2FA, which is why Sophos speculates that it could be its (spiritual) successor.

The vast majority of the targets chosen by FlowerStorm users (84%) are located in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and Italy, Sophos added.

Companies in the States were most frequently targeted (60%), followed by Canada (8.96%). Overall, almost all (94%) of FlowerStorm targets were either in North America or Europe, with the rest falling on Singapore, India, Israel, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates.

The majority of the victims are in the service industry, namely firms providing engineering, construction, real estate, and legal services and consulting.

Defending against FlowerStorm is the same as against any other phishing attack - using common sense and being careful with incoming emails.

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