Sony (NYSE: SNE) hopes to flank Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) by making a big push into the movie download business [subscription required] onto its new Walkman and Playstation products. In doing so, the Japanese company is basically admitting that it missed the boat on digital music.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the big Japanese company will use its "technology-packed PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable videogame machines, along with its Bravia high-definition televisions, to develop products and services to let users download television shows and movies." The risk in the plan is that so many companies have already begun businesses that attack the same market. Apple has video download features on it iPod, but it has been in disputes with content owners over pricing. The Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xbox has video capabilities and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) and several other companies have introduced video download services of their own.

Sony does have the opportunity to cut deals with content owners that are more attractive than the ones that Apple has negotiated, which may be the company's one advantage. Apple's low pricing for video content has miffed companies so much that NBC has taken its shows off the iTunes download service.

If Sony can combine its video devices with a set of content deals which the industry views as favorable, it may be able to partially overcome being late to the game.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

It seems like consumer electronics retailer Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) just cannot stay out of the PR limelight these days. The retailer apparently has plans to enter the video download business, according to Jon Feltheimer, the CEO of Lion's Gate entertainment. Video and DVD rental chain Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI) may enter that field as well, something that's not really new news. Feltheimer let a few cats out of the bag recently on a conference call with industry analysts when he said that digital content delivery contracts were in place with companies like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Best Buy, Blockbuster and Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT).

Although Best Buy and Blockbuster have not announced their intentions officially, the statement by Feltheimer is a nice peak of what may be coming this year. Why? Well, Feltheimer was ahead of the announcement on the selling of movies from his studio to the iTunes Store, so many consider him a reliable source now. He also mentioned Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) in that list, so he may be really spilling the beans with this latest comment, eh?

Blockbuster, which has seen a solid stream of customers shift to online-only DVD rental chain Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), has been rumored to be getting into the online video download services arena for over a year now -- but now a new move may be just around the corner. Will we see DVD rental chains competing with consumer electronics chains to 'rent' online movies soon? Most likely, yes. Additionally, the competition between Wal-Mart's existing movie download service (which is so restricted as to be essentially useless) and what Best Buy may offer should make for interesting breakfast conversation one of these days.