Netflix has made the successful transition from DVD rentals to streaming services; and now others are looking to emulate its success.

Major retailers Sears and Kmart are teaming up with Sonic Solutions to create a service where consumers can download movies the same day they are released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. While the companies are not announcing which devices will carry the service, named Alphaline Entertainment, it will be available on a broad range of connected devices.

Powering Alphaline will be Sonic's RoxioNow platform, which also is the backdrop for similar services from Best Buy and Wal-Mart. Sonic and Sears say they will embed the service on a chip level on numerous devices ranging from portable media players, Blu-ray Disc players, mobile phones, and high-definition television sets.

Collaborating with Sonic provides a great opportunity for Sears and Kmart to launch digital services for customers seeking even faster access to the latest in home entertainment experiences, Karen Austin, President of Consumer Electronics for Sears and Kmart, said in a statement. We'll continue to increase the reach and flexibility of the Alphaline Entertainment service by providing consumers on-demand access to the latest entertainment from a range of home and mobile electronics.

Along with movies available same day as DVD, the RoxioNow platform also allows users to download next-day TV programs. With Sears and Kmart jumping on board, it's quickly becoming the brick-and-mortar answer of choice to Netflix's direct-to-consumer service.

The Sears launch represents an important milestone for Sonic, with another RoxioNow-powered storefront now open for business, Mark Ely, President of Strategy, Sonic Solutions, said in a statement. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Sears and bringing Alphaline Entertainment to consumers through a broad range of connected devices.

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