While Apple is the undisputed king of music downloads, no company dominates the video download space yet. Well, it looks like Sony wants to make a bid for the lead position. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company that was once synonymous with portable music players (remember the Walkman?) before Apple came along wants to compete with iTunes in the video download space.

Sony may have the goods to pull this off. Part of the reason Apple has been so successful is because the company has both hardware and software: iTunes an the iPod. Sony's already got the hardware for video: the Playstation3, the Playstation Portable, and Bravia television sets. And Sony's got Sony Pictures content.
Now imagine media service where you can go online using your computer, PS3, PSP, or even your TV remote control, buy a movie or a complete season of a TV show, and automatically download it to a device for viewing. No $300 AppleTV required.

Of course, in order to succeed, Sony will need to sign distribution deals with other TV and movie producers. But while Apple holds onto its number one position in online music sales with a strong grip, there's not clear leader in video downloads. So whether Sony can take the lead is kind of beside the point right now. We're just happy to see someone else moving into this space.