Feb 5, 2009 6:08 pm US/Pacific
Options Abound For Online Movie Watching
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ―
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There are a number of options for online movie watching.
AP
It's easier than ever to watch whatever movie you want, whenever you want, right on your computer, thanks to a burst of new on-line subscription and pay-per-view services. Movies range in price from free to up to $4 a film.
Berkeley lawyer Wes Van Winkle learned how to access the instant movies by accident, when he logged onto his Netflix account.
"I was home sick and had nothing to do, and went on to order a couple of DVD's, and discovered you can actually watch 12 thousand movies on your computer," Van Winkle said.
Downloading and streaming movies have been around for a while, but there are suddenly a lot more film choices and options.
Tom Merritt of CNET said "we're getting more ways to watch movies than ever before."
Merritt said right now,
Netflix offers the most choices and the cheapest plans, but other companies including
Blockbuster,
Amazon, and
Hulu are fighting to close the gap.
Each service is different. Netflix and Amazon stream movies which require a constant connection with the company's website. Blockbuster offers downloads, a one-time connection, lasting a minute or so.
You can watch the shows right on your computer, or buy a device that will send them straight to your television screen.
"There's lots of different ways to make this happen," said Merritt. "It's going to be a year or two before the market shakes out and you know the easy choices for you."
There are downsides. Amazon and Blockbuster give you 24 hours to watch your choices, but there's no saving them for future viewings.
Instant movies also mean less business for video stores, like Film Yard in San Francisco. Rentals are already down, and workers are nervous technology could take more business away.
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