CinemaNow Offers Downloadable and Streamable Feature Films

by Alan Sheckter, SmartTV & Sound news editor

Video-on-demand distributor CinemaNow recently began offering selected feature films for download on its Web site. This is the first time a video-on-demand service has offered feature films on a pay-per-view basis in both streaming and downloading formats, the company said. Titles in its 1,000-plus movie library are generally offered at $1.99 or $2.99 for unlimited two-day access.

In Feb. 2001, CinemaNow began offering content in a streaming format only, which allowed customers on-demand access to the films with minimal buffering. Now, with the downloading option, users can enjoy a higher quality playback, although download times are long. But even so, with many users sporting high-speed broadband connections, CinemaNow decided to offer its users the convenience of having this additional viewing method.

While the convenience is undeniable, the logistics are still a bit cumbersome. Download times can range anywhere from one to four hours, even on the fastest broadband connection, a CinemaNow public relations associate told Videomaker. The files, all Windows Media files, average between 600MB and 700MB, he said. Movies are encoded at 616×464, but can be viewed at full-screen size he said.

CinemaNow said it delivers nearly 2 million video streams to approximately 1 million users per month. It has engineered PatchBay, a proprietary video-on-demand content distribution and management system, which runs the CinemaNow Web site. For more information, visit www.cinemanow.com