Posted on: Tuesday, September 28, 2004

HELP DESK
Movie download sites offer options to fans

By Kim Komando

Like to watch movies? Whether your favorite star is Clint Eastwood or Jackie Chan, several video-on-demand Internet sites let you legally do just that from the comfort of your computer chair. But it pays to do your homework before signing up.

For starters, some services charge a monthly fee for unlimited access to a library of movies. Others require a rental fee for each movie.

This isn't something dial-up users should attempt. Downloaded movie files are quite large (500 to 800 megabytes, depending on length) and streaming video takes a lot of bandwidth. That's why this is a niche reserved only for broadband connections, such as cable or DSL.

Four major sites are competing to win movie buffs' hearts. All are different in the selection of movies and how you watch them. Here's a look at them.

• CinemaNow (www.cinemanow.com) offers a number of payment options but not many recognizable titles. A $9.95 monthly subscription gives you access to several thousand titles — mostly "B" films. For $29.95 per month, you'll gain access to more than 5,000 movies, including adult films. There are no usage restrictions, so you could theoretically watch movies 24 hours a day.

Popular and recent films, such as "Mystic River," are not included in the subscription and can cost up to $3.99 per title. A subscription is not necessary for these rentals. Rented movies can be watched an unlimited number of times for 24 to 48 hours.

You have the choice of downloading the movie or streaming it. Downloaded movies look slightly crisper. Streamed movies are better than videotape. It takes less than 30 seconds to start watching a streaming film. It took less than a half-hour to download a 90-minute movie over broadband.

• MovieFlix (www.movieflix.com) is the only service that both Mac and Windows owners can use. All others are Windows-only services. You can register for the free basic service, which gives you access to some old movies and television shows, such as "Dragnet" and "Dick Tracy."

Access to more than 3,000 films costs $6.95 per month. MovieFlix appeals primarily to classic-movie lovers. Although there are some newer releases, they mostly consist of obscure independents or documentaries.

All movies are streamed. The quality isn't the best. The images are a little blocky and there is noticeable ghosting.

• MovieLink (www.movielink.com) is a rental-only service with more than 800 movies in its catalog. Newer releases such as "50 First Dates" cost $4.99 per film. You get a price break on older releases, such as "To Kill a Mockingbird," at $1.99 or less. Students with a university e-mail address get a 25 percent discount.

It took less than 30 minutes to download a one-hour, 45-minute movie. If you don't want to wait, you can start watching within two to 10 minutes after starting the download. Once you click play, you have a 24-hour window to watch it as many times as you wish.

• STARZ! Ticket on Real Movies (www.real.com) provides access to more than 150 movies for $12.95 per month. The selection is a good mix of recent and old titles. All are recognizable.

It took only 20 minutes to download a one-hour, 55-minute movie. Subscription to STARZ! Ticket also includes a streaming feed of the STARZ! cable channel.

All of the subscription services have trial memberships. Try them to see if they have the movies you want. Some services allow you to download movies onto laptops and watch them later. That's ideal for business travelers or college students in dorms.