One of the problems with renting a movie at a videostore is having to return it on time. That's something I have always had trouble with, so I have been known to get more than my share of late fees.

Now, digital cable subscribers are being offered a way to order movies and watch them instantly. Yes, it is a form of pay-per-view, but I can assure you this isn't the pay-per-view (PPV) most of us know. On regular PPV, movies run at certain times of the day and you can order it once for a single viewing. With this new "video on demand" or "movies on demand" technology, you can select from a library of hundreds of movies and watch them the instant you want. Not, say, at 9 p.m. or 11 p.m., but 6:51 p.m., if you wish. The best part is that you can control that movie, using pause, stop, fast forward and rewind features. Think of it as your own VCR, except the box is elsewhere. The one-time purchase allows you to watch it any time for a 24-hour period - and you don't have to return it to the store.

I first discovered this feature on my home Time Warner Cable's digital TV service last week and was excited to see it was available. Right now, Time Warner offers about 100 movies (from oldies to recent hits) but will keep adding to the library. Classics such as "Rear Window" and"Vertigo" are just $1.95, and newer films, like "A Beatiful Mind" and "Panic Room" are $3.95 each. Also coming soon is what it calls "Subscription on Demand," which will allow you to watch episodes of shows such as "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City" without having to wait for the regular broadcast or reruns (there's a monthly charge of $6.95). It also features a section called "Extras," which has extra-long movie trailers, for no charge. I am addicted to it.

Cablevision offers a similar service, called "iO" for its digital TV customers, which has 700 movies in its library.

Resources:
Time Warner "Movies on Demand"
Cablevision "iO"
ReplayTV
Tivo
Sree's Aug 2001 review of Tivo

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