Yahoo!
Viewing movies via PCs has been something that's been talked about for years, but it's been slow on the uptake. After all, it was the norm to surf the Internet on machines with little or no giddy-up and plodding dial-up access. The number of people equipped to download movies was woefully few.
Recently, though, companies like SBC, Verizon
The SBC Yahoo! deal is not a precedent. Time Warner's
Digital media for chump change has revealed itself as workable, Apple's
Some of the old barriers remain. Even with broadband, downloading a flick still can take a couple hours. And will the average 9-to-5 office worker relish the idea of two-plus extra hours on the computer? Tech watchers also complain that both the MovieLink and CinemaNow sites offer too sparse a selection and too high a price, when not connected with super cheap deals like those Yahoo! and AOL are offering.
Regardless, a few short years ago, movie rentals meant a trip to your local video store. Times sure have changed -- movie-watching options now include Netflix, Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick TiVo
Will the final steps of convergence cement Yahoo!'s dominion, or, perhaps, put AOL back into the mainstream? For now, there are still wrinkles that need to be ironed out. But investors watching the space should eagerly await the next installments.
Are you a movie addict, no matter how they're delivered? Talk to other cinema fanatics on the Great Movies discussion board.
Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned. Having just bought a shiny, new TiVo, she's thinking she'll have plenty of entertainment, at least for a while.