Americans like convenience, as can be seen by the stunning success of “pay-per-view” and “on-demand” movie rentals. People enjoy the convenience of being able to rent the newest movies right from the comfort of their own living rooms without having to make a trip to the video store. Satellite TV companies don’t offer “on-demand,” however, meaning that if you have satellite, you have to watch your movie on someone else’s schedule. Also, companies generally aren’t offering their movies in high-definition, and some consumers are wary of investing in high definition DVDs before the HD-DVD vs. BluRay battle is finally settled.
Attempting to solve all of these problems is a set-top box called Moviebeam, which is a device which promises a library of up to 100 of the newest and most popular films available to rent whenever you want. Moviebeam isn’t exactly new. The service debuted in 2002 and was owned by Disney for a while, then was operated as an independent company, and was just recently bought by Movie Gallery, the parent company of Hollywood Video. However, the service has not been marketed very intensively, so most people have never heard of Moviebeam.
The Moviebeam unit is about the size of a VCR, and connects to your television just like any other component. The unit attaches to an external antenna, which is typically placed in an unobtrusive place like a bookshelf or end table. This antenna is the key to the Moviebeam service. Moviebeam constantly receives a digital, over-the-air signal that refreshes the content on your box. You’ll also need to hook your Moviebeam box up to a landline telephone, as the unit dials-in periodically for billing purposes.
The menus on Moviebeam are very user-friendly, and are strikingly similar to the Tivo interface. You navigate the menus using a simple, 13-button remote control that easily fits in the palm of your hand. Moviebeam allows you to sort your library of movies by title, actor/director, or arrival date. Each movie has a full preview that you can watch before renting. When you find a movie that you want to rent, just select the appropriate menu option, confirm your selection, and you can start watching right away. New releases are $3.99 (which is the same price as my local Blockbuster) and older titles are just $1.99. About 10% of the movies on Moviebeam are in true high definition, and the cost for an HD movie rental is $4.99. (Also, I should note that after you buy the Moviebeam box, there is no subscription fee-you just pay for the movies you rent.)
Each week, the Moviebeam unit automatically receives up to 10 new movies, replacing the oldest titles in the library. You’ll also find that Moviebeam continuously receives new previews for movies that are about to be released both in-theaters and on the Moviebeam service. Parents will also like the fact that the unit has a comprehensive set of parental controls, allowing you to block movies above a certain rating, set a weekly spending limit, or lock the unit completely.
The selection on Moviebeam is very good. Most of the major motion picture studios (with the exception of Sony) have signed deals with Moviebeam, so most popular new releases are available through this service. However, some studios won’t allow Moviebeam to release the movie until other “pay-per-view” operators get the rights to show it, which is typically 30 to 45 days after the movie is released on DVD. While this may bother some people, I found that with 100 movies to choose from, there was always something I wanted to watch and I didn’t mind waiting for certain titles.
When you rent a movie through Moviebeam, you have unlimited access to that movie for 24-hours. You can rewind, fast-forward, or re-watch as much as you want during that time, which I find is generally more than enough time. The picture quality is great, and it’s just so convenient. The best place to get a Moviebeam is straight from their website (see the featured links below), since they are usually running a promotion and will send you a box pre-loaded with the latest movies. A new Moviebeam unit will probably cost you anywhere from $100 to $200, although people have been known to get them for free through very special offers. Also, Moviebeam isn’t available in all areas (check your zip code at the website to find out), but if you live near a major city, chances are Moviebeam is ready for you. If you love movies, this is a neat little device that you should definitely check out.
