The online movie distribution industry is growing very rapidly. This article provides a summary of seven of the most popular places on the internet for downloading movies, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each. It concludes with some advice about a useful aggregation service which simplifies the process of finding the best movies at the best price.
1. Amazon On Demand
The internet superstore has one of the most comprehensive catalog of online movie offerings, but the best thing about Amazon On Demand is the price: for most movies, the Amazon price is the same or less than the price at competing stores. For movie rentals, Amazon offers standard 30-day-storage and 24-hour-viewing periods; for purchases, Amazon allows your download to be played on two portable and two non-portable devices.
2. Blockbuster
Although best known for its physical video stores, the struggling Blockbuster Inc. also offers movies for download on its website. The prices are generally competitive and the selection is good. You do not need to be a Blockbuster subscriber to download, although you must register for an account.
3. Hulu
Hulu is a joint venture of NBC, Fox and the Walt Disney Company, and has become an industry-leader in on-demand television offerings. It also offers several hundred free movies for instant viewing on its website.
4. iTunes Store
Apple's iTunes Store is the go-to destination for music downloads, and it is now also the market-leader for movie downloads. Downloads on the iTunes Store are sometimes less flexible than other sources because of Apple's digital rights management (DRM), although you can transfer your downloads to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV. You can also download high definition content directly to your Apple TV. iTunes prices are generally undercut by Amazon On Demand, although the convenience of integration with the iTunes library and other Apple devices means that this is the first stop for many.
5. Netflix
Netflix is best known for its home delivery DVD service. Netflix subscribers can also benefit from a huge catalog of "instant watch" titles, which can be viewed for free on a Mac or PC or through your TV using one of several specified devices (including the Roku box). (Note that subscribers with the $4.99/two DVDs per month, one DVD at a time plan are not provided unlimited access to the streaming service.) The service features more than 17,000 movies and recorded television shows and for the price of a Netflix subscription comes highly recommended.
6. Vudu
Although its selection is not as comprehensive as some other stores, and its pricing not as competitive, Vudu is hands down the best place for high quality movie viewing. You'll need to buy a Vudu box to attach to your TV in order to download any Vudu titles. However, the quality is unparalleled: Vudu is the only of the services reviewed here which offers HDX quality (the equivalent of a Blu-ray disc).
7. YouTube
Google's popular music portal YouTube has recently announced full-length movie offerings. Currently about 200 titles are available. The content is ad-supported.
8. Movie Monitor
As more content becomes available from more sources, it becomes increasingly difficult to find the best quality downloads at the best price. An aggregation service, which compares the availability, price and quality of movie downloads, can help. The best of these services is Movie Monitor. There are more than 150,000 movies available to watch online through Movie Monitor, and the site offers a helpful selection of "critically acclaimed" movies, i.e. those that have been well received in the press. In many cases, it helps identify content available for free which you may otherwise have paid for at a different site. When you'd like to watch a film, instead of visiting the websites for each of the seven services listed above, you may instead like to check out Movie Monitor.
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