Smart Home Lifestyle

February 26, 2006

MovieBeam gives more on-demand choices

The excitement felt after “scoring” a new release movie from the video store last Friday quickly turns to dread today when you realize you’re late for work and it’s due back by noon. So, you pay the late fee, and promise yourself that next time you’ll skip the drive and settle for the HBO lineup instead.

Sure, there’s pay-per-view. And yeah, there’s movies on-demand. But why be tied to limited movies and set viewing schedules when you can choose from over 100 movies any time you’d like? MovieBeam didn’t reinvent the “on-demand wheel,” it simply put it in overdrive. MovieBeam is the ultimate in “kick up your feet” and “let down your hair” entertainment.

What is MovieBeam?

MovieBeam works similar to cable or satellite TV on-demand movies. You can pause, FF, rewind or resume the movie any time, and you can watch it as much as you’d like in a 24-hour time period. Where MovieBeam differs, is in both quality and quantity. MovieBeam comes preloaded with 100 movies and is updated weekly with up to 10 new movie additions. Movies remain available to rent for about 10 weeks.

“We have built MovieBeam to directly address what’s most important to our target customers: convenience, quality and choice,” said Tres Izzard, president and CEO of MovieBeam, Inc. “Our target customers are movie lovers who want a more convenient way to rent the movies they want to watch when they want to watch them.”

MovieBeam uses a small indoor antenna to receive new movies. It also comes with a set-top box and remote control. Movies can be sorted by title, genre, actor/director and rating. MovieBeam also provides a free full-length theatrical trailer for every movie rental.

Why is it better?

MovieBeam gives you more control and options, resulting in less drive time and more home theater time.

“MovieBeam provides an attractive alternative to other options- bringing the sizable selection of the back wall of the video store directly into customers’ living rooms,” said Izzard. “Movies are always available for instant viewing, with no trips to video store, no out-of-stock titles, no damaged discs, no late return fees and no waiting by the mailbox for DVDs.”

MovieBeam also offers high definition movies; approximately 10% of MovieBeam’s available movies are in native HD format for a true surround sound theater experience. MovieBeam easily connects to just about any TV set- thanks to its varied connection ports like HDMI, component, S-video and composite.

How much does it cost?

MovieBeam starts just under $250, minus a limited $50 manufacturers rebate. Worried about annual contracts or set monthly charges? Forget about it. MovieBeam has a one-time activation fee of $29.99 and then subscribes to the “pay as you go” model, with movie rentals ranging from $1.99 to $4.99. You’ll also need a phone line for billing purposes.

What to know up front

First, not all new releases will be available for MovieBeam on their release date. According to MovieBeam, only Disney, Miramax and Touchstone titles coincide with the DVD release dates. Other studios usually provide MovieBeam with movies about 30-45 days after the release, along the lines of the pay-per-view/video-on-demand window.

Also, don’t plan on recording MovieBeam movies. The MovieBeam is designed for playback only, which means no saved movies on your VCR, DVD player or DVR.

So, where do I sign up?

Here’s where it gets sticky. Currently, MovieBeam is only available in 29 metropolitan areas around the U.S., with Atlanta being the closest. But, MovieBeam, Inc. expects to have the unit available nationwide by early 2007.

Author: Diana Kostigen, Marketing/Public Relations Director, Comtec