DVD Review

Amazon and other providers now offer services that let viewers rent or buy movies directly online, to be downloaded and watched right away.  While this is convenient, most of these services are still limited in what movies they can provide – and on top of that, the downloads, which are usually several gigabytes, take quite a while to get onto your computer.  There is an alternative to video on demand services like this, however: streaming movies.

Streaming movie sites let you watch pretty much any movie you want.  They have huge selections and it’s much easier to get access to movies that are more obscure or older films.  These sites pay royalty fees to movie providers and companies so that they can host this content, and they then make it available to anyone who signs up for their service.

Unlike with online video on demand services, you don’t have to wait for movies to download in order to watch with streaming movie sites.  You search for the movie you want by name or category, and then have instant access to it.  The quality is just as good as it would be through a video on demand provider, as long as you go with a reputable service.

It’s good to have a fast internet connection (DSL/broadband or higher) to ensure that you get the best stream speed possible and good quality sound and picture.  You should also have a decent computer with a good graphics card for optimal viewing.

Streaming movie sites are an affordable, easy alternative to video on demand providers.  If you want an easy way to watch movies from your PC without having to wait at all, streaming sites are the way to go.

Mainstream video on demand providers such as Amazon.com and Netflix offer services that let viewers rent/buy movies on the internet.  The movies are usually offered in download format and can be viewed within the same day.  The problem with this format is the download times, which can be up to several hours, especially if you don’t have a fast internet connection, because of file size.  Now, however, there is an alternative to video on demand through online streaming video.

Streaming movie sites let you watch nearly any movie you want.  Their selections are often greater than mainstream video stores as they’re able to get access to obscure films most video stores can’t.  This is because they can host content from all over the world and have access to many different kinds of movies.

There are some illegitimate streaming movie sites, so you need to be careful before making a purchase.  Free sites are often illegitimate and dangerous because they link to content that is hosted elsewhere – often illegally.  With legal sites, you do have to pay a one time fee, but that’s to support the royalty fees these sites have to pay to networks in order to host the movies on their sites.

Another great advantage of online video is that you don’t have to wait for long download times?  You search based on category or title, then have immediate access to it.  As long as you have a decent computer/internet connection, you’ll have quality that will be just as good as if you purchased or downloaded the movie directly.

Consider streaming movie sites as an alternative to video on demand services.  They’ll save you a considerable amount of time, hassle, and money – not to mention provide instant viewing of any movie you want.

Amazon.com, Netflix, and many other mainstream providers offer video on demand services that let viewers rent or buy movies online.  These movies can be downloaded and viewed within the same day; however, the download times, which are usually long because of file size, are an annoyance.  There is actually a more affordable alternative to video on demand services, though.  Online streaming video and TV offer the same programs and movies at much less cost and hassle.

With streaming movie or TV sites, you can watch pretty much any movie you’d want to.  The selections of many of these sites rival even mainstream video stores.  They often have obscure films or ones that are harder to get hold of because they can host content from all over the world and have access to all different kinds of movies.

There are some illegitimate sites, so you have to be careful.  Free sites are usually dangerous since they only link to content rather than hosting it directly.  With legal sites, you do have to pay a one time fee.  The reason for this is that legal streaming TV and movie sites pay royalty fees to networks in order to host their content.  They have to supply money for those royalty fees, which comes from customers – just as it would if you were subscribed to regular cable.

The main advantage to streaming online video and TV sites is that you don’t have to wait for long video download times.  You do a search based on category or title of the movie you want, and then have immediate access to it for as long as you want to watch it.  As long as you have a decent computer and internet connection (DSL/broadband or higher), the quality will be just as good as if you downloaded it.

Streaming movie and TV sites offer a simple, affordable alternative to video on demand services and should be seriously considered before renting or buying movies online.

Picture this: it’s the weekend and you want to watch a movie, either by yourself or with your family.  Your current cable subscription might offer several choices, but it doesn’t have the one you really want to see.  You’re stuck going to look for it at the video store, or ordering it from an online movie site – but that will take days for it to even arrive.  You decide to rent a movie online and watch it directly on your computer.

Because of how new online video rental services are, their selections tend to be limited.  Amazon’s Video on Demand service is very fast and effective, but their selection is limited.  But what if there was a way you could watch any movie you wanted just as easily?

There is.  The best movie rental sites now aren’t through the mainstream providers.  Streaming video (either downloadable or where you watch it directly as it streams to your computer) is the fastest, cheapest way to watch any movie you want within just a few minutes.  There are many sites out there now that provide this technology.

The way it works is that you pay a one-time fee for access to your favorite movies (or with some sites, even your favorite TV shows).  You download a small application that gives you direct access to these movies right from your desktop.  The best part of this is that you don’t have to pay rental fees anymore, and you have a much broader selection.

Depending on what streaming video site you choose and how much you end up paying for the one-time signup fee, you’ll get access to different features.  Some sites offer newer films and larger categories, while others don’t have that much variety or charge a subscription-based fee.  Don’t get fooled into one of those; you should only have to pay once.

If you want to watch movies instantly right on your own PC (or your TV, if it’s connected to the computer), streaming video sites are the cheapest, fastest answer.  Otherwise, stick to Amazon for your viewing needs.