Regarding your statement renting movies from the cable company (watch newly released movies the 1st day they become availble at retail and get the DVD):
New Service Lets Cablevision Customers Access Top Movie Titles 'On Demand' Weeks Before They Are Widely Available
Monday February 4, 11:17 am ET
'Popcorn DVDs On Demand' Allows iO TV(SM) Customers To Watch Select Box Office Hits At Home On The Same Day They Are Available For Sale As DVDs
BETHPAGE, N.Y., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC - News) today announced a new service that allows iO TV digital cable customers to watch top new release movies through the convenience of on demand, weeks before they are widely available. "Popcorn DVDs On Demand" makes select titles available to customers for on demand viewing on the same day the films arrive in stores for DVD purchase. Through a simple and secure purchase using the digital set-top box, customers can immediately view a film and later receive its corresponding DVD, which is shipped directly to the home.
"This is an exciting new service that allows our digital cable customers to watch top new release films weeks before they are widely available for on demand viewing, and then own the DVD of their selection," said Patricia Gottesman, Cablevision's executive vice president of digital marketing & commerce. "It is also a major step forward in giving our customers new ways to quickly and easily purchase goods and services from a wide variety of companies, using our fiber optic network and the advanced set-top box that is already in the home."
"Popcorn is the first service that combines the first-day-of-release freshness of owning DVDs with the simplicity, convenience and instant viewing provided by on demand. Cablevision has established a leadership position in delivering the latest technologies to its customers and embracing new opportunities, like Popcorn," said Popcorn Home Entertainment CEO Steve Brenner. "Movie lovers enjoy the benefits and extra features associated with owning a DVD, but they also crave the instant gratification of on demand. Popcorn DVDs On Demand delivers the best of both worlds."
Popcorn titles are available in advance of the standard VOD "window." By combining a DVD purchase with an on demand view, popular titles are available for VOD viewing on the same day they are available for DVD purchase. Through this new service, customers are able to enjoy the physical DVD -- which is shipped directly to them -- along with immediate access to the title on demand.
New releases available from Popcorn at launch include: The Bourne Ultimatum, The Kingdom, Eastern Promises and Sydney White. The two-time Academy® Award-nominated blockbuster American Gangster will be available on February 19th.
Before purchasing their first DVD/VOD selection through Popcorn, customers briefly visit an Optimum Web site and establish a secure profile that includes credit card, shipping and billing information. Once the secure profile has been established, at www.optimum.net/click, customers can access and purchase Popcorn movie titles directly through their digital set-top box. Popcorn titles are accessible through the Movies On Demand menu available through the iO TV user interface, or directly on Channel 500. New release films are priced at $19.95, plus shipping, while older library titles cost between $9.95 and $15.95, plus shipping. DVD orders are processed, billed and fulfilled by Popcorn DVDs On Demand.
With nearly 2.6 million iO TV customers, approximately 83 percent of Cablevision's cable customers are iO TV digital cable customers, the highest digital penetration in the nation. iO TV offers customers access to 360 channels, including 53 premium movie channels, 48 channels of commercial-free digital music, more than 1,800 titles available on demand at all times, an interactive programming guide, 45 high-definition programming services and groundbreaking interactive television applications including News 12 Interactive.
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