Digital Streaming Services: Rental Services
These services allow you to stream digital rentals. This is great, but mostly overpriced, in my opinion.
Amazon Prime Instant Videos / Amazon Instant Video Store
My Description: It is a great side benefit of your Prime Subscription, but not worth getting for just the video benefits, mostly because they have less than Netflix available and still charge for the majority of new content. Most of the rentals cost one to three dollars each. Amazon is integrated with the TV & Movies app on Google TV (rumor is they will have an official Amazon Instant Video app out soon).
Price: $79/year / $2.99/each
Their Description: Prime instant videos provide unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost to customers within the United States with a paid Amazon Prime or Amazon Student membership.
Website: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_3757_piv?nodeId=200572880 / http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_left_ac?ie=UTF8&nodeId=3757
Vudu
My Description: It is a decent rental service, and is available on a lot of platforms. You can rent, purchase, and upload videos. You can rent most videos; some are only available for purchase. You have three quality options, SD, HD, and HDX. Currently for Google TV you need to use the browser to watch them, they have native apps for some other platforms. Because VUDU is connected with Wal-Mart and has such a presence on many streaming devices they are well positioned to be to go-to digital rental source.
Price: $0.99 – $5.99
Their Description: VUDU is a leading HD on-demand movie service available as an application on your connected High Definition Television (HDTV) or Blu-ray Disc Player (BDP). Watch VUDU right on your TV – no PC required!
World’s Largest HD Movie Catalog: With over 3,000 movies available on-demand in streaming 1080p, VUDU offers you the world’s largest HD movie catalog.
The Only 1080p On-Demand: VUDU is the only on-demand movie service that delivers eye-popping 1080p quality video – the same as Blu-ray – directly to your HDTV or BDP.
Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround Sound: VUDU is the only on-demand movie service that delivers immersive 5.1 surround sound. We do this using Dolby’s state-of-the-art Dolby Digital Plus technology.
New Movies the Same Day as DVD: watch new movies on VUDU the same day they’re available on DVD.
No Subscription: No monthly subscriptions required!
The Best of the Web – Right on Your TV: VUDU incorporates the best movie sites on the Internet, including Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia, right into the interface – find the right movie without a PC!
Website: http://www.vudu.com/
Blockbuster on Demand
My Description: You can both buy and rent movies with Blockbuster on Demand. They have a decent selection. I’m glad Blockbuster is trying to innovate; more competition should be good for the consumers. They definitely have the name recognition to do well, but their prices are in-line with what everyone else is charging (which in my opinion is too high). Since this service requires device registration, and they do not have an app in the Google TV section of the Play Store, I haven’t tested this service on Google TV.
Price: Rent: $2.99 -$4.99 / Purchase: $9.99 – $12.99
Their Description: You can watch Blockbuster On Demand movies on a wide range of electronic devices. Whether you’re streaming to your home entertainment system or downloading to your laptop or cell phone to watch on the go, Blockbuster On Demand lets you watch where you want, when you want.
Website: http://www.blockbuster.com/download