MovieBeam is back, and this time in hi-def
Disney's MovieBeam never got very far the first time around since Disney put the kibosh on the service in April of last year, but they're back with the movie "datacasting" service, and this time they've got Cisco and Intel backing the idea. For $200 (after rebate) and a $30 activation fee you can purchase the MovieBeam box, which includes 100 films preloaded. Once set up, the device receives around 10 movies digitally from over-the-air broadcasts every week, which can then be rented for "video store prices" and watched over a 24 hour period. Right now only Disney and Warner Bros. films are available, but you can catch 'em almost a month earlier than cable pay-per-view, and even get some films in hi-def, which might make this device worth its while. Disney's plans for the service don't sound too bad either, since they hope to offer DVD burning of purchased movies once they can work out the rights, and are also planning to intro a USB antenna to receive the service on your computer.
[Via Zatz Not Funny]
