Not quite ready for prime time...
Written: Dec 02 '03 (Updated Dec 03 '03)
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CinemaNow is an online movie service that allows you to download or "stream" (watch as you download) a movie directly to your computer. You can either opt for a monthly/yearly subscription plan or pay for movie viewings individually. This is a legal alternative to the highly illegal practice of downloading pirated movies from peer to peer services like Kazaa.
The good:
1. A free 7-day trial, which gives you full access to all non-pay-per-view movies (more on this below).
2. Very easy to use and set up.
3. Lower pricing on new ppv movies than Movielink.
The Bad:
1. Terrible, confusing subscription-based price structure. There are three levels at CinemaNow: Premium ($9.95/month or $49.95/year), Premium Plus ($29.95/month or $99.95/year), and Pay-Per-View (usually $3.99 for newer films). Premium movies are mostly super low-budget straight to video junk full of bad actors you've never heard of. Premium Plus titles are mostly porn movies. Pay-Per-View is everything you might actually WANT to watch: big-budget studio films with real stars like "The Matrix Reloaded" or "Bringin' Down the House".
2. Selection is bad - pages and pages of low-budget (and I'm not talking about art house movies either) junk with a few bigger studio films interspersed to keep you interested.
3. Film quality is only passable - you should not expect DVD quality from these downloads, especially if you choose the streaming option at 300kbs. It's too bad the legit companies like CinemaNow/Movielink won't use Divx or Xvid, as these are much better codecs that yield more DVD-like quality in similar file sizes.
While I like the idea of a subscription service, mixing subscription and pay-per-view is just frustrating. Inevitably, the movie you want to watch is not included in your subscription package, and so you have to either forget it or cough up more cash. You should be able to pay ONE monthly or yearly fee and be able to watch ANYTHING in their catalog.
Even though CinemaNow is cheaper, Movielink is clearly the better choice in terms of selection. The absolute best deal for movie lovers right now, even though it's not as convenient, is Netflix, where there are no ultra-restrictive time limits (as in Movielink's 24-hour restriction that it places on its downloads) and infinitely better selection than both of these download services.
UPDATE:
Apparently the "free" trial isn't as free as it seems. They charge your card for a subscription package immediately, rather than at the end of the 7 day trial. I'll post later on how easy it is to get a refund...
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
movie_hound
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 2 members
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