Unbox by Amazon Changing Online Video Rentals

Unbox by Amazon, is a service that allows customers to rent or buy videos online, and watch them on their computer or television.

The service has advantages over Netflix and Blockbuster in that you do not have to wait for your movies to arrive in the mail, or drive to a store to pick up or return your video. Once you download the Unbox video player, you are ready to purchase your movie, or television show.

The price per rental range from, .99 to $3.99 for movies. Television shows start at $1.99 per episode. You can also purchase movies, with most priced at $14.99. Rented videos remain on your system for 30 days. Once you begin to view your downloaded video, you have 24 hours to finish watching it, before it is deleted from your hard drive. Purchased videos have no expiration date, and they can be re-downloaded. This gives you the opportunity to store the video on two different computers, or a computer and your TIVO DVR.

Using your TIVO with Unbox requires only a few simple steps. You must first register your TIVO account with Amazon. This is done using the TIVOCast section of your TIVO. You then select Amazon Unbox to complete the process.

You can also link your TIVO through the Amazon website under the Unbox video download tab. You select Unbox on TIVO, and then register your TIVO by entering your account information. The last step is to create a personal identification number, so you are able to make purchases from your TIVO.

You now have the ability to order videos using your computer, or TIVO DVR. Using TIVO, you need to go to the Find Programs screen. Select Download TV & Movies, and choose the Amazon Unbox tab where the available videos will be displayed. Using the computer, you need only to look for the TIVO logo next to your chosen video. Once you click on purchase, you will have the option to download, the video to TIVO (provided you have already linked your TIVO and Amazon accounts.)

While this is a relatively new service and their selection is still growing, I was still able to find all the movies I was looking for. Presently the service is only available to customers in the US who have Windows XP, or Windows Vista. You are able to burn purchased videos on a DVD, but you will not be able to play it on a DVD player (computer playback only.) Another system requirement, you need more then 1.5 gigabyte of free space on your hard drive to download a video. When your hard drive reaches 1 gigabyte or less of free space, you will receive an error message when you attempt to download a video. You also need a debit or credit card, as those are the only acceptable means of payment. For TIVO users, the service only works with TIVO Series 2 or Series 3 players that have a broadband connection. Finally, Direct TV TIVO's are not compatible with the service.

I was impressed at the ease in which Amazon Unbox works. The video player downloaded quickly, and purchasing and viewing movies was easy. The quality of the videos was also impressive. One of the nicest features of the service is the ability to transfer the videos to a portable device. The site contains a list of all compatible portable devices. I know most Creative Lab brand MP3 players are compatible.

Check the service out for yourself, its very user friendly. You go to the Amazon.com site, and click on the Unbox tab. When you find the movie or show you want, you select download now. Next, you select the device you want the video downloaded to, your computer, TIVO, or portable device, and that is it. Within minutes, you will be able to view your video. You can also choose Rent now with 1-click, which is even easier, and the video will be downloaded to your computer.

There is a lot of information, but the process is very simple. From start to finish, you can be watching a video on your computer in about 15 minutes after registering on Amazon.com. Another cool feature is you do not have to wait for the download to be complete on your computer before you can view the video. Movies are generally ready to view after about three minutes of download time. (For TIVO downloads, the video must be downloaded completely before it can be viewed.)

Amazon Unbox is definitely changing (for the better) how videos are viewed at home.