Search thousands of topics on CostHelper

BROWSE ALL TOPICS >> babies & children  cars  consumer electronics health & personal care home & garden personal finance  pets  schools small business sports weddings
CostHelper > Consumer Electronics  > TV, Home Theater & Audio > Movie Download

Movie Download Cost


How Much Does a Movie Download Cost?

 
low costRentals: $2-$5average costTypically: $2-$20 per movie

Many online services offer movies you can download or watch on your PC, saving a trip to the rental store. Downloadable movies can cost more than purchasing or renting at a store, but you pay for the convenience.

Typical costs:

  • Apple's iTunes[1] software offers more than 500 movies to download. New releases are $12.99 during the first week of release, and $14.99 thereafter; older titles start at $9.99; and short films are $1.99. The downloaded movies can be viewed on a Mac or PC or a video iPod. Recommended system requirements for the iTunes Store include: PC, Windows 2000 or above; Mac, OS X 10.3.9 or above.
  • Cinema Now[2] offers three different ways to download content: download-to-own[3] , which provides an unlimited viewing period on up to 3 devices for $9.95 to $19.99; rent; pay-per-view for $0.49 to $3.99; and Burn to DVD, for $8.99 to $19.99. Recommended system requirements for PC include Windows XP or above.
  • MovieLink[4] , offers downloadable movies for purchase for $1.99 to $19.99 or rental for $1.95 to $4.99. MovieLink's movies cannot be downloaded to an iPod or PSP, but can be downloaded to certain PMC devices[5] . On a PC, MovieLink requires Windows 2000 or above. MovieLink currently is not available for the Mac.
  • Amazon Unbox[6] offers downloadable movies for purchase for $9.88 to $14.99 or rental for $1.99 to $3.99. On a PC, Amazon Unbox requires Windows XP or above.
  • Walmart Video Downloads offer downloadable movies for $7.50 to $19.88. On a PC, Wal-Mart Video Downloads requires Windows XP or above.
  • Vongo[7] provides unlimited movie downloads for $9.99 a month. Nearly all of the newer, popular and quality titles are available pay-per-view at $3.99 per movie. Vongo subscribers also have access to the Starz television channel via the Vongo browser. Not all movies are available in a portable format; check movie details before downloading. Vongo requires Windows XP or above.
Related articles: TV Show Online, Online Video Rentals

What should be included:
  • Purchased downloadable movies are usually saved on your PC. You should also be able to burn your movie file to a DVD as backup, but you won't be able to watch the file on a DVD player.
  • Downloaded movie rentals allow you to watch the movie as many times as you'd like during a 24-hour period. Some give you up to 30 days to start your 24 hours of viewing.
Additional costs:
  • Internet access is required, and a high-speed connection is recommended.
  • Most services let you watch the downloaded movie on a TV, however you'll need to connect your computer to your TV manually. For iTunes users, the Apple TV[8] provides easy connectivity between your computer and TV and costs around $299 from Apple.com[9] .
  • For non-iTunes users, check your TV's user guide to find the correct type of device or cable you need to connect your TV to your PC. MovieLink[10] and Best Buy[11] can help you decide which cables you may need. Most services let you download a movie onto a portable player. iTunes is compatible with the Apple iPod. Other PC-based movie download services (such as MovieLink or Vongo) work with Microsoft Portable Media Center (PMC) devices. CinemaNow, Amazon and Walmart's movies work with some Windows PlaysForSure[12] portable players.
  • Some PC-based movie download services such as MovieLink and Vongo let you watch your downloaded videos on your TV using your Xbox 360 game console. In addition to the Xbox 360, you will need an Xbox 360 Wireless Media Adapter (around $99.99), a PC running Windows XP or Vista, and a wired or wireless home network.
  • Amazon Unbox service lets you use your Series2 or Series 3 TiVo DVR to watch downloaded Unbox videos on your TV. An 80-hr Series2 TiVo is $99.99; a 180-hr Series3 TiVo is $199.99; and a 300-hr Series3 HD TiVo is $799.99. TiVo service is $16.95 a month.
Discounts:
  • MovieLink[13] has a sale for first-time customers, $1.99 or less on all rentals.
Shopping for a movie download:
  • Take advantage of any free trials available such as Vongo's 14-day free trial, or CinemaNow's 7-day free trial for a platinum membership.
post Post    
CostHelper News


7 Lesser-Known Discounts for the 50+ Crowd
As they age, members of the Baby Boomer generation don't like to admit that they're senior citizens, but they love getting discounts. It's kind of a quandary, because some of the best deals available are reduced prices for older folks. || Posted October 21 2013


7 Ways to Stretch Your Reduced Food Budget
End of the year budgets are tight for everyone, especially in this economy.It's especially hard for the millions of Americans who depend on government programs like food stamps to help make ends meet. || Posted November 11 2013

‣ All CostHelper Blog Posts


What People Are Paying - Recent Comments


 

Comment On Your Experience With a Movie Download
 
Subject:  *
Amount Spent:  *
Store: Movie: 
Comments: 
Purchased:  Year: 
City:  * State:  *
 
Information about you:
Email:  * Email addresses are not displayed.
Name:  This is the name we'll display with your post.
me on this computer
*=required field.
 



External Resources:
  1.  www.apple.com/itunes/
  2.  www.cinemanow.com
  3.  www.cinemanow.com/
  4.  www.blockbusternow.com
  5.  www.windowsphone.com/en-us
  6.  www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/player
  7.  www.vongo.com
  8.  www.apple.com/appletv/
  9.  store.apple.com/maintenance/b2b.html
  10.  www.blockbusternow.com/kb/user/article.jsf?id=4&_requestid=2807863
  11.  www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=cat12077&categoryRep=cat03000&guideID=10433638...
  12.  www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/win8/CompatCenter/Home?Language=en-US
  13.  www.blockbusternow.com/store/web/home/home.jsp?modelID=model1
More Consumer Electronics Topics

Search Thousands of Topics on CostHelper.com

 
Today's Featured Cost Articles

About CostHelper
CostHelper is based in Silicon Valley and provides consumers with unbiased price information about thousands of goods and services. Our writers are experienced journalists who adhere to our strict editorial ethics policy.

CostHelper Community
UTI urgent care visit
Paid: 147.00
Visit was $135. Antibiotics was $12. Waiting for four hours in the waiting room and the visit was quick... [more]
-nervouschomper
Urinary Tract Infection Treatment Cost
Spanish Medical Interpreter
Paid: 150.00
I worked with SynShyne Services out of Monroe, NC. They were so worth the price! Professional, friendly, accurate, great attitude and always on time. I recieved an itemized report after every contact and a user friendly invoice weekly... [more]
-Gregory Richardson
Interpreter Cost
Dat
Paid: 495.00
This is how much I am paying... [more]
-Calista Christian
Dental Admission Test Cost
Shingrix
Paid: 48.00
... [more]
-Not that BB
Shingles Vaccine Cost
Skin prick allergy test
Paid: 573.00
Took my 9 yr. old in after an allergic reaction to eggs. Several panels for nuts, fish & top 8 allergens. Sure enough, egg came up. Got a script for epinephrine and left... [more]
-D’s mom
Allergy Testing Cost
Estimate for Teeth Cleaning Cat
Paid: 0.00
13 year old cat …teeth extractions, X-rays, blood work, anesthetic, cleaning estimate 2 to 3 thousand... [more]
-Terrimarie
Cat Teeth Cleaning Cost