video on demand : Computer Hardware Buyers’ Glossary


video on demand
VOD (Video On Demand) Normally with digital TV or HDTV (High Definition Television) you subscribe to channels or bundles of channels which gives you full time unlimited access to them. Movie channels are sometimes handled in a different way. You select a movie from a large number of possibilities and the cable provider sends it to your adapter box. In contrast, with pay per view, you can only watch movies that are currently playing for eveyone.

Even if you don’t have a TiVo, you can fast forward and rewind the movie since it is being broadcast for you alone. With video on demand, the movie starts immediately, unlike pay per view, where you have to wait till the next showtime, as you would in a theatre. You can play the video on demand movie as many times as you want for 24 hours. With pay per view, you get one viewing only. Shaw charges about $6.00 CAD per movie the same as pay per view. I find this odd since it costs Shaw considerably more to deliver a movie via video on demand. They deliver hour long shows for $3.00 CAD .

As the world becomes wired with fibre optic, video on demand, (the way the Internet works), will become the norm for all your viewing.

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