On-demand movies finally a reality?
Rumors that Netflix and TiVo executives are close to shaking hands on a deal to deliver films over the Internet may be premature, but they've once again galvanized a seemingly irresistible dream of instant entertainment gratification. That idea was summed up years ago in a Qwest Communications International commercial that featured a beleaguered motel clerk deadpanning: "We have every movie ever made, in every language, any time, night or day." Movie studios and distributors have a lot to gain if they can solve the considerable technical and business issues that stand in the way of Internet video-on-demand services. Is their evolution inevitable--or just another digital El Dorado?
