So, what if you wanted to watch that movie at 10:45PM with all those nice little trick functions? The answer is TVOD. If TVOD were available from your cable provider, one of those 6 Mhz channels would get set aside for you to watch the movie when you request it. Problem is, after 20 people asked for their own movie (even if it were the same movie!), the cable provider would be out of network bandwidth and couldn’t service anymore requests. The truth is, very few of the traditional cable providers are positioned to offer TVOD with their existing systems, Digital or Analog.

That’s where broadband Internet access comes in. Broadband Internet is generally thought of as connections to the Internet at speeds of 300KBPS or greater. That’s about six times faster than what we now regularly get on 56KBPS dial-up modems. Those high speeds aren’t just for downloading MP3’s off Napster anymore. Did you know it’s now possible to stream a movie into your home over your broadband connection (provided by a DSL or cable modem connection)? The picture and sound quality is better than your VCR can output and it is true VOD. You have your own stream that can be paused, fast-forwarded, rewound, whatever you wish!

Companies like Microsoft and Real Networks are producing software tools that allow digital media device (set-top box) developers like uniView Technologies to take advantage of the home’s broadband connection to pipe full-length feature motion picture movies right to your television. This means you can come home from work, sit down in front of your television, select a movie from an interactive guide, play it, pause it, make dinner for the kids and then return to the movie where you left off!

This technology only really became possible this year at the quality levels a consumer would pay so there isn’t widespread use of it … yet. But there’s every indication that a tidal wave of Internet movie distribution is coming. In August, five of the top movie studios (MGM, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Brothers) announced they will be renting their movies over the Internet. Dreamworks and Disney are following closely with announcements of their own. So, the content will be there, and the delivery medium (the Internet) is already there as well.

What’s left to provide is the device that makes it possible to show these movies on your TV set in the living room. Inexpensive digital media device developers like uniView Technologies hope to make the use of this content delivered via broadband a reality by making boxes available to the masses. These boxes are directed at residential deployments sponsored by local utility companies like Cincinnati Bell in Ohio, hotel chains around the world and other entertainment- related ventures.

The uniView® 310 (Figure 1) is the recognized leader in the category of broadband enabled, advanced digital media devices. The 310 offers the best quality picture available at the lowest speeds. With the 310, using content providers like Intertainer along with your DSL or Internet over cable services, you can watch first-run movies in the convenience of your own living room!

Figure 1
uniView 310 Enhanced Digital Set Top Box

The user interfaces are intuitive, easy to use and fun! For example, with Movies On Demand (Figure 2), you can search among a list of the latest blockbusters in a variety of categories from Action flicks to Romance pictures, all with a simple click of the remote or with the wireless keyboard. And content providers like Intertainer always are updating their film database with the latest video releases, so you’ll never be stuck with a limited selection of movies.

Figure 2
“Movies On Demand”

And because of the digital technology included in the uniView 310, viewers will find that the sound and picture quality is crystal clear – just as if you were playing a DVD. In addition, you can pause, rewind or fast-forward the movie so you have complete control of your viewing experience!

So be on the lookout later this year for technology that could make your visit to the local video store a thing of the past. True Video On Demand over your Internet connection.

Cameron Hurst is chief technology officer with uniView Technologies ( www.uniView.com ), a Dallas-based company that offers enhanced digital media solutions to customers worldwide. Its products deliver the highest quality video, audio and gaming features through broadband networks. In addition, uniView provides companies with enterprise customer service solutions through CIMphony™, a suite of computer telephony integration (CTI) software products and services. CIMphony allows contact centers to customize and incorporate voice, data and Internet communications into their customer interactions. The company markets its products and services to hospitality, utility, banking and telecommunication companies. Key technology partners include Microsoft (Windows Media Player), Intertainer (on-demand entertainment content provider), Intel, and ATI Technologies.