Free tv movies

ZillionTV set-top box promises free movies, TV shows
Wish you could watch Hulu's free, ad-supported videos on the TV in your den? That's the idea behind ZillionTV, a new set-top box that's looking to deliver both pay-per-view and free, ad-supported TV shows and movies into the living room. The catch? You'll have to get it through your ISP.Slated to arrive this fall, the ZillionTV set-top box will be free with a one-time "activation" fee, according to execs for the secretive (until now) start-up. I got an eyes-on look at ZillionTV in a midtown Manhattan hotel last week, and so far, I'm pretty impressed—although if you're thinking you might just dump cable or satellite for the new service, well … think again.

Equipped with an HDMI port and Wi-Fi, and capable of outputting 1080i, 720p, and 480i images, the ZillionTV device actually looks more like a black rectangular bar than a box, and it's designed to sit along the top of your HDTV set.

The on-screen interface looks reminiscent of the displays you'd see on, say, Apple TV or Vudu, except with one key difference: the motion-controlled remote, which lets you select videos and other options with a wave of the wand. It's a little strange (and a tad jerky) at first, but I'd imagine you'd get the hang of it with practice.

Of course, the key to ZillionTV is the content, and the execs behind the service are promising 15,000 movie and TV titles by the end of 2009. Five of the big movie studios (Disney, Fox, Sony, NBC/Universal, and Warner Brothers—no Paramount yet) have signed on, according to ZillionTV SVP Patrick Gauthier, including agreements for their respective TV properties. That means (potentially) shows like "The Office" on NBC and "24" on Fox. Unsigned so far, though: Viacom, which owns networks such as CBS, MTV, and Comedy Central (Gauthier says talks are still underway).

So, how much will the videos cost? Well, nothing, as long as you're cool with non-skippable ads. Movies will come with three to four "pre-roll" commercials, but none during the feature itself (nice), while TV shows will have ads interspersed during their natural commercial breaks. And while you won't be able to skip the ads, you'll at least get the chance to pick the kinds of ads you'd like to see in the settings menu.

Of course, you'll still be able to pay for commercial-free movie and TV show rentals if you choose; prices haven't been set in stone yet, but I'm told we can expect something "consistent with that found in the marketplace for on-demand services" (such as the $3.99 movie rentals on Apple TV). Also planned: A "rewards" program for frequent viewers, which might include free movie rentals and/or sneak peeks at movies before their DVD release dates.

OK, so how do the videos look? Pretty good, actually; I got the chance to look at some SD movie rentals, and they looked surprisingly sharp, at least on a par with what you'd see on Netflix's "Watch Now" streaming service or Apple TV. I was also happy to see that widescreen aspect ratios (such as the "Scope" 2.35:1 frame on the original "Superman") were preserved. That said, I only saw a demo; we'll have to wait and see what real-world performance looks like once the service actually launched this fall.

Where will we be able to get ZillionTV? Through your ISP—and that, in a way, is the catch. As I've blogged about before, ISPs—be they cable, satellite, or otherwise—are looking for a way to make some money on this whole Internet video thing (and many speculate that "big cable" was behind the pulling of Hulu's video streams from Boxee, the unauthorized Apple TV plug-in). ZillionTV makes for a clever (if potentially attractive for viewers) new strategy.

It's not clear exactly how much revenue that, say, Time Warner Cable or Comcast (ZillionTV has yet to announce its ISP partners, by the way) might get from each movie rental or advertiser. Then again, the ISPs will certainly be able to use ZillionTV—which won't be available in stores—to attract (and keep) broadband subscribers. And here's a question: Will carriers only offer ZillionTV in a bundle with pricey digital channel tiers? Unknown, for now, although I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

So, what do you think? Willing to cough up the $50 activation fee—and keep your cable or satellite provider—for free TV shows and movies in the living room? source