![AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters) - Supports Ethernet, 3D, and Audio Return [Newest Standard]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417qWBWXqYL._SL75_.jpg "AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters) - Supports Ethernet, 3D, and Audio Return [Newest Standard]"){kind=small}
Get info about new reports and updates
- Compatible with Macs, mobile devices
- Can burn some movies to DVD
- Adult films available
- Not as many titles as Netflix
- A hassle to transfer movie from computer to TV
- Viewing quality not great, some say
October 2008. CinemaNow is one option for downloading movie rentals to your computer. Most reviews predate a couple of important upgrades in 2008: compatibility with Macs and the capability of ordering CinemaNow films on your mobile device for delivery to your home computer. Some movies can be burned to DVD, adult titles are available and there are monthly and yearly subscription plans. Reviewers are critical of movie downloads in general and are frustrated by download speeds and difficulty linking computers to TVs for optimal viewing. Reviewers say, however, that CinemaNow offers the most titles (about 5,000 mainstream films) even while we found complaints about customer service. Still, Netflix (*est. $5 to $60 per month) offers about 100,000 titles via mail, and subscribers get free Internet streaming.
In general, reviewers wish movie-download services offered better viewing quality and more titles. TopTenReviews.com's rankings chart allows for the easiest comparison of features, however. PCMag.com, CNET and Popular Mechanics offer somewhat dated reviews, and Popular Mechanics also offers suggestions for getting the movie from your PC to your TV with the greatest ease. We found some user reviews at CNET and Epinions.com, and they are not very complimentary.
Our Sources
TopTenReviews.com has an annoying habit of just slapping a new year on an old report without updating to show, for example, that Wal-Mart Video Downloads no longer exists. For what it's worth, CinemaNow is ranked first. The review write-up is skimpy, but the comparison chart is helpful.
Review: Movie Download Review, Editors of TopTenReviews.com
2. Gomestic.com
This older report rates Amazon Unbox and CinemaNow as the best of six broadband services. CinemaNow scores points for its free content (since greatly curtailed) and for giving users the ability to burn downloaded movies to DVD, but picture quality is less satisfactory.
Review: Broadband Cinema, Michael Muchmore, March 14, 2007
This older report is short and no winner is chosen, but editors do measure the time it takes to download movies from each of five services. More helpful is a sidebar that provides instructions for three ways of transferring movies from a PC to your TV.
Review: Movie Download Site Comparison: Test Drive, Glenn Derene, March 2007
4. CNET
This extremely dated review gives CinemaNow 2.5 stars out of a possible five, and there is a handful of user reviews, some a bit more recent and none very complimentary. User reviews indicate problems with customer service.
Review: CinemaNow Review, Troy Dreier, April 25, 2006
5. Amazon.com
The Bayer Contour is one of the highest-rated blood glucose meters at Amazon.com, maintaining an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars with more than 20 user reviews posted. A few users report that it has been inaccurate, but most find the Contour reliable and easy to use.
Review: Bayer's Contour Blood Glucose Monitoring System, Contributors to Amazon.com
6. Epinions.com
A handful of owner reviews give mostly negative ratings to CinemaNow, with the major complaints being download and viewing problems and customer service.
Review: CinemaNow Online Store, Contributors to Epinions.com