Although the deal isn’t finalized yet, MSNBC reports that Netflix and TiVo are poised to unveil a new paradigm in movie delivery for subscribers to both services: movies rented from Netflix will download directly into the TiVo box via a broadband Internet connection. As a subscriber to both services, which by the way I highly recommend, I’m intrigued by this possible development but wonder whether it will be worth it. To download a DVD-quality movie at present broadband speeds would take hours to say the least, although if done in the background the transfer would be transparent to the end user. I’m wondering whether copyright and/or pirating issues will prevent this from ever happening. If it does happen, the DRM protections that will more than likely be imposed on the movie download may prove to be too cumbersome; I have yet to use any music download service that has DRM that I find acceptable, although iTunes comes close. Still, if done correctly, this partnership could make movie rental a lot more convenient, and I would definitely take advantage of it.
