Standard definition movies from Verizon VOD are usually $4.99, but I watched “Into the Wild” the other night in HD for $5.99. The extra dollar for high definition seems worth it, since that is what you would pay to rent a Blu-ray Disc or HD DVD at a video store. Minus the cost of gas to get to the store, you might actually be saving some money by using video-on-demand.
Today Verizon officially announced it’s high definition VOD expansion into California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas. In the next coming weeks, New York and Oregon will also get HD VOD with with FiOS TV.
For those of you who have never used the VOD service from Verizon, there are basically three types of content: Free, Movies and Premium.
The free movies are usually not Oscar winners, and some of the programs just seem to be extras from Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, like the “Bourne Ultimatum” behind the scenes clips. But some of the programs are worth checking out, like content from the NFL Network, Disney and TLC. And if you are into low budget independent films you’ll love this service.
Movies on Demand are usually the hits, classics, and some independent films. Most of the movies are $4.99 for standard definition, $5.99 for high definition.
Premium on Demand are shows and movies you could get if you subscribed to HBO, Cinemax or one of Verizon’s movie packages.
Just one thing to note about Verizon VOD, and video-on-demand in general is that programming does change frequently. It’s also hard to get a grasp on what is available other than scrolling through the menu screen, partly because there are so many programs, and partly because the programs are refreshed daily. I was told, depending on licensing, that programs will stay up anywhere from 2 weeks to a year.
