AOL, Intel link to bring movies to PCs and TVs

AOL will next week announce a deal with Intel that will let consumers download Gabe Kaplan's finest work to their PCs and watch it on TV.

Under the deal, AOL will let owners of Viiv PCs, an entertainment PC platform designed and promoted by Intel, to download episodes of Welcome Back Kotter and studio movies to the PCs, according to sources close to the companies. These consumers can then watch these movies on plasma TVs or LCD TVs. Consumers will also be able to download music.

A few years ago, studios adamantly opposed consumers download movies onto PCs, except under strict circumstances. The studios then began to permit downloads, but often restricted viewing to PCs or notebooks. Now, any screen goes.

The deal also marks another step forward for Viiv, which Intel launched earlier this year. Viiv PCs are, from a hardware perspective, not all that different from regular PCs. However, the chipmaker has cut deals with content providers so that certain types of entertainment or capabilities are only available on Viiv.

Earlier in the month, Intel and Yahoo struck a deal that will allow subscribers to Yahoo fantasy football to follow their fantasy games on a TV screen while watching a live football game. In other words, PC and Internet content share a single screen.