Burn CinemaNow movie downloads to DVD

Veteran movie download site suddenly looks better with the addition of its Burn to DVD feature. Our original review lambasted the purchase and pay-per-view site for its lame restrictions (such as purchased movies were viewable on one PC and could be burned to DVD only for data backup), but things look rosier in that respect. So far, 101 titles can be purchased, then legally burned to a DVD, using the requisite CinemaNow-branded burning software, that can be played in "almost any DVD player" (94 percent of them, to be exact). DVD niceties such as the menu and bonus features are included, and you have the option to print labels and cover art.

We didn't see any new movies in the mix, and the choices range from C-list (Replicant, American Virgin) to fossilized (Backdraft, Scent of a Woman) to silver-screen winners like Chuck & Buck. Prices seem reasonable for an online movie service but are still high compared to purchasing a real DVD; for example, Backdraft costs $14.99 (the rental/streaming version is $1.00). Additional notes, according to the FAQ, "Typically the download and burn process takes about three hours" and "allows one burnable copy per purchase."

But the notion of self-burnable DVDs, which rival movie site MovieLink introduced as an upcoming feature just days ago, gives the consumer some respect. Now we'll just have to try this ourselves and report back with an updated review of CinemaNow. If you want to try the technology out, CinemaNow has a free promo DVD.