MovieBeam Service launches

MovieBeam announced today the availability of its new MovieBeam System in 29 metropolitan areas. The system--an over-the-air video-on-demand movie venture backed by Intel, Cisco, and Disney--is available through major brick-and-mortar and online retailers for $200 (after a mail-in rebate). It lets users view any of 100 preselected movies, from just about every major Hollywood studio as many times as they wish over a 24-hour period for a fee ranging from $2 to $5 per film. It will refresh by downloading as many as 10 new movies over a special antenna every week. But the big news is that the MovieBeam System is slated to offer as many as 10 movies in 720p high-definition at any given time--a big step up from the standard-definition fare you'll find on most cable systems.

If MovieBeam sounds familiar, it's because the system was tested in select markets until last year, when it was rumored to be up for sale. Is the new and improved MovieBeam reason enough to toss your DVD player in the trash? Find out all the details in our First Take of the product right now, and check back soon for a full review.