Movie Downloads Remain a Production Worth Skipping

After downloading, Amazon grants you little leeway to enjoy your purchase. You can't burn it to DVD and can keep it on only two computers at a time. You can't copy the movie from one to the other via an external hard drive; you must download it again. (Rentals stay on the PC for only 24 hours after you begin viewing them.)

The full-resolution copy, advertised as "DVD-quality," isn't. It looks terrific on a laptop's screen, but on a 40-inch HDTV, you can see how compressed the Windows Media video files are: grainy, noisy backgrounds and some pixelation around edges. Not all Unbox movies have surround sound; none include closed captioning or any DVD bonus features.

I couldn't gauge the quality of the portable copy. Although Microsoft's database of Windows Media-compatible players said the iRiver Clix I tested should have worked, the Unbox software didn't recognize it.

Movie purchases from iTunes are free of that kind of nonsense. They work just as smoothly as music purchases, flowing from store to computer (Windows 2000 or XP, Mac OS X 10.3 or newer) to iPod.

You can watch any movie on three computers at once and copy it to as many video-capable iPods as you want. You still can't burn it to DVD. Apple says it plans to sell a wireless media receiver next year that will stream your purchases from computer to TV.

iTune's movie prices aren't as simple as its music prices. Most titles go for $9.99, but new titles can initially sell for $12.99 before jumping to $14.99 for an undetermined period.

Apple offers no rental option, which feels like a mistake. Many movies are a single-viewing proposition.

The iTunes selection is microscopic: about 70 titles from Disney studios. At least most are movies that people might actually want, instead of the drivel that fills out Unbox.

Apple's hope is that other studios will join in soon, just as TV networks rushed to sell shows on iTunes after the success of the first few pioneers. The company is probably right.

Apple seems to be using more effective video compression than Amazon: The same Discovery Channel documentary was about half the size on iTunes, just 487 MB. The Amazon copy looked a little more crisp, but in no way was its twice-as-large download twice as good.

Most iTunes movies lack surround sound and, as with Amazon, subtitles and extra features. Apple does, however, include chapter headings for easy jumping back and forth.

If you want to download a movie, Apple offers the best option now. But the iTunes store doesn't provide a great reason for you to want that download in the first place.

Buying music downloads has an obvious benefit: the ability to cherry-pick a record for the two or three songs you like. What's the reward for buying a movie as a download and giving up the flexibility of watching it on any DVD player? You're spared only the wait for the Netflix envelope or the walk or drive to a video store. You may not even save money.

Living with technology, or trying to? E-mail Rob Pegoraro atrobp@washpost.com.