HBO to launch movie and TV show download service

January 21, 2008 – US pay TV channel HBO, part of Time Warner, has announced that it plans to launch a service allowing subscribers to download movies and TV shows over the Internet.

The new service, called HBO on Broadband, will reportedly make its debut with a much larger library than its cable-based on-demand service, and will initially roll-out to Time Warner Cable’s high-speed Internet subscribers in Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as a free add-on to HBO and HBO on Demand, according to company spokesman Jeff Cusson.

Mr. Cusson added that at present there is no timeline for making the service available to all US subscribers.  The service will offer 600 titles each month, with 400 of these available at any time, as well as a live stream of the main HBO channel.

The new service will also suggest titles based on viewing habits, and programming will be available for at least a month, but erased after a defined period.  The application will initially be compatible with PCs running Windows XP or later operating systems, and an Apple version is also reportedly in development.