Video On Demand | featured news

In an effort to make owning more compelling than renting, big movie studios are backing a free service that will allow people to buy a film once and watch it on any device.

In a sign that online streaming is coming to the forefront in Hollywood, films from Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer will appear on Netflix's streaming service just three months after they appear on pay television.

According to a new industry study, "The Hangover" is the most-watched On Demand movie ever. Of course, On Demand has only been big for a few years, so "ever" in this case means "since the first CGI 'Alvin & the Chipmunks' movie came out." (That cinema classic squeaks on to the list at No. 6.)

YouTube's movie rental service is still in its infancy, and it still only offers a small selection of films, but that could change quickly. YouTube exec Hunter Walk told MediaPost that the site will soon offer its users the ability to charge rental fees for their uploaded videos.

Sony Corp is bringing baseball to America's living rooms on its PlayStation 3 video game console, ratcheting up the competition in the race to become the digital hub of the home.

The mail order and online video service maintains blistering growth, with profits to match.

This is a continuance to a trend to allow hi-definition video content to be streamed from a hard drive.

Walmart is set to make a play for your living room. The company has acquired online movie service Vudu, just over a month after rumors about a deal first surfaced.

Hulu CEO Jason Kilar won a big battle against Google's (GOOG) top dealmakers in April, successfully convincing Disney (DIS) CEO Bob Iger to put ABC's full-length content on Hulu instead of YouTube.

Google wanted to make Disney the cornerstone of its new focus on premium content, but Disney ended up taking an equity stake in Hulu alongside prior investors News Corp (NWS), NBC (GE) and Providence Equity Partners.

A couple months later, the fruits of Jason's labor are here in the form of mega-hit "Grey's Anatomy," now live on Hulu.

Netflix's chief is racing to shift the DVD-rental company's business to make more movies available online. His position offers a rare look at how a CEO manages a still-hot business as its time runs out.