Review: Vongo movie service goes mobile

PHILADELPHIA - As an avid movie fan and a frugal consumer, I've always preferred the all-you-can-watch buffet approach to renting movies over paying a la carte. That's what drove me to toss my video rental card and sign up with Netflix. But even the movies-in-the-mail service has a big drawback: Not having anything to watch because the DVD's still en route. So I got excited when I discovered an online movie service called Vongo from Starz Entertainment Group LLC. Other Internet-based services such as CinemaNow and Movielink let you download films, but they mainly charge by the title. Vongo's monthly fee of $9.99 lets me watch as many of its 1,600 movies as I want except for certain new releases, which are $3.99 per title. Films can be viewed on up to three computers, including those hooked up to a TV. Vongo also includes a live feed of the Starz premium channel. Last week, Vongo launched support for Toshiba Corp.'s Gigabeat handheld media players. Unlimited new movies on the go? This movie fan salivated at the thought. I went to Vongo's Web site and downloaded the software — it's only for computers and portable gadgets that run various flavors of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system. The set-up was fairly simple and I got it running quickly. The Vongo program's interface is attractive and user friendly. A column on the left lists movies by category, and you can watch previews on a small screen on the right. As the preview rolls, a cast list and synopsis appear below. Getting the whole flick on my PC was as easy as clicking the mouse. Over my high-speed Internet connection, movies generally took anywhere from a little more than an hour to 90 minutes to download. (The patience-impaired can start watching a movie as it's downloading.) To transfer movies to the Gigabeat, I had to first download them to my computer and then to the handheld. The second transfer, thankfully, was impressively fast, taking less than a minute. My selections included "Casanova," "King Arthur," "Brothers Grimm," "The Incredibles" and "Kung Fu Hustle." I also chose two pay-per-view movies but didn't pick the correct format. Only by browsing the help section later did I find out that I should have changed a setting to "portable" instead of the default "PC." I called customer service to explain my dilemma, without identifying myself as a reviewer. I was pleasantly surprised to be given two coupon codes so I could try again for free. But there was another glitch: Pay-per-view movies weren't actually available for handhelds. Starz executives said the "portable" choice was a mistake that will be fixed. Toshiba's new handheld media player ran like a dream. Just plug the Gigabeat into your computer with a USB cable, and you're ready to download movies. About the size of a cigarette pack and weighing a third of a pound, the Gigabeat comes in glossy white or black and resembles to Apple's video-capable iPod. Indeed, its cross-shaped controls need the same light touch. Its 2.4-inch screen is just a tad smaller than Apple's player. Like the iPod, the Gigabeat comes in 30- and 60-gigabyte models, priced at $300 and $400, respectively. It runs Microsoft's Portable Media Center v.2 software. The device I tested, borrowed from Toshiba, was the 60GB version. The Gigabeat was easy to use: A button with the Windows logo brings you to the menu while a back space arrow returns you to the prior screen. Touch each arm of the cross controls to go up, down, left or right, rewind or fast forward. Volume controls are on the side. The video quality was crisp. You can watch movies comfortably under fluorescent light, and outdoor viewing was better than the color displays of other handhelds I've tried. While playing movies, its battery lasted the advertised 2.5 hours before needing a recharge. The Gigabeat handled different types of movies well, deftly displaying the visual feast in "Hero," the animation of "The Incredibles," the darkly lit "King Arthur" and even Alfred Hitchcock's black-and-white "Notorious." I was surprised that the small screen didn't bother me, and I actually forgot about it once I became engrossed in a movie. I could even read subtitles easily, but I had to squint at the text that introduced one film. Still, I got tired of holding the Gigabeat. So I propped it against a pillow to watch my movies in bed. The device also comes with cables to hook it up to your television, so you can watch on a bigger screen. Another benefit: I didn't have to pause the movie to get a snack. I just brought the Gigabeat with me to the refrigerator. The Gigabeat also displays photos, plays music and has an FM radio tuner. When it's used just for music, its battery lasts 12 hours before pooping out. Vongo and the Gigabeat are a great combination. The only thing that would make my life better as a movie watcher would be online downloads of new releases for a set monthly fee. But I'm having enough trouble finding time to watch all the movies I picked out.-AP