Amazon.com, Netflix, and many other mainstream providers offer video on demand services that let viewers rent or buy movies online.  These movies can be downloaded and viewed within the same day; however, the download times, which are usually long because of file size, are an annoyance.  There is actually a more affordable alternative to video on demand services, though.  Online streaming video and TV offer the same programs and movies at much less cost and hassle.

With streaming movie or TV sites, you can watch pretty much any movie you'd want to.  The selections of many of these sites rival even mainstream video stores.  They often have obscure films or ones that are harder to get hold of because they can host content from all over the world and have access to all different kinds of movies.

There are some illegitimate sites, so you have to be careful.  Free sites are usually dangerous since they only link to content rather than hosting it directly.  With legal sites, you do have to pay a one time fee.  The reason for this is that legal streaming TV and movie sites pay royalty fees to networks in order to host their content.  They have to supply money for those royalty fees, which comes from customers ' just as it would if you were subscribed to regular cable.

The main advantage to streaming online video and TV sites is that you don't have to wait for long video download times.  You do a search based on category or title of the movie you want, and then have immediate access to it for as long as you want to watch it.  As long as you have a decent computer and internet connection (DSL/broadband or higher), the quality will be just as good as if you downloaded it.

Streaming movie and TV sites offer a simple, affordable alternative to video on demand services and should be seriously considered before renting or buying movies online.