Dell burner features burn-to-DVD movie downloads

Updated at 2:17 p.m. PDT with number of downloads currently available on CinemaNow.

Dell is out with a new external drive that lets you expand your home movie library (legally) by burning downloads to DVD.

The PC maker has teamed with Sonic Solutions to offer the Qflix DVD burner, which lets you download films and TV shows from movie site CinemaNow and transfer them to multiple digital devices.

(Credit: Dell )

"Two of the key things holding consumers back in their willingness to purchase movies electronically are worries about long-term ownership and portability of the downloaded file," Tom Adams, president of Adams Media Research, said in a statement. "Providing the security of a DVD backup and the assurance that the file will play on the majority of standard DVD players--set-top, desktop, or portable--is a key step forward."

Qflix is a legal, recordable DVD standard. Approximately 100 Qflix-ready movie selections are currently available on CinemaNow, which says it plans to expand the number of offerings (a welcome move). Films can be downloaded for $9.95 a pop.

Starting Monday, the Qflix DVD burner is available for $120 as a standalone product, with the bundle (including the drive, which also supports standard DVD read/write functions; two recordable Qflix DVD discs; Roxio Venue and CinemaNow software; and a USB cable) available as an option on most Inspiron, Studio, and XPS laptops. Dell says the package will be available soon on some consumer desktops, as well.

[jausdf]

Who the hell wants to buy a special dvd burner and pay 9 bucks to download and burn movies when you can use your regular one and do it for free(not legally but who cares) ?!? this has to be the worst idea from dell yet.

[cardfan1212]

It's too much work. Plus why would people opt for this over what's already out there? Dell needs to concentrate on computers. Update your xps line before you lose more sales.

[HighwayHome]

Too much work to burn a DVD? For $10.00 (plus the price of a blank DVD), I'll do the extra "work" and save the money instead of purchasing a professionally produced DVD from the store. The file sharing sites are unreliable and you never know what kind of quality you're getting. Dell is on the ball in positioning itself for the future of movie distribution.

[markdl2000]

Where are all these sites people keep talking about where you can download movies for free? The ones I've found are usually scams or really crappy. What good ones are out there?

[biggtoure]

Unlimited Movie Downloads, Music Videos, Game, TV Shows From The Top Movie Download Sites:
lifetimemoviedownloads.com

[todstern]

The advantage of this type of technology is that more titles can be made available since it won't cost much for studios to post the movie and now worry about getting it on the shelves. Dvds are still the medium to use, at least for several years.

[Kerrymonro]

I can't support illegal downloads if the video is available from a legit source. It's unfair to the copyright owner. Besides, legal methods give you better quality and hopefully more choices. Some titles I want all the extras, extras I can just rent the once and then buy the movie only. It's also possible the price will go down as this method becomes more widespread.

[Ironaulie]

Yah specialized dvd burner? How long do these burned discs last compared to retail ones? How many times are you allowed to burn out that same movie????????Too many guides on how to burn a dvd movie on the internet e.g. http://howtoburnadvdmovie.blogspot.com

Silly idea!!!