Donald Bell, Senior Editor April 13, 2010
What better way to kill 1 hour and 20 minutes on a long flight or road trip than by taking in a movie? The trouble is, downloading movies at $10-$15 a pop can get expensive. Fortunately, there are a few services and devices that allow you to take low-cost rental downloads on the go.
The most well-known download rental service is Apple's iTunes store, which rents movies at around $2.99-$4.99 that can be played on most recent generations of iPods (Classic, Touch, and generation 3, 4, and 5 iPod Nanos), as well as your computer, Apple TV, or iPad. You get up to 30 days to begin watching your rented movie, and 24 hours to finish it once it's begun.
The Microsoft Zune HD's 3.3-inch screen isn't the biggest in the bunch, but the OLED screen technology is dazzling to watch. Throw in the Zune Video Marketplace (also available on Xbox 360), upgraded support for AVI and Xvid videos, and the capability of running HD movies to your TV, and you have a killer little portable video powerhouse.
The Archos line of Wi-Fi-connected portable video players offers another alternative. With Archos' partnership with Cinema Now, devices like the Archos 5 can connect directly to Cinema Now's online store, and download movie rentals priced between $2.99 and $3.99.
| Product name | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $499.99 to $579.99 | $249.95 to $299.99 | $249.99 to $399.95 | $474.99 | $229.99 to $249.00 |
| CNET editors' rating | |||||
| Average user rating |  | ||||
| Review date | April 02, 2010 | September 11, 2009 | September 18, 2009 | October 27, 2009 | September 10, 2009 |
| The Bottom Line | The Apple iPad is the first affordable tablet computer worth owning, but it won't (yet) replace your laptop. | Though the updates are subtle, the third-generation iPod Touch leaves its competitors in the dust. | The Zune HD delivers one of the best portable music and video experiences money can buy. At a time when many people have shifted their focus to games and applications, providing a killer media experience may not be enough for potential Zune buyers. | The Archos 5 is a great video player, but it disappoints as a premium Android Internet tablet and GPS unit. | The iPod Classic refines the formula that put the iPod on the map. Few can match its combination of storage capacity, battery life, and intuitive user interface. |
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| Features | |||||
| Weight | 1.5 lbs | 4.1 oz | 2.6 oz | 10.1 oz | 4.9 oz |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
| Buying choices | | | | | |
