Only days before Apple’s expected announcement that iTunes will offer movie downloads, Amazon has launched its own movie download service called Unbox. TV shows, movies and other video content are offered. Unbox promises a DVD-quality picture thanks to content encoding at 2,500 kilobits per second using the VC-1 Advanced Profile codec and each download comes with a second file optimized for playback on any Windows Media-compatible portable device.
Amazon customers will be provided with an Amazon Your Media Library where their purchases will be indexed and organized. Using Unbox RemoteLoad, customers will also be able to download purchases to another computer.
TV shows will sell for $1.99 USD per episode (shows can also be purchased a season at a time) and most movies will sell for between $7.99 USD and $14.99 USD. Movies can also be rented for $3.99 USD.
Amazon is currently offering a $1.99 USD credit on your first purchase (essentially giving you a free TV show).