September 25 - Online services offering legal downloads of feature films have been around for more than six years now, but odds are that when you ponder buying or renting a movie to brighten a homebound Saturday night, your first thought isn’t, “I know—let’s fire up the Web browser!”

There are changes afoot, though, that bode well for the future of movie downloads. To date, movie download services have been overwhelmingly computer-focused—you download video files to a PC or Mac and that’s where you watch them.

There are advantages to this approach. Your computer is already connected to the Internet, making downloads a snap. It also has a decent-sized screen and, thanks to plummeting LCD prices and the growth of widescreen formats, often a very impressive one, capable of handling high-definition images.

And if you’re traveling with a laptop, downloaded movies represent a DVD-free way to carry first-rate entertainment on the go, including the option to load up on new titles from your hotel room.

Next: The 2 ways to enjoy video on your computer