Ray Starbird
Manager, Product Development, Cox Communications

Since a number of colleagues have asked about the Starz VONGO service, I figured a few comments are in order.

In short, VONGO is a service that downloads movies to a computer and synchronizes them with a portable player. Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, I feel the fine print conspires with business realities to cripple a seemingly compelling service. Some issues:

-- Computers must run Windows and have a recent version of Windows Media Player (a free download).
-- Only a handful of portable devices support the right DRM (digital rights management).
-- Even if one has the right hardware and software, moving content from the computer to the player can be excruciating. Ask me for a demo, then come back after a few hours to check progress.
-- Usage rules can be confusing. For example, you may have only 24 hours to finish a movie from the time you start it. This isn't so convenient for travelers who watch part of a movie on the flight out, and hope to finish on the return flight.
-- Great content is sparse. Starz does seem to have better and more recent movies than, say, CinemaNow, but users are limited to the movies currently offered by Starz. Compare those with HBO and Showtime. Given that DVD sales represent over half the revenues of typical movies, studios aren't too eager to cannibalize their primary money maker. Hopefully this will improve as business models are worked out (thank you, Apple), but even studio-owned MovieLink has been starved for good content in the years since it launched.

Notwithstanding these limitations, it's hoped Starz can make a go of VONGO. Indeed, they need successful innovations to differentiate from the likes of HBO, which attracts subscribers with such stellar original programming as "Deadwood" and "Entourage."

Another product that has gotten a lot of attention this week at CES is LCD picture frames. One major advantage of increased LCD manufacturing capacity is the availability of attractively priced electronic picture frames. These babies can cycle through a slide show of your favorite vacation or family photos, which they obtain wirelessly via your home network, or through an onboard memory card reader.

Such frames aren't new, but have often been paired with a clunky, closed subscription service, or just look too plasticy. What's much more intriguing is a frame on the wall that's simply an output option of your favorite photo management application. Send some pictures to your online photo album, some to your preferred print processor, a few to your home printer, and a bunch to the LCD frame on the wall in the living room.

Before you whip out your credit card, the frame on the right in this photo carries a suggested retail price of $2,000.