Cable Comes to the Internet

The Internet is likely to become the newest conduit for cable networks (in addition to cable, satellite, and advanced telephony backbones). RealNetworks and Starz recently announced a new movie service under the Starz brand over RealNetworks RealPlayer 10 on the Internet. For US$12.95 a month, viewers have unlimited access to a library of 100 films (the lineup will rotate month to month similar to the Starz movie channel). The Grid of the future will likely allow consumers to purchase channel subscriptions ala carte, or even set up their own specialized channels with only the programming they choose.