Ordering a movie via digital cable is a pain in the ass (PITA). iTV has always been still-born service. Netflix works well because you can do all you ordering online on a well designed website via a computer. After you do that, the service runs itself. Interactivity belongs on the computer.
I’ve got to disagree. With a capable interactive television system, ordering a VOD (or SVOD) movie is as easy as selecting it from a menu and entering your PIN. (I do this every day at work—it’s not some idealistic fantasy.) You don’t have to leave your sofa, let alone wait “2-4 days” for the movies to arrive in your mailbox. And you don’t need a dedicated computer, just the settop box you’ve already renting from the cable company. Netflix does have an advantage (currently) in that they’ve got a big selection of DVDs, but more convenient? Nuh-uh.
