Video on demand is now a reality, with broadband powered products like BT Vision and Virgin PictureBox giving customers access to HD movies.
Digital rentals can be had through iTunes or with a subscription to LoveFilm.
But what if your budget is more Filet-O-Fish than filet mignon? Fear not. We've found 11 sites where you can watch films legally for free. Here they are in reverse order of awesomeness.
11. ITV Player
Licensing issues mean that ITV Player has few true movies to offer - but there are one or two free feature length TV flicks to be found among the episodes of Emmerdale and Corrie.
NOW SHOWING: Pollyanna
10. Joost
Once at the forefront of streaming TV, Joost is arranged in licensed channels. Lots to choose from, but there are very few gems among the selection and playback is buggy.
NOW SHOWING: The Toxic Avenger
9. LegalTorrents
BitTorrent can and is used for legal downloads. A good place to start your search is LegalTorrents, home to a small P2P selection of independent and out-of-copyright movies.
NOW SHOWING: Firefly - Done the Impossible, Star Wreck - In the Pirkinning
8. Babelgum
Starting out as a competitor to Joost, Babelgum specialises in independent and low budget flicks. A great, inline player is let down a little by poor search tools and a small full length selection.
NOW SHOWING: Rage, Crash Test Dummies
7. Google Video
Once a video service in its own right, Google Video now searches aggregate content from several sources including YouTube. Set "Duration" in "Advanced Video Search" to "Long".
NOW SHOWING: Outfoxed, Night of the Living Dead
6. BBC iPlayer
This needs no introduction. With an average of 4 million users a week, BBC iPlayer serves 12.5 gigabytes of telly every second. It only shows a small selection of recently broadcast films, though.
NOW SHOWING: Perfect Creature
