VOD Firm Asks: Who Wants To Be A Zillionaire?

Launched in beta Wednesday, ZillionTV Service lets users instantly get subscription-free access to shows and movies from partners that include 15,000 titles from ABC/Disney, 20th Century Fox Television, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.

Viewers can watch entertainment for free if they watch targeted advertisements. They also have a choice of renting content for a "nominal fee" or can "buy to own," depending on which options are offered by content owners tied to each specific program. Viewers can pick ad categories based on their interests and preferences, which the company said is more "personally relevant."

Additionally, if it moves them, users can request more information and purchase products directly from their television using a service from Visa, a stakeholder in the company.

This "t-commerce" feature is a boon to content owners who can tailor their programming by geography, demographics and psychographics, the company said.

"We have built a business model where all parties benefit -- consumers can access an expansive collection of entertainment when and how they want; content providers gain a new digital distribution platform; and advertisers get closer to engaged viewers by providing relevant and addressable TV advertising," said Mitchell Berman, CEO, in a statement.

ZillionTV is also offering a loyalty program that rewards viewers for watching their preferred programming and interacting with advertising from categories they've personally selected.

The on-demand content does not require hardware, as it is delivered to TVs via high-speed Internet connections. Users have to pay a one-time fee of less than $100 to activate the service and use a ZillionTV device called a ZBar, and a motion-sensing ZillionTV remote control.

The company also said that since it is a standalone television distribution service, it won't interfere with cable or satellite TV services, or with over-the-air television reception.

The service also has DVR functionality built in, including fast-forward, pause and rewind. Its TV program library is available at any time, allowing viewers to watch what they want, and since its program collection is housed on the ZillionTV network, users don't need to record and store programs on a hard drive.

ZillionTV is conducting field trials in various markets nationwide and expects to offer the service in late 2009. Currently, the service supports standard-definition video, but high-definition resolution is expected to launch soon, the company said.