Starz debuts new and improved Vongo

Starz Entertainment announced today a new application that allows monthly subscribers to its Vongo service to watch movies through a total of seven manufactured handheld media players.

Vongo 2.0 plays movies through five models that will offer customer support. They include the ARCHOS 405 and 605W and the Creative ZEN, ZEN Vision: M, and ZEN Vision W.

Adding these devices to the previously certified Toshiba gigabeat S and V series family of devices - which Vongo continues to support - brings the number of Vongo compatible portable devices to seven, the company announced.

“Since Vongo’s inception, our goal has been consistently to provide an entertainment service and ecosystem that allows movie lovers to enjoy content on their terms,” said Bob Greene, executive vice president, advanced services, Starz Entertainment. “We are listening continually to our passionate customer base. The top request voiced is the ability to watch our movies on the TV (see more below) and the next request was more choices for portable devices. Vongo 2.0 and the associated support for all of these new devices answers many of these needs.” 

Vongo said the new application also makes it easier to watch movies on television, since they are compatible with Mircosoft's Media Center. With it, Vongo content can also be watched in one room from a Windows PC that can be streamed to any room in the house that has a product utilizing Extenders for Windows Media Center, such as the Xbox 360. 

Subscribers to Vongo pay $9.99 a month to download and watch 2,500 movie and video selections available through Starz Entertainment, which has long-term contracts with Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Overture Films, Revolution Studios, Miramax Films, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Pixar, TriStar, Screen Gems, Sony Classics and Warren Miller Films.

Starz also shows new releases  from The Weinstein Company, IFC and Yari Film Group.

Through Vongo, users can can also pay to watch first run blockbusters, much the same way as pay per view or renting movies through traditional retailers.

The new  Vongo application allows the user to resize and pin the Vongo video player in order to watch a movie or concert while doing other tasks on the PC. Vongo now also runs faster through better PC resource utilization and offers an updated recommendation engine to further personalize the service. 

Vongo now uses less memory, runs more quickly, and taps less of the PC’s memory and core operating resources.  New products featuring the Extenders for Windows Media Center will be available shortly from companies such as Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc.; D-Link Corporation; and Niveus Media Inc.

Greene continued, “Wireless connectivity is a recipe for success in bridging the gap from the PC to the TV. Since January, the Xbox 360 has ably provided a successful solution to get Vongo movies and videos to the TV.  These recently announced devices illustrate new ways Media Extenders can wirelessly bring Vongo to the TV.  With Vongo and Microsoft Extenders for Windows Media Center, our subscribers are empowered with the ability to enjoy movies from their comfort of their sofas, though downloaded to the PC.”