• Financial Times , Friday, September 5, 2008 10:16 AM

Amazon is launching a video-on-demand service allowing consumers to watch advertising-free movies and television shows instantly within a web browser. The service can also be displayed through a TiVo digital video recorder and a Microsoft Xbox 360 games console linked to a TV.

In addition, Amazon Video On Demand will become the new name for Amazon Unbox, which was launched two years ago. Unbox had been confined to selling digital downloads of movies and TV shows, but the new service puts the accent on paid-for streaming.

Other Internet services that are offering streaming video include Apple TV and the Netflix DVD rental service. It launched a box to connect to the TV and deliver videos over the Internet this year. In July, it announced that the same service would be available over the Xbox 360. Start-ups that have also tried to break into the market with mixed success include Akimbo, Sezmi and Vudu.

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