Digital
As home entertainment continues to launch new online services and technology develops, the BVA is working with its members to develop and encourage legal digital downloading.
Our members’ content is now widely available through numerous digital channels and there are currently two legal ways to access content digitally – ‘download-to-own’ or ‘video on-demand’:
Download to Own (or Electronic Sell Through) is a concept of legally downloading content to your computer via a network such as the internet. Generally to obtain content in this way a user must have a broadband connection and an account from an internet service provider. Download to Own files are saved on the computer hard drive, typically in AVI format, and are compressed using MPEG-4 or DivX compression formats.
Video on-demand systems either stream content through a set-top box, allowing viewing in real time, or download it to a device such as a computer, digital video recorder, personal 
video recorder or portable media player for viewing at any time. The majority of cable – and telco – based television providers offer both VOD streaming, such as Pay-per-view, whereby a user buys or selects a movie or television program and it begins to play on the television set almost instantaneously, or downloading to a DVR rented from the provider, for viewing for the future.
The BVA is encouraging its members and retailers to assist in building a solid structure for digital sales reporting. For more information on how you can help please contact Mike@bva.org.uk
Some frequently asked questions........
Q: What if I want to watch my downloaded film / TV programme on a TV screen rather than my computer monitor?
A: BT Vision offers some good advice on this: If your TGV hasn't got a VGA input, check that your PC has an S-Video output and then all you need to buy is a PC to TV cable kit which you can pick up for about £25. For optimized sound, you should connect your PC sound card output to your TV, stereo or existing PC speaker system.
Q:Where can I legally download music?
A: A list of sites where you can safely and legally download music can be found on www.pro-music.org
Q: What technical requirements does my computer need to download films and TV series?
A: Firstly make sure you have sufficient space on your hard drive on which to store your films (500MB - 1GB should be ok), and you'll also need a sound card and speakers or headphones. We recommend you use a broadband internet connection to ensure quick and smooth downloading. Check with the website you are using to verify which version of Windows you need.
Q: Will the films and TV programmes I download be good quality?
A: You can often choose to download high quality or super high quality films, but bear in mind that super high quality purchases will take up more room on your hard drive. As a rule of thumb, high quality films tend to be equivalent to VHS video quality, while super high quality is on a par with DVD quality. If you buy a film or TV programme to burn onto a DVD you should expect full DVD resolution and quality. Check with the sites you register with to find out whether you get bonus DVD features.
New technology means that there are now more ways than ever to access film and TV programmes. One of these is video on demand (VOD), which allows you to watch TV programmes over the internet when it suits you (within a limited time period).
Companies offering this service include BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Virgin Media and Sky.
Here is a selection of legal download sites currently available on the web.
Film
Television
Funded by the UK Film Council we are the first country to launch a unique search engine www.findanyfilm.com. This allows film fans to find out whether a title is available on cinema, video, TV or digital platforms and allows the video to book tickers, buy or rent on Blu-ray or DVD. Most importantly, this will guarantee the best quality viewing experience every time, as every film is from a legitimate source.
