But I've already seen
'I am Legend'!

PortoMedia is an Ireland-based startup that aspires to innovate the mutable movie rental market.

Sites like Netflix and Amazon see online streaming as the new frontier, while Apple — and to a degree, Netflix — experiments with bringing rentals straight to television.

Up to now, rental options have been limited to what the vendors-cum-media-vehicles can provide. Selection can be sparse.

In contrast, PortoMedia is setting up kiosks that let consumers download moves to a flash memory key, reports ZDNet.

Kiosks can hold up to 5,000 titles. Users plug in a proprietary USB device to download a movie, which takes between eight and 60 seconds, then type in a PIN code to buy or rent that movie.

When customers get home they simply plug the device into a memory dock connected to a TV or PC.

The service, dubbed MoviePoint in the US, eliminates the cost of DVD packaging. A kiosk would cost approximately $2,000, and placement in the average 7-Eleven could enable store owners to sell or rent titles without having to carry physical DVDs.

It also one-ups internet and set-top ventures with its fast download times and versatility: a movie can be watched on a PC, a portable device, or the TV.

MoviePoint will hit selected US cities at the beginning of the second quarter.