Disney-on-demand

"Good Morning Silicon Valley" sums it up wittily: "No, no, no. The MovieBeam unit is the third set-top box from the top. Right above TiVo and below Comcast." There will be a lot of competition for Disney, as it once again tries to beam movies into your family room on demand (having suspended the service last spring), the San Jose Mercury News blog suggests. Disney says it will release films to MovieBeam.com right when they come out on DVDs. That does make it tough for Netflix, which announced its new "video-whenever-Hollywood-feels-like-it service" last fall. MovieBeam is pricey, though: The Los Angeles Times reports that it requires a $199.99 (after a $50 rebate) set-top box and a $30 service-activation fee. "Movie rental fees are $3.99 for new releases ($4.99 in high definition) and $1.99 for older titles.