There are two choices for using your personal computer to access films and TV shows: streaming and downloading. While these methods have some of the same requirements (you usually need a PC, a high-speed Internet connection and enough available storage space), they are very different ways of transferring data -- with various pros and cons.

Streaming
If you're streaming a video, it means the film or episode is being simultaneously received by and displayed on your computer as the provider (i.e., the rental company) sends out the digital information.

This method allows you to start watching your video right away without waiting for the entire thing to download. It also takes up very little -- if any -- space on your computer. However, if you're streaming, you won't be able to take the movie with you when you travel; as soon as your high-speed Internet connection is severed (even for a minute), the video will stop and you'll have to wait until you're reconnected to continue playing it. You also may have to suffer the consequences of any problems that temporarily disrupt the connection between your computer and your provider. This can mean frustrating delays and gaps in the video as your computer struggles to reconnect and continue transferring the data.

Many video rental services let members stream some of their movies and TV shows for free. Services like Netflix and GreenCine offer movie streaming in addition to their movies-by-mail subscriptions.

Downloading
Video downloads are electronic data (in this case, a movie or TV show) that is sent from a provider to your computer and then stored there.

Downloading a movie or TV episode means you might have to wait a little longer to start watching it, but once you get it, you'll have the complete video file on your machine and can replay it whenever you want. Plus, you can take your computer with you and watch the movie again, no matter where you are -- even once you've disconnected from the Internet. On the other hand, downloading a video takes up significantly more space on your computer than streaming it.

Downloading usually costs more that streaming because the provider essentially is giving you the file to do whatever you want with (which is different than streaming, during which the company is basically just letting you borrow the movie without giving you the rights to it). You often have to pay an extra fee per movie to access files that can be more easily traded or copied. Services like Vongo charge a flat rate to access most movies, but downloading paid content costs an extra 99¢ per video. Others, such as CinemaNow, let you download films to your computer but limit how long you have access to them or the number of times you can view and burn them.

No matter which way you prefer to watch your movies and TV shows -- be it streaming or downloading -- using one of the rental services offered on DVD-Shopping-Zone.com will save you money and allow you to see your favorite videos and new releases cheaply on your personal computer screen, rather than spending more money to see them on the big screen.