What is VOD?

Video on demand (VOD) systems allow users to select and watch video content over a network as part of an interactive computer system. Video on demand systems can also work with television and set-top boxes, but for our purposes, we’re going to focus on the Internet. VOD systems either "stream" content, allowing viewing while the video is being downloaded, or "download" it in which the program is brought in its entirety to your computer before viewing starts.

All download and some streaming video on demand systems provide the user with a large subset of VCR functionality including pause, fast forward, fast rewind, slow forward, slow rewind, jump to previous/future frame etc.

While Pay-per-view is different from Video on demand, it is sometimes used interchangably when referred to in an Internet context. Pay-per-view (PPV) as most people know it, is the system in which television viewers can purchase events to be seen on TV and pay for the private telecast of that event to their homes later. The event is shown at the same time to everyone ordering it, as opposed to video on demand systems, which allow viewers to see the event at any time.

In an Internet context, Video on the Demand provides the ability to view full-length movies on your computer straight from the provider without having to rent a DVD. From an Adult Video perspective, it means you can privately and instantly view full-length movies on your computer without the embarassment or hassle of renting adult DVDs and videos from your local video store, adult book store, or mail-order DVD service. The other nice thing about Adult Video on Demand is you can watch as much or as little of the movie as you want. You only pay for the minutes you watch – usually only around 8 cents per minute. When it comes to the Internet, some people use the words Pay Per View interchangeably with Video on Demand. While it is not technically correct, it basically implies the ability to watch videos on a “pay as you go” basis.