If this story is true, Netflix may be getting closer to living up to its name. The company, which is doing quite well just sending DVDs through the mail, may be working on a set top box that you plug into your broadband connection. The box will download the movies you want to watch during the night and store them on a hard drive in the box. You can then watch the movies whenever you want.
Presumably, it will work the same way Netflix does now; if you have a three movie subscription, you will only be able to store three movies at a time on the device. Once you delete one, you would be able to download another one.
I still meet a lot of sceptics who think IP-based movies and TV is still far in the future. There are still some rough edges around some of the business issues, but the technology is ready to go. Communities that have fiber to the home widely available will have a real edge in economic development as more and more of these over-the-Internet services become available.