Downloading movies continues to be a most elusive business. For all the new services being introduced, there always seems to be a catch. You can only playback the movies on a computer, the downloading process can be lengthy, the selection of titles is limited, etc. Business Week tech writer Ian Sager tried his hand at Movielink, which has been around since 2002 and is owned through a joint venture of Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros. and Universal. He gives the service mixed reviews. First the good news:

Movielink at first leaves the user feeling a bit like a kid in the cinematic equivalent of a candy store. It's easy to maneuver, letting users find movies by browsing categories or by searching by title, actor, or other parameters. The layout is simple yet informative. Browsable categories adorn the left of the page, while various genres and special deals fill up the lower half of the page. Films are broken down by genre, as well as by top rentals and purchases. The library features recent hits such as "Mean Girls" and "V for Vendetta," as well as classics like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." In addition, Movielink features TV programs from the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, as well as BBC documentaries and Sundance award winners.

Sounds promising, but then come some problems, such as Movielink is only compatible with computers running Microsoft Windows XP or 2000 along with an updated version of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Mac users need not apply. Then there was the limited selection.

During my search, I looked for one of my favorite films, "Airplane." Unfortunately, "Airplane" wasn't in the Movielink library. But I was in the mood to laugh, so I searched for another of my favorite films, "This Is Spinal Tap." Again, no results. Frustrated, I clicked on the comedy link and was disappointed to find few of my favorite films. The library is very hit or miss.

Another issue is the lack of rhyme or reason in pricing. While Movielink offers daily weekday specials for under 99 cents and certain films for half-price every week, the prices are set by each movie house. So Robin Williams' "RV," a Sony Pictures film, costs $19.99 to purchase, while the Philip K. Dick-inspired "Paycheck" from Paramount is only $9.99. There is little or no correlation of prices within movie companies either. Paramount's films range from the pricey ("Aeon Flux" at $19.99) to the relatively cheap ("The Congo" at $9.99).

Movielink has been on the block for a looong time (Blockbuster and Comcast are among those that have passed), but there's hasn't been much talk about a buyer as of late. BW's Ron Grover reported a couple of months back that the service has gone through most of its $150 million bankroll and only has enough to last another year or so.