Akimbo Video Service on Media Center PCs

Those of you running a PC with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 will soon get a chance to try out Akimbo, an intriguing way of getting video on demand.

Akimbo has been around for a couple of years, but previously you've had to buy an Akimbo box for $199, plus subscribe to the service for 10 bucks a month. Later this month, Akimbo will show up as an option in the Online Spotlight section of Media Center PCs. After an intial two-week trial, you'll still have to pay the monthly fee (and pay additional fees for some programs). But at least you won't have to pay for the box--or find room for it in your crowded entertainment center.

I said Akimbo did video on demand, but it's probably more accurate to say it provides video a little after demand. When you choose a program you want, Akimbo downloads it over your Internet connection. That arrangement means it may be anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour before you can watch your selection. CEO Joshua Goldman said many subscibers deal with this by choosing what they want to watch at my.akimbo.com before they leave work at night. By the time they get home, their programs have downloaded.

When Akimbo launched, it seemed to be really attractive only for people with unusual tastes--immigrants homesick for television from their home country, for instance, or people looking for vegetarian cooking shows. But the selection has gotten more mainstream recently. The service now includes selections from A&E, The History Channel, BBC America and my favorite network, Turner Classic Movies. Baseball fans can also download full and condensed games from the previous day.

I'm more tempted by Akimbo now than I was when it first launched, but I still not convinced it deserves $10 a month from me. I'm already paying monthly stipends to Netflix and Rhapsody and two to Comcast (one for cable service and one for my PVR-enabled settop box). A few more subscriptions and the discretionary part of my paycheck will be gone before I ever see it.

I'm curious: How many entertainment services do you subscribe to and what would it take to convince you to add another?