RCA Video On Demand Player (Akimbo)

6.0

The good: The RCA Video On Demand Player delivers Movielink and Akimbo video services to your TV from a single set-top box. Between the two services, you can get a variety of mainstream and niche programming--much of it unavailable on cable or satellite--as well as movies. It offers a fairly intuitive interface and full parental viewing controls.
The bad: Many Akimbo programs--and all Movielink movies--require pay-per-view fees in addition to the $10 monthly fee. The programs entail long download times and can't start playing until they're fully downloaded. Downloads aren't intended to be archived and need to be erased soon after viewing. Video quality on most Akimbo programming is less than digital-cable quality. HD video is a no-show, and the box lacks aspect ratio control. The included remote isn't particularly well designed, and there's no built-in wireless networking access.
The bottom line: RCA's broadband video box delivers a promising combination of Akimbo and Movielink video content, but slow download speeds and potentially expensive pay-per-view pricing limit its appeal.