Movie and TV watching moves online

This may well be the year you start watching movies and TV shows via Internet streaming to your computer, smartphone, gaming console, DVD or TV.

A recent study says less than 1% of the $1.3-billion Canadian movie-watching market is currently done online.

Ottawa based Zip.ca thinks they can change those numbers. In an exclusive interview CEO Scott Richards tells me that Zip will finally deliver its premium streaming service by spring.

"The day movies come out on DVD is the day we will offer them online," Richards says.

Zip first promised streaming movies 18 months ago. It's taken a lot longer than expected to negotiate movie rights.

"The final details are being done and we'll launch movies at the same time we launch TVs and DVDs branded with the Zip logo." Richards is convinced new releases are the content consumers want. He wouldn't reveal how much the service will cost.

Competition is significant. Networks like CTV stream shows, providers like Bell and Rogers have video on demand with new releases, YouTube is quietly testing rentals, Cisco is getting into the space -- the list goes on. The big player is Netflix. Last September the American company brought its streaming service to Canada. Company spokesman Steve Swasey won't tell me how many have signed up and says only a "handful" have complained about the lack of new releases.

"We've had a tremendous reception," he says. "We'll break even in Canada by next September and that's significantly ahead of our goal." Netflix has no plans to match Zip on current releases.

"All it takes is big cheques to get those movies. We think $7.99 a month for unlimited viewing remains our big plus," he says.

Websites of the week: mint.com/canada and waveaccounting.com

U.S.-based Mint and Canadian Wave competing to offer you free budgeting services.

This Sunday on Tech Now, reports from the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas.