More Food For Thought: Improving VOD

Check out this open letter to VOD services by the NYTimes Engadget blog, advocating increased information sharing during live film streaming. More so than the recommended films feature on the Netflix website, a plug-in that would allow viewers to rent other films by a director, or with a specific castmember while watching the initial film would give VOD companies (and subsequently, the films' distributors) the ability to profit from a movie watcher's ADD and generate new revenue.  This may raise the question, "why don't I just pull out my laptop and find out what else the director has done?".  Although it would take a minimal amount of effort to do so, what happens once you find what you're looking for on IMDB?  Is there a big shiny "WATCH NOW" button to push?  No, I have to waste more time and go through more steps to decide which of the director's movies to rent, and then decide the best way to view it.   This is where VOD services has the upperhand.  Not only does it let you watch Arnold on your big Panasonic TC-PV10 instead of your little MacBook Pro, but the plug-in would also tell you which films to watch next and give you the way to watch them.  For a film nerd/lazy bum like me, this is a dream come true.  Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon anyone?