It is more a convenience than something revolutionary because programs and websites that do the same already exist for some time. The biggest advantage of RevoluTV is the no frills no thrills interface that is clean and easily accessible. It makes use of Windows Media Player to stream the TV contents to the computer screen which unfortunately means that the software program will only run on computers with Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Channels are divided into themes like News, Games or Kids which list the available TV streams. A click on a network name will load the channel immediately which works well and without lags. It usually takes a few seconds to buffer the stream before a picture is shown.

Playback quality depends a lot on the user’s Internet connection but also on the type of backbone the TV network is using to stream their contents.

Channels can be added to favorites for faster access. There is however no settings menu of any kind. Basic controls for volume and playback are offered but nothing beyond that. The only way to change settings would probably be to change them in Windows Media Player.

Users will be able to access HBO on Broadband without charges if they have HBO On Demand and Time Warner’s Road Runner high speed online service in their homes. Shoes can be downloaded and watched on up to five computers running Windows Vista or Windows XP Service Pack 2 32-bit and Macs running Windows. Each movie minute roughly translates to 10 Megabytes of download which means that movies will have a size of 1.2 Gigabytes while tv shows one between 300 and 600 Megabytes.

A movie player developed in house has to be used to watch the movies and tv shows which seems to point at some sort of DRM in action. Shows will eventually expire and automatically be deleted from your computer when that happens.

Available for downloading this month will be select episodes from many of HBO’s original series, including the current (and final) season of “The Wire” and the debut season of “In Treatment,” plus “Rusell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam” and “Real Time with Bill Maher,” as well as past seasons of “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage,” “Six Feet Under,” “Big Love,” “Deadwood,” “Flight of the Conchords” and more. One HBO original series each month will have all episodes from all its seasons available on the service.

Click for larger image: HBO on Broadband Films offered for download each month will include most of the titles currently airing on HBO, plus many from their extensive library. Among the films available in January are “We Are Marshall,” “Norbit,” “Breach,” “Smokin’ Aces,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Superman Returns,” “The Last King of Scotland” and the documentary “Baghdad Hospital: Inside The Red Zone.”

Individual titles will be available on the service for 4 – 12 weeks, with episodes of HBO original series generally available for longer periods than theatrical films. When a title reaches its “expiration date,” it will automatically be deleted from your computer.

No link to the website is circulating yet. Users who would like to access the service and are not subscribed to HBO / Road Runner will be out of luck though because computers and users have to be registered to be able to access the service. via DVD Dossier.