Liberty Media's StarzEntertainment Group is launching Vongo, a new US video download subscriptionservice that delivers movies from studios including Disney and Sony for viewingon Windows-based devices such as PCs, laptops and portable players.

Vongo subscribers will pay$9.99 a month for unlimited broadband Internet access to around 1,000 new andlibrary movies and video selections. The service will also offer pay-per-viewmovies at $3.99 each.

Newer movies will becomeavailable in their pay TV window (about sixth months after DVD), the window inwhich they currently appear on the Starz premium movie cable channel.

Subscribers will be able todownload each selection to three 'eligible' devices running Microsoft softwareper account, allowing them to playback a movie or programme on various Windowsdevices, as well as on a TV set.

To supply Vongo with product,Starz is leveraging its US cable TV deals with Hollywood studios. Those dealsinclude exclusive arrangements with Sony and Walt Disney and selective pactswith Universal and New Line.

Sony will also make Vongo apart of its new Sony Connect video service, to be launched later this year.

In a statement, Liberty MediaCEO-elect Greg Maffel suggested Vongo might provide a model for other servicesto be offered by the global cable company.

Vongo, Maffel said,"positions us as the content leaders in this new era of portable video andpersonal consumer choice. The lessons learned in developing and launching Vongocan apply to other segments of our company and to our sister enterprises bothin the US and overseas."