Microsoft Corp. has announced the launch of MSN Video Downloads, which will provide daily television programming, including video content from MSNBC.com, Food Network, FOX Sports, and IFILM Corp., for download to Windows Mobile-based devices such as Portable Media Centers and select Smartphones and Pocket PCs. Since the launch of the Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Portable Media Center last fall, more than 20 content partners, including CinemaNow Inc., MLB.com, MSNBC.com, MSN Music, MTV Networks Music, Napster Inc., SnapStream Media Inc. and TiVo Inc., have agreed to make video available online specifically formatted for Windows Mobile-based multimedia devices.

MSN Video Downloads is available in the United States today at. A one-year premium membership to the MSN Video Downloads service with access to all available videos is $19.95. In addition, people can access a limited amount of free content without a paid membership. People subscribing to the premium service will be able to select the content they want to receive from the Web site. Digital videos are downloaded daily to a Windows Media Player 10 library, ready to be synchronized with Portable Media Centers and other devices. The video content is compliant with PlaysForSure devices that play video, and is optimized for Portable Media Centers and compatible with Smartphones and Pocket PCs that support Windows Media Player 10 Mobile.

New with the final launch of the service is the ability to select the specific content downloaded to the subscriber's Windows XP-based PC each day. Subscribers can also activate a new automatic deleting feature that specifies how long video from the MSN Video Downloads directory will remain on their PC, thus avoiding a large backlog of clips.

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