The online movie download service, CinemaNow, has launched a new service that lets consumers legally download a movie and burn it to a DVD. According to Forbes, the new service doesn't include first-run movies, and for now is limited to about 100 older feature films like Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Scent of a Woman, and Barbershop.

Movies purchased through the Burn to DVD service include menus, extras, and printable labels and box liners. The software to make all of this work, however, is Windows-only, and it can take three hours to download, encode and burn a movie.

The available films range in price from US$9 to $15, putting them on par with store-bought DVDs. Although the service may be convenient for some, it's not likely to cut into brick and mortar sales, since there is no price advantage, and most people can drive to a store and buy a movie in less time than it takes to download and burn one.

Despite the limitations, CinemaNow's service is likely just the next step in the online movie purchasing market. Movielink, a CinemaNow competitor, recently announced that it plans to offer a similar service. Apple and Amazon.com are also working to strike their own deals with Hollywood. Analysts expect that Apple will announce a movie download service as a part of the iTunes Music Store, along with a new iPod designed for playing movies in the near future.

CinemaNow and Movielink certainly beat Apple to market with movie download services, and CinemaNow trumped Apple again with its Burn to DVD service. In the long run, however, the iTunes Music Store still may prove to be the more popular service if Apple can leverage its sleek service and iPod players for movies just as it did for music and television.