The solution, according to the terms of a recent deal being discussed by Time Warner, DirecTV and others, is to charge a ridiculous amount of money to rent films through VOD. If you want to rent a movie that's been in the theaters for at least 60 days, you'll be paying $25 for the privilege.  It's cheaper than a live pay-per-view event, but in most cases costlier than picking up a Blu-ray version.  But that's not the big one.  For movies that have been out between 30 and 60 days, you'll have to shell out $50 for a VOD rental.  

It does seem like a lot, but that depends on the situation.  If you're a single guy with a 37 inch HDTV, then sure, it'd be crazy to jump on that.  But let's assume that you've got a nice dedicated viewing room with a slick projector, great surround sound and a few people to watch movies with. The whole thing starts looking a lot better. There will be a trial run this fall to determine consumer interest, but the movie being offered up is undecided.