VUDU issued a press release today claiming that the company now offers its customers the largest HD library out there.

Microsoft says it will offer free downloads of the entire 'Animatrix' series on Xbox Live with purchase of 'The Complete Matrix Trilogy' on HD DVD.

Amazon is throwing its hat into the high-def download arena in a big way, announcing today that its upcoming CustomFlix video-on-demand service will support all HD formats when it launches later this year, reports Home Media Retailing.

Only days after online retailer IndiePix announced a new pay service that will allow consumers to download independent films and burn them on a DVD, The New York Times reports that Amazon is in advanced negotiations with major studios Warner, Paramount and Universal for a similar, broader, service.

Amazon's move comes at pivotal time for both the studios and online retailers. Both industries are making a mad dash to entice tech-saavy consumers with instant access to their products, amid a dizzying array of new internet and on-demand services and technologies.

Although the studios have been experimenting with video-on-demand services such as MovieBeam and MovieLink, and making select television shows available for download on Apple's iTunes, none offer the ability for consumers to burn purchases to a DVD disc and then play them on any DVD-compatible device.

If talks between Amazon and the studios are successful, the launch of such a service would send shock waves through the industry. With the online retail giant's huge reach -- and a hybrid approach that would allow consumers the instant satisfaction of a download, coupled with the ability to continue to watch movies on DVD -- Amazon could quickly bring movie downloads to the masses.