It was the second wet Sunday in a rowand not being able to take the boys to the park over the week-endwas getting to be a major problem. I'd re-read all my favorite books, we'd played endless games of chess, and got bored with watching TV. Then one of the children suggested we should take a trip to Blockbusters and pick up a couple of movies, whilst the youngest girl told us in no uncertain terms that they wanted to watch the latest Harry Potter movie.

As to be expected the video store had been very busy and all the most popular movies were out on loan, including the Harry Potter series. We went home terribly disappointed. It was then that we realized that our satellite TV provider had a library of hundreds of older movies - both new releases and old, family favorites.

The family had been with our current satellite TV provider for less than 12 months after converting from cable TV and I'd have to say I hadn't had a good look at the other program packages they offered. So I set out to see what other premium packages were available in addition to the service we were getting.

The package we were getting covered a range of channels and programs that reflected our family's interests, and at a price we were happy with. Although we realized that in the future the children would need to have access to programs that would help with their school work, at the moment what we had was acceptable.

However, looking through what was offered by out TV provider, I quickly learned that they had a diverse and interesting range of movies available, both the recently released ones, and the older and still popular favorites. The latest movies were available through 4 movie packages - HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz - offering a total of 35 channels. The packages could be bought individually or as a group for a special price.

Some of the entertainment packages also show a concerts; sports events; and musical shows all on a pay-per-view basis.

But it was access to the large and comprehensive library of older and classic movies that was of interest. A subscriber could arrange to see one of these movies at a pre-arranged time and date for a very moderate price, far cheaper than the standard video stores. The range of films available is immense. From westerns, war films, through to sci-fi and everything in between, all tastes are covered and all family members will find something of interest.

Ordering a movie from the huge number of older and classic films is as easy as ABC using one of three methods.

1. Order using the remote control following the on-screen instructions.

2. Connect to the TV provider's web-site and order on-line.

3. Order by speaking to a sales assistant via phone. This will incur a small charge.

The subscriber will be billed on the next statement

The convenience of watching older movies from the TV provider's library in the comfort of ones own home is not to be ignored.

Watch at a date and time that's convenient to the family.

The films can be watched several times during the first 24 hours.

The library carries both standard definition and high definition format.

Order anytime from home.

Never again will a night's entertainment be spoiled by hiring a faulty DVD.

From the huge selection there's something for everyone.

As an ever increasing number of families switch over to a satellite TV provider and become aware of the convenience of having pay per view movies available when they want to see them, so competition with the video stores intensifies.

The satellite TV providers have a huge advantage in fulfilling the expectations that the public want of a convenient service, and they are using this advantage to great effect to increase their market share.