Video on demand is coming to Amazon, replacing the company’s Unbox service that’s been in place for the past two years. Amazon’s service will start out with 40,000 movies and TV shows that can be watched instantly, instead of waiting a minute or two for the first data to load before you can begin watching, as you must do with Apple TV or the Netflix set-top box.

The catch? Unless you have a Sony Bravia TV with its special $300 Internet Video Link device on board, at first you might need to watch these streaming videos on a computer. Now if you’re one of the pioneers knee-deep in the joys of an Internet-connected PC in your home theater, this will be great. If not, you might have to wait for those Tru2way cable cards to find their way into your TV or TiVo.

Although Amazon didn't mention specifics, it’s likely the service will also be available on TiVo, as the Unbox service is. An Amazon official says the company will “continue to establish partnerships with all companies who have a connected device.” Amazon Video on Demand begins a beta test today, put through its paces by a select few who have been invited by the company to try out the service. It’s scheduled to be available for the rest of us by the end of the summer. Too bad it’s not delivering HD, at least not at first.

Via New York Times