Verizon's (News - Alert) new "Flex View" feature allows FiOS (News - Alert) TV customers "for fee" access to a library of on-demand video entertainment viewable on some mobiles and PCs, using a download model rather than streaming. At the moment it is more a "movie on demand" service than a "TV on demand" experience, but Verizon says it will add television programming over time. 

The new feature is now available to most FiOS subscribers and will be in all FiOS markets by the end of the month.

Flex View now offers more than 1,400 currently available movie titles, expected to grow to more than 2,000 titles by year-end 2010 and at least triple that in 2011, including TV shows. 

Flex View lets users download titles to computers and smartphones so users can watch even when there is no Internet connection available. In addition, in 2011, users will be able to access their personal content - including photos, videos and music - on the go. There is no additional subscription fee required to use Flex View, but movie content will have to be rented or purchased. 

FiOS TV customers can find Flex View videos in the "Interactive Media Guide" under "Video on Demand" or by pressing the "On Demand" button on the FiOS TV remote control. Flex View titles will be found in a "Flex View" folder within the "Featured" or "Browse All" sections of the VOD menu.

Customers also can access Flex View online through their personal computers by downloading "Media Manager," a free software application from Verizon that provides a rich interface for FiOS customers to store and access personal content.  

Media Manager already lets users organize and enjoy their personal content, including photographs, music and home videos.  Customers can click the Flex View store icon on the Media Manager interface to purchase or rent a title, watch a trailer or bookmark a title.  

The Flex View Mobile application, called "Media Manager Mobile," is available for download here and is also available free of charge in a growing number of app stores. Currently, Flex View is supported by the following mobile devices, with more to come soon: Blackberry Storm2, HTC HD2, HTC Imagio, HTC Touch Pro2, LG VS750, DROID 2 by Motorola, DROID X by Motorola, Samsung (News - Alert) Omnia II, Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player and Toshiba Satellite T230.

Subscribers can authorize Flex View on up to five devices per account, including mobile devices, PCs or laptops, and FiOS TV set-top boxes (all set-top boxes in the home count collectively as one device).  Once a subscriber purchases or rents a title, it automatically becomes available for viewing on each of the authorized devices. Customers who opt to rent a title have up to 30 days following the purchase to play the movie, and will have 24 to 48 hours to watch it.

It is tempting to compare Flex View to cable "TV Everywhere" offers, but at first it will more nearly resemble Netflix. It may take some time to work out all the licensing and business model issues before Verizon customers have similar access to much FiOS TV programming, though.