In December 2005, Sprint introduced mSpot Movies, and became the first wireless carrier in the United States to offer full-length movies on mobile devices like cell phones. Now, they have taken the next step in mobile movie entertainment and offer Sprint Movies, the very first “pay-per-view” service in the United States.

Sprint Movies cost about $3.99-5.99, and work like a rental DVD. That is, you can only watch them for a certain period from 24 hours to a week. Another similar DVD feature is the ability to pause and chapter selection. It is also possible to stop and continue at a later time, at the exact place where the film was stopped.

Sprint will still offer mSpot, a continuous service with a monthly subscription fee of $6.95. Unlike Sprint Movies, which offers a pay-per-view service, mSpot offers access to unlimited movies, television shows, and concerts. MSpot was a huge seller and increased Sprint’s service.

If you’re like me, you may not like seeing something that was meant for the big screen played on something less than a thousand times its size. Maybe I would be willing to watch some romance, but some big action film I would insist on at least a 19 inch screen. However, the benefits of downloading onto your phone are obvious, especially if you have kids. Putting in the latest Disney movie might be the only way to keep them quiet on a long trip.

Disney and Buena Vista have many titles to choose from including Herbie: Fully Loaded, National Treasure, and Glory Road. Sony also has a few, including the blockbuster Spider-Man 2. Universal has the most titles available, including classics like Babe, The Fast and the Furious, Jaws, Meet The Parents, even Scarface. Keep in mind that watching these movies will be like being on an airplane, because they are often edited for TV14 content.

I’m sort of wondering why Sprint offered this new pay-per-view service. It seems it would be cheaper to have mSpot, with unlimited viewings for $6.95. Continual “rentals” from Sprint Movies could get really expensive in a hurry.