What makes Netflix such a formidable opponent going forward though isn`t just its financial health. The company is helping to write the script for the next revolution in movie distribution. According to an article in Variety, a publication that covers the entertainment industry, Netflix`s vice president of original programming, Eric Besner,

announced on Friday at an industry conference that the company is launching a proprietary set-top box that will allow subscribers to download movies via the Internet overnight.

The service, he said, would have a subscription fee attached to it much like Netflix`s current rental business does, and could launch this year. The exec also noted that this is one of many Internet initiatives the company is pursuing