You may have read that Netflix announced a new deal with Epix worth $1 billion. mSpot has taken the opportunity to point out that they get movies much sooner than Netflix's streaming service does, most likely including many of the same titles.

The deal gives Netflix Epix movies, which include titles from Lionsgate, Paramount, and MGM. mSpot says it has deals in place with Lionsgate, Disney, Warner, Paramount and others. mSpot says what Netflix is paying a billion dollars for, they are getting six months earlier.

A representative for the company provided this little timeline:

1. Theatrical release: aka, "in theaters now"

2. DVD release: this usually starts 3-4 months after theaters

3. VOD: 3 months after DVD release – AVAILABLE ON MSPOT

4. Pay TV: 6 months after DVD (HBO, Starz, Epix, etc.)

5. Free TV: 9 months after DVD (TNT, NBC, etc.) – AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX

"A growing trend with studios including Warner and Paramount is to release 'day and date' movies as VOD, meaning that mSpot is getting many of the movies at the same time as the DVD release," the rep says. "The incentive for the movie studios to do this is that they get higher revenue shares from 'day and date' than VOD."

What mSpot doesn't have, however, is an actual DVD-by-mail service, which Netflix is obviously known for first and foremost. Netflix users have basically received acess to its streaming catalogue as an added bonus, rather than having to pay for these movies like with some of their competitors.

Last month, mSpot, also known for its free (up to 2GB) music storage/streaming service, launched mSpotMovies for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, which lets users stream movies from these devices. Mobile users are still waiting for such apps from Netflix (though they will almost certainly be here at some point). mSpot users can rent movies for $2.99 - $3.99.