Video content distribution system including an interactive kiosk, a portable content storage device, and a set-top box

A portable content storage device is configured to hold digitally encoded video content on a disk drive. A user connects the device to a publicly located compatible interactive kiosk that stores several encoded content units, such as feature-length films. The user selects content units, and the kiosk copies the selections onto the device. At home, the user connects the device to a compatible set-top box that presents the content units as an output signal to a television set. The set-top box accumulates information related to the use of the video content units, such as how much of a content unit has been viewed and/or how many times it has been viewed. The set-top box then writes the information to the device. The information is read by the kiosk the next time the user connects the device to the kiosk and the user is billed for the use of the content.