Archive for: streaming video
A leaked screenshot of a new Amazon Video product has been released. Amazon has recently acquired LoveFilm in the UK and it now seems as though they want to take on Netflix head on.
It seems as though Amazon plans to offer an unlimited video streaming service. Amazon is yet to confirm anything, it seems pretty clear what the company has in the works is making streamed content an add-on to its existing Amazon Prime service, which provides free two-day shipping on any products consumers buy from Amazon.
It could be a hugely compelling alternative to Netflix for a number of reasons. First, the $79 it costs to be a part of Amazon Prime is cheaper than $95 Netflix subscribers have to shell out. Amazon also has pockets deep enough to match Netflix on content spending, and may even be able to provide content Netflix doesn’t have.
Tired of iTunes? Not liking the Amazon platform? The one thing we don’t lack is many ways to get the same thing we want. Both platforms along with a few lesser known platforms offer ways to acquire digital content. Music, movies, TV shows, all downloadable from these platforms, but the one “ring” to rule them all thus far has been Apple’s dominating iTunes store.
If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to disconnect from Apple, perhaps Sony has the option for you. It’s been rumored recently that an announcement could come, as early as tomorrow according to a post on 1up.com, on an iTunes competitor from Sony would be released on the PS3 and PSP devices, to be followed by other products in Sony’s lineup. According to the article, a reliable source from the Financial Times, states that the service will be subscription based and offer music and movies. The announcement is rumored to be made at IFA Berlin this week.
PS3 owners are already familiar with ordering and renting films from the Playstation Store, but a dedicated service across multiple platforms including their Bravia TV lines could be the next big thing to compete with Apple. The report states that while the service will be announced, it actually won’t be available until next year.
Can Sony do it? There no doubt iTunes has become the norm for many of us, but I’d like to think there’s a fighting chance for Sony in all this. Leave your comments below on whether you think this service has a chance on Sony’s products.
Netflix is the digital phenomena that has delivered entertainment to us for many years. Starting off with DVD’s, then offering Blu-Ray, and now offering streaming services on just about any platform you might be on, whether desktop, laptop, or mobile. Today Netflix has updated its Apple iOS app to provide support for the iPhone, iPod touch as well as the iPad. Now users can use their Apple devices to not just manage their online queue but also stream their favorites straight to their handsets.
Users with unlimited memberships can interact in the Netflix environment and have all sessions sync across multiple platforms. For example, if you are streaming a video and you pause it on your mobile device, you can pick up where you left off at home on your desktop or laptop as if nothing happened. Managing your Netflix queue is available but interestingly it only manages your “WATCH NOW” queue and not the discs that are mailed to you.
So does this change where you will interact with your streaming library? If you weren’t a Netflix subscriber, does this change the game for you?
Version 1.1 of the Netflix application requires iOS 3.1.3 or later.
Even the hardiest of Apple fanboys have to admit that the Apple TV was a flop. Though ambitious, this late in the game so many other providers have lapped what the Apple TV tried to do, and even Apple enthusiasts snubbed the device choosing to work with a Mac mini over the Apple TV. The integration, if executed properly, could have been a real coup in streamlining your TV viewing lifestyle with your mobile tech lifestyle. Unfortunately due to lack of support and further innovation, the Apple TV is nothing more than a glorified digital VCR.
Fast forward to today and products like Elgato’s EyeTV HD ($200) looks to take the stage as the bridge we’ve been looking for to connect both lifestyles. The EyeTV HD records HDTV to your Mac and can stream it to your iPhone, iTouch, or iPad. The USB box comes with component cables and standard RCA connections in the back to connect with an existing cable or satellite box. An accompanying IR remote handles the box controls. With the addition of a $5 app, you can stream live TV straight to your mobile device over 3G or Wi-Fi.
Worried about which format to record in, the EyeTV HD allows for specialized recording in iPhone/iTouch or iPad format giving you the best experience possible, depending on which device you’re using.
Some of the highlights include:
- Captures premium television content in full HD from cable and satellite receivers
- Records in pristine H.264 format for a crystal clear digital picture
- Features a unique dual-format capture mode for fast playback on an iPhone and iPad
- Includes an infrared remote and channel changer cable (IR blaster) for automatic control of the receiver
Seems like a step in the right direction with this type of technology. Even though there are already other apps and devices on the market with streaming capabilities to your mobile device, it’s always nice to see variety in the market. Is this something that would interest you?
Firefox is home to many browser plugins.
Firefox plugins are extremely useful. I’ve made the switch to Google Chrome as an experiment to see if I can live without the plugins, but I find myself opening up a second browser from time to time because the plugins are just so useful. I for one love capturing video from sites for a variety of reasons. It’s not always easy, especially if it’s a Flash embed, you’ll more than likely end up having to remember the URL or bookmark it in order to come back to it.
Well for those of you who have not been made aware of some of Firefox’s handy plugins to pull videos from the sites you visit, Crenk is sharing the top four plugins we think you’ll want to use in 2010 to get the videos you need.
This is the mother load in terms of what you can capture on sites. Not only can you capture videos from the site, but you’ll also get photos, and audio files. It’s not always the most user friendly plugin out there, but when you need to mass download content from a site, this plugin is hard to beat. I include it only because it’s so versatile, but the rest are going to be straight video downloaders.
This unique downloader is one that I just plugged into my browser last week. What I like about it is that I’ve yet to come across a site it can’t strip the video from. I surf a lot of sites and not everything is posted on YouTube so we’re not sharing only YouTube plugins only because we figure our audience wants something a little more diverse. Ant.com definitely falls into the diverse category, not only offering you the ability to download but also the ability to instantly watch what you download in their built in video player. It’s a nice way to make sure you got what you wanted without having to dig into the folders on your system.
This no nonsense downloader claims to be able to download from 200+ sites. While other plugins simply mention that it’s rare when their plugin does not download videos, at least this one gives you a good idea of how many sites it’s been put up against. Most of us, being creatures of habit, will explore the same video sites over and over again, so once we know it works on those particular sites, we’re golden. The plugin pulls from sites such as YouTube, Dailymotion, Break, and more, but it also has the power to pull mp3′s, mp4′s, and flash games.
A nice combo in this plugin. You get the ability to capture movies, but also capture that Flash video that was once unattainable due to the format. This particular plugin takes out the complexities by making it easy as one click. With one click you’re downloading content from popular video sites, but you also have the ability to capture games, much like the Flash Video Downloader above.
Getting fed up with MegaVideo’s 72 minute limit? YouTube, Limewire or MetaCafe not cutting it for quality, speed or selection? Then maybe it’s time to look else where –perhaps Blinkbox?
Blinkbox is a new start-up that streams movies and TV programs straight to your computer for your enjoyment. I was sceptical at first. It seems like every site you click on these days you’re offered great streamed films when what you get is actually a load of junk with Japanese subtitles streamed to you from a server in South Korea at an appalling speed – so much so you could probably fly to Korea, buy the thing on DVD and fly home again before the streaming video is finished ‘buffering’.
Blinkbox streams you high quality video that only takes a few seconds to load. For example, I watched Bronson which was only released on DVD a week or so ago. However, it’s all above board and as such you’ll be expected to pay. Bronson set me back £9.99 which is cheaper than the DVD. Other films can cost you al little as £3.
The selection could be better in terms of films from before 2007 but for recent releases you’ll be spoiled for choice.
Because Blinkbox was so easy and of such good quality, I didn’t really mind paying the charges to avoid the bad quality you get with free versions. However, if you’re tight on the old purse strings maybe Blinkbox isn’t for you.
Netflix, an extremely popular online movie renting site, has done what other sites have been unable to do so successfully, bring the end of brick and mortar video renting locations. Not only have physical video rental locations dwindled, but other online competitors simply could not get the following that Netflix was able to acquire with its extensive selection and quick mailing turnaround.
But even with all of its successes, Netflix was still marred by one fact, their streaming option was not supported by Apple computers. Earlier this year Netflix announced that members of their site would be able to directly stream content from their site, making it easier on the user to view as opposed to having to wait for the mail out. This easily accessible option drove streaming use through the roof, but only for Window’s users. Mac owners were left out in this major announcement until now.
Last week it was announced by Netflix, Inc. that testing was being done to ensure that Mac users would be able to stream content by the end of this year. The announcement which many members thought would never come, came with a catch. The streaming technology would only be available for Intel based Macs, and not be supported by older models.
Thanks to Microsoft’s Silverlight technology, Netflix is able to bring it’s streaming library of over 12,000 movies and TV shows to non-windows users. I personally find it ironic that the only way streaming media could have been brought to the Mac was via a windows bridge, ala Silverlight. Nevertheless, those holding onto older Macs have a reason to ditch it for the Intel based models.
Currently there is a Mac media player that is available for beta testing. The product, now available for public beta testing can be downloaded by anyone. The beta as admittedly experienced several bugs that may interfere with the quality of the movie played, but plans from Netflix are to have most if not all of these bugs worked out by the end of the year.
Personally I love Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” choice, and have longed for support on the Mac. Interestingly though, the DRM only allows a certain number of machines that you can watch your streaming media on. This limitation is similar to what iTunes has with its account set up. I’m not necessarily sure this will be much of a problem for most of us, but the limitation seems silly to begin with.
Thus far the player has worked fine on my machine, but even with my limited use I may not come across all of the bugs that are expected to pop up. If you are using the public beta software to stream movies on a mac, I’d like to year about your experiences and whether this was a good move for Netflix, Inc. Make sure to leave your comments and be heard!
