Futility on Demand?Movielink says they've arrived... ( old news - 09:33AM Friday Oct 24 2003) tags: Video · businessAccording to the CEO of broadband movie download service Movielink, Broadband video on-demand "is here today.". The film studios quickly elbowed out independent competition like Intertainer (see Wired News story) and set up camp, with early reviews being less than favorable. Analysts charge the services exist as a brand recognition device, and have little hope of competing against digital cable and satellite. "We'll play around with the Web to put a good face on it all," noted one anonymous studio executive to Red Herring after launch. "But, really, all we want is a renewal deal with cable that gives us a bigger piece of the pie."BellSouth, Roadrunner, and Terra Lycos have recently signed deals that deliver a modified version of Movielink's services, users paying $2.95 and $4.99 for a 24-hour viewing period (the same price as traditional Movielink rentals). According to a BellSouth spokesman, the company "understands that the next wave of broadband adoption and usage will come from new and exciting content applications that fully utilize the benefits of high-bandwidth networks.""High bandwidth" naturally being the catch. Over a 1.5 Mbps broadband connection, downloading a full film takes around half an hour, though the company is working on a caching "Movies in Minutes" feature that begins playing after several minutes. Over the past six months, the website's selection of films has also improved, but the quality still remains more akin to VHS than DVD when the signal is exported to your television set. At the moment, it's not possible to purchase a full film. Speaking at USTA Telecom 03, (See Converge Digest), Movielink CEO Jim Ramo claims "video on-demand is here today", but goes on to admit the industry won't really take off until they can deliver broadband films to the television, and not the PC. If you're looking to test the service out, they are offering the short animated film The ChubbChubbs free for download (it requires the installation of "Movielink Manager" software). Arrived? Not quite yet. For the time being it remains a brand recognition device to help position the film studios for the eventual bell push into video delivery systems.
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melkoloran
@rr.com | Bah No surprise that they don't want to really push it. Extract higher fees from cable/satellite and maintain the monopoly on control of delivery. | |
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ronpin
Imagine Reality
join:2002-12-06
Nirvana
 ·AT&T Southwest
| I tried it MovieLink forced me to use [the great-satan] MSIE to see their movies. My 1.5 mbs connection took almost 2hours to download a 90 minute [art-sy] movie. It was memorable -- munching popcorn in my study -- in an office chair.
A nice idea whose time hasn't quite arrived. | |
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coffeesnob
@161.155.x.x
| Sweet service, I am on dsl -> no caps I am on dsl and was able to start watching my movie in about 10 minutes.
quality was vhs quality but I can accept the tradeoff for convenience. If the selection was better, I would never go to blockbuster again.
I am using dsl so I dont have to worry about cabs | |
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phxmark
What Country Are We Living In?
join:2000-12-27
Glendale, AZ | Yeah, right... So everyone will hit their monthly caps a lot sooner. The cable companies will reap the benefit of getting to charge everyone that hits their caps sooner a per MB charge.
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Still living on Dial-Up. | |
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draven
Premium,Mod
join:2002-02-20
my bunker
| Technology (less than) Product Until bandwidth increases and cap removals happen, Netflix is still the way to go if you have a hankering to use the Internet to obtain movies.
[text was edited by author 2003-10-24 09:57:42] | |
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KoolMoe
Aw Man
Premium
join:2001-02-14
Annapolis, MD
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Speakeasy
| Cool enough We've used it a couple times. Blockbuster fees are annoying, yet we still can't seem to get movies back on time. This makes it easy. With our 1.5mb connection to the net, it's cool enough for now. We decide we want to see a movie cause nothin' is on the tube, browse MovieLink, and half-hour later, watching the movie. Same thing as w/ Blockbuster but no driving 15 minutes and no return to worry about.
Movielink's time limit is kinda lame - once start watching it, have 24 hours to complete. But I can live with it, especially for the cheaper movies.
We use an X-10 sender/receiver to get it to the TV. Yeah, quality isn't awesome, but VCR-like, and that's fine. We're not vid/audiophile extremists.
No complaints from these occasional users.
KM
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"I'm respecting your privacy as an individual by knocking, but I'm asserting my authority as a parent by coming in anyway."--Fairly Odd Parents | |
| | youngmoore
join:2001-03-16
Marietta, GA
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Re: Cool enough I love this service. I don't watch much TV, SG-1 and enterprise and thats about it. News is get old fast so this enables me to watch a movie on my Flat panel at my desk which is were I'm at 99% of the time anyway. The ONLY thing I would suggest to them is to give a longer view time, 24 hours isn't enough if I have to go to a clients for a day etc. Other than that its been a great service. As far as CAPS are concerned I have both DSL and cable and neither have ever contacted me about using to much bandwidth.
ym | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
| Re: Cool enough I watched the ChubbChubbs, which was actually pretty funny....
Ran into an endless loop of confirmation hiccups/crashes when I updated RealPlayer to handle the DRM side of things, but otherwise pretty good.
I still see no point in watching films at my PC, when I've got a couch, a 5.1 surround system, and a large TV with digital cable films on demand and a DVD player.....and that's really the rub with these services....I imagine I'm not alone. | |
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TheMadSwede
Premium
join:2001-01-30
Holland, MI | Re: Cool enough Wait a minute...what's this about RealPlayer? Ick.
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Cable Cable Cable...keep that cable rolling. | |
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The Folsom
Kindly Shut Your Noise Hole.
Premium
join:2003-01-31
Yucaipa, CA
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Cool enough said by TheMadSwede  :
Wait a minute...what's this about RealPlayer? Ick.
Get that piece of RealCrap off my computer! Real is the worst experience I have ever had the misfortune to...uh, experience.
I don't want movies so bad that I will put up with the restrictions and all the BS...
It's not necessarily bad. I know there are movie junkies who must have a fix...
I'd rather wait to get it on DVD or something and not have to look at it right then when i see it is available. I try to resist impulsive buying in general. This is too easy to fall into buying without at least hearing what others say, etc.
BTW, I use the term "Movie Junkies" in a non-judgemental way.
I'm a radio/internet junky.
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The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. »www.prepaidlegal.com/info/kfolsom | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | The only reason I have it on my PC is my favorite football team only uses RealPlayer to broadcast coach press conferences, otherwise I'd never touch the thing.... | |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| said by TheMadSwede :
Wait a minute...what's this about RealPlayer? Ick.
Real????????
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
you couldnt even get me to endure REAL quality for free let alone charging for it and riddling my system with spyware and taking over my media preferences. thanks but NO THANKS!
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You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth | |
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KoolMoe
Aw Man
Premium
join:2001-02-14
Annapolis, MD
clubs:
·Verizon FIOS
·Speakeasy
| I agree that if I could not broadcast the movie to my home TV/stereo, it wouldn't be as near enjoyable. In fact, I'd probably never use it.
But I can, so I do, and it's pretty cool 
Another thing I'd like to do, if and when it's possible, is download a movie to the laptop for the kids to watch on those really long trips. As of now, though and I think, you have to be connected to the net to start the movie.
Overall, I'm just glad someone is trying to do this 'proactively', although not too thrilled they killed Intertainer (still in courts? If so, good luck to them!). But at least there's a 'legal' alternative.
KM
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"I'm respecting your privacy as an individual by knocking, but I'm asserting my authority as a parent by coming in anyway."--Fairly Odd Parents | |
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godsmack
join:2003-06-08 |  We'll see
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storm64007
Premium
join:2001-05-21
Freeport, NY | Re: We'll see I been watching movies over the net for at least 2 years now. Nothing new here. | |
| | | DoubleT
Premium
join:2002-04-09
Dallas, TX | Re: We'll see Legally I think is the key point here Storm. | |
| | | | | | | | | nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
 ·Comcast
| will it happen in my lifetime? personally, I have no interest whatsoever in watching movies (even high quality, which these apparently are not) on my PC. I have an HDTV and would gladly order and download movies if:
a) the studios would ever permit it
b) I could view them on my HDTV
However, between the studio's paranoia about people "stealing" their movies and their fear of and desire to control the technologies, I am not sure this will ever happen in my lifetime (and I'm not young, but not that old either) | |
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MarkyD
Premium
join:2002-08-20
Oklahoma City, OK
clubs:
·Cox HSI
| Thanks for your interest in Movielink Thanks for your interest in Movielink, the leading source for movies delivered directly over the Internet. We want you to enjoy our powerful movie download experience, but first please make the following adjustments:
You Need Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP.
NO THANKS. | |
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PatientGuy
I'M Way Deep Into Nothing Special
Premium
join:2000-12-11
Arlington, VA
clubs:
| Re: Thanks for your interest in Movielink Thanks for your interest in Movielink, the leading source for movies delivered directly over the Internet. We want you to enjoy our powerful movie download experience, but first please make the following adjustments:
* Due to certain technologies we utilize, you need Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher - click here to upgrade now.
IE? No thanks | |
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93254336
Weapons Of Masturbation
Premium
join:2001-10-20
| said by MarkyD :
Thanks for your interest in Movielink, the leading source for movies delivered directly over the Internet. We want you to enjoy our powerful movie download experience, but first please make the following adjustments:
You Need Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP
To borrow a line from David Bowie: "This ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll – this is Genocide!"
- Dan | |
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koitsu
Premium
join:2002-07-16
Mountain View, CA
| quote:
"... it requires the installation of "Movielink Manager" software ..."
No thanks.
I don't like the idea of shady software on my PC when we've spent the past 10 years developing common standards (both protocols and applications) to view such content.
It's easy to see exactly where this is going. The "Movielink Manager" software -- if it doesn't have it already -- will obviously be used for unsolicited advertising and other wanton desired of Movielink and their "business associates."
What a bummer, since I think US$3-5 is a pretty good price for 24 hours of viewing (compared to US$10 here in California for visiting a theatre -- don't forget the cost of refreshments!).
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Making life hard for others since 1977. | |
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jcaparula
join:2001-06-13
Madison, WI
| Prefer VoD Now that our cable company has rolled out Video On Demand, I see no reason for this service. PCs are great for delivering music on demand (Rhapsody, iTunes, etc),but I think cable TV services are better suited for movies on demand.
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»webpages.charter.net/jcaparula | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | Re: Prefer VoD I also don't find a 2 minute drive to the video store to be a daunting process.... | |
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klobb
join:2000-10-06 | must have ie -- lame "Due to certain technologies we utilize, you need Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher - click here to upgrade now."
Too bad..
Seems like a dumb idea anyways. You'll use all the bandwidth like said above. | |
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godsmack
join:2003-06-08 | Maybe... I may try netflix some day or even gamefly.......but who knows???? | |
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Theo25
@attbi.com
| Netflix Rocks, I agree I couldn't agree more, VOD will have problems beating the price and convenience of Netflix. I get through 10 movies a month for 20 bucks, and these are the latest releases without ever standing in line, that price is tough to beat. I'm happy with 10 a month but if you live even closer to the distribution center, the mail is probably even quicker and you would get through more then this. I have even thought about bumping up to the next higher deal but then I figure I would be a zombie watching a movie every night. LOL | |
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WolfenxXx
Headshot
join:2001-08-14
Guntersville, AL
clubs:
| price and convenience Why pay for something when you can get it free? IRC is the way to go, screw netflix and all the others..LOL
Any of ya`ll want to buy some swamp land in Arizona? LOL
--
"A True Leader Leads by Motivation and Inspiration, Not Manipulation or Intimidation" | |
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smoov_b
@cox-internet.co
|  spyware question
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Re: Maybe...