First Look: Amazon Video On Demand Service
Amazon is tackling video on demand again with a new service aptly named Amazon Video on Demand that gives its customers instant access to 40,000 movie and television programs. Programs are streamed immediately through your browser - unlike with Amazon's existing Amazon Unbox service that required either an additional Windows-based video player or a Tivo DVR. The new offering, according to reports, will also be available to Sony Bravia HDTV owners who elect to drop $300 on a Sony Bravia Internet Video link device.
Amazon Video on Demand is only available to beta testers right now, with general availability slated for later this summer. But I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the service and watch Rambo. Oddly enough the beta service offered today is being branded under the Amazon Unbox umbrella.
The only major studio not participating in Amazon's program is Disney, which means both Disney and ABC content are not available. The only other major holdout is HBO. There are no membership fees or monthly purchase plans at the moment, so all content is purchased a la carte.
Popcorn, Soda, Browser: Getting Started
While there are a multitude of pay and free video content services out there these days, such as the iTunes store, Hulu and Netflix to name just a few, Amazon VOD has some advantages over its competitors. Unlike Netflix and Amazon's original video service, Unbox, Amazon VOD does not require special software to view videos and works on both PCs and Macs (Netflix only works on PCs). In my tests the service was extremely fast and started streaming the movie almost immediately, the video quality is very clear in the smaller size, but does not match up to Netflix quality in full-screen mode.
When Amazon Video on Demand users visit the title page for a movie or TV available for streaming, the first 2 minutes of a video will automatically start playing as a sample, and videos can be watched in full screen, pop out or embedded in the browser.
Amazon offers the ability to download purchased items or store them online, but rentals are 'streaming only', which means you have to be connected to the internet to watch. Like the iTunes store rentals are good for 24 hours, but with Amazon you can sign in to your account to watch videos on any computer that has Adobe Flash 9. My only reservation about Amazon VOD is the idea that purchases are stored online. That rules out renting a movie to playback on your laptop on an airplane ride or any other non-Internet setting. Anyone who was burned by Microsoft's MSN Music Store, may not be too thrilled to trust another big company with its content.
As of this morning, Amazon was still accepting beta testers for Amazon VOD, click here to sign up.
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The whole system is ridiculous! If we pay for the movie we technically own it and should have the right to burn it to a DVD and watch it on our TV?s. We shouldn?t be forced to watch it on a small computer screen. Not to mention the quality it also being sacrificed. Both Amazon and iTunes are taking away our rights by dictating how and where we can watch it. Anyone have any suggestions?
Ryan,
The movies on Amazon and iTunes have the option for rental and are priced accordingly. In this case you do not own the content. Both companies are betting that this will be the norm. If you want to own the move, buy the DVD.
Both Amazon and iTunes have a provision for viewing on your TV. Amazon via a TiVo box and iTunes via an AppleTV. With iTunes you can even get the content in HD.
Hey Ryan, here's a suggestion: BUY THE DVD Mr. videophile.
I already tried to buy it but seeing as how the last season of Nip/Tuck isn't offered on DVD, that?s not an option. WB isn't giving us that choice. You?re still talking about a large expense for either the TiVo Box or the Apple TV. I also read that at their discretion they can make the movies you pay for stop working.