Amazon opens video on demand shop After failing to change the world with its Unbox video download service, Amazon has unveiled a new online storefront that serves up videos on demand. As The New York Times reports, Amazon Video on Demand offers instant access to roughly 40,000 movies and TV shows. And vice president for digital media Bill Carrs thinks this is …
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"So you mean this revolutionary idea is the same one the BBC has had for how long now?"
Well, sort of, but I dare say Amazons business model is different - lets see you watch the latest DVD releases on BBCi or iPlayer or whatever the fuck it's called these days.
Also, with iPlayer, everyone who has a TV license pays for it, regardless of whether they have the capability to use it - I expect that Amazons service would be selective or subscription based. Opt-in, as it were.
So, um, it appears to be a cross between iPlayer and Netflix. Well, if you are going to plagarise, do it from the best, as they say.
If the price is right, it might cause casual film downloaders to use it instead of BitTorrent - christ knows, some of the stuff..er...my friend, downloads is of such shitty quality that streaming it from a decent source for a couple of quid with access to it for a couple of nights [or unlimited access for a tenner a month or so] might make my, er, friend, cut down his, er their, overall bandwidth usage and free up my, er, their hard drive for more extreme donkey porn.
I mean, network diagrams, system charts, expense accounts, tax returns and other prosiac and state sanctioned shit.
*cough*
Steven R
*hee-haw* "Quiet down, Dobbin"
So a foreign internet bookseller has introducded a new service for people in its locality which is not available to the rest of us. That IS interesting. So would be details of new traffic light control software soon to be deployed in Brisbane, or the opening of a mobile phone and sim card store in downtown Minsk.
The more of these systems competing the better – as long as I can get a film with decent resolution and decent sound online, then I am a happy shopper.
No more going to Blockbuster and being asked if, for an extra £2, I would like a Galaxy bar and a tub of Haagen Daaz. Do I have any games I would like to trade in? Would I like like to donate money to their charity of the week? Would I like a used copy of 300 for £5? etc etc.
One thing though - will the US isp’s be demanding money from Amazon and co because people are using their unlimited connections too much? Or is that just the UK?
I'm nodding my head, I'm rolling my eyes, I can't believe it either.
One reason that the ntl/Telewest/BTs of this world were happy to jump into the ISP business was because they thought they'd be able to corral a captive market for themselves, then sell lots of stuff to us - films, music etc. I never saw any wonderful stuff to buy/watch from my ISP. The ISPs are just pipe companies, like water, sewerage, gas and electricity. It seems that other organisations stepped up to the plate to provide value added services.
I realise that there were probably major problems in getting the film studios and record companies to agree with the ISPs as far as revenue sharing and copyright protection were concerned. What amazes me is that with the iPlayer model and the many payment systems available now, they still can't get any kind of act together.
I'll wait until a film comes out on DVD then look for a free and easy source :)
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