So when Dish Network announced premium 1080p VOD that they compared to Blu-ray quality, we were more than a little skeptical. Sound & Vision was as well, which is exactly why they sat down with a Dish and Blu-ray version of Speed Racer to compare:

DISH 1080p immediately impressed me. Speed Racer's brilliant colors and intricate details looked fantastic whether I was watching the satellite or the disc. Flipping back and forth between the two sources while sitting at a normal viewing distance, I could detect only subtle differences. In fact, I couldn't be sure I was seeing any difference at all...From the way-too-intimate viewing distance of about 4 feet, I started to notice a subtle graininess in the DISH 1080p picture, especially in scenes of slow, steady motion...but the fact that there wasn't a substantial difference in picture quality between the satellite and the disc bodes well for DISH's new service.

So in other words, there's a difference between Blu-ray and Dish Network, but it's a pretty small one. So what's the catch? Only exclusive Dish VOD looks this good—most of their 1080p leaves a lot to be desired—and there won't be much of this premium content any time soon.

Still, it's good to see content providers step it up and provide 1080p content worthy of its reputation. [Sound & Vision]

This might seem like an odd topic for Giz Explains, our weekly "WTF is that?" series, but a bunch of comments last week revealed a need to plainly explain the tussle going on between internet service providers, the Federal Communications Commission, content providers and you, and how it's shaping the way you'll use internet over the next couple of years. First, a quick primer.

Comcast was caught slowing down BitTorrent traffic last year by the Associated Press. It (re)sparked cries for government-mandated net neutrality—treating all internet traffic equally, whether it's email, Skype or a bootleg of The Dark Knight over torrent. While that didn't happen, a complaint against Comcast went through the FCC, which ruled against it last week, saying that slowing down BitTorrent was a naughty thing to do, and that they must disclose all management practices to subscribers.

In the meantime, a different network management trend started to emerge among the major ISPs: metered broadband, aka data caps. It's like dial-up service or wireless data: After reaching your alotted amount of data for the month, you pay extra, maybe through the nose, as our northern neighbors in Canada are familiar with. Conveniently, it's "net neutral," since it doesn't discriminate against particular kinds of traffic, and it's fully disclosed to subscribers so it satisfies guidelines discussed by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. In case you're looking to file a complaint, Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Staff Attorney Fred Von Lohmann told us, "There's certainly nothing to stop them from pricing that way if they want to."

Time Warner was the first major to float the plan, which is currently in testing, with a 40GB cap at the high-end. Comcast is considering a metered approach as well, its spokesman has confirmed. AT&T is the most recent major ISP to jump onboard, and it'll be testing caps in the fall. Not to mention Cox Cable and a whole mess of regional ISPs already implement them.

Here's the rub: The P2P apps ISPs point to as pillaging their networks are increasingly a nonexistant bogeyman. Video is now the actual bandwidth monster, and it's only getting hungrier and hungrier.

The thing about all that video is that it competes with what your ISP is probably delivering to your other screen in the living room. Why watch 30 Rock on your couch at specific time when you can grab it on demand on your laptop with Hulu, or on a Netflix Roku box? That awesome Vudu box you bought? Pulling in Transformers in HD uses your cable provider's pipes, but it doesn't see a dime from the transaction.

Suppose you decide to be pseudo-green and opt for an all-digital approach from Vudu or Apple TV, and you have a moderate habit of two movies a week. A 90-minute movie running at a constant bitrate of 2.5 megabits per second (you're talking HD here) will swallow 1.69 GB. If you've got a 40GB cap, eight movies will eat over a quarter of it. And that's just your rental habit, with today's specs. The 1080p flicks they'll be streaming tomorrow will be even more bandwidth intensive.

More importantly, today's geek frontier is tomorrow's mainstream playground. Like game demos on Xbox Live? Or games-for-purchase on Steam? Those are a gig or two a pop, and as more and more games are distributed digitally, the gigs will add up. Which is also part of the problem as far as the ISPs are concerned: AT&T's tech chief glibly notes that "traffic on our backbone is growing 60 percent per year, but our revenue is not."

While I wanted to tell you that data caps will destroy the internet as we know it, really video is what's actually facing the greatest threat. Time Warner has openly said content providers can't have it both ways. And the EFF's von Lohmann told us that while he hasn't "seen any evidence that [metered broadband] will radically change the internet" he is "worried that companies that have their own video they're delivering over the same pipe they deliver internet service will have an incentive to reduce caps" and it's a "valid concern worth watching." It would effectively have us paying twice for video delivered over the internet. Most people can barely stand paying for it once.

One, Vudu's AVN channel will offer high-def porn—FyreTV is only DVD-quality, at best. (Merits of HD vs. SD porn aside, at least Vudu can deliver either HD if you want it.) Second, a Vudu box is way more discreet (though its remote does kind of look like a sex toy). And besides, if you already have Vudu, it's one less box you have to deal with. [CE Pro - Thanks Julie!]

Starting August 1, the recent blockbuster "I Am Legend" starring Will Smith will be available in Blu-ray™ disc quality 1080p resolution, only on DISH Network's VOD service, DISH On Demand, at a discounted price.

Yes. Dish Network is actually promising I Am Legend in "Blu-ray™ disc quality 1080p resolution" over Video on Demand. Presumably streamed in real time, it would be a technological feat even if not part of normal programming. And while we bet Dish will make the image look as good as possible under the pressure to show off, whether or not it's truly as stunning as a Blu-ray disc or meets some minimum 1080p prerequisite is yet to be seen.

In other news, Dish Network is soldiering on with their promise of 150 HD channels by the end of the year, and tomorrow will add 17 must-see HDTV channels including Lifetime Movie Network HD and Starz Edge HD. Read the presser for all the details. [Dish]

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – July 31, 2008 – DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today set the bar for the next-generation HD standard by becoming the first in the pay-TV industry to offer high definition programming in 1080p, the highest and best HD resolution available.

This new functionality is part of DISH Network's latest and unprecedented expansion in HD services, which includes the rollout of TurboHD, the industry's first 100 percent, all-HD suite of programming packages. As previously announced, DISH Network will also launch 17 more national HD channels tomorrow, surpassing its goal of reaching 100 national HD channels five months ahead of schedule. DISH Network now plans to nearly double its national HD channel count in less than one year and offer up to 150 national HD channels by the end of 2008, made possible by the recent launch of Echo XI, the most powerful satellite in the company's fleet.

"Over the years, DISH Network has maintained a very competitive HD offering in the marketplace, providing customers with a premium HD product including the best technology, signal and experience – at the best value – that no other pay-TV provider can come close to matching," said Charlie Ergen, Chairman, CEO and President of DISH Network. "Our latest system upgrade coupled with the introduction of TurboHD further strengthens our position as the leader in digital television and high definition television, platforms we look forward to enhancing even more with mobile and portable options."

DISH Network's new HD services are supported by a proprietary "turbo-charged" system upgrade that, starting August 1, is being rolled out to all MPEG-4 HD and HD DVR receivers. The upgrade activates a unique feature of the set-top boxes, improving the current standard of HD delivery used by pay-TV providers such as the ability to output 1080p programming. By early August, all DISH Network customers with MPEG-4 HD and HD DVR receivers will have the only set-top boxes in the nation enabled to display 1080p content, allowing them to maximize the full potential of their 1080p-compatible HDTV sets.

To celebrate this new era in the HD viewing experience, DISH Network is offering subscribers a special deal in August to enjoy the unparalleled picture and sound of 1080p HD programming. Starting August 1, the recent blockbuster "I Am Legend" starring Will Smith will be available in Blu-ray™ disc quality 1080p resolution, only on DISH Network's VOD service, DISH On Demand, at a discounted price. Subscribers may order the movie on DISH Network Channel 501. This marks the first time in history a pay-TV provider offers movies in 1080p, the highest resolution format available for HD video enthusiasts.

Consumers can sign up for the best HD programming and service in the industry with DISH Network's new TurboHD programming packages, the only all-HD packages on the market, starting at $24.99 per month. TurboHD is available in three separate tiers and includes DISH Network's award-winning and industry-leading HD technology, advanced equipment enabled to display 1080p programming, and the most-watched HD channels that may be viewed on any TV – analog, digital or HD.

Current DISH Network customers with MPEG-4 HD and HD DVR receivers are being automatically upgraded and will have their systems "turbo-charged" by early August with all the features and benefits of TurboHD. DISH Network customers looking to add the industry's best HD experience can get a "turbo-charged" HD package for as little as $10 more per month.

The latest national HD channels added to DISH Network's programming line-up are: ActionMax HD (DISH Network Ch. 313), CBS College Sports HD (Ch. 152), Lifetime HD (Ch. 108), Lifetime Movie Network HD (Ch. 109), Planet Green HD (Ch. 194), Encore HD (Ch. 340), HBO 2 HD (Ch. 301), HBO Comedy HD (Ch. 307), HBO Family HD (Ch. 305), HBO Latino HD (Ch. 309), HBO Signature HD (Ch. 302), HBO West HD (Ch. 303), HBO Zone HD (Ch. 308), Starz Comedy HD (Ch. 354), Starz Edge HD (Ch. 352), Starz Kids & Family HD (Ch. 356), Starz West HD (Ch. 351).

For more information about DISH Network's 1080p programming, new HD channels and TurboHD system and packages, visit www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).

The dongle near the box powers itself directly from the Vudu's USB jack , meaning no extra power brick. The other end, near your router, does need to plug in, but that's less of a hassle. Best of all, it requires no on-screen configuration and works without any visible degradation when delivering high-bandwidth video. (I can't say the same for the Roku Netflix box, which choked a bit when I tested its built-in Wi-Fi.) Vudu will sell the kit with the video box itself for $350—I think it's a wise addition, though this kit costs as much as the Netflix box in its entirety, and half of the price of an Apple TV. Clearly, a bridge is the most expensive way they could go, and you also have two more things to plug in. [Vudu]

1. Some of Cinemanow's content will be available in HD. (Unbox will soon be offering HD as well.)
2. TiVo is clearly not opposed to offering more VOD partners. (C'mon Netflix!!!)

A man can dream, can't he? Also of note, TiVo has confirmed that YouTube support will be coming this summer. Here's the full press release:

TIVO TO OFFER MOVIE RENTALS FROM THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS ON DEMAND

TiVo now offers movies from all major studios directly to the television set

ALVISO, CA - May 28, 2008 - TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced that TiVo subscribers will soon be able to download movies from The Walt Disney Studios to their broadband connected TiVo® DVRs directly from the TV.

Titles will be available to rent through an agreement with Disney-ABC and CinemaNow, a digital entertainment provider of high-quality Hollywood movies and TV shows across multiple platforms, and the latest partner to join TiVo's broadband efforts. The companies will offer the movies for a 24-hour rental period in standard definition, with many also available in high definition.

"We are very excited to be working with Disney and CinemaNow. Adding Disney movies really delivers on TiVo's promise to offer the best television entertainment experience with unlimited content choices that are easy to navigate across broadcast, cable, and broadband using one device, one remote, and one user interface," said Tara Maitra, Vice President and GM of Content Services at TiVo Inc.

"TiVo has always delivered a superior experience," said Dan Cohen, executive vice president of pay television and interactive media, Disney-ABC Domestic Television. "We're pleased that their subscribers will be able to enjoy our extensive catalog of new releases and classic library titles."

The service is available to all broadband-connected TiVo Series2™ and Series3™ subscribers later this year. TiVo offers more than 30,000 titles through Amazon Unbox, Music Choice and more than 50 other content providers. The company recently announced that TiVo subscribers will be able to access YouTube videos directly on the TV via the TiVo DVR this summer.

Akimbo hit play in 2002 with a hardware-based VOD set top box that allowed consumers to download television shows from its 200 partners. When the hardware didn't work out, the company branched off into the PC software business with Akimbo for Media Center in the fall of 2005. It struggled until 2006, when the company received a much-needed shot in the arm from Cisco and at&t to the tune of $15 million.

In February 2008, Akimbo shifted, again, to a video service model, but failed to raise a targeted $8 million in funding. High-level executive squabbles earlier in the year also threatened to derail the fledgling company, and this week they apparently came to a boil. More than a dozen employees were terminated on May 22, with a three-person skeleton team staying on to oversee the company's final days. All told, Akimbo received approximately $56 million over the course of its existence for basically nothing. If only Gizmondo would take the hint. [TechCrunch]

Let's start with the setup. They're getting content to you in three ways. The vast majority of TV viewing is of the major broadcast networks: ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox. Happily, they're broadcast for free over the public DTV waves. That subwoofer looking thing? That's a DTV receiver for that picks up all of those broadcasts. Second, they're working on content deals with cable channels, which be delivered via private broadcast (via satellite, actually) that your receiver also picks up. The final leg is video delivered over broadband, to the box, which is also a DVR with a terabyte of storage: Some of the broadband pipe will be used for the cable content (depending on the load vs. private broadcast), but it's also the pipe for YouTube and net video obviously.

Ideally, you won't know (or care) about where the content is coming from. One of the big things they're pushing, which I don't know people will be able to swallow is the idea of personal portals over channels. Basically, it'll learn your viewing habits and create what are essentially smart playlists of content, drawn from broadcast, cable stored content and internet video, all meshed together—kind of like TiVo on Web 2.0 crack, since it has a TV Guide menu with a list and times of shows and whatnot as well, but decentralized from the channel metaphor. Each person in the house has their own button on the top of the remote and it'll switch to customized programming for them. The web 2.0 business comes in not only with the streaming video stuff, but you can recommend shows and content to other users. Channels can also have their own portals, kind of like hyper web pages oriented around their shows and on demand video content. (It's in this sense that it wants to kill TV as you know it.)

Of course, contextual ads are part of the personalization shebang, but I thought they were done well, and at this point, it's part and parcel of anything of that nature. Plus, the ads combined the whole freeness of the broadcast networks over the public DTV waves equal cheapness—supposedly half the monthly rate of cable, though they wouldn't get more specific than that.

All of that sounds (sorta) great in theory, but for one, I think it's too complicated for the average consumer, in the sense that they're still pretty grounded on the channel metaphor. Ironically it's the non-attached, non-HD-fanatic that they're targeting here—your aunt and uncle, maybe not your grandmother. I don't know if they'll bite.

The other issue is more on the business end. They've gotta sign a lot of deals to make this happen, both with content partners (I neglected to mention any like CNN or ESPN because Sezmi hasn't announced any deals yet, though some are in place) and with a front-end partner. That is, you're not gonna go out and buy a Sezmi box. What you would buy, for instance, is a Sprint box made by Sezmi as part of a triple play package (WiMax would go great with the service actually, too bad infrastructure isn't there). And neither AT&T nor Verizon will sign up, they've got their own video dealios.

The backend is also, like I said, extremely complicated—anyone remember Moviebeam? They tried a somewhat similar trick with riding the public airwaves. On the other hand, they have some serious talent on the board and there's a lot of promise in the ideas and concept, but I can't shake the feeling we might looking at another Moxi, if only because of the business end. I hope I'm wrong.

They're starting trials now in a couple of areas, though NYC isn't one of them, with the hopes of a wider rollout by the end of the year.

SEZMI UNVEILS NEXT GENERATION TELEVISION OFFERING
The first complete TV 2.0 offering that seamlessly integrates traditional television with movies and Internet video, optimized for on-demand viewing and is personalized for the viewer

BELMONT, Calif. - May 1, 2008 - Sezmi Corporation (formerly known as Building B, Inc.) today unveiled a next generation television offering that includes many industry firsts. Sezmi also announced that it is commencing trials in pilot markets in preparation for commercial launch with broadband service providers and national retailers later this year.

Sezmi is designed to address fundamental shifts in consumer television viewing behavior and is the first television offering that is:

• A complete TV 2.0 solution: Sezmi delivers all television content, including broadcast and cable network programming, movies and Internet video, in one simple package, unlike Internet-driven offerings that do not include traditional television.

• Optimized for on-demand viewing: Sezmi embraces the migration of consumer TV viewing away from appointment-based viewing and gives consumers the flexibility to watch what they want, when they want. Sezmi's primary user interface organizes content as program lists (e.g., My Top Picks, My Genres, My Channels) that dramatically simplify the browsing and discovery of television content.

• A seamless integration of live, stored, on-demand and Internet video: Sezmi removes the artificial barriers between content from different sources and provides a single and consistent interface across live, stored, on-demand and Internet video.

• Personalized and tailored to the individual viewer: The Sezmi remote control has unique buttons for individual members of the household. Each user is presented with a personalized homepage-like screen that organizes a line-up of content that is specifically matched to the user's routines and preferences.

• Extending the benefits of social networking to the TV: Sezmi subscribers can share playlists with friends and family, contribute to community ratings of shows and benefit from community recommendations.

• Designed for self-installation: Sezmi is a simple, out-of-the-box wireless product that provides consumers a high quality television experience in minutes.

"Consumers are waiting for the television industry to catch up and meet their demand for flexible, advanced and personalized features in their television service, just like they've come to expect with the Internet, wireless communications and digital media," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Parks Associates.

"With the impending digital transition, the consumer shift to on-demand viewing, high definition, Internet
video, and other disruptions, now is the time for a true television alternative to emerge. From what I've seen, Sezmi's differentiated approach, leadership and industry relationships makes it a strong contender to fill this void."

"Sezmi focused on the television consumer and built an entirely new television offering from the ground up to meet the needs of viewers that want a premium experience at an affordable price," said Buno Pati, Sezmi co-founder and chief executive officer. "We have rallied support across multiple industries and are excited to work with our partners to offer a new and differentiated TV choice to consumers."

A Unique Approach to TV 2.0
"To deliver the full range of content that consumers expect at an affordable cost we had to create a network that overcame the limitations of broadband and better aligned with mass market content consumption," said Phil Wiser, Sezmi co-founder and president. "Our integrated solution seamlessly combines the efficiency and scale of broadcast delivery with the interactivity and access of broadband. As a result, we are able to deliver a next generation television experience to a much larger group of consumers, and we can do it today."

Sezmi has developed the FlexCast™ video distribution technology that combines terrestrial digital broadcast television with existing broadband infrastructure to cost effectively deliver video content. The system utilizes available capacity in existing digital television broadcast networks and creates a private, secure broadcast transmission for content. The resulting platform provides a breakthrough television experience without
the need to upgrade existing broadband infrastructure. Sezmi has also developed a cutting edge, smart antenna indoor reception system that makes both its private broadcast and existing terrestrial TV broadcasts accessible in an unprecedented manner. This network-attached reception system can be placed in any location in the home and requires no user adjustments.

A Multi-Industry Opportunity
Sezmi is working with leaders in the broadcast, broadband, content and advertising industries to create an entertainment platform that delivers enhanced value and new opportunities as the TV industry navigates through the major disruptions it is facing. Sezmi affords broadcasters the opportunity to realize significant returns on their digital investments through a proven subscription television business model and targeted advertising. Sezmi has entered into agreements with broadcasters in its initial launch markets.

"Sezmi's innovative platform enables broadcasters to enhance their core service, while creating new revenue opportunities," said Colleen B. Brown, President and CEO Fisher Communications. "Advertisers continue to tell us they want this type of measurable targeting to generate greater efficiencies on television and as broadcasters, we need this type of audience intelligence to more effectively connect our viewers with new programs."

As an end-to-end television service that incorporates an integrated broadcast solution, Sezmi is the ideal triple-play video companion to voice and data services offered by broadband service providers. "Sezmi creates a unique opportunity for Internet service providers and telecommunications companies looking to offer customers a differentiated triple play with its on-demand, personalized and affordable video service," said Jeff Gardner, president and CEO of Windstream Communications. "Unlike IPTV, Sezmi's innovative service utilizes the existing broadband network and does not require a significant capital infrastructure investment."

Sezmi enables content companies and advertisers to capitalize on current industry disruptions to create new business opportunities. Content providers are able to reach additional viewers, enhance their brands in an on-demand environment and drive higher CPMs through targeted advertising. Sezmi creates a unique opportunity for content companies to engage with viewers and strengthen their brands as consumers migrate towards an increasingly on-demand experience.

"Advertisers are demanding Internet-like efficiency with TV advertising. They want to target the right customer with the right ad, and have accurate data on viewer response," said Tim Hanlon, Executive Vice President of Denuo Group, a Publicis Company. "Sezmi is a breakthrough service in this area. For the first time, advertisers will know
exactly who—whether it's mom or dad or the kids—watched their commercial. Sezmi will enable improvements in advertising effectiveness and ultimately increases marketing ROI, two important goals in today's cluttered ad landscape."

Sezmi has established partnerships with broadcasters, broadband providers and contentcompanies to commence technical trials in preparation for commercial launch across several major U.S. markets later this year.

About Sezmi
Sezmi Corporation has developed the first complete TV 2.0 offering by combining traditional TV content, movies and internet video in a single easy-to-use product. Designed from the ground up with next generation TV functionality, Sezmi puts consumers in total control with a personalized on-demand viewing experience. Sezmi is working with partners from broadcast, broadband, content and advertising industries to create a new TV choice for consumers. Sezmi will be offered to consumers through broadband service providers and national retailers. For more information, visit www.sezmi.com

Warner's been toying around with it for a little while and been increasingly open to internet distribution, so it doesn't come as a major surprise. Interestingly, according to their numbers, offering same-day releases on the internet only eats into DVD rentals by 3-5 percent, and actually increases sales. Plus, online rentals/sales double bring them more than double the profit margin of physical discs, so everybody wins, except for Blockbuster. (So Hollywood really does have nothing to fear from online distribution.)

The best news though? Head of Warner's home video said that they're trying to make online rentals "at least as lenient" as grabbing a DVD from Blockbuster, breaking open that 24-hour window. Now that would be a deathblow for Blockbuster. [Bits]

Movie debuts, television series premieres, action trilogies and Oscar-winning films pack Comcast's on-demand service

More Hot Hits Added Every Week to Entertain Viewers and Deliver More High-Definition Choices Available Anywhere, Any Time

Top VOD Titles Include: The Bourne Trilogy, Michael Clayton, the Rush Hour Trilogy, and Academy-Award Winners Ray, Traffic, The Pianist, The Queen, Rain Man, The Departed, Happy Feet

PHILADELPHIA, PA - February 4, 2008 - Comcast, the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications, announced top new titles on its signature video on demand (VOD) service, most available in HD. The new lineup includes:

* Hollywood hits that are available the same day the films hit DVD;
* Hot television series premiering on VOD at least one week before airing on linear television channels;
* Two action-packed, blockbuster trilogies; and
* Special Academy Award-winning films for every movie buff.

The news follows Comcast's announcement of Project Infinity, its vision to deliver exponentially more content choice on TV, including more high-definition (HD), sports, movies, kids' programs and network TV shows, which the company introduced at the Consumer Electronics show on Jan 8th.

"Television viewing has changed and consumers have an insatiable appetite for personalized content delivered directly to their TVs. We're leading the charge and our customers love it" said Derek Harrar, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Video Services for Comcast. "With top titles like the Bourne and Rush Hour trilogies, we're giving our customers more movies, more shows and more HD than anyone else&mdashall available at the click of their remote control."

These new viewing choices are part of Comcast's video-on-demand lineup with more than 10,000 VOD selections available each month. Comcast customers now are selecting On Demand more than 100 times per second, with about 275 million views monthly; and since 2003, the company has seen viewership grow dramatically, surpassing six billion views.

Comcast's On Demand highlights are outlined below, along with links to details about each of them provided by Fancast.com, which Comcast also launched at CES. Fancast.com is the first online destination that enables users to watch, manage and find entertainment content wherever it is available - on Fancast, on television, online, on DVD or in theaters.

Hollywood blockbuster trilogies available On Demand include:

Bourne Trilogy
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Bourne-Identity/16910/main
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Bourne-Supremacy/10291/main
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Bourne-Ultimatum/94583/main

Rush Hour Trilogy
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Rush-Hour/11286/main
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Rush-Hour-2/8051/main
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Rush-Hour-3/96289/main

Feature films available On Demand the same day they're released on DVD, including:

Shoot Em Up
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Shoot-em-Up/91231/main

Mr. Woodcock
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Mr.-Woodcock/9015/main

Invasion
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Invasion/15476/main

The Brave One
Available 2/5, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Brave-One/15335/main

Rendition
Available 2/19, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Rendition/96130/main

No Reservations
Available 2/12, also in HDhttp://www.fancast.com/movies/No-Reservations/8030/main

Michael Clayton
Available 2/19, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Michael-Clayton/30659/main

Academy Award-winning favorites this month;
With more than 30 Academy Award-winning movies available On Demand in February, any movie buff can find what they're looking for, with titles like Ray*, The Pianist*, Traffic*, The Queen*, Dances with Wolves, Rain Man, The Departed and Gandhi—as well as family favorites like Happy Feet and Babe* for younger fans.
*These titles also are available in HD.

Premium and free television premieres available On Demand include:

The Tudors
First season available 2/18 to all Comcast Digital Cable customers, even if they don't subscribe to Showtime, also in HD; second season premiering in March, available to Showtime subscribers, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/tv/The-Tudors/95710/main

The Wire
Available now
http://www.fancast.com/tv/The-Wire-%28HBO%29/88049/main

Flavor of Love
Available 2/4, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/tv/Flavor-of-Love/1706/main

Also available are the highly anticipated series, Whitest Kids U' Know and Pinks, all also in HD, and the movie Husband for Hire.

All the usual VOD rules apply still: 24-hour viewing window, etc. This take on VOD is like Hollywood's wet dream though, since there is literally no cannibalization of the DVD sale, and they rake in most of the money here, not the distributor.

I think a better solution—i.e., one people use, maybe—would be giving you the option to buy the DVD after you've watched it on demand, and for a reduced price. If I'm watching something on demand, I'm really just checking it out—I don't know I want the DVD. And if I really want something on DVD, especially on release day, I haul my ass over to whichever B&M or online store has it cheapest and buy it. The way it is now, it's like a mutated Goomba from the Super Mario Bros. movie, which has "fail" written all over it. [CNN via Broadband Reports]

As we mentioned when we first introduced the MatrixStream to you, the catch to obtaining this remarkable streaming H.264 video using MatrixStream's MX-1 set-top box (pictured above) is that you must have a 6Mbps (megabit-per-second) broadband connection. That's what it'll take to watch 1080p videos on the system, and not a megabit less. For 720p HD, you'll need 3Mb, and for regular old 480p DVD-looking stuff, that'll need 1.5Mb per second.

Well, and then there's that other catch, enticing content creators to allow their movies to be moved over the thing. We're not holding our collective breath waiting for that to happen. But it gives you a good look at what might be pretty commonplace two or three years from now.

Reminds us of Vudu, doing almost exactly the same thing with standard def, with HD (albeit 1080i) downloading available now and instant HD reportedly on the way. Even though the $400 Vudu set-top box also has content issues, still, the future looks bright for this kind of tech. [MatrixStream]

We're talking with virtually all of the major manufacturers about the opportunity to provide greater mobility and convenience... The challenge is how do I make this convenient for everybody.

They're also chatting up a number of software companies about partnerships. Apparently, the idea came to Keyes after he got a tech to download some stuff from Movielink onto his Blackberry.

Which, it's a nice idea, but Blockbuster's past forays into other distribution channels haven't gone so smoothly, to put it mildly. Moreover, the installation of digital kiosks for portable media players inside of B&M stores indicates to me they don't quite "get" what digital distribution is all about.

They do have to branch out beyond B&M if they want to survive in the next few years, that's true—true IP VOD will be a killstroke—but I don't know if making it easier to put movies on your cellphone is Blockbuster's golden ticket. It might be a start, if they get it right for a change. [Reuters, Flickr]

pumpkin:~ pumpkin$ strings /usr/local/share/iphone-filesystem/usr/libexec/lockdownd | grep -i rental
trigger_rental_bag_verification: Could not retrieve FairPlayID
trigger_rental_bag_verification: Could not initialize FairPlay context
trigger_rental_bag_verification: Could not verify the rental bag response: %d
load_rental_bag_request: Could not retrieve FairPlayID
load_rental_bag_request: Could not initialize FairPlay context
load_rental_bag_request: Could not generate rental bag request
.....

There are actually a few more lines of code, but you get the point. If you recall, this is the second set of code that's been found pointing toward upcoming, or at least potential, video rentals.

The "could not retrieve FairPlayID" lines are probably the most interesting, or at the least ones begging most to be read into, since a rental setup with auto-suiciding content would require a variation of the current FairPlay scheme. On the face of it, it looks like the content's gotta be DRM-okayed with a kosher FairPlay ID as it's loaded.

The more relevant FairPlay DRM question for rentals is what kind of restrictions we're looking at. Rumors popped up this summer Apple was chatting up studios, which the Hollywood people confirmed. But they also confirmed they told Apple to take a hike, since they wanted more stringent rental windows, crippled portability and a higher pricepoint.

So unless Apple's compromised on the position we heard earlier—Hollywood's not getting any looser, see: NBC—it could be still be a while before we welcome Appleflix to the world. [TUAW]

The Contenders:
Hulu: NBC Universal/News Corp.'s mutant is a sandbox-y YouTube for their properties. Joost: Streaming P2P service from Kazaa/Skype founders that wants oh so badly to be real TV. It's got deals with Viacom and other name players—News Corp.'s rumored to be at the table as well. Miro: Open-source Cory Doctorow-anointed Joost-slayer. You download, rather than stream. It uses RSS-based channels and BitTorrent for its P2P workings.How They Look (and Feel):
Joost's translucent black interface wins hands down in the Slickness Dept., and its channel grid layout is the standout of the three. One issue is that player controls disappear when you're going through channels or shows, so you can't mute or pause a video playing in the background while surfing. But in terms of intuitiveness, on Joost, it's naturally apparent how to click around then start watching shows. (The "oh no, we can't play this now" error message assailed me more than a couple of times, showing there are still some P2P kinks to work out.)
Miro is more powerful for tweakers and creators, which contributes to it being less straightforward. It's not immediately obvious how you start watching stuff. Since its channels are RSS-based, you have to subscribe to them first, and then pick episodes to download. I should add, the best (though perhaps non-legal) content might require you to hunt outside Miro's interface for a torrent. Miro's the least flashy, using a modified browser scheme that takes longer to zoom through than Joost or Hulu, which is a problem when it overwhelmingly features the most content.
Hulu's good for a browser-based streaming player, as I've said, with a clean, mostly easy-to-navigate system.

In the end, no one's really nailed the content organization bit. None of them are bad, but they don't make surfing for new stuff particularly intuitive or fun. It can be a chore, and sometimes it feels like a long one.

Ads, I mean uh, "Revenue Model":
Miro is blissfully ad-free, but the other two are not. Joost's bumper ads are quick and not overly annoying. The ones that occasionally interrupt shows without rhyme or reason, however, are too long and randomly timed. They'll drive your head into your monitor. Hulu's gotten worse since its debut week, where I saw a single 30-second clip per 40-minute show. Watching Heroes the other night, I got slammed with an ad at each of the dots in the timeline.

The Meat:
Joost has 356 total "channels," though some aren't channels in the traditional sense. There's stuff from MTV, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, CBS, Warner Music, as well as channels of CSI, Happy Tree Friends, Transformers and GI Joe. There's offbeat stuff, too, like the Really Terrible Film channel. Used within legal boundaries, Miro lacks solid mainstream content. Comedy Central's "channels" are stand-up clips and web shows only, and Adult Swim just contains their video podcasts. But Miro boasts 2,756 channels, with everything from "Ask a Ninja" and National Geographic to NASA and Wired Science. But yes, you can start your own channel—all it takes is a torrent and a dream.

Hulu's the slimmest, but it has the most recent episodes of the best shows: House, Battlestar Galactica and any other popular shows from NBC Universal and News Corp., like SNL, The Office or Family Guy. There's no indie or offbeat content whatsoever—it's a totally corporate venture.

Across the board, scattershot content is still a major issue. Joost has a Comedy Central channel but no South Park or Chapelle's Show. Miro's kind of defined by being whatever from whoever. Hulu's trimmer offerings at least have an internal logic, with the newest five or six episodes of current shows available, and full seasons of past shows like Buffy.

What You Now Know:
No matter what service you pick, you won't find everything you want, thanks in part to corporate hang-ups and in part to the primitiveness of these early stages. They're maddeningly incomplete, like a crappy library in a rural town. Joost is probably your best bet in terms of quantity and quality, with Miro working better if you want a ton of new programming but don't care about corporate quality. And if you want Battlestar, well, the choice will be made for you. [Joost, Miro, Hulu, Flickr]

As Ars called it, Hulu is a "corporate sandbox" loaded with content from NBC, News Corp., Sony, MGM, as well as their various subsidiary channels like FX, Sci-Fi Channel and so forth, offering anything from full episodes of Battlestar Galactica and Buffy to SNL Digital Shorts and an entire Russell Crowe flick, Master & Commander. It's Flash-based, it streams, just like YouTube, and it's ad-supported, with bumpers and "commercial breaks," just like the TV it's trying to ape. Despite the potential of being a corporate bomb, Hulu actually succeeds in a lot of ways. For one, the interface is pretty slick, the site itself not overwrought and easy enough to navigate, which is something of a miracle given how FUBAR productions of this sort typically turn out. The animations are smooth, with lots of scrollover popups and transparency, and buttons for all of the few things you can do with a video. Grays and blacks surround the video in a widescreen format, making it easier on your eyes.

Video and sound are clean, the 520x295 resolution for widescreen format clips definitely tolerable for the 42 minutes required to watch House or the like. More importantly, the streams have been exceptionally smooth. Bouncing around within vids is snappy, on few occasions taking longer than a second, and more often than not instantaneous. However, and it might be my imagination, video isn't quite as nice as it was on launch day a few days ago—a touch more pixellated—and seeking takes a bit longer. Still impressively small, more noticeable now.The potential deal killer here, the ads. (Also the best reason to wait for a review: I saw nary a frame of ads on launch night.) Their timing seems to be totally random. The initial three-second bumper is painless, promising "limited commercial interruption" thanks to X sponsor. But the in-show ad—so far in my experience no more than one 30-second clip per episode—could come at any time: within seconds of the bumper, halfway through, the first time you click ahead or so on. In that sense, it's maddening.

So why put up with ads? The content—and that's where Hulu's value and potential lies, but also its biggest shortcoming. Ars' problem with Hulu was the fact that it was a sandbox. I don't think that's necessarily bad, depending on what's in the sandbox and the playground rules—and what you expect to get out of it. I actually don't care to pull content out of Hulu's garden, beyond embedding clips on Gizmodo—I just want to be able to catch the Heroes ep I missed or peek a show I've heard about with a couple of clicks and no waiting.

Shortfall #1: It doesn't put shows up quickly enough after they air. It's still faster to grab a torrent right after Heroes airs on the East Coast than to wait for it to drop on Hulu (not that I've done that, lovely denizens of NBC's legal department). Solution? Air it on both simultaneously. It'll also help solve the tricky dilemma of measuring new vs. old, medium-shifting viewers.

Shortfall #2: It's an incomplete archive, with new episodes pushing off older ones. This is a balancing act because they don't want to cannibalize TV-on-DVD sales, but personally, if I haven't already bought a series on DVD I'm not going to. For instance, Buffy Season One is available in its entirety, but nothing beyond that, even though I wanna watch the musical episode. Heroes now only stretches back to the second ep of the current season.

The truly bold step to take in this little experiment is to throw open the content doors: Put up everything, and watch what happens. My guess is that it wouldn't adversely affect DVD sales—maybe iTunes, but according to NBC, they weren't making any money there anyway. Hell, throw in two thirty-second spots per clip, but bump the resolution. In other words: Make it more like TV.

It's well known that the iTunes video store isn't the titanic market juggernaut the music store is—to wit, NBC can walk, but Universal Records stays, despite the fact it's the biggest label and has notoriously strained relations with Apple. It's clear from the new iPod line that Apple sees video as its next frontier. But they're simply not selling the volume of video they expect or want to.

On one level, the idea's fairly compelling: the video download market right now is primordial at best, and 99 cents a show is a hard bargain—even just considering production for a TV episode vs. a single track—that's bound to pull in eyeballs and pump iTunes sales, maybe enough to start to grab the first foothold in the market.

Which might be exactly why the networks would balk, clipping half their check aside. The contentious situation between record labels and iTunes is largely because of the iPod/iTunes grip on the digital music market. It's leverage Hollywood is clearly wary of granting anyone wiggle room toward. So we'll be more than surprised if this comes to pass, even over in Disney land. [Variety, thanks John]

You need a speedy broadband connection (at least 3Mbps); fast-forward can be wonky; like every other distributor the scope and selection its ever-changing catalog of 5k flicks is at the mercy of Hollywood studios. Stay tuned for own review, but if you're feeling hasty you can go ahead and slap down your $399 now. [NYT]

The piece alludes to "grumbling about Apple's prices" by Hulu's other daddy, News Corp., lending more weight to the possibility of a larger revolt against Apple sparked by the NBC walkout/booting. If News Corp. followed them to Unbox (its iTunes contract is also supposedly coming due), the video download market would become much more interesting. Unbox would gain some needed content firepower and the networks would be working with a distributor more beholden to them—and one with a direct line to millions of TiVos.

This party's so just getting started. [NYT, HuffPo via Tubewad]

WiMAX seems like an ideal delivery method, given the range it covers and its beefy bandwidth, so what Building B wants to do is definitely possible. But, the service launches in the fall, and WiMAX won't exactly have most of the country blanketed by then.

Either way, their vague assertions without hard specifics leave Om Malik (and us) "inherently skeptical of their claims." Topping off our saucer of skeptic's milk is the fact that their targeted ad partner is Claria, better known in its past life as Gator Corporation, proprietor of the eponymous adware client that plagued tens of millions of PCs in the late '90s.

The bottom line is that we'll believe in the One True Box when it's sitting atop our TVs—we've heard way too many empty promises from far too many prophets to be true believers before then. [Building B via NewTeeVee/GigaOM]

Subjecting viewers to ads is obviously the point of the new service (versus standard DVR), as Time Warner is lobbying Nielsen to count shows viewed with Look Back as "live viewing." Comcast, on the other hand, is planning a similar service, but is still undecided on whether or not it's going to shutdown the fast-forward button.

By offering the service free of charge, Time Warner (and other cable operators) are clearly trying to undercut TiVo while being more business-friendly by not letting us escape the scourge of commercials. Time Warner, naturally, doesn't see it that way. At a July conference, its president, Jeffery Bewkes, offered this golden nugget of rationalization: "People are used to advertising. A good number of people like the advertising."

Yeah, during the Super Bowl. The other 364 days of the year, not so much, Jeff. [NYT]

In the deal, Blockbuster also picked up the rights to show flicks owned by Movielink's now-former owners, which include Warner Bros., MGM, and Paramount, giving it something of a leg up on Netflix's service, which has a slightly limited selection.

The war's only going to get uglier until it gets better, and by better, we mean when Netflix rolls out that set-top box we've been drooling over for God knows how long. [NYT]

As I said, it's a hybrid peer-to-peer network, built to deliver instant playback of any of any of the 5,000 movies in its planned library. The first few seconds of each movie will already be stored on your box, so that you get a satisfying instant-play feeling even as its caching the download. A central server should mean satisfactory playback from the beginning, when there aren't many boxes deployed. The same system should also guarantee Vudu won't have the same high-demand p2p choke-up that Joost suffered recently. (Congestion-wise, it also helps Vudu that this is a pay-for-play service.)

Since Vudu makes every box and knows their exact capabilities, as well as all of the content coming and going, the "load-sharing" distribution will be easier to manage than a Joost-type PC based service. Vudu stores the most popular movies throughout the network using a predictive system to speed up delivery. On your home network, any background data sharing will have a low priority over the other internet activities, but when you kick on the Vudu and demand content, it takes your router's center stage.

The actual product announcement, including movie availability details, will happen later this summer, though we are told it will definitely ship this year, and for a price somewhere under $500. You will be able to buy or rent movies: 99 cents to $3.99 per rental; $4.99 to $19.99 per purchased movie, which will reside on the Vudu box and nowhere else. Vudu promises to let you download a purchased movie again, in the event of a hard-drive failure or some other catastrophe.

It's a very cool application of the technology, though coolness doesn't guarantee success, especially in the set-top box world. (See TiVo, then see Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD.) To check out the user interface, click through the gallery to see how you drill down through genre, select a movie, then watch the trailer or get actor and director info. (My apologies if the shots are out of order—that's actually 100% Flickr, but I will say sorry anyhow.)

Exclusive Pics of the Vudu - Video Store In A Box [Gizmodo]

As a Cablevision subscriber with all of the channels the carrier now offers, all I can say is, "Please, dear God, no more programming!" Why would I say this?

The story mentions that Comcast and DirecTV are also building up capacity for HD, but not once does the story mention how the hell anyone intends to access this veritable sh'load of content. Cablevision, based mostly in and around the New York metropolitan area, uses the same Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD that its archrival Time Warner Cable NYC uses, yet with an even worse user interface, if you can imagine it:

• There's no way to search for shows (without growing a full beard in the process)
• There are 17 redundant options for scheduling a season pass, yet no way to skip recording one given episode
• By default, old content stays and when capacity is reached it stops recording new content, with no warning
• DVR and VOD options are separate channels, so there's no good way to do contextual search, among many other problems

I have been contemplating it, but now I will solemnly vow it: I will walk the fiery-coal path towards a Cablevision CableCard, to use with DVRs from TiVo and Microsoft. I will do so in the name of Giz, and in the name of 500-channel shitty-DVR sufferers everywhere. Down with the CableCo-mandated EPG!!! – Wilson Rothman

Cablevision could air 500 HD channels by year-end [Reuters]

Why is Comcast making with the verbal jujitsu?

First and foremost, for the same reason the 800 number made your eyes pop out: There simply isn't that much HD content to go around. As Ars notes, most cable networks "have yet to commit to launching HD versions of their programming," so even the 100 channels DirecTV tossed out brought its share of skeptics. What's out there is growing, for sure, but the market's far from mature, so there's a wide gap to fill.

Problem two is bandwidth—HD content devours it, and cable companies only have so much. One solution is Switched Digital Video, which only sends content to your home from the neighborhood node after you've requested it, selectively using only the necessary amount of bandwidth. Of course, IPTV only requires transmission of a few channels at a time, giving it an edge in this particular area.

Bottom line? Despite the growing number of HDTVs landing in homes, hurdles on both the content and technology sides are going to limit what's on and what's available for at least a while longer, whatever big numbers the cable and satellite companies might throw at you. – Matt Buchanan

Comcast: 800 HDTV Channels? [TV Predictions via Ars Technica]
Image via Flickr

Given that the movie download market is still in its relative infancy, Hollywood believes that they don't "need to rush into a deal with Apple." Fools rush in, true—but look at what came of the music industry's reticence to embrace new avenues of distribution.

Moreover, that ever present fear, cannibalization, is also at play, with the studios wringing their hands over the possibility of losing the coin that trickles in from standard PPV. Not to mention that at $2.99, the fee would undercut pretty much everyone else in the game.

What to do, what to do? If Apple wants a rental store, the smart money would point in its favor, though the terms might not be as favorable as we initially heard. On the other hand, smartly leveraging Apple TV (perhaps with a few other tricks up its sleeve) might make the deal too tasty for Hollywood to pass up. What do you guys think? – Matt Buchanan

Hollywood balks at Apple online movie rentals [Yahoo!/Reuters]

The move marks two major breaks from Apple's current offerings, which are download-to-own only and come solely from Disney and Paramount—a rental store with several major studios would not only shift the way users can view movies using iTunes, it would dramatically expand Apple's catalog. Not to mention the number of people using VOD, which is a boon for studios, and no doubt their incentive to come to the table.

Moreover, it makes current digital rental plans, like Xbox Live's Video Marketplace, look like they're giving customers the shaft with their comparatively measly rental windows and higher prices. Can we expect a swift reaction? The hopeful fall debut of Apple's service leaves a lot of leg room for others to step up. Perhaps more importantly, we will finally see the jump to HD on Apple's part? More details as they come. – Matt Buchanan

Hollywood studios in video talks with Apple [Financial Times]

Oh, and pass the "I'm a human" challenge/response test, which most of you should get past. We hope. – Matt Buchanan

Invite Form [Joost via GigaOM]

Personally, I think the idea is crazy. Yeah, it'd be nice to see new releases at home, but to cough up $49 for the "privilege," no thanks. Even if you own one of these, the experience won't be the same and it's just too much money to fork over for a movie which may or may not be good. What do you guys think? How much would you be willing to pay for the ability to stream new theater releases at home? Do you even wanna do that to begin with? – Louis Ramirez

Comcast Wants to Charge Up to $49.95 to Stream Movies to Your Home [Consumerist]

The shaky manifesto wavers a bit into believability, however, when he says that the current geek-heaviness owes to "the average consumer still being confused about different video formats and DRM rights, getting downloaded video onto the TV, and premium content being slow to arrive to the digital market." On that much, he's right.

But is that enough to reason to think paid downloads are doomed to imminent oblivion in the wake of say, Joost? Or a subscription service attached to your 360 or Apple TV? As Ars points out, people occasionally do like to own the content they watch. You know, sometimes. And the market's still in its relative infancy