I have started once again to keep myself up-to-date with the tech news etc. and while browsing the google tech news I came upon an article about the new Netflix Roku. For some reason I never got into the Apple TV idea, I guess because I'm not a big fan of the apple store in general. My main gripe with it is the damn DRM stuff. I feel like downloading music legally from the itunes store is so pointless- you can't do anything with the songs once you get them For instance, I was making a youtube video the other day and I really wanted to use this particular song. Instead of sifting through all the bittorrent websites (yeah, I use bittorrent- what about it?) I decided to use the itunes store. I found the song and downloaded it and then quickly realized that I couldn't use the damn thing because of the DRM certificate. I digress..
I dove further into the hub-bub over the new roku player and I think it's a pretty good idea. A simple, stripped down media player that allows users to rent and stream movies and tv shows right from the internet. Netflix is doing a good job bridging the gap between on-demand video and traditional DVD rentals- I dig it. Critics have mixed reviews but there is still a lot of support for the new product saying that it is definitely a cheaper rival to the apple TV. I said not too long ago that I was excited about amazon.com "renting" movies and TV through the internet and could easily make it into this same streaming idea- this roku player is doing the exact same thing just making it a bit easier. I'm not sure about it but I also think that netflix may have a better selection than amazon, but who knows. Bottom line, I'm into this roku idea.. I'm not sure I would get it for myself (right now anyway) but I think it's worth investing in if you have the time and money to watch a lot of movies. Update on my life: I haven't been using netflix anymore because I found it to be a bit expensive for my college taste and the time I spend watching movies is the time I'm not sleeping, so that's that.
2 comments:
I am SO glad you and I share the great distaste for iTunes. This semester I had to do an informative presentation in my comm class, and I chose to do mine on DRM-free music: what it is and where you can get it (Amazon.com mp3 downloads being my fave place right now, though it has only worked properly for me on an IE7 browser.) I have one other friend who "gets it" - that iTunes stinks pretty badly.
I have never been too big on the idea of renting music. I like to know that it will always be there, even if I dont pay a monthly fee. But for the amount of music I purchase these days, it might be worth it.
Video, on the other hand, I dont feel I need to own, so renting is great for me. Unfortunately, time is sparse to spend time watching movies, and like you said, it could be time sleeping. I just subscribed to Netflix 3 months ago for the 2 week trial, and as my forgetfulness would have it, 3.5 months later I still have it, am still getting charged for it, and hardly use it. Maybe once I settle down Ill be able to find more use in it before I totally drop it.
The probs I see with Roku is just having something else clutter up the TV area. I am so used to basic cable, that when I went home to visit my mom, it took me much too long to figue out how get to a certain HD channel. It doesnt seem worth it to me to have so much stuff clumping up the entertainment area. Seems like people these days just thrive on getting the latest and greatest without understanding how it serves to benefit (and most times, take away from) life.
Looks pretty cool, I guess. I think I'm just waiting around for something that "does it all" for what I need. Meh.
By the way, I hit this quote and was livid.
"Thanks to Hollywood's byzantine licensing system, less than 10 percent of Netflix's 100,000-plus library of titles is available for streaming to the Player. That means, for now, that only two of Netflix's top 100 DVDs are available for streaming: March of the Penguins and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. "
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9947582-7.html
Just like the music companies, Hollywood being difficult for this age of technology. I just don't get it; they are going to have to face the music (pardon the pun) that times are a'changin' and they need to think of additional ways they all can remain a couple of the wealthiest industries...
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