While the technosphere has been buzzing about Apple's expected movie download launch next week (see
previous post), Amazon beat Apple to the punch by unveiling its own movie download store today--
Amazon Unbox.
In addition to movies for purchase, you can rent most titles for a 24-hour period for $3.99 or $2.99 (depending on whether it's a new or older release, respectively). This is a great option for when you just don't want to wait for that Netflix envelope to show up, or for loading up your PC for a long cross-country flight. Amazon Unbox also offers a full menu of TV show options, from
24 and
CSI to
Pimp My Ride and
Antiques Roadshow.To start playing with Unbox, you'll first need to download the
Amazon Unbox Video Player, which uses Windows Media Player 10 as its video engine. Videos can be viewed on your PC only via the Unbox video software, which also means that you'll only be able to watch them on a TV if your PC is connected to it (either via S-Video for standard TV sets or digital hookups like DVI or HDMI to a flat panel LCD or plasma set). The downloads are pretty heavy (a little over 1 GB per hour of video), but they produce DVD-quality video. Each download includes two .WMV files (one main file containing the video and a preview file) and one .AMZN file (a smaller format file optimized for mobile devices).
Speaking of which, you can transfer video to up to two compatible Windows Media video portable devices such as the
Creative Zen Vision:M. Check out this
Amazon Help page for a list of supported devices.
I tested out the service (on my wife's laptop, since I'm rather Mac-centric), and it's easy peasy. I selected the Brussels episode from Samantha Brown's
Passport to Europe, clicked the Buy Episodes with 1-Click button, launched the Unbox Video Player, and started watching the episode almost immediately as it continued downloading. (Ahhh, chocolate and beer from Brussels...)
Now here's some sad news: you can't burn a copy of an Unbox video to DVD and have it play on a DVD player (though the file can burned to disc for archiving purposes) and the service is not compatible with the Mac or iPod.
It's still early days, but for an entertainment world that's increasing the pace in its move from the home theater to the PC, Amazon's Unbox offers intriguing possibilities. And for a limited time, Amazon is offering a
$1.99 instant rebate--the price of a typical TV episode--on your first Unbox purchase.--Posted by Agen
Link to Article
09-07-06, 07:50 PM
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