Amazon will launch a new streaming video service to select customers on Thursday called Amazon Video on Demand. The service is different from its year-and-a-half old Unbox download service, which offers downloads of movies and TV to rent and buy, but only works on Windows machines.
Amazon has clearly been rethinking the Unbox business lately, and let some details slip about this new service in May. The main difference seems to be that the movies are streamed and can be watched instantly.
40,000 movies and television shows are available now.
Amazon also plans to pipe the data in directly to large screen TVs. they signed a deal to include the service in Sony Bravia high-definition Television sets. To access the movies on their Bravia TVs, users must purchase a $300 Bravia Internet Video link, the Times reported. Brad Stone, who wrote the story, noted that this “was an awkward extra expense, for now.”
Until we see the product it can’t really be judged, Amazon is going to have a fight on its hands as it tries to wrestle its way into the living room. Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Tivo and lots of other services are already there, hanging out with the family. I love Amazon, but I’m not sure I love them more than Apple, Netflix and Tivo combined.
Well Michael, I love Amazon, and I surely love it more that Apple, Netflix and Tivo combined. And a one time $300 purchase is not so much.
Hopefully this idea will work and they’ll extend the TV options, not just Bravia.
Cheers
You’re up early Mike!
Suggestion – can you make TC contributor comment titles a darker shade of green? They don’t stand out as much as they did in the old style sheet.
The service is now in open/limited Beta. You can sign up for it here:
http://www.amaz...lp/sr-beta.html
If you get in, you get a $5 Unbox store credit. Also, the first 2 minutes of streaming are free…
I’ve been watching movies and TV shows from Amazon for years on the TV in my living room through my TiVo. I was doing this before the NetFlix box or AppleTV. Go figure.
Micheal, bit late aren’t your…NY TIMES already broke this yesterday.
Unbox currently only works with MS Windows.
I guess streaming will work with any OS? Does anyone know?
OK, just found it myself.
“Hint: It’s PC and Mac-friendly, and it’s coming soon.”
Very nice.
where oh where is the bandwidth going to come from??
From AWS probably…
Do I want to pay for a boring piece of hardware in order to enable meself to pay (again) to watch movies? TV-sets should build in digital support.
$300 for a “Bravia Internet Video link” to get the inevitable: internet TV?
As a consumer I want my mobile phone to have VOIP to save costs
As a consumer I want my photo camera to support WIFI to save time
As a consumer I want my television set to connect to the internet without a “handy” €300,- plug thing.
HALLO big-O’s, corpos, smarties….R U listening?
So Lame.. Kind of interesting though that they would chose that platform to stream the videos to.
Awesome. I love streaming my entertainment. Now if they can just sync up with Microsoft and get it streaming over the Xbox 360 so I don’t have to connect my laptop to my living room and I will be one happy camper!
I feel the same way… For all the “convenience” of getting movies on your computer, it often turns inconvenient when it comes to that step of getting it onto your TV!
Why not just build it into the TV?
Ryan, I read that the next generation of Sony Bravia will all have the internet link integrated by default, sounds cool !
I’ve signed up for this streaming beta and watched Shoot Em Up last night on my laptop from bed, worked very well … once in full screen I forgot that it was streaming
I saw this story earlier in CNET (news.com) but couldn’t read it as they asked me to register. How stupid!
EPIC FAIL!!!
Everyone is trying streaming videos these days… http://blabtech.blogspot.com
1. I think the “Internet-TV” phase in its current form (apple tv, roku etc.) won’t last too long. The cable companies have been doing similar things for a while – e.g. pay per view. They’re in the best position to expand this segment. All they need is to hook up with Amazon/Hulu/YouTube and others to provide the content on the Internet but delivered over the last mile to our big screens as it always has been – through the cable. If cable companies see too much of apple tv type activity on their network at the expense of their business – its easy to see what they’ll do – charge by data. Someone said charging by data is a step back – I don’t see why. Even today, rate plans depend on bandwidth – but for unlimited data. Its a fine line to step over and start charging by data volume.
2. Second issue – I don’t think there’s a real need to merge TV and PC. PC is for the individual and videos on PCs are suited in a multitasking type situation, the big screen TV with good sound is for the family where everyone eventually has to agree to watch the same thing. 2-3 min clips from youtube don’t fit the TV scenario. In fact – probably only TV shows, sports and movies do. Cable companies are experimenting with some auto sales and house sales on TV – they won’t work either by the same logic.
And think of this – is it hard for cable companies to offer what Apple TV or Roku is offering? If it isn’t hard and if there’s money to be made – we know what will happen.
The concept behind streaming movies and content to a TV from the internet is fantastic and will continue to grow. As it currently is, however, there are too many damn annoying loop holes you have to go through to actually get the content on your TV. I don’t want to have to go purchase a multi-hundred dollar box as well as a $300 dollar bravia link. This is just ridiculous. If it has to be done with a box, at least make a box that can potentially integrate with many different tv’s, many different content/movie providers (like amazon, apple, etc.). This is where the real money will be made. Go here for suggestions of where to begin… http://www.read...ex.php?RTA=web2
JeggDoop – That’s my point. Too many hassles. Why solve a problem that has been solved?
Part of the issue is – people are forgetting the cable wire is the same wire that gets you your Internet. And that does go to the TV. So what’s all the noise in the middle about ( wi-fi/apple tv box)?
Why bother with yet another set of devices when the cable box is already streaming high quality videos.
Would you care if your YouTube video was delivered through your own Internet connection or by your cable company’s as long as you get to see it?
Um, because it IS a problem that hasn’t been solved.
While I am happy for you that you have a billion content provider choices, I live in a rural area, too rural for either DSL or Cable.
Our television content runs via satellite, and internet via wireless broadband. Internet via satellite requires ridiculously expensive hardware, a second dish, and is slightly more expensive than the wireless card, which does not have the satellite lag (only important in gaming).
I doubt this particular method of providing content will receive market support, but it will open doors to other new approaches, and I’m sure an open source group will figure out a way to bypass the $300 hardware using a Kindle and PS3.
What makes Amazon interesting is the risks it is prepared to take.
Does this mean I can no longer transfer video rentals to my PMP?
In France, Canal Plus will launch a USB key to receive all their channels on your PC and you will be bale to store some videos or TV shows on your computer
http://votw-fra...canal-plus.html