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What Is It?
Operated by Best Buy and powered by RoxioNow, CinemaNow is another VOD service that offers movies and TV episodes for rental or purchase. Regardless of whether you rent or buy, videos can be streamed for instant viewing, or downloaded and watched later (downloads can be shared between five devices). You can also use your smartphone to purchase content and have it downloaded to your Windows PC. This way, you can purchase a movie while you’re at work, and it will be ready to watch when you get home.
What's Available?
You’ll find VOD versions of movies just released on disc, as well as a spotty selection of TV shows from the broadcast and cable networks, including Showtime, but not HBO. New TV episodes—of the select shows actually offered—are generally available the day after they’re broadcast. Videos are streamed at the highest resolution (up to 1080p) that your Internet connection is capable of supporting. CinemaNow requires a minimum connection speed of 1.5Mb/s.
Devices with Support Built In
Various TVs from LG and Samsung; various Blu-ray players from Insignia (Best Buy’s house brand), LG, Panasonic, and Samsung; Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming console (requires Windows PC connection); Mac or Windows PC (via browser).
Pricing
Most newly released movies can be rented for $3.99, while older movies rent for $2.99. Purchase prices for films range from $9.99 to $19.95, although most new releases were selling for $15.95 at press time. TV episodes sell for $1.99 each. There are no subscription fees.
Our Take
Best Buy offers very good prices for movie purchases, but its prices for movie rentals and TV episode purchases are just meh. We like the ability to buy a movie with a smartphone and have it automatically downloaded to a PC—and it would be great if rentals could be arranged this way, too. For whatever reason, Best Buy has chosen to support far fewer devices than the RoxioNow service is capable of delivering (see Blockbuster On Demand for examples).
What Is It?
Crackle describes itself as a multiplatform video entertainment network and studio owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. The service is unique in that it allows you to embed its original programming, "minisodes," full-length television episodes, and feature films.
What's Available?
You’ll find full-length feature films and TV episodes, as well as trailers for coming attractions. Sony owns most of this content, including some entirely original programming. Oddly enough, videos default to 360p resolution, which is lower than standard definition (480p). Crackle offers some content at higher resolution, but it tops out at—you guessed it—480p.
Devices with Support Built In
You can stream—but not download—Crackle’s Flash videos to these connected devices: Sony's Bravia TVs; Sony's Internet TV; most Sony Blu-ray players; TiVo DVRs; Sezmi set-top box; Google TV devices, such as the Logitech Revue; Hulu (and all networked media players that support that service); D-Link’s Boxee Box; Roku devices; the Sony PlayStation 3; Verizon FiOS TV; Android devices; mobile devices on the Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks; Apple's iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch; Windows PCs.
Pricing
Crackle is entirely free, but it is heavily supported by online ads and commercial interruptions. You must be at least 18 years old and register with the site to access R-rated movies.
Our Take
If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you’ve probably already seen most of the movies that Crackle has to offer—and without commercial interruptions. The low-res video is another bummer. Some of Crackle’s original content is definitely worth watching, though, especially the female-assassin series Angel of Death. Crackle is a good choice if you enjoy watching videos on your mobile device, too; and it's one of the few services to support the iPad. While we applaud Crackle for enabling its customers to distribute its content relatively freely (through embedding), bear in mind that it’s primarily in the interest of promoting the service.
What Is It?
Vudu started life as a movie-download service using a proprietary box with a hard drive. Besides the hardware—and a bevy of deals with movie studios—Vudu's biggest claim to fame was its HDX video-encoding algorithm that enabled it to stream movies in full 1080p resolution. The set-top box eventually fell by the wayside in favor of streaming movies to devices such as Blu-ray players. That removed a significant barrier for consumers, but it wasn't enough to keep the company independent—it was acquired by WalMart in early 2010.
What's Available?
Vudu offers Hollywood movies (and Showtime TV episodes) for rental and sale, typically the same day they become available on disc. Videos are streamed at the highest resolution your Internet connection can support, with standard-definition (480p) video requiring a minimum download speed of 1–2Mb/s. Vudu offers two high-definition streams: HD (720p), which requires a minimum download speed of 2.25–4.5Mb/s, and HDX (1080p with Dolby Digital Plus 7.1-channel sound), which requires a very fat pipe that can deliver between 4.5- and 9Mb/s. This is also the only service that supports 3D video streaming.
Devices with Support Built In
Most newer Blu-ray players, HDTVs, and home-theater-in-a-box systems; a number of networked media players, including D-Link's Boxee Box, Netgear's NeoTV, and Roku devices; Sony's PlayStation 3; Apple's iPad; and Windows PCs.
Pricing
New releases cost $3.99, $4.99, or $5.99 to rent (for SD, HD, and HDX, respectively). Vudu sells most new releases for $14.99 (in SD) or $19.99 (in HD or HDX). Older movies rent for $2 for two nights, with a limited number of movies renting for just 99 cents.
Our Take
Who'd have guessed that WalMart would come to offer one of the best online video-rental services on the market? Vudu is at least as good as Amazon Instant Video, and it supports far more hardware platforms than iTunes; Netflix' movie offerings are downright stagnant in comparison. If WalMart wants to make the service even more compelling—and more profitable—it should enable customers without super-fast broadband connections to download movie rentals in HDX (like the original Vudu box did).
Comments are closed on this article
SalladDazed
January 31, 2012 at 8:17pm
Bizarrely, we found out (the hard way) that 2011 and (I believe) 2012 Samsung connected TVs (using their Smart Hub interface) do not natively support Amazon VOD.
Apparently, this used to be offered via the Yahoo Widgets app (still available in the Samsung app store) but is not for model year 2011 and going forward.
Samsung recently has issued some bizarre but hopeful signs this may change at some point. Yahoo has made no official comment. Though Amazon's site provides arguably misleading language indicating Samsung TVs support their video streaming services, it has released no official comment on the situation.
We have been monitoring a thread on Amazon's site Since April of 2011, but nothing much has changed. Though a recent firmware upgrade included language in its feature list, the language was so poorly worded as to make little sense, and there was no change in the TV's ability to playback this content.
http://www.amazon.com/forum/home%20theater/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg1?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx2DJH5MIDFPGUV&cdPage=1&cdSort=oldest&cdThread=Tx2FSR7GPIMOR0C
jerryfrost
January 31, 2012 at 8:15pm
my friend's step-aunt makes $84 hourly on the computer. She has been fired for 9 months but last month her income was $8799 just working on the computer for a few hours. Go to this web site and read more u.go2.me/57V
MrSelatcia
January 31, 2012 at 8:40am
Good luck getting the MLB network working fully on your Roku, or even android for that matter. Never mind that the Roku's advertise the compatibility. Full MLB access on anything other than a PC or Apple product is an exercise in futility. Maddening considering what they charge.
Atomike
January 31, 2012 at 8:04am
No mention of ESPN 3? This is the only real way to stream sports. And it's not mentioned. Article is wildly incomplete.
Morete
January 31, 2012 at 2:05am
I was told that "due to movie studio restrictions", Vudu content is not streamable to PC in 1080p and it's only allowed to stream to HD TVs at that resolution.
OCFRED
January 31, 2012 at 1:08am
What is the common denominator? lower overall cost than a cable/DVR package. I may grab one of those logitec units since it seems to offer the only experience tailored around what the user wants rather than pushing whats most profitable for content holders and adverts. Lets face it and admit that the net has supplanted and enhanced "stealing" cable in more wonderful ways than we who grew up with VCR's could have imagined. What erodes the old profit model most is that nearly all new content created is complete Sh*t, no artistic integrity with scripted "realities" more perverse than bawdy fiction; at networks there are likely 50 suits selling airtime for every one fostering new talent. I'd rather keep getting 3 classic flicks at a time from Blockbuster through the mail for $22 with no due dates and personal control of playback free of ads. Web offerings are rough but growing everyday and evolving expression with returns for the artist instead of some talentless hack "managing" for indifferent, insatiable shareholders.
Sooner go back to video tapes or buy tickets to live performing art than endure network broadcasting. Entertainment's genesis from live theater to pictures, radio, TV and cable onto the web is only being criminalized by lawyers and the thugs behind them intent to keep their beaks saturated while audiences are left to die of thirst rather than be empowered to change the channel.
JohnP
January 30, 2012 at 9:24pm
I am consistently disappointed with embedded media boxes inside other products. XBox360, DLNA enabled TVs, Blu Ray players with network ports, Apple TV and on and on. Try getting High def and 5.1 surround sound out of these "appliances" is an exercise in frustration. Streaming TV always have their weak points and are only available in certain places in certain formats in certain codecs in certain audio types.
I cannot empathize how well a decent HTPC can rule the roost over all of these myriad formats and types. There is just nothing better out there which makes all these embedded media boxes both unnecessary and an expensive useless device. Just say no.
hades_2100
January 30, 2012 at 6:39pm
No XBMC? I only have 4 XBMC installations in my home and it just wouldn't be the same without it.
DaemonSeed
January 30, 2012 at 3:21pm
Very good article. However I was extremely disappointed that while you posted a bit about Boxee Box, you neglected its root primary parent from whence Boxee came.
XBMC is one of the most awesome media centers around today. I currently run XBMC Eden (Beta 2) and its rawked to the max. The XBMC Team do some really awesome work.
XMBC also has a nice healthy plug in repository to add more features to your HTPC experience. Check it out XBMC.org , available for OSX, Windows, Linux, Apple TV and you can even run a live dvd/usb distro. Do not pass this one up people!
In adittion, XBMC has a great live support forum so you can learn and expand your XBMC knowledge!
athlon11
January 30, 2012 at 3:12pm
If you included the MLB and NBA in that article why not the NHL? So much better than basketball.
