I with you. I can't see the logic in watching a movie (or a tv show) on my cellphone. Definitely can't watch a foreign film, with subtitles, on a cellphone either. Can't read the print. A former coworker watches BG on his video iPod. I don't see the sense in that, either, but this guy swears by it. He watches an ep on the commuter train.
The only application I can think of where I *might* watch a film on my phone is inflight on an airplane (train or bus) where I a) don't want to watch the airline's canned and edited film, and b) don't have a portable DVD player (with its larger screen) with me. But this situation is so infrequent, it doesn't justify the expense. Cellphone cameras are good at catching stuff that needs to be caught. Michael Richards' rant and Saddam's final exit are two examples of that. George --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Does anyone even relish this idea, watching a movie on your phone? I can't get myself around the notion of being able to see a movie while I'm at a restaurant or on the train or anything like this. I see lots of folks doing just this here in Atlanta on MARTA. Me, I don't even like going to the theater anymore. Inceasingly, I find myself waiting until a movie hits DVD, then deciding whether 'tis nobler to drop the $20 for ownership or $4 for a day's enjoyment, all in the confines of my bedroom, where I can react to it as I choose. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Good point, but I think that's coming anyway. There's a lot of movie development for cell phones going on in Asia, and now picking up here. There's lots of possibilities that movies will be produced especially for iPods. So I think the development of little mini-films tailored for small screens and shorter viewing times is here to stay. Since it is, we have to really, really hope the suits will try to develop some good content. Personally I think the You Tubes and other distribution methods coming into vogue will produce a type of permanent class of developers who'll create content for these new methods of viewing. > > -------------- Original message -------------- > From: Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Suggest deployment of umbrellas... > > I can see one problem with that. If this paradigm does shift to the point where we can get movies faster online, then expect H'Wood to shift its own paradigm by pushing out more movies. > > Did I leave out the word "crappy"? > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Fascinating. Every week, it seems Comcast and AT&T (formerly BellSouth)--the two major broadband carriers in Atlanta--promise faster and faster download speeds. I think I get about 5 mbps on average from Comcast, and I heard a promise of six recently. Couple that increasing speed--which still lags far behind the average speed in most other industrialized nations--with more realization of the Net's usage, and we may see that paradigm shift sooner rather than later. Already I understand the Nielsen folks are pullilng out their hair trying to capture true ratings when people often forego first- run broadcasts of shows on TV in favor of DVR, reruns on broadcaster's websites, and iTunes purchases. > Exciting.... > > -------------- Original message -------------- > From: "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > -------- Original Message -------- > > Subject: [Blackfolks] Instant viewing -- Netflix delivers over the Web > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *Instant viewing -- Netflix delivers over the Web* > > POSTED: 10:04 a.m. EST, January 16, 2007 > > > > http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/01/16/instant.netflix.ap/index. html > > > > LOS GATOS, California (AP) -- Netflix Inc. will start showing movies and > > TV episodes over the Internet this week, providing its subscribers with > > more instant gratification as the DVD-by-mail service prepares for a > > looming technology shift threatening its survival. > > > > The Los Gatos-based company plans to unveil the new "Watch Now" feature > > Tuesday, but only a small number of its more than 6 million subscribers > > will get immediate access to the service, which is being offered at no > > additional charge. > > > > Netflix expects to introduce the instant viewing system to about 250,000 > > more subscribers each week through June to ensure its computers can cope > > with the increased demand. > > > > After accepting a computer applet that takes less than a minute to > > install, subscribers will be able to watch anywhere from six hours to 48 > > hours of material per month on an Internet streaming service that is > > supposed to prevent piracy. > > > > The allotted viewing time will be tied to how much customers already pay > > for their DVD rentals. Under Netflix's most popular $17.99 monthly > > package, subscribers will receive 18 hours of Internet viewing time. > > > > The company has budgeted about $40 million this year to expand its data > > centers and cover the licensing fees for the roughly 1,000 movies and TV > > shows that will be initially available for online delivery. > > > > Netflix's DVD library, by comparison, spans more than 70,000 titles, one > > of the main reasons why the mail is expected to remain the preferred > > delivery option for most subscribers. > > > > Another major drawback: the instant viewing system only works on > > personal computers and laptops equipped with a high-speed Internet > > connection and Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system. That means > > the movies cannot be watched on cell phones, TVs or video iPods, let > > alone computers that run on Apple Inc.'s operating system. > > > > Despite its limitations, the online delivery system represents a > > significant step for Netflix as it tries to avoid obsolescence after the > > Internet becomes the preferred method for piping movies into homes. > > > > "This is a big moment for us," Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings as > > he clicked a computer mouse to quickly call up "The World's Fastest > > Indian" on the instant viewing service. "I have always envisioned us > > heading in this direction. In fact, I imagined we already would be there > > by now." > > > > Besides preparing Netflix for the future, the instant viewing system > > also gives the company a potential weapon in its battle with Blockbuster > > Inc. As part of an aggressive marketing campaign, Blockbuster has been > > giving its online subscribers the option of bypassing the mail and > > returning DVDs to a store so they can obtain another movie more quickly. > > > > Since its 1999 debut, Netflix has revolutionized movie-watching habits > > by melding the convenience of the Web and mail delivery with a flat-fee > > system that appealed to consumers weary of paying the penalties imposed > > by Blockbuster for late returns to its stores. > > > > After first brushing off Netflix as a nettlesome novelty, Blockbuster > > has spent the past few years expanding a similar online rental service > > that provoked a legal spat over alleged patent infringement. > > > > Netflix has been able to maintain its leadership so far, building so > > much momentum that the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., > > abandoned its efforts to build an online DVD rental service in 2005. > > > > In the last three years, Netflix has signed up nearly 5 million more > > subscribers to become increasingly profitable. Although Netflix will not > > report its 2006 earnings until later this month, analysts believe the > > company made about $44 million last year, up from $6.5 million in 2003. > > > > Despite the company's growth, Netflix's stock price has dropped by more > > than 40 percent over the past three years, shriveling to $22.71 at the > > end of last week. > > > > The erosion largely reflects investor misgivings about Netflix's > > long-term prospects. > > > > Once it becomes more practical to buy and rent movies within a few > > minutes on high-speed Internet connections, few consumers presumably > > will want to wait a day or two to receive a DVD in the mail. If that > > happens, Netflix could go the way of the horse and buggy. > > > > Online movie delivery already is available through services like > > CinemaNow, MovieFlix, Movielink, Vongo and Amazon.com Inc.'s recently > > launched Unbox. Apple Inc. also is emerging as major player, with > > hundreds of movies and TV shows on sale at its iTunes store and a new > > device that promises to transport media from a computer to a TV screen. > > > > But none of those online services have caught on like Netflix's > > mail-delivery system, partly because movie and TV studios generally > > release their best material on DVDs first. The studios have had little > > incentive to change their ways because DVDs still generate about $16 > > billion of highly profitable sales. > > > > Like already existing online delivery services, Netflix's "Watch Now" > > option offers a lot of "B" movies such as "Kickboxer's Tears." But the > > mix also includes critically acclaimed selections like "Network," > > "Amadeus," "Chinatown" and "The Bridge On the River Kwai." > > > > The studios contributing to Netflix's new service include NBC Universal, > > Sony Pictures, MGM, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner > > Brothers, Lion's Gate and New Line Cinema. > > > > "We are going into this with the knowledge that consumers want to watch > > (media) in various ways and we want to be there for them," said Frances > > Manfred, a senior vice president for NBC Universal. "For now, though, we > > know television is the vastly preferred option." > > > > With its eight-year-old service on the verge of mailing out its > > billionth DVD, Netflix has been in no rush to change the status quo either. > > > > But Hastings realizes Internet delivery eventually will supplant DVD > > rentals shipped through the mail, although he thinks it will take > > another three to five years before technological advances and changing > > studio sentiment finally tip the scales. > > > > By then, he hopes to have 20 million Netflix subscribers ready to evolve > > with the service. > > > > Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material > > may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > > To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, or change your email address, > > please go to: > > http://v2.listbox.com/member/? member_id=4713280&user_secret=efba17a0 > > > > To SUBSCRIBE, go to: > > http://v2.listbox.com/subscribe/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Search list ARCHIVES at: > > http://archives.listbox.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then customers would flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance that could create a black hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's why we make every McDonald's from Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good place to eat, thereby saving the Universe.-from McDonald's commercial ,28 January 1990 > > "Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters", 'The Cabinet of Calamari' > > --------------------------------- > Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels > in 45,000 destinations on Yahoo! Travel to find your fit. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then customers would flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance that could create a black hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's why we make every McDonald's from Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good place to eat, thereby saving the Universe.-from McDonald's commercial ,28 January 1990 > > "Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters", 'The Cabinet of Calamari' > > --------------------------------- > Finding fabulous fares is fun. > Let Yahoo! FareChase search your favorite travel sites to find flight and hotel bargains. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >
