Streaming Video from Amazon and Roku: A Perfect Match?
Amazon is releasing an upgrade on its video delivery system today. Unlike its previous offering, you're not limited to a Windows only box in order to stream video to your computer. You also don't have to completely download the video in order to start watching (similar to what's offered in iTunes and AppleTV, as well as Netflix WatchNow).
An interesting twist on Amazon's offering, which is going to make it attractive over Apple's offering is it's cloud-based support for videos. If you purchase a movie, you don't have to keep a copy on your computer or backup storage. Instead, the video will be available at Amazon, ready to stream at the click of a link.
Amazon isn't looking just to win within the computer desktop market, it's also looking to connect this service to hardware devices, including Sony's high-end Bravia line. Currently, you have to purchase an optional tower in order to access the video (and at $300.00, the offering isn't cheap). Eventually, though, the web video service will be built into the television.
Another possible hardware partner for Amazon's new streaming service is Roku's new Netflix device, the small, video streaming device that currently streams Netflix's WatchNow offerings. Roku recently announced that it is looking for additional content providers—with Netflix's blessing, as Netflix is looking to place its service in other devices.
What Roku's box needs from a service is streaming video, as well as cloud-based storage as the device has no storage of its own. The talk in the Roku forums is that the device will be streaming YouTube videos, but these videos typically don't look every good on a larger monitor, like a TV; especially an HD TV.
Another strong Roku possibility is Hulu, the online video streaming service by NBC and a consortium of other companies. CBS now has new HD quality video streaming services that would also be excellent source for the Roku box.
However, what Amazon's new service would provide would be a way to stream new movies. The Roku device is also capable of streaming HD quality video, which would provide an outlet for HD quality material from Amazon. The Roku box is also cheap, which can't help but make it attractive to Amazon. In fact, the Roku's price could be the key that enables mainstream switching to online video.
If Amazon does stream its offerings through Roku's video box, the device could become the Amazon equivalent version of AppleTV, only cheaper, smaller, and with access to 10,000 free movies and TV shows in addition to pay-to-play newer offerings.
(Also see NewTeeVee, which wonders at a Amazon/Roku mashup)
Update I updated the text to reflect that iTunes does have the video watching capability as AppleTV. In addition, I adjusted the comments so that you can now leave your contact information.
Comments
Before this kind of video streaming can really go mainstream you'll probably see some wider (and lower) monthly download caps placed by cable systems. To me that's the biggest hurdle we haven't faced. I'd easily spend $300 [one-time] on a box if I could get guarantees that I won't also be paying an additional $30+ monthly.
I use DSL, which supposedly wasn't going to be hit by these caps, until ATT started getting greedy.
I agree, I think the threat of caps is going to be a problem. The only way around this, though, would be for the studios and other entertainment providers like Netflix, Apple, et al to challenge the ISPs, in court or otherwise.
Just to be pedantic here for a moment.. None of these services are streaming. They're all progressive download. In both iTunes and the Apple TV, you do not need to wait for the whole movie to download before you can start watching. Depending on the speed of your download, you could start watching in just a few minutes, long before the movie is completely downloaded.
Sorry, this is just one of my pet peeves. I use a true streaming service on my BlogTV project, I use QuickTime Streaming Server. I'd post a link to an example video, but it appears that my ISP is down at the moment. The distinctive feature of true streaming: you can instantly jump to any point in the movie, you never have to wait for a download. You can launch the movie, you can jump to any point, even the very end, and it plays instantly.
I have noticed some "hybrid" services lately. For example, YouTube is a progressive download service, you can watch the progress bar to see how much of the video is downloaded. But if you drag the playback slider to the right of the progress bar, to watch a point in the video that hasn't been downloaded yet, it will dump the previously downloaded part and start downloading from that point. It's not quite instant, but it attempts to perform what only true Streaming services can do.
The problem with true streaming is that it can only deliver a picture quality as good as your download speed permits. You are watching a live transmission. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that video-on-demand services will not be widely accepted until a true streaming system is released that has sufficient bandwidth to deliver DVD quality. That won't be anytime soon.
I must admit my impression of "streaming" is more based on being able to watch the show within a few seconds. But you're right, with the AppleTV and Netflix box you do have to wait a few seconds to buffer, and you can't jump around instantly.
To be honest, though, I'm not unhappy with what I do have. I rarely jump around and don't mind waiting a few seconds to start. So I'm not sure that this is going to be essential element, as much as having access to material, and a way to deliver it to the TV without tying up a computer.
I'd like to see your server when you do have it up running.
Oops, that upthread post was from me (Charles), I didn't notice it hadn't saved my ID.
Anyway, my ISP is really flaky this week and their QTSS is up and down, at the moment it seems to be up. So I'll refer you to this clip which demonstrates the "instant on" feature of QTSS. Try moving the slider anywhere in the clip and it will start playing instantly from that point. I love that. It doesn't make much difference in short clips, but maybe someday when I edit and post my hour-long movie about Christo, it will make a difference. I have a feeling that people will want to fast-forward through huge chunks of my crappy movie (ha).
Charles, I tried it. That is really nice, and no, none of these services feature the "real" video streaming. To be honest, I doubt they ever will. I don't know that the demand for this behavior is very high.
Of course, I haven't tried Amazon's service. Maybe it is true streaming. (Unlikely)
Well that's the holy grail of online video, you click the button and it starts playing instantly. This could be effectively achieved with progressive downloads, with sufficient bandwidth to the end user. Just to use an example of QuickTime progressive downloads, it has a clever little mechanism that starts playing when it judges that enough data has been downloaded so you could start playing the video through to the end without further interruptions. With sufficient bandwidth, that could be the moment you start downloading, as long as there is always more bandwidth in downloading than the bandwidth you're playing. When that level of bandwidth becomes widespread, I think the services will all switch to true streaming, they might as well have all the advantages of streaming.
You can watch streams on iTunes. The movie starts to download, and you can watch before download is complete. Not sure if that is exactly streaming but seems close. I think the same is the case with h.264 youtube videos on the ipod touch.
Thanks for the correction. I only watch through my AppleTV, and just assumed the iTunes sans AppleTV didn't have this capability, based on the NY Times article.
Hi Shelley, I posted the first comment about itunes streaming. Interesting definition of streaming proffered by others. It's clear to me that interactive tv is taking off without "true" streaming. I think people are happy enough with something that approximates on-demand.
My RealTech login for commenting at RealTech does not seem to work here. I'm using OpenID, the best thing since sliced bread.
Thanks for the earlier comment. Sorry I didn't have the contact info switch on sooner.
No, the user accounts are not shared across sites. OpenId is about the only way to enable cross-site account status.