The reasons why existing video services do not work for me and I've tried Google Play and Amazon Instant so far:
- Lack of on-demand high quality (true 1080) option: Google Play is 480 and Amazon Instant is blurry on a big screen. Besides Amazon states in their TOC that they can change quality as they see fit at the time of a video being played.
- Insistence on specific playback tech. Amazon Instant mandates Silverlight and the playback is choppy on my media centre PC due to Silverlight's graphic acceleration issues.
- Lack of audio track (and often subtitle) options: in UK that's English only. I want to be able to watch films dubbed and have a selection of translations that are already available.
More generally I am opposed to the prepackaged nature of the paid service offered and lack of control over how and what I can watch.
Some alternative ways of viewing the content offer me great choice and full control over:
1. Title I choose to watch.
2. Video quality.
3. Audio quality.
4. Audio track.
5. Subtitles.
6. Streaming vs. download, so I can make the best use of my connection.
7. Hardware and software I am using for viewing.
In other words these matters are decided based on demand, instead of someone's opinion of what the demand should be.
- Lack of on-demand high quality (true 1080) option: Google Play is 480 and Amazon Instant is blurry on a big screen. Besides Amazon states in their TOC that they can change quality as they see fit at the time of a video being played.
- Insistence on specific playback tech. Amazon Instant mandates Silverlight and the playback is choppy on my media centre PC due to Silverlight's graphic acceleration issues.
- Lack of audio track (and often subtitle) options: in UK that's English only. I want to be able to watch films dubbed and have a selection of translations that are already available.
More generally I am opposed to the prepackaged nature of the paid service offered and lack of control over how and what I can watch.
Some alternative ways of viewing the content offer me great choice and full control over:
In other words these matters are decided based on demand, instead of someone's opinion of what the demand should be.