Last time we heard from
Jaman, it was giving viewers the
choice between watching downloaded HD video with or without ads. The decidedly indie offerings on Jaman are about to get a big dose of Hollywood, though, thanks to a distribution deal with Paramount Digital Entertainment. Slated for release are some big titles, too. Certainly, Paramount likes the security offered up by the Jaman service. But we think there's more to it than that -- film aficionados like those who frequent Jaman are a great set of eyeballs to grab. Even if titles like Beowulf don't strike us as necessarily appealing to this crowd, the Kite Runner and There Will Be Blood, for example are a pretty good fit. Now we just hope that Jaman and Paramount decide to really cinch things by making these premium titles available in HD quality.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gamedude420 @ Jul 20th 2008 8:19PM
this is more expensive than bluray so why go blu? its just a rental service with low quality video
EQC @ Jul 20th 2008 10:15PM
Digital downloads will have a chance to take over only after:
1) "Average Joe", my parents and maybe my grandparents figure out how to hook a computer up to a TV. Yes, it's fairly simple...especially on an HDTV with a VGA or DVI port...but it's way over many people's heads.
2) Most people have a computer in their living room near the TV -- nobody wants to trot out to another room to start a movie, pause the movie, replay a scene in a movie, etc.
3) Most people have remote controls for their computers -- again, so they can start/stop, pause, rewind, etc. with the usual ease.
4) There is some sort of 1-stop-shop for digital downloads: nobody wants to deal with 37 different websites depending on what network's TV show or studio's movie they want to watch.
5) Making the video appear full-screen is a simple task...movies were not meant to be watched as a small frame inside a browser window.
Until the above are satisfied, "Digital Download" movies for Average Joe will essentially mean sitting alone at the house computer desk, in an office chair, watching a movie that doesn't even occupy the full space of their 19" monitor.
Fix all the above problems, and there are still issues with quality, obnoxious DRM, unique media player software to install for many of these sites, possible bandwidth caps to worry about, and prices that seem to be on-par with physical media prices even though the downloaded product offers less.
(Of course, I should mention that I will soon be moving to an area with bad OTA reception, and I don't want to pay for cable just to get my local network stations...so I'll probably be watching most of my TV on the ABC/NBC/Fox/Hulu/Daily Show sites...but I do have a remote control for the computer, and I've already got the TV connected too.)
squiggleslash @ Jul 21st 2008 9:01AM
To answer your points:
1. Nope. Virtually nobody is suggesting digital downloads be delivered via computers. The focus is on STBs - standalone boxes that connect to the Internet, with their own remote controls etc. Apple sells the AppleTV. Microsoft the XBox 360. Netflix recommends the Roku STB and the XBox 360. Amazon the TiVo. Dish Network the VIP622/722. Now, Apple, Amazon and Netflix offer the option of letting you use your computer, but they certainly don't expect you to use that to watch stuff on your living room TV. Jaman seems to be the exception here, but your comment seems to be directed at all downloads, not the downloads of one service.
2. Nope. Virtually nobody is suggesting digital downloads be delivered via computers. The focus is on STBs - standalone boxes that connect to the Internet, with their own remote controls etc. Apple sells the AppleTV. Microsoft the XBox 360. Netflix recommends the Roku STB and the XBox 360. Amazon the TiVo. Dish Network the VIP622/722. Now, Apple, Amazon and Netflix offer the option of letting you use your computer, but they certainly don't expect you to use that to watch stuff on your living room TV. Jaman seems to be the exception here, but your comment seems to be directed at all downloads, not the downloads of one service.
3. Nope. Virtually nobody is suggesting digital downloads be delivered via computers. The focus is on STBs - standalone boxes that connect to the Internet, with their own remote controls etc. Apple sells the AppleTV. Microsoft the XBox 360. Netflix recommends the Roku STB and the XBox 360. Amazon the TiVo. Dish Network the VIP622/722. Now, Apple, Amazon and Netflix offer the option of letting you use your computer, but they certainly don't expect you to use that to watch stuff on your living room TV. Jaman seems to be the exception here, but your comment seems to be directed at all downloads, not the downloads of one service.
4. What are these "websites" of which you speak? Virtually nobody is suggesting digital downloads be delivered via computers. The focus is on STBs - standalone boxes that connect to the Internet, with their own remote controls etc. Apple sells the AppleTV. Microsoft the XBox 360. Netflix recommends the Roku STB and the XBox 360. Amazon the TiVo. Dish Network the VIP622/722. Now, Apple, Amazon and Netflix offer the option of letting you use your computer, but they certainly don't expect you to use that to watch stuff on your living room TV. Jaman seems to be the exception here, but your comment seems to be directed at all downloads, not the downloads of one service.
5. Nope. Virtually nobody is suggesting digital downloads be delivered via computers. The focus is on STBs - standalone boxes that connect to the Internet, with their own remote controls etc. Apple sells the AppleTV. Microsoft the XBox 360. Netflix recommends the Roku STB and the XBox 360. Amazon the TiVo. Dish Network the VIP622/722. Now, Apple, Amazon and Netflix offer the option of letting you use your computer, but they certainly don't expect you to use that to watch stuff on your living room TV. Jaman seems to be the exception here, but your comment seems to be directed at all downloads, not the downloads of one service.
Now, if you'd directed your comment at Jaman, I'd have understood it, but Jaman seems to be one of the only outfits that's web only, and realistically, they're probably as aware as everyone else that their service is of limited utility until it can be accessed from an STB. Expect them to make an announcement within the next year - or die an also-ran.
EQC @ Jul 21st 2008 4:57PM
well, your use of copy-paste has convinced me!
Personally, I'd call an AppleTV or a 360 a computer anyway though...just let me know when those exist in 40% of homes and everybody in the family uses them.
...There might be a huge install base of 360's, but in most families, the parents don't go near them....
James @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:40AM
Actually Jaman IS on standalong boxes. The AppleTV (http://gigaom.com/2007/06/28/jaman-now-playing-on-appletv/)
and TiVo (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/01/17/p2p-movie-site-jaman-signs-deal-with-tivo/).
The content is AT LEAST DVD quality, the player also handles HD well.