We've had plenty of TV shows
hitting the web in high definition recently, now PluggedIn is bringing music videos. Its site, just launched in beta, uses the same Move plugin as
ABC.com to push over 10,000 HD and broadcast quality videos from EMI, Sony BMG and other labels. We watched a few videos, and while we've usually gotten good results with ABC's web site, we couldn't seem to get the "HD" meter filled up so far. Whether its bandwidth issues or the videos we checked just weren't HD was unclear, but hopefully the site is updated so its easier to find what we're looking for. Still, audio quality was decent and the broadcast-quality video we did get was clear. For now, take a look and see if this lives up to the competition offered by the networks,
Hulu, or even
Youtube.
The New York Times got an early peek at the Metropolitan Opera's new HD video on-demand streaming website, set to launch October 22, and came away with a few complaints. While the sound was described as clear and rich, accompanying sharp video, browser glitches and the need to download an add-on for the Move Networks based player made for a clumsy experience. If a $15 subscription month long subscription is too much, individual operas are available for $3.99 to $4.99 with 13 high definition performances available initially. Being this close to the launch makes us think back 125 years ago when you had to actually go to the Met to see an Opera or the old days of 2007, when you had to put on pants and leave the house to get a high definition show. The future, is now.
