The Blog for Video 2.0

Labels: iphone, ipod, ipod videos, movie, movie downloads

At the annual MacWorld Expo this week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the availability of movie rentals via both iTunes and now directly from the Apple TV.

Apple was able to secure deals from all major and independent film studios including Fox, Universal, Warner and Disney. Library titles will be offered at $2.99, new releases at $3.99 and HD verisons for an additional dollar.

The DRM restrictions are consistent with offerings from Microsoft's Xbox 360 Marketplace, Amazon Unbox and traditional cable pay-per-view. Customers will have 30 days to watch a downloaded film. Once a user starts watching, they will have 24 hours to complete the film before their download expires.

Included in the announcement were upgrades to Apple TV which now includes the tag line, "no computer required." Users can now rent movies directly from their Apple TV device without going through iTunes. This is a great benefit for Apple TV users and may push Apple's portable media dominance into the family room.

For people looking for independent content for their iPod or Apple TV, HungryFlix.com offers movie downloads with no DRM restrictions starting at just $0.99.

Labels: apple tv, download, ipod, iTunes, movie downloads

As had been speculated earlier in the month, News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) and its studio Twentieth Century Fox have signed a deal with Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) to allow users to rent the latest Fox DVD releases by downloading a digital copy from Apple’s iTunes platform for a limited time, reports FT, citing sources. No pricing info in the story, though an earlier report in June pegged it at around $2.99 per rental.

The new deal will likely be announced at the Macworld show on January 14, and FT portrays it as a deal that “has the potential to transform film distribution.” I am not so sure the consumer market is ready yet...also, download speeds and time, usually on the higher side for movie files, still matter. Also, the Disney movie downloads on iTunes haven’t burned the charts yet in any meaningful way.

One interesting twist that will help, though: Besides the online rental deal, a digital file protected by Apple’s DRM scheme FairPlay will be included in new Fox DVD releases, enabling film content to ripped to a PC and video iPod. DVD content can already be moved to an iPod but this requires a bit of an effort.

Labels: apple, ipod, movie downloads, movies

In a major move toward providing more choice for consumers, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will include on its Live Free or Die Hard DVD a digital file of the movie that can be downloaded from the disc to a PC or portable device.

Warner Home Video will include downloadable movie files on its Dec. 11 DVD Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The digital Live Free copy will come in two versions, one for the PC and one for portable video players featuring Microsoft Windows’ PlaysForSure technology. However, the file’s digital rights management is currently not compatible for playback on Apple products, such as video iPods.

Labels: fox, ipod, movie downloads, portable media, Warner

Apple released the iPhone to much hype and fanfare. It billed the device as three devices in one. It was a revolutionary product for the cell phone industry. But the iPhone is having an effect outside of the mobile phone and computing industries. In fact, we belive that history will show the iPhone's release as one of the single biggest events in the history of independent filmmaking.

What, exactly, does the iPhone--a mobile phone/internet device/widescren iPod--have to do with indie film? Well, a lot. The movie download market must prepare for a great new phase as we look forward to more and more great devices capable of playing our content.

For independent content to survive and thrive, it must move to new delivery devices like Apple TV, iPod and now the iPhone. Support for these new devices will lead to growth in the audience for indie content. Many "mainstream" consumers will not view indie films at screenings, festivals or DVD. The films are too hard to find, often barried in video rental store shelves or playing in small art house theaters. This has been the case for the past few decades. Once every five years there is a breakout hit--a Clerks or Blair Witch--that gives the indie community something to rally around. The independent movie press declare, "We've arrived. This is the 'Year of the Indie'". Just as quickly as these hits arise, the excitement dies down and the great content made in the aftermath gets lost in the shuffle.

Now, for what may truely be the first time, consumers will have in their hands a great portable media device. You may argue that the iPod with video or the PSP have existed for a few years. But, these are devices that most people do not *have* to carry at all times. These are "luxury" devices that we carry when we want to. Cell phones are vastly different. Most Americans now carry their cell phone at all times--to the gym, on the bus, walking through the mall, at the ball game. We always have our phones with us. Now that Apple has delivered "the best iPod ever built" (Apple's words) and snuck it inside a phone, we now have a captive audience that will always have viewing capability.

This is, or has the potential to be, huge. Just look no farther than the iPhone's home screen. Right there on that gorgious 3.5" screen is a direct link to everyone's favorite dancing-cats-meet-dancing-teenagers clip sharing site, YouTube. Think about that. Apple put YouTube directly on the home screen of their revolutionary new device. Now, this could be entirely motivated by a new advertisting or search revenue deal Apple has struck with Google. But even if it is, the fact that YouTube is on the home screen of the iPhone can not be ignored.

Apple believes in mobile entertainment. They created the iPod so that we all could enjoy all our music at any time or place. Now, we are closer than ever to that dream for video. The iPhone's 3.5" screen has a resolution higher than many computer monitors. It displays MPEG4 H.264 video beautifully--better than any portable device ever has. These quality features combined with the simple fact that people will actually have the device with them, lead to great market opportunities.

Of course, the iPhone is, for now, a niche device. It's high price tag mean that it won't be found in the hands of many teens or college students in the near future. But just as with all technology, the price will drop over time. The iPhone will also force other handset makers and cell providers to design better devices. Devices that compete with the iPhone. When this happens, consumers win.

HungryFlix.com is ready to help independent producers, filmmakers and musicians in this new distribution world. We believe that this new class of mobile devices will open the doors to great indie content. It is time to get onboard. There are hundreds of thousands of movie and music fans out there with new devices that are hungry for great content.

http://www.hungryflix.com

Brian Andrews is an independent filmmaker and producer and CEO of http://www.HungryFlix.com, an online film distributor focused on new media.

Labels: independent, indie film, indie movies, iphone, ipod, movies, short films

Rumor sites are reporting that Apple has made the decision to revise the pricing of Plus songs on the iTunes Music store. To date, iTunes DRM-free tracks have sold for $1.29 US.

Some users have reporting seeing iTunes Plus DRM-free tracks already listed for $0.99. It is not clear at this time if this was simply due to a mistake or if it signals a shift from Apple. The change could be Apple's reaction to Amazon MP3 store and it's 256kbps DRM-free MP3 files, many of which sell for $0.89 - $0.99.

Also reported are Apple's plans to expand iTunes Plus to include certain indie music labels starting Wednesday, October 17.

HungryFlix.com has provided DRM-free movie downloads from indie filmmakers for over two years now. We continue to believe that consumers deserve choice with their media, and that DRM schemes simply do not work.

Labels: Amazon MP3, apple, DRM, ipod, iTunes

HungryFlix.com is the internet's premiere distribtor of independent content specifically formatted for portable devices such as the iPod, PSP and now the new iPhone. We are now running an Apple TV sweepstakes. Just create an account for your chance to win!

We are actively searching for great content from all genres of film and music. We accept short films, features, music video, how-to video and more. All content is DRM-free MPEG4 files that can be played back on a number of devices.

HungryFlix provides all marketing, storage and bandwidth and payment processing. As a content provider, you set the price for your downloads and you earn 60% of the profits from sales of your works.

Here is your chance to join the online distribution revolution. Imagine your film playing on thousands of iPhones across the US!

Visit HungryFlix.com today. Join, Upload and Sell!

Labels: hungryflix, ipod, ipod movies, ipod touch, ipod videos, psp, psp movies, video download

As Old Media gears up for the start of the fall TV season, we seem to be getting weekly updates on who is and who is not playing nice with Apple's powerful iTunes distribution model.

NBC fought for tiered pricing, Apple held firm, and NBC walked in favor of pushing shows as free streams and as downloads via Amazon Unbox and the yet-to-be-seen Hulu.com.

FOX and CBS seem to be happy with Apple and iTunes. These networks view iTunes as more of a promotional avenue and not for pure revenue.

The iPod/iTunes backlash is growing and it will be interesting to see what the Next Big Thing will be.

All of this is well and good for the big guys and their major studio titles. But as we continue to look at great independent content being produced and distributed online we hope that sites like HungryFlix.com continue to grow.

HungryFlix provides iPod movies free from DRM restrictions. We hope to continue to help indie producers get their works seen.

Labels: download, hungryflix, ipod, iTunes, video, video distribution

Apple Inc. today announced a full refresh to most of the iPod line. There is a new iPod nano that supports video playback, a new UI with Cover Flow and a bigger brighter screen. The iPod classic now sports 80gb or 160gb--yep, 160gb--of storage. And last but not least, the iPod touch--basically an iPhone minus the phone.

New iPod owners can get some great video content for these devices by downloading movies for iPod from HungryFlix.com.

We are extremely excited by these new devices and look forward to providing great entertainment for these hot new iPods.

Labels: hungryflix, ipod, ipod nano, ipod touch, itunes wifi, video download, video ipod

Apple Inc. has a media event entitled "The Beat Goes On", scheduled for 10am PST today. The rumor mill has been going full force, with the most popular suggestions being complete updates to the iPod line. The biggest rumor is that of an iPhone-without-the-Phone iPod, or commonly known as the "widescreen iPod."

HungryFlix.com has been waiting for this "true video iPod" for two years. We feel that Apple will finally deliver today and that music and movie fans across the globe will rejoice.

And of course, once you get your shiny new widescreen iPod be sure to stop by HungryFlix for some great movie downloads.

Labels: apple, iphone, ipod, movie downloads, movies, video downloads, video ipod, widescreen ipod

Are you looking to convert DVDs or other videos for the iPod or iPhone? Here is how to get video on your iPod or iPhone. Follow these notes for converting your DVDs or home movies for your iPod or iPhone.

Video content must be MPEG4. We highly recommend encoding with the H.264 codec. While encoding times will increase, H.264 will yield higher quality video with smaller file sizes.

MPEG4 with H.264 Codec (file formats: .m4v, .mp4)
Lower-quality iPod/iTunes Video: Up to 768 Kbps, 320 x 240 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3. Audio: AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio
High-quality iPod: Up to 1.5 Mbps, Baseline Low-Complexity with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 640x480 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v format
High-quality Apple TV: Up to 3 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats

MPEG-4 video
PSP Video: Up to 2.5 Mbps, 480 x 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile. Audio: AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio
High-quality iPod/Apple TV MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats

MPEG-4 High Definition Video
File formats: .m4v, .mp4 and .mov
Video: 1280 x 720 pixels, 30 frames per second. Audio: AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo

MP3 Audio
Up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio

AAC Audio
AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio

Labels: convert DVD, DVD to iPod, iphone, ipod, video

Sony, the company that started the portal media craze with the original Walkman, has announced new devices that will play "open standard" music and video files.

The NWZ-A810 and NWZ-S610 are coming in September with prices ranging from $120 to $230.

The A810 has a 2-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels (that's a half-inch smaller and half the vertical resolution of the video iPod, for those scoring at home), while the S610 has a 1.8-inch screen (same resolution). Both come in 2-, 4- and 8-GB sizes.

Time will tell if Sony can reclaim so of its past glory and steal some iPod thunder.

We at HungryFlix.com hope that the new Sony devices support MPEG4 and H.264 video so that Sony fans can download movies at HungryFlix.com.

Labels: ipod, movie downloads, mp3, mp4, sony

Unless you've been living in a cave, under a rock, or on the Dark Side of the Moon you know that on Friday June 29th Apple's new iPhone finally hit store shelves. Thousands of Apple and mobile phone fans waited in hundreds of lines for hours just for the privledge of dropping $499-$599 on the shiny new mobile phone/internet device/widescreen iPod. Analysts and tech geeks hailed the iPhone's arrival as a momentus event in the cell phone industry. I'm here to tell you that history will show the iPhone's release as one of the single biggest events in the history of independent filmmaking.

Hun? What, exactly, does the iPhone--a mobile phone/internet device/widescren iPod--have to do with indie filmmaking? Well, a lot. The movie download market must prepare for a great new phase as we look forward to more and more great devices capable of playing our content.

For independent content to survive and thrive, it must move to new delivery devices like Apple TV, iPod and now the iPhone. Support for these new devices will lead to growth in the audience for indie content. Many "mainstream" consumers will not view indie films at screenings, festivals or DVD. The films are too hard to find, often barried in video rental store shelves or playing in small art house theaters. This has been the case for the past few decades. Once every five years there is a breakout hit--a Clerks or Blair Witch--that gives the indie community something to rally around. The independent movie press declare, "We've arrived. This is the 'Year of the Indie'". Just as quickly as these hits arise, the excitement dies down and the great content made in the aftermath gets lost in the shuffle.

Now, for what may truely be the first time, consumers will have in their hands a great portable media device. You may argue that the iPod with video or the PSP have existed for a few years. But, these are devices that most people do not *have* to carry at all times. These are "luxury" devices that we carry when we want to. Cell phones are vastly different. Most Americans now carry their cell phone at all times--to the gym, on the bus, walking through the mall, at the ball game. We always have our phones with us. Now that Apple has delivered "the best iPod ever built" (Apple's words) and snuck it inside a phone, we now have a captive audience that will always have viewing capability.

This is, or has the potential to be, huge. Just look no farther than the iPhone's home screen. Right there on that gorgious 3.5" screen is a direct link to everyone's favorite dancing-cats-meet-dancing-teenagers clip sharing site, YouTube. Think about that. Apple put YouTube directly on the home screen of their revolutionary new device. Now, this could be entirely motivated by a new advertisting or search revenue deal Apple has struck with Google. But even if it is, the fact that YouTube is on the home screen of the iPhone can not be ignored.

Apple believes in mobile entertainment. They created the iPod so that we all could enjoy all our music at any time or place. Now, we are closer than ever to that dream for video. The iPhone's 3.5" screen has a resolution higher than many computer monitors. It displays MPEG4 H.264 video beautifully--better than any portable device ever has. These quality features combined with the simple fact that people will actually have the device with them, lead to great market opportunities.

Of course, the iPhone is, for now, a niche device. It's high price tag mean that it won't be found in the hands of many teens or college students in the near future. But just as with all technology, the price will drop over time. The iPhone will also force other handset makers and cell providers to design better devices. Devices that compete with the iPhone. When this happens, consumers win.

HungryFlix.com is ready to help independent producers, filmmakers and musicians in this new distribution world. We believe that this new class of mobile devices will open the doors to great indie content. It is time to get onboard. There are hundreds of thousands of movie and music fans out there with new devices that are hungry for great content. Feed Your Portable!

Labels: hungryflix, iphone, ipod, iTunes, movie downloads, movies, online video, video download, youtube

Roxio on Tuesday introduced Crunch, a new $39.99 application designed especially for users of the Apple TV, video iPod or the forthcoming iPhone who want to convert video optimized for those devices but don’t want to burn that content to disc.

Roxio's site mentions the following features:

* Convert DV, AVI, MOV, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, DivX, DVD-Video, Video_TS folders, and more
* Automatically add converted video to your iTunes library for easy syncing with your Apple TV, iPod, or iPhone
* Powerful award-winning video conversion technology from the makers of Toast®.

For those of us "open" to Open Source software, another option is the widely popular HandBrake. HandBrake is available for Mac, Windows and Linux. The latest beta version adds support for Apple TV and the Sony PSP.

Labels: apple tv, crunch, h.264, handbrake, ipod, mpeg4, psp, roxio, video encoding

HungryFlix.com continues to be the leading source of independentmovie downloads for Apple TV with this week's featured content being the films of Tempe DVD. Tempe is one of the world's leading distributors of B-Movie Indie Horror.

Horror movie fans and Apple TV owners can download 640x480 versions at prices of just $3.99 and up.

Labels: apple tv, appletv, b-movie, download, horror, ipod

Looking to encode your video for the iPod or Apple TV. Here are the formats for each device.

Video content must be MPEG4. We highly recommend encoding with the H.264 codec. While encoding times will increase, H.264 will yield higher quality video with smaller file sizes.

MPEG4 with H.264 Codec (file formats: .m4v, .mp4)
Lower-quality iPod/iTunes Video: Up to 768 Kbps, 320 x 240 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3. Audio: AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio
High-quality iPod: Up to 1.5 Mbps, Baseline Low-Complexity with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 640x480 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v format
High-quality Apple TV: Up to 3 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats

MPEG-4 video
PSP Video: Up to 2.5 Mbps, 480 x 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile. Audio: AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio
High-quality iPod/Apple TV MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats

MPEG-4 High Definition Video
File formats: .m4v, .mp4 and .mov
Video: 1280 x 720 pixels, 30 frames per second. Audio: AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo

MP3 Audio
Up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio

AAC Audio
AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio

Labels: apple tv, encoding, h.264, ipod, mpeg4, video encoding

Our message is starting to spread across the web, with Apple sites taking the lead in reporting that movie downloads for Apple TV are now available on http://www.hungryflix.com.

MacDailyNews has this post.

And iPodNN/MacNN had this post on "Wages of Sin" on HungryFlix.com.

We appriecate these news mentions and look forward to more.

Labels: apple tv, hungryflix, ipod, mac, online distribution

Well, it seems the world is finally starting to get what we feel will be the biggest new area for the network connected set top box--independent content.

NewTeeVee is reporting from the New Video Sumit in San Jose, where industry experts and analysts have agreed that Apple TV is going to be a major boost for the video blogger community.

There is even talk that Apple TV can do for video distribution and consumption what the iPod did for music.

Time will tell and it is important to remember that the devices that ship in 2007 will all be version 1.0 products that will typically only be purchased by tech fans and early adopters. That being said, hungryflix.com the growing online source for movie downloads is solidly in support of indie filmmakers and producers and we fell that the direct path to the family room will be an enormous benefit to our community.

Read more at:
http://newteevee.com/2007/03/19/appletv-big-boon-for-indie-video/#more-879

And even more at:
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/5584/982/

Labels: apple, apple tv, ipod, iTunes, online distribution, online video

Who needs iTunes? The rise of the ‘indie friendly’ video download store by ZDNet's Steve O'Hear -- Adams Media Research predicts that by 2011, the online video market will be worth $5.8 billion, and bucking today's trend, the majority of that revenue will be generated through selling downloads not ad-supported content. It's perhaps no surprise then, to see a number of paid-for download services pop up over the last 18 months...

Labels: download, hungryflix, independent, indie film, ipod, iTunes, online video, video distribution, video download

Apple announced in a joint statement with Lionsgate that more than 150 movies from the studio would be added to the iTunes store by the end of the month.
“We’re delighted to offer these incredibly popular Lionsgate films on iTunes, and look forward to adding even more films in the future,” said Steve Beeks, president of Lionsgate. “iTunes lets users download these wonderful films to watch on their computer, TV or iPod, so movie fans can take their favorite Lionsgate films with them anywhere.”

iTunes customers will be able to purchase blockbuster Lionsgate films like “Terminator 2,” “LA Story,” “Basic Instinct,” “The Blair Witch Project” and “Dirty Dancing” and more than 150 titles coming to iTunes this month. Lionsgate joins Paramount and Disney, who just recently announced that it had sold over 1.3 million movies since it joined the store.

It appears that the release is limited to a portion of Lionsgate's catalog rather than new releases, similar to the current deal with Paramount.

This adds to the options available to customers in the US. Movie fans can also download movies from HungryFlix.com, which offers great independent content not available on iTunes.

Labels: apple, apple tv, ipod, iTunes, media, movies, online video, studios, video distribution

Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple, Inc.) has published a letter to the community in which he talks about the past, present and future of online music sales and music consumption.

At the end of the letter Mr. Jobs asks the record companies to remove the DRM requirements from the songs Apple sells in iTunes. He says, "Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly."

Apple has come under fire recently from European governments and internet and music industry pundits who all claim in one way or another that Apple is the source of, and primary benefactor of, DRM in iTunes and the iPod.

It has often been claimed that Apple's "closed" system locks people into buying iPods and music from iTunes. Mr. Jobs gives his views on this and provides some interesting statistics to back up his views.

HungryFlix provides movie and music downloads with no DRM. We believe that consumers should not be treated as criminals and that content providers will be rewarded by providing their content to a broad set of users in open formats.

The full letter from Steve Jobs can be found at http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/

Labels: apple tv, DRM, ipod, iTunes, music, online distribution, video distribution