At the end of this month, the agreement for Starz supplied content on Netflix Instant video streaming expires. Last year, Netflix and Starz were not able to negotiate an extension to keep Starz original series and movies on Netflix streaming. That means that just over 840 movies that are currently on Netflix streaming will no longer be available come March 1st. Netflix has stated that they have secured the rights to some of the more popular movies directly from the studios. However, there are some movies such as Tangled and Toy Story 3 that are not coming back anytime soon. For myself, I was looking for an easy way to prioritize the titles I’m interested in watching before they expire.

On TVandMoviesNOW.com, I’ve posted a list with all of the Netflix titles expiring at the end of the month. All of the content is on one page and sortable for easy use. Note, some of the expiring titles are not supplied from Starz, so they may come back at a later date. I’ve also added a column that shows if the movie is also available on Amazon Prime Instant Video. If you’re a Prime member, you can watch those titles at a later date (there’s just over 50 of them). (Full disclosure: TVandMoviesNOW.com is a site I built).

It will be interesting to see in March how many Starz supplied movies Netflix was able to secure the rights to. Additionally, the bad thing about the Starz titles is that none of them were available in high definition or surround sound. Hopefully, when Netflix replaces some of the films, they will be available in HD and Dolby Digital Plus.

To help make-up for the loss of Starz content, Netflix announced today a new agreement with the Weinstein Company for foreign films and documentaries. The agreement gives Netflix exclusive rights to stream movies such as The Artist which has been nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars. While no definite date has been supplied for the availability of the new content, some of the titles include Undefeated, Sarah’s Key, the Intouchables and W.E.

Update: I’ve learned from Netflix that the Weinstein Company films will be generally available one year after theatrical release.

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog

While it was initially announced in March 2011, customers have been dutifully waiting for HBO to release its popular HBO GO app for Samsung connected devices including its Smart TVs and Blu-ray players. Samsung announced the availability of HBO GO on select models of its Smart TVs via its Google+ page this evening. The app first became available in the Samsung TV app store yesterday, February 15th. It’s still unclear which particular Smart TVs are supported but I’ll assume the 2011 models are included. As I learn more specifics on the Smart TV models and when it’s coming to Blu-ray players, I will update this story (updated below!). When HBO announced in September 2011 that they were going to launch on the Roku first, there were some doubts about the Samsung version of the app coming at all. However at the time, HBO assured us it was still coming.

While select high-end Samsung Smart TVs (and other connected devices) have been able to access HBO GO via their Flash-enabled web-browsers, it was a sub-par experience. As an app, HBO GO is easier to navigate and also offers 720P HD video (at least on the Roku and confirmed on the Samsung now too). In addition, HBO announced this past January that Dolby Digital Plus is also coming to the service but they have not provided any dates as of yet. Stay tuned.

Update: From HBO’s support site: HBO GO is supported on all Roku devices plus Samsung 2010 and 2011 Smart TVs with the exception of the following 2011 TV models: PN51D6450DF, PN59D6450DF, PN51D6500DF, PN59D6500DF, PN51D6900DF, PN59D6900DF, PN51D7000FF, PN59D7000FF, PN64D7000FF, UN32D5550RF, and UN40D5550RF (Thanks @rjcc for sharing). Also, some cable providers don’t or won’t support HBO Go on the Roku or Samsung HDTVs. The cable system that support it include AT&T U-Verse TV, Bend Broadband, Blue Ridge Communications, Charter, Cox, DirectTV (not on Roku!), DISH Network, Massillon Cable/CPI, RCN, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS and WOW! There’s still a few significant hold outs such as Time Warner cable but Cablevision should be supporting it soon.

Update 2: Word from HBO is that HBO and Samsung decided together not to launch the app on the specific skus above since they didn’t provide the “best viewing experience” (maybe those skus didn’t have enough processing power?). HBO is still “evaluating” and working on adding the HBO GO app to select Samsung Blu-ray players this year. Finally, the Samsung HBO GO app will stream in Dolby Digital Plus.

Samsung Smart TVs now have an HBO GO app

HBO GO in Samsung's TV app store for select Smart TVs

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog

Is the Apple TV, the little black hockey puck, not the full sized mythical HDTV, ready for a refresh? 9to5 Mac is reporting that some authorized Apple retailers such as Target, Amazon and Walmart have run out of inventory. Since the 9to5 Mac article was posted, Amazon has removed the 2 to 5 week lead time and is no longer offering the the product themselves. Now on Amazon’s site, Apple TV is only offered from third-party Amazon merchants (“available from these sellers”). However, Apple’s retail stores still have inventory. A check of Apple stores in the New York City, Boston and Los Angeles areas show Apple TV still in stock. In the small number of stores that were out of it, they expect to have it in within a week. Regardless, it appears the supply is drying up. Update (2/21): I learned today that Best Buy is almost out of Apple TVs in Eastern Massachusetts. Oddly enough, their system says the sku will be active till 2015. Then again, computers can lie (Right, Hal?)

Amazon no longer stocks Apple TV 2

In a related development, the iMore blog (and others) are reporting the impending launch of the iPad 3 on March 7th. It’s rumored that the iPad 3 will come with support for LTE and will feature a high-resolution retina display. The supposed display resolution is 2048 x 1536, well beyond the resolution of most HDTVs which display 1080P or 1920×1080 resolution.

Knowing Apple they would not release a product like the iPad 3 to market without software and content to support its advanced capabilites. Given that Apple is focused on the user experience, I can’t imagine them upgrading the iPad without upgrading the supporting ecosystem. Now, every time Apple does a product introduction, they feature partners who have developed apps to take advantage of the device’s new capabilities. It’s only logical that iTunes would be upgraded to provide higher quality video to the iPad 3. Currently, high-definition TV shows and movies from iTunes are offered in 720P and Dolby Digital surround sound. There’s some evidence that Apple has been preparing 1080P content for iTunes for a while now.

That brings us to Apple TV. Another important part of the Apple ecosystem for consuming iTunes video. Also, the Apple TV and the iPad are complimentary devices. Currently, you can mirror your iPad screen or stream content to an Apple TV via Airplay. So, it’s hard to imagine that Apple would let that high resolution iPad screen be down res’ed to 720P on the biggest (and now maybe not the best) screen in the house. The current Apple TV came to market in September 2010.

Given all this, I expect that we’ll see an Apple TV upgrade with the iPad launch or soon thereafter. Finally, I believe that the new Apple TV will be viewed as a incremental refresh. We’ll probably see 1080P video and the new A6 processor but not much more. As far as Siri goes, she’s been evasive whenever I ask a question about voice-recognition coming to Apple TV. Apple probably doesn’t want to reveal too much about their upcoming mythical Apple HDTV. If the new Apple TV contains the A6, it will have lots of horsepower to support future upgrades.

Signs point to Apple TV 3

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog

Onkyo just announced a refreshed home theater receiver line-up as well as updates to their well-regarded home theater-in-a-box systems. The top two receiver models, the TX-NR616 and the TX-NR515 add a number of new features including InstaPreview and Mobile High Definition Link (MHL) support. For connectivity, both models add two additional HDMI inputs for a total of eight as well as two HDMI outputs (that opens up some interesting possibilites on the calibration front). When switching HDMI inputs, InstaPreview lets you see thumbnail previews of what’s playing on each source. MHL is a new connectivity standard that lets you connect mobile devices to TVs or receivers but it also charges the device at the same time.

I reviewed a number of receivers last year and the Onkyo TX-NR609 was my favorite of the bunch. The NR616 doesn’t appear to lose any of the key features of the NR609 including its Marvell QDEO 4K video processing, Audyssey 2EQ room calibration, audio return channel support (ARC), HDMI pass-through, Dolby TrueHD, Digital Plus and DTS Master Audio support, lots of audio streaming services and THX certification. However, the NR616  has lost one set of component inputs and the 609′s VGA port for connecting a HTPC. See the pictures below for some other subtle differences. The NR616 and all of the other new models add support for the MP3tunes cloud music locker. The new NR616 will be available in April at a suggested retail price of $699 while the others will be available in March. If you don’t need the NR616′s new features such as the second HDMI output, it’s probably a good time to go out and snag a 609 which has dropped to $399 (link on right). So far, I’ve been very happy with the NR609. Last night, the whole family was rocking out to thanks to the 609′s Pandora client.

Onkyo's new TX-NR616 A/V Receiver

Onkyo TX-NR616 Rear panel

Onkyo TX-NR609 Back Panel (Previous Model)

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog

As you read through all of the coverage of the mythical Apple HDTV (or iTV),  a lot of it focuses on the nuances but no one seems to know what the product is actually going to do or why we would want to buy it. What would an Apple TV’s differentiators be? Will it be revolutionary or innovative? Is Apple looking to take an everything but the kitchen sink approach taken by other TV manufacturers  (i.e. the multi-tasking social media control center) or will they focus on creating an easy-to-use home entertainment product? I think that Apple, renowned for focus and simplicity, is going to strive for creating the ultimate entertainment experience for the living room. “Entertainment” includes watching TV shows and movies, playing games and listening to music, of course.

This got me thinking, as Apple likes to innovate versus create, what technologies are in the marketplace today that can be integrated into an Apple HDTV? What will make the Apple HDTV easy to use?  I can imagine the presentation of iTV like this: An Apple exec walking through all of the complexities of today’s home theater: All of the cabling, lots of components, the need for physical media for the best audio and video, and the feeling that you need an advanced degree to make it all work properly. So, here’s some of the potential technologies Apple could use to create that great home entertainment experience.

Eliminate the Components: If you want to get the best audio and video from your home theater, you are going to have to deal with some level of complexity. Between connecting all of the gear, configuration settings and the need for audio and video calibration, many consumers are probably not getting the best experience possible. My thought is that Apple will attempt to eliminate the need for a home theater receiver. Apple will move some of the functionality such as audio decoding into the HDTV itself and the set will only have a couple of HDMI inputs for legacy components. The idea is to eliminate the need for any other components. This will avoid all of the complexity of cabling and making sure the components work together properly. You’ll notice today, the current gen Apple TV has a number of options on how to hand off audio and video to the receiver or TV. It feels very un-Apple like and I’m sure they want to eliminate this complexity (THX Media Director is a new standard that handles this problem across components).

Audio: Without an A/V receiver, how do you connect speakers? One option is to include high-quality speakers on the TV itself but I’ve always felt that it’s not as immersive as a surround sound set up. Another option is that Apple could implement the new WiSA standard for wireless speakers. The speakers would then provide their own power eliminating the need for a separate amplifier. Why not use AirPlay? It’s a possibility but significant changes to the protocol would be required. For one, AirPlay supports CD-quality audio but only in stereo, not surround. WiSA, on the other hand, supports up to  24-bit, 96 kHz uncompressed high definition audio and can handle 7.1 surround sound. Also, as AirPlay relies on existing wireless networks, it’s more prone to interference. The WiSA standard dictates that audio is delivered over the less used 5 Ghz band and it actively finds unused portions of that spectrum. Finally, WiSA provides hooks for sensing the location of each wireless speaker. A number of companies are already signed onto the WiSA standard including Aperion, Polk, Klipsch, Pioneer and Sharp.

Video: For display technology, the rumor is that Apple is using IGZO ( Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide ) panels from Sharp. While similar to current LED technology display technology, the properties of IGZO panels offer a number of advantages. In particular, IGZO panels can provide a brighter picture than today’s LEDs with the same amount of power or achieve the same performance with less power. Also, IGZO panels are supposed to be more uniform across the panel in picture performance. What’s interesting is that there are no commercial devices on the market today that use IGZO panels, so what’s Sharp doing with all of the ones they are manufacturing? (CNet reports they might be used in the iPad 3) In the Steve Jobs biography, Walter Issacson relays a story of how Apple locked up the only supply of small hard drives for the first generation iPod. Perhaps Apple is attempting to do the same thing here in order to control the supply chain and keep competitors at bay. My expectation is that whatever panel technology is used, it will provide 1080P video resolution and support a number of frame rates including 24 FPS.

User Interface: To operate the device, the on-screen UI will probably borrow from the current Apple TV. For a remote control, I expect Apple to include some simple remote similar to the one that ships with the current Apple TV. And yes, I’m sure Siri will somehow be in the mix. What will be more interesting is how the various iOS devices, the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad will interact with the set. Will they also function as  game controllers? Hence, it’s how Apple eliminates the need for a console in the living room.

Content: Currently, Blu-ray offers the best audio and video experience in the home (but not the most convenient). Apple could remove the need for Blu-ray by upgrading the audio and video quality of TV Shows and movies served up by iTunes. With consumers purchasing larger screens for the home, 720P video is not enough. To match Netflix and VUDU’s streaming quality, Apple will need to serve out 1080P video and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound.  To really shake things up, Apple could roll out an alternative to pay per view or all-you-can-watch viewing models in the market today.

But what about the DVDs and Blu-rays you already own? Imagine if Apple provided a similar service to their iTunes Match music service.  Imagine if you could import your entire Blu-ray and DVD collection and then Apple gave you access to a higher quality cloud-based version. Obviously, the tough part here is getting permission from the movie studios. However, it’s conceivable given Samsung’s new 2012 Blu-ray players that let you rip DVDs and store them in the Ultraviolet cloud.

By taking a simplified approach that would eliminate the need for many of the components in your living room home theater, Apple could create a price competitive product. One product in the market today that takes this “all-in-one” approach is the Bose VideoWave HDTV. While the Bose HDTV may offer convenience, it comes with a high price tag. I would expect an Apple HDTV to be more price competitive and easier to use. Of course, an Apple HDTV may include the “one more thing” none of us have thought of.

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog

While in the works for some time, the FCC’s proposed change to encrypt all cable service is getting some attention again. Boxee recently posted a strongly worded note asserting that the encryption rule is anti-consumer. Given all this, I thought it was appropriate to share a cautionary tale about the CableCARD standard and how it’s implemented.

Rewind to this past holiday season. My father-in-law (FIL) was looking for a solution to watch Netflix and record programs on the living room HDTV. Given the planned upgrades for TiVo including a new Netflix interface and the UI improvements (now delivered), I recommended a TiVo Premiere to him. He already had a Series1 TiVo in another room and was happy with the endless hours of Law & Order that it recorded.

After ordering, his TiVo quickly arrived and he had Netflix up and running in no time. For the TiVo Premiere to tune and record cable broadcasts, it needs a CableCARD. CableCARDs allow the TiVo (and other devices) to receive and decrypt a digital transmission from the cable company. Here’s what FIL went through to get his CableCARD installed:

• Initially, FIL called Comcast and was told they would have to come out and install the CableCARD (and charge for it).
• Comcast never showed up on the Saturday and had no record of the appointment (Normally there’s a $25 refund but he didn’t get it).
• FIL went to the Comcast service center, waited in a long line, handed in his cable box and was given a CableCARD.
• When FIL got home, he realized they gave him the wrong type of CableCARD for a TiVo Premiere (an S-Card instead of an M-Card)
• Back to the service center, Comcast tells FIL they don’t have any M-Cards. He will have to make an appointment for a technician to come out in a week. (Oh by the way, now he can’t watch cable in the living room)
• Disgusted by this story, I started relaying it on Twitter
• Comcast quickly responded to my tweets and scheduled a technician to come out the next day (Hurray!)
• The TiVo Premiere was then up and running the next day.
• Later that da, FIL realizes that the cable box connected to the upstairs Series1 TiVo no longer works  (it apparently became “unauthorized”).
• FIL remembers that his no cost DTA also works with his Series1 TiVo (I still don’t know how a cable box took its place). He can now return another cable box and save on his monthly bill.
• FIL is now enjoying both TiVos

However, even with good customer service, CableCARD installations are still too complex. For self-installs, you typically need to talk to someone at the cable company to get it activated. If your TiVo is upgraded or dies and you need to move the CableCARD, another call is required (FIOS being a notable exception here and in my experience has provided good CableCARD and TiVo support). Contrast this with streaming video providers such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video who simply require you to enter your userid and password or a on-screen code from their website. I wonder if such a system is possible with today’s CableCARD standard?

Now, think about the proposal to encrypt all cable transmissions and the requirement to have a cable box or CableCARD attached to every TV. You will no longer have the option to directly plug a TV directly into cable. The proliferation of cable boxes and CableCARDs is further entrenching outdated technology. As I’ve previously stated, one of the unintended consequences is that customers may simply turn to Over the Top video (OTT) solutions. For example, the bedroom TV may get a Roku connected to it instead or people will use tablets to watch programs.

In closing, there’s something to be said for simplicity. Ultimately, I just want a to plug an ethernet cable into the back of my TiVo to receive all of my programming via the Internet. It’s the simple approach streaming video services have taken. For cable programming, one way to do it is with a standard called AllVid but it’s had a shaky start. If cable companies can’t get behind a standard like AllVid, customers will keep looking for ways to “cut the cord”.

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog

Today, Verizon and Redbox (Coinstar) announced a new joint venture to be a potential one stop shop for video needs of consumers. The service will include Redbox’s current Kiosks which rent DVDs, Blu-rays and video games as well as a streaming video catalog from Verizon. The to-be-named service (I like Red Verizon) is supposed to launch in the second half of this year, 2012. Let’s look at the release more carefully:

 ”Verizon and Coinstar, Inc. today announced the formation of a joint venture that will create a new choice for quality- and value-conscious consumers seeking a simple and affordable way to access the video entertainment they crave.  The venture’s services will offer all of the convenience, simplicity and value of Redbox® new release DVD and Blu-ray Disc® rentals combined with a new content-rich video on-demand streaming and download service from Verizon.”

…It will offer subscription services and more in an easy-to-use, flexible and affordable service that will allow all consumers across the U.S. to enjoy the new and popular entertainment they want, whenever they choose, using the media and devices they prefer.  Additional brand and product information will be revealed in the coming months.

Are “Value-conscious” and “affordable” another way of saying it will be price competitive with Netflix or simply more affordable than regular cable?

“Subscription services” would indicate an all-you-can-watch option similar to Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video. What could the “and more” be? For Amazon, it’s the combination of a streaming catalog, the ability to buy any new release on physical media, buy it on-line or rent it on-line. Will Verizon – Redbox offer the same one-stop shopping? “Flexible”  and “devices they prefer” would indicate that consumers will be able to watch on wide variety of smart phones, tablets, video game consoles and connected devices for the living room.

“Consumers rely on Redbox for the latest new release movies at a great value, and our joint venture with Verizon will enable us to bring them even more value by offering expanded content offerings and greater flexibility for how and when they enjoy entertainment,” said Paul Davis, chief executive officer of Coinstar, Inc.

In another words, Verizon brings the network infrastructure for video streaming that RedBox doesn’t have. Verizon has been working for some time on creating a “virtual” version of their FIOS service. In another words, you could subscribe to FIOS programming via any Internet connection. In particular, Verizon already has a virtual version of FIOS service on a significant number of connected devices in their labs. At the end of this Verizon video about the future of the set top box, they show the Xbox, Playstation3 and Samsung Blu-players as examples of devices that can replace a Verizon cable box. Verizon also demonstrated the virtual FIOS service working on the Roku. My fellow blogger Dave Zatz has stated that in early 2011 that Verizon had their service already working on three dozen different connected devices. Also, Verizon has already deployed its FlexView app to existing customers on iOS and a significant number of Android devices. In another words, Verizon has already done a lot of the work required to launch a successful streaming service in the areas of infrastructure and device support. However, there’s probably significant work needed to create a seamless user experience to provide one integrated view of all of the different potential offerings (kiosk, streaming, pay-per-view, etc…).

Redbox, on the other hand, brings the latest releases to the consumer through its kiosks. While one can rent the latest releases through FIOS pay-per-view, the prices are not competitive. It costs $6 to rent a new release in HD and $5 in SD. The same movies are on iTunes or Amazon for $3.99 in HD. Currently, it only costs a $1 to rent a DVD on Redbox ($1.50 for Blu-ray), but there is a small price increase coming.

This venture between Verizon and Redbox will create the kind of national multi-platform product that customers are demanding from video entertainment service providers.  It will leverage Verizon’s industry-wide relationships with entertainment content providers, its advanced cloud computing technologies and state-of-the-art IP network infrastructure to distribute video on-demand content to its customers.

Given the new relationship with Redbox, will Verizon still have the same relationship with entertainment content providers? In particular, Redbox just announced that it will not respect Warner Brothers’ new 56-day window for holding back new releases. Netflix agreed to the extended window for their DVD-by-mail service. The extension of the window is viewed as a move to drive the sales of DVDs and Blu-rays. Furthermore, the Verizon FlexView catalog of TV titles is fairly limited in size. This will be an area to potentially beef up ( as well as the need for more HD titles). I wonder if Verizon owns any streaming rights to its current set of FlexView content?

“The joint venture will combine the accessibility and value of Redbox with Verizon’s vision for a borderless lifestyle – where consumers easily accomplish what they want or need to do, on their terms, through the power of the network,” said Mudge.  “Together, we are erasing old technology boundaries, freeing people to spontaneously enjoy the entertainment they want, whenever they choose, using the devices and media they prefer, at home or away.”

“The erasing of old technology boundaries”? On the surface that’s probably a reference to the virtual version of the FIOS service. The cable company simply becomes an IP provider and you buy your programming from the cloud. Will this service also include live TV? Could it be that’s what Verizon and Redbox are going to offer that as their differentiator? My sources indicate that the service will have a rich set of offerings compared to other choices in the market. If the price is right, this could be a cord-cutters dream come true.

Update: Tim Carmody from Wired has some more tidbits on the new service. It appears that you will be able to buy different offerings or components from the service.

You can read the complete Verizon Coinstar release here.

Verizon and Redbox Join Forces

Source:  via Techmeme

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog

Roku 2 XS

Netflix Channel Extras: While you’re watching a title, press the down arrow to see the title name, episode name, length, year and rating (this also works in Amazon Instant Video) overlay on the screen. Also, while browsing titles on the grid, pressing the “*” key on the remote gives you the option to add or remove a title to your Instant Queue, rate a title or to jump to the search function.

Also, to enjoy Dolby Digital Plus surround sound from Netflix, you need to select it manually before starting a title. In the title screen for the particular movie or TV episode, chose “Audio and Subtitles” and then chose the Dolby Digital Plus track. For some reason, the Roku doesn’t do this automatically.

Roku Debugging Bandwidth Screen (click to enlarge)

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog

Yep, still got some CES news to share. For me, like many folks, my home theater system resides in the living room, given I don’t have a dedicated room for it. To peacefully co-exist in the living room, most folks don’t have monster speakers but something on the smaller side. While some simply opt for a home theater in a box, you can get a much better audio and video experience for several hundred dollars more. However, if you’re going to spend $500 on a good A/V receiver and another $1,000 to $1,500 on a 5.1 surround system, you typically don’t buy the speakers and the receiver from the same manufacturer.

Ideally, you would buy a complete set of 5.1 or 7.1 surround speakers at once. However, the reality is that some folks buy their speaker systems piece-meal as they can afford it. Personally, I bought my system over the course of three purchases, the last piece being the sub-woofer. When you buy speakers from different manufacturers, you have to make sure they play nice together: do they have similar tonal balance? Speakers with good tonal balance present all frequencies evenly and don’t emphasize either bass, midrange or treble. Is there a nice hand-off behind the subwoofer and the other speakers?

THX has introduced a new small speaker certification to help the consumer pick out speakers that not only sound great but also will work well with speakers from different manufacturers. Designed for rooms 1,000 square cubic feet and under, the certification includes a battery of tests to ensure there is low distortion at higher volumes and flat frequency response so you can properly hear dialog. If you put the certified speakers with a THX certified receiver, you should have a great sounding home theater system.

The first speaker that has been submitted for the certification is MK Sound’s M7 which sells for about $1,100 a pair. To provide the most value to consumers, the certification needs to be utilized by a number of speaker manufacturers. While it can give one piece of mind when purchasing a complete system, the real value is knowing you can take speakers from one company and match them with another. Hopefully, companies such as Velodyne submit some of their subwoofers. It would also be great to see some 5.1 speaker sets in the $1,000 to $2,000 retail price point receive the certification. One piece of advice I give to folks is to spend twice as much on their speakers than on their A/V receiver. Given that your going to spend at least $400 for a nice A/V receiver, it would be nice to know what speakers go along well with it.

Now, just because a speaker is not THX certified doesn’t mean that it won’t sound great. The THX standard defines a specific profile that a speaker manufacturer may not wish to abide to. Remember, great sound is like art, it’s sometimes in the ear of the beholder. Regardless, the certification has the potential to simplify the speaker buying process for many consumers.

By the way, THX also indicated to me at CES that their new Media Director standard has been incorporated into Blu-ray, DVD and streaming media authoring tools and is being used by several authoring houses. Also, several companies formally announced their support for Media Center in future devices including future models of the Sharp Elite LEDs, Epson projectors, select Dune media players and Indy Audio Labs Acurus ACT 4 pre-amp. THX says we should see additional devices announced throughout the year. By 2013, we should see a healthy supply of movies that support it as well. Read the complete THX press release here.

Edit: THX did announce some Media Director enabled devices at CES 2012. I’ve updated the above text.

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog

Wired’s Tim Carmody provided a thoughtful analysis of how Amazon Instant Video could overtake Netflix as well as iTunes in the streaming video area. Carmody makes a strong argument about Amazon’s value proposition as a one stop shop for video with it’s all-you-can-watch Prime video streaming, on-line rentals and purchases as well as its DVD business. Carmody suggests that more content and device availability are two of the keys for Amazon Instant Video to become the market leader. Well, the devil is in the details and in both of these areas as well as others, Netflix currently has a number of advantages over Amazon Instant Video.

Content: If you look at the services apples to apples, Netflix still has a significant lead over Amazon when it comes to the total number of TV shows and movies. When I last looked in December, Netflix had over 49,000 TV episodes and movies while Amazon had just over 11,600. While Amazon publicly states they have 13,000 titles available as part of Prime streaming, it appears they count both the high definition and standard definition versions of TV episodes as two titles. Amazon does have some unique offerings such as next day availability for select PBS shows including Frontline and the News Hour. Regardless, Amazon will have to commit to paying some serious dollars to approach the size of Netflix’s streaming catalog.

Devices: There’s a few reasons why Netflix is on 800+ devices versus Amazon Instant Video’s 300+. Carmody didn’t see a obvious reason stopping Amazon from creating an Amazon Instant Video player for iPads and iPhones but there’s a couple. As Reed Hastings stated on their recent earnings call, Netflix is not interested in the pay-per-view or purchase market. Netflix is only interested in delivering an all-you-can-watch streaming catalog at one low price. For device penetration, this is a real advantage for Netflix. Netflix can peacefully co-exist on many devices with paid services such as Apple’s iTunes and the Sony Entertaintment Network. While Amazon could develop an iOS app, I doubt Apple would approve a direct competitor to iTunes. Furthermore, given that iOS devies don’t natively support Flash video, one can’t even watch Amazon content through the Safari web browser (Amazon could create a second set of iOS-compatibile encodes as YouTube did).

Also, one has to question how Amazon Instant could be on most of Sony’s Blu-ray players, streaming boxes and HDTVs but not on the Playstation3 which has sold tens of millions. Speaking to industry sources, I’ve learned that Amazon usually develops the Instant Video client itself. So, in the case of Sony, they would have to author yet another version of the app for the Playstation3 in addition to the two other versions they’ve created for Sony’s other devices (while Amazon is probably willing it’s probably more likely that Sony doesn’t want competition to its service). Another example is TiVo which was one of the first boxes with Amazon Instant Video when it was only a download service. However, the TiVo version has not seen a major refresh since its initial release and hence, it cannot access the Amazon Prime Streaming Library. Implementations on other devices such as Blu-ray players don’t have access to surround sound. Amazon would be better off providing a software SDK and user interface guidelines to device manufacturers as Netflix does. Regardless, there there is a real ceiling to Amazon’s market share by not being on iOS devices.

In addition, Netflix has encouraged a universe of third-party web apps by providing an API and full XML version of its catalog to any third-party developer. While Amazon does have it’s Associates API, it’s limited in what it can do compared to Netflix. The end result is that there is a large number of web applications that incorporate the Netflix data.

Audio and Video Quality: Netflix offers most of its HD content in 1080P whereas Amazon offers 720P. HBO GO, which also offers 720P HD video, provides its video at a higher bit-rate resulting in a smoother, better-looking picture. Also Netflix, VUDU and HBO GO have all adopted the more bandwidth efficient and better sounding Dolby Digital Plus for surround sound (Amazon uses Dolby Digital which still sounds good). In the world of mobile devices, these audio and video differences don’t matter much (unless you’re hooking the tablet or mobile phone to a TV). However, as consumers purchase HDTVs with bigger screens, the difference is apparent. Unless Amazon is saving significant dollars in licensing costs, there’s no reason not to make the move to higher quality encodes, 1080P and Dolby Digital Plus. (Downloads to the TiVo Premiere are in 1080P and Dolby Digital)

Content Discovery: Not only is it important to have great content but there needs to be an easy way to find it. Netflix’s Instant Queue is one of the service’s most convenient and popular features. Anytime Netflix has messed with it , they’ve been inundated with customer complaints (remember when expired titles disappeared?). While Amazon has a “video library” to track purchased titles, there’s no way to bookmark or have a queue of Prime streaming titles. Netflix also distinguishes itself with its recommendations. However, its Achilles heal has always been that the families share one account leading to some humorous and sometimes disturbing recommendations (Since you like Phineaus & Ferb, you may also like Psycho ). This is probably the easiest area for Amazon to catch up in since they are aleady famous for the “Customers who bought this item also bought…” from their website.

Parental Controls: When Amazon introduced its Prime service, it did so without any parental controls (purchases require a pin-code). While Netflix does have parental controls, they are clunky to use at best. Netflix indicated on their Q4 conference call that they would be rolling out user profiles for family members sometime this year.

Closed captions: Subtitled movies in Amazon’s Prime streaming catalog are far and few between. As the market leader, Netflix has been criticized for not captioning all of its content. The National Association for the Deaf sued Netflix last year for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Netflix has made progress, notability in the area of TV content but still fell short of its goal of captioning 80% of its content last year. If Amazon is to become the market leader, they would be subject to the same scrutiny. Amazon at the moment only has subtitles available on a small number of movies. Since they are subtitled (as opposed to captioned), they cannot be turned off. The Amazon Instant Video player does not appear to have the ability to show closed captions.

In closing, Amazon Instant Video has a lot of potential with its myriad of options to satisfy a customer’s video desires. On the other hand, Netflix is focused on becoming a pure Internet based streaming service. While that focus has given Netflix the lead in many areas, can they survive a focused charge from Amazon with its deep pockets?

Copyright 2011, 2012 Tech of the Hub - Home Theater, Gadgets, Streaming Video Blog