Voddler: Free Movies and TV Streaming Service

Voddler: Free Movies and TV Streaming Service

Voddler is a new video startup that launch back in private beta back in July 2009. Currently it is rumoured that only 1,500 people have access to the site, so we wanted to run through the service for everyone else.
Voddler won’t be launched officially until sometime this fall, and then only in the Nordic countries [...]

Voddler won’t be launched officially until sometime this fall, and then only in the Nordic countries for starters. The agenda is to go global, though.

Voddler aims to do for movies and TV series what Spotify is doing for music. Although in private beta Voddler already seems to be getting a lot of buzz in Scandinavia, so we hope to let everyone else know about it.

Voddler is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, Voddler will also be providing a Linux-based box with a pre-installed client that you can easily connect to your TV to get that home cinema feel.

Movies are of course a lot more bandwidth-intensive than music. How well Voddler works for you will depend on your Internet connection. To get 1080p HD quality you should have an 8 Mbit/s connection, for 720p HD quality you should have a 5 Mbit/s connection, and for DVD quality you should have a 2.5 Mbit/s connection. Contrast this with Spotify which only has to deal with music streaming and therefore works just fine with a mere 256 kbit/s connection.

Watch Free Streaming Movies Online

The internet is becoming more and more advanced. There are quite a number of things that you can do online today that would not have been possible a number of years ago. The web is becoming an important place for commercial transactions and trading ventures. Bills are settled online, and products are bought online on commercial web sites such as e-bay. Instead of joining the usual long queues that are mainly present in banks, a large number of customers are opting to carry out their tasks online in what is commonly referred to as online banking by the I.T. people.

The internet is also educational in that a lot of information can be accessed from it. Scholars and students benefit greatly from it, in that the information is accessible 24 hours a day, ready to be utilized. This was not possible before the internet came into being. If you wanted information or viewpoints from a person in Australia in an in-depth form, the only option would have been to fly to Australia to hear it from that person.

Also, communication has been greatly improved through the internet. There are many services available, including e-mailing, video conferencing and chatting. You can also use a web cam to see and talk to the other person.

Of late, the internet has become a very big source of entertainment material. You can access blogs, chat rooms and movie web sites for very little in terms of payment. Movies are being uploaded on the web at an alarmingly fast rate. In fact, some movies debut on the internet first before they open to cinemas and other places.

It is possible to watch movies online through streaming. The movies are uploaded onto a server anywhere in the world. Through multimedia streaming, you can view just about any movie available online. There are those that are blocked and you might need special permission in order to access the website on which the movie is loaded.

There are a number of stages involved in the streaming process. When a user follows a link to a particular movie clip on the web, your browser software will send out a request to the server on which the clip is held anywhere in the world.

In response, the server will stream the clip to your computer continuously, forming the stream. Once the data is received by your computer, it will automatically open the media player software contained in your computer. Once the player is open, the data being streamed to your computer is stored in a buffer. It may take a while for all the data to be received, depending on your bandwidth and to some extent the speed of your computer. This requires you to be patient.

YouTube prepping UK TV show streaming

YouTube is in talks to bring full length TV show streaming to the UK, and the negotiations are going down right now!

YouTube has been tinkering with full length video streaming in the US recently, but the video sharing site is planning to rollout a similar set up here in the UK.

A senior source at Sony Pictures told New Media Age that a deal was being carved out right now: “YouTube’s aim is to do something with long-form. We are in discussions with it about that.” Those in the know at both ITV and Channel 4 meanwhile have said that YouTube is at the table with broadcasters too.

Movie companies creating own TV station, VOD Web site

MGM, Paramount, and Lionsgate are reportedly joining together to form their own TV channel called Epix. The channel would show movies from the three studios nine months after they are released in theaters. In addition to the television channel, the group also plans on launching a Web site where users can stream movies on demand.

Currently no cable or satellite companies have agreed to pick up the channel, which would be a definite requirement if anyone will actually ever be able to watch it. The channel would work similar to HBO, in the respect that customers would have to pay an additional fee to get the channel.

The Web site for the channel will also cost money. The idea would be to charge a subscription for users to watch the same movies they can watch on their television on demand streaming from the Web site.

It could be interesting to see if given the option, users will prefer to subscribe to a cable channel or a web video on demand service for their movies- it would also be interesting to see what the price difference will be between getting the two different, yet for the most part same services.

Personally I would like to see the channel and on-demand service offered as a bundle together. That way you could watch movies as they aired on your television, but also stream them from your computer when you’re on-the-go or if you’re in the mood to watch a movie.

With the extreme availability of movies now on the web, wither streaming from places like Netflix, or downloaded from iTunes- it will be interesting to see if another video on demand site could even get the legs it needs to get started.

What do you think? Would you subscribe to the Epix television station or Web site for your movies?

How TV Streaming Has Changed How Viewers Watch Their Favorite Programs

TV streaming lets viewers watch their favorite programming in a matter of minutes on their computer. The programs are channel as a continuous stream on the internet. TV streaming is becoming the wave of the future of the internet.

Nowadays, there are different stations that are making their content available on the spot with this type of viewing. They feel that this is a different way for them to get more people online. In turn, when more people are watching tv online, the stations will get additional revenue. This provides the stations with an advantage because for them, the costs of tv streaming are minimal.

Since the word “free” will send anyone running, more people have been flocking to get the live feeds and access the tv streaming on the internet. As long as stations can keep their costs to a minimum, they will reach out to attract more people to watch their favorite shows. All a person needs is a broadband connection and a free media player. Windows Media or Real Player works well with this method.

The portals that are used with this method rely on advertising to keep them afloat. As long as the content has appeal, the stations will be able to provide valuable and interesting viewing to those that are turning to tv streaming. This concept is being used not only in the United States, but around the world as well. The expansion of this method provides an opportunity to serve in niche markets instead of just restricting it to certain areas.

This method allows producers to continue putting more shows and more episodes that people want to watch. Another reason why more viewers are turning to the internet for their favorite tv shows is because the producers know what areas to target. They have become very savvy as far as learning to get an audience for their programming.

TV streaming provides viewers with looking at an improved video screen resolution on their computer. There are so many selections for viewers to choose from and more people are catching on to this new way of watching their favorite programming. A lot of this programming cannot be found on cable or satellite. You would think that with all of the channels that these two main mediums have, people would be able to find whatever they want.

This method has led the way of providing high quality programming free to the viewers. Not only do they get what they want, but they can watch it in the comfort of their own home without having to fight anyone over regular programming from the tv set.

Netflix to stream movies to Macs using Silverlight

Netflix, the online movie rental service, is launching Mac support for internet streaming movies utilizing Microsoft's Silverlight, a web-browser plug-in that features animation and audio-video capabilities similar to Adobe's Flash software. The deployment of the capabilities will start with a small number of subscribers, expanding to all subscribers by year's end. Silverlight features cross-platform and cross-browser support, as well as Play Ready DRM, a pivotal factor in Netflix being able to stream copy-write-protected content to subscribers on both Macs and PCs.

Mac-based customers and Firefox users on both platforms were key to Netflix adopting Silverlight. Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt said, "Members who enjoy watching movies and TV episodes... that can be instantly streamed at Netflix will be thrilled with this next generation improvement of access and quality, on a broader range of platforms, including Intel Macs and Firefox." Netflix streaming via Silverlight will require Intel-based Macs, and work with Safari and Firefox.

Beyond NUTV: Getting around your dorm’s limited programming

The countdown to the October 15th Project Runway finale is ticking. Fresh Battlestar Galactica episodes are slated for early 2009. Four of the best NFL games of each week get the 90-minute treatment on NFL Replay. The fall TV line-up includes new vampire series True Blood, the return of the lethal Dexter and British-imported sitcom The IT Crowd.

Any of the above sound good? Unfortunately, if you’re in a dorm and rely on the computer-based expanded NUTV service for programming, you’re going to need to find alternatives.

Though NUTV includes 37 channels, including Spike, FX and Nickelodeon, several student favorites are left out. Missing are some fairly basic cable networks— Bravo (Runway), Sci-Fi (Galactica), NFL Network (Replay) and Independent Film (IT Crowd)— as well as premium channels like HBO (True Blood) and Showtime (Dexter).

Junior Allie Kerr spent her first two years at Northwestern in Shepard, without access to Bravo, a favorite network. Her solution: day-after Project Runway parties with friends, watching the show as YouTube clips. “It was kind of pathetic, but we were addicted, so we did what we could,” she says. “It was rough because you’d have to avoid spoilers for that 24-hour span.”

Most networks, though, protect their financial interests and copyrights by pulling any full episodes from sites like YouTube— making it not just a matter of seeing a show immediately, but seeing it any time in the near future.

Freshman Jordan Blumenthal, who says he misses programming on Showtime and HBO, calls the lack of certain channels “an inconvenience.” For dorm residents to watch shows like Showtime’s Californication, “you have to resort to either waiting for it to come on DVD [or] illegal means of downloading it.”

Director of technology support services Wendy King cautions against the latter choice. “The university has policies in place against any infringement of copyright law,” King says. “I would caution that if someone wants to watch a show, they get it from a legal source.” That’s a warning to take seriously— last summer, over a dozen Northwestern students faced litigation from the RIAA for illegal downloading.

But dorm students need not despair. For the dedicated, Northwestern resourcefulness can carry the day. For instance, Kerr caught her hometown Washington Redskins games (rarely broadcast in Chicago) with Sirius online radio alongside online play-by-play charts. Other options for catching some of those more elusive shows:


Channel websites: Some networks host a few episodes of their shows online. The Sci-Fi channel website has a bunch. In the case of missed hometown NFL games, NFL.com offers fairly detailed highlight reels.
Pros: You’re getting it from the official sites, so it’s legal. You’ve got it right at home on your computer. And there are little to no commercials. (For instance—although NUTV does get Comedy Central—The Daily Show’s website features about two commercials per complete episode.)
Cons: Unfortunately, very few networks do this, and the ones that do are liable to show you just enough to get you hooked. Others might feature only minute-long clips.

Other websites: Hulu.com and Veoh.com are two of the most popular sites for streaming entire episodes of TV shows, and are certified legitimate.
Pros: Videos on-demand straight from the internet onto your computer, frequently just after they air. Many older shows and lesser-known channels. In the case of Hulu and Veoh, currently no legal issues.
Cons: A lot of clips, but rarely full episodes. Neither has anything from HBO, and Hulu only has complete episodes of a few Bravo shows. Currently, Veoh does have a video of the Dexter Season 3 pilot, as well as a few other Showtime shows (Weeds is one) but the site’s player has a bad reputation and the video collection is far from complete.
Slingbox: A invention of a California company called Sling Media, the Slingbox is a nifty gadget that transfers your home video signal over the Internet straight to your computer. Known as “place-shifting” (in comparison to TiVo’s “time-shifting”), Slingbox and comparative products are thought by many to be the next development in television convenience.
Pros: Any show you get at home, you get on your computer. Change channels from the comfort of your dorm room with an infrared signaler that latches onto your home cable box.
Cons: It’s not exactly easy to set up. You’d need to do part at home, part at your dorm, and the process might look tricky (or impossible) to a non-technophile. If you do get it working, the feed can occasionally look choppy.

Swarmcast Solidifies Presence in China With Hupo.tv Partnership

Swarmcast, the leader in high-quality online video streaming, today announced that Shanghai-based online entertainment and video site Hupo TV (www.hupo.tv), will use Swarmcast’s Autobahn Platform as the foundation for its online video offerings across its broad range of music, celebrity, live sports and general entertainment channels. Hupo TV is one of only five licensed video sites in China and the largest professional content site, with more than 60 million unique monthly visitors. Hupo TV has partnerships with MSN China, Baidu Entertainment, China Music Radio and Major League Baseball. Through Swarmcast, Hupo TV will offer its customers and advertising partners a TV-like experience for live and on-demand Internet video. Hupo TV is part of the Broadwebasia group of companies. Broadwebasia (OTC Bulletin Board: OTC.OB), is controlled by Brad Greenspan, the founder of MySpace.

“With high quality Internet television, we can draw new audiences to our networks and build attractive advertising opportunities,” said Davis Li, CEO of Hupo TV. “It’s all about user experience and profitability. If you do not have the quality, you cannot attract advertisers. Swarmcast understands the economic and technical demands of delivering Internet television over China’s infrastructure, even during peak times.”

This announcement underscores Swarmcast’s rapid global expansion. Swarmcast recently opened an office in Beijing, following the opening of its European headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland in August. The Beijing office is the fourth presence after Tokyo, Zurich and Minneapolis.

“China represents the future of Internet television and we are committed to building that future together with partners like Hupo TV. They have the foresight to understand that you can’t build and maintain a successful business model around online video if you haven’t taken the steps to ensure the highest quality user experience,” said Kelly C. Egan, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Swarmcast. “Our new operations in China represent our commitment to the Chinese market and continues our rapid growth and strengthens our overall value proposition.”

About Swarmcast

Swarmcast’s Autobahn Platform empowers content providers to build profitable businesses around high-quality online video. The Autobahn Platform delivers full screen, high quality video that sharpens to the best experience for each viewer. Swarmcast is redefining what is possible for Internet video for the likes of Major League Baseball, and TV Tokyo.

Online Video Viewers Want TV

One In Five Households Watch TV Online

A new study has shown a sharp rise in the numbers that watch TV online, with channel homepages and YouTube the big winners.

A new study by the Conference Board and TNS shows that one on five US households that use the Internet also watch TV online. That’s twice the number recorded just two years ago, according to Information Week.

So why has Internet TV become so popular? Convenience is the main reason, the ability to watch shows any time – but also from anywhere, and to be able to avoid commercials.

In a statement, Michael Saxon, senior VP of brand and communications at TNS, noted:

"The shift from appointment TV to content on demand is well underway. Fundamentally, consumers expect content to be available when they want it, and on the screen of their choice -- TV, PC, or mobile.

"For consumers, PCs enhance content on demand from simply time-shifting to place-shifting. Online content can be viewed in any room in the house, or at work or school."

Most people – around 90% - watch from home, 15% in the office, and 6% elsewhere (some watch from multiple locations, hence the quirk in the figures). News attracts the most viewers, with 43%, followed closely by drama shows, pulling 39%.
68% of viewers watch streaming video, and YouTube grabs 41% of viewers, with network homepages attracting 65%.