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(NaturalNews) From time to time, I divert from the usual topics on this site and review technologies that appear to be revolutionary. One of the most exciting transitions in technology taking place right now is the availability of on-demand video downloads using set-top boxes. These devices allow users to tap into astonishingly large collections of documentaries, TV shows and feature films relying solely on an internet connection. A small, set-top device download the movies and pumps the signal to your 78-inch high-def plasma screen display that you just barely managed to buy on sale at Wal-Mart before escaping with your life.
The competition for the best set-top boxes that allow on-demand movie downloads has recently kicked into high gear with Blockbuster's announcement of its OnDemand set-top box. To compare the Blockbuster box with the Netflix Roku box, I purchased both and used them side by side to assess usability, video quality, speed and navigation. I've included both the pros and cons of each below.
I have no financial relationship with either company. These comments are 100% independent, and I have no affiliate relationship with either company.
The upshot of the comparison? Netflix Roku wins hands down for better quality, usability and price. Even the technology is better, as you'll see below. But Netflix Roku suffers from a poor selection of high-quality films. You can't watch popular new movies because they're not available through the Netflix service. So even though the service is quite affordable, you're not getting premium movie content.
Help wanted: Testing engineers for BlockbusterThe Blockbuster OnDemand set-top box was a technical disaster. Honestly, I can't believe they actually released this device without some better testing. I'm the founder and owner of a very successful software company, so I know all about usability and testing, and I can tell you this: Blockbuster doesn't seem to understand the importance of fixing problems before releasing products. Consider this:
• The video is out of the sync with the audio by about 0.2 seconds (my estimate). So when you're watching the actors talk, their mouths run faster than their voices like a bad martial arts movie dub. It's hysterically annoying and makes you want to throw your Wii controllers at the screen.
• During the videos, random video compression artifacts appear out of nowhere. Strange green lines and boxes just show up for no reason, and from time to time, an actor's face will morph into a horribly disfigured mass of pixels, like something out of a cheap horror film. The effect is startling at first, and then it's just annoying. Technically speaking, I don't see how this should be happening, since the movie is downloaded in advance. Are these encoding errors that were introduced as they ripped the movies to streaming files? If so, they've screwed up royally...
• The "resume playback" and fast forward functions simply don't work at all! It's hilarious. The interface actually gives you the option to "Resume playback," and when you select it, guess what? It starts over from the beginning anyway! Same story on the fast forward: The screen ACTS like it's fast forwarding, but the movie still sits there, playing back at normal speed. And yes, I know these functions don't work until the full download of the movie completes. What I'm saying is that these features don't work at all, even AFTER the movie is done downloading. Imagine, if you will, a DVD player without a fast-forward button. Sorta retarded, wouldn't you say? That's the Blockbuster OnDemand set-top box, at least in my experience. And no, it wasn't a problem with the fast-forward button on the remote. The user interface clearly indicated it was trying to fast forward, but was failing to do so. Again, this was long after the entire download of the movie was complete.
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Tuesday, December 02, 2008
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