I had intended to write this week's column as a follow-up to last week's iPhone column, but I haven't completed my research work yet. The cell industry has left me dazed and confused; I need another week or so to sort it all out. But I can tell you that an iPhone has not yet graced my palm.
I did get one piece of new technology news this week - Netflix has implemented video on demand to your PC. They call it Watch Now, and it works really well.
For those not aware, Netflix was formed in 1998 as a mail-based DVD rental service. The concept was simple and worked so well that it has basically not changed in all this time. You pay a monthly fee, which varies based on the number of simultaneous DVDs you want to rent - the default was three. Using their excellent webpage, you create a prioritized list of DVDs you want to rent. Netflix will then send them to you in the US Mail. You can keep them as long as you want, and then return them via the supplied, prepaid mailer when you are done. The hitch is that you only get to have outstanding that number of DVDs that you paid for - if you have a plan for 3 rentals, they will only send you 3 at a time.
I have been an active subscriber to Netflix since almost the beginning and it has pretty much replaced attendance at the local movie house for me. I am not concerned that I am not getting to see the latest and greatest movie until it comes out on DVD - after all, I have been waiting all my life - a few weeks more won't hurt!
But what the world really wants is full video on demand. You should be able to tune your TV to a service that allows you to play any movie at any time. Time Warner Cable has an on-demand service, but the number of choices amounts to a few dozen titles at a time only. Once true video on demand is available, the DVD market as we know it today will disappear. But there are many issues involved - technical and other - so don't expect to see a service like that on your TV any time soon.
But Netflix has taken an important step. Once you are a subscribed member, you can now view movies on demand on your PC. They have over 3,000 titles available and the list is growing. This is not the first attempt at doing this - people have been viewing and downloading video on the 'net for years - but this implementation really works well.
There isn't much to do. When you click on Watch Now, you get to pick your movie just like a regular Netflix choice. The first time they will download a player, and from then on you just select your movie and go. There is no extra charge to use this service and no limit to its use, as long as you are a Netflix subscriber.
The major issue in online video has always been quality. Sometimes the viewing windows are terribly small; sometimes the video is very low resolution; sometimes the video or sound is jerky and often not synchronized. So I was surprised at the excellent quality of the Netflix service - you can view in a large window or full screen, the resolution is acceptable to good, and the feed and synchronization excellent.
Of course, you need a high-speed Internet connection and one that doesn't bill by the megabyte or limit your access (see next week's Internet cell column). The only major downside that I saw is when my wife was running a Netflix Watch Now movie for my grandchildren that my web browsing on my own PC was quite a bit slower. But until we move up from the 5 megabit Road Runner or DSL service to the future (such as the 30 megabit Verizon fiber optic service) this is going to happen.
So if you are a Netflix subscriber, check out this new and free service. And if you are not a Netflix user, take a look!
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport - Oak Island area. You can visit his Website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail questions or column ideas to him at bsc@bobseidel.com. For specific inquiries, please call Bob Seidel Consulting, LLC at 278-1007.)