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Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

post #1 of 16
6/9/08 at 8:46am
Thread Starter 
I got this email about TV shows being available to download so I rushed over to check out what they had. Most of it I already have the DVDs of but a couple of things looked interesting like first season Nanny and the Professor, 3 seasons of Lou Grant, etc. So I asked my friend how you go about downloading it and burning it to DVD and he told me you can't burn it to a DVD. So, I don't understand, what's the point? What can you do with it? Buy it to have to sit in front of your computer screen to watch and then what, keep it there forever? Erase it and you payed for nothing? I really don't understand this at all nor do I understand why anyone would pay for this. Anyone?
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post #2 of 16
6/9/08 at 10:22am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

The Amazon downloads can be put on a lot of portable media players. Not as good as burning it to DVD, but if you have one of the players you could watch it there.
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post #3 of 16
6/9/08 at 10:38am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

So...some of us have invested $1000s of dollars in flatscreen tvs, audio equipment, and etc. and yet we have to watch these shows on a stupid little media player? I don't wanna. I want to watch them on dvd, on my big expensive television that I bought for that reason.
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post #4 of 16
6/9/08 at 10:41am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

We are now living in the age of DRM (digital rights management) and restricting people from burning or transferring content is part of this. Hopefully if those shows that are unreleased get enough hits, the studio will consider releasing it on DVD. That's why I think it can be a positive thing, despite having to watch it on a smaller monitor.

I think the Hulu model is better. While it's only streamed and can't be downloaded, at least it's free and they have lots of shows not on DVD.
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post #5 of 16
6/9/08 at 11:10am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

The only time that I've watched a TV show on a computer is when I've missed an episode of a show and the network's website has it up to watch for free. And even if it was free, I would probably never watch something on a two inch screen of a cell phone or iPod.

While I will always want physical media, I know a day will eventually come where I have to download movies/TV shows but I'll only do that if I can burn a copy to a DVD/Blu Ray/whatever and watch it on my TV.
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post #6 of 16
6/9/08 at 11:22am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

If you have a TiVo hooked up to broadband (rather than the dial-up service) you can download from Amazon to your box. That way you can watch it on a real-size screen.
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post #7 of 16
6/9/08 at 11:25am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

Hank, you might want to check out the TV listings on Hulu.com. I don't remember seeing "Nanny & the Professor" listed, but there's at least one season of "Lou Grant" there, as Jeff noted, it's free. There are typically several commercial breaks per show, but it's only one commercial per break, so it's pretty bearable. And it is streaming video, so there's no downloading and burning to DVD.

I'd still rather buy shows on DVD, but this beats having no access at all for those things that haven't been released on disc yet. And I'm with Jeff on his other point, that I hope the studios are looking at the number of hits on certain titles and that it may prompt them to consider those for a proper release.
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post #8 of 16
6/9/08 at 12:03pm

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff*H

I think the Hulu model is better. While it's only streamed and can't be downloaded, at least it's free and they have lots of shows not on DVD.

I might get censored for this, but there ARE ways to download the stream.
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post #9 of 16
6/9/08 at 7:15pm

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

All I can say about Amazon Download is that I love it. I now am able to watch the second season of SWAT something I have wanted a long time. Sure I would much rather have it on actual dvds but this is certainly better than not having it at all. I also hope the studios are watching to see what does well.

On the more current side, my son who is home from college got me hooked on "The Office" and we have finished the first 3 seasons. The 4th season isn't due out on dvd until after he goes back to college so I was thrilled to find it on amazon unbox right now. Sure come Sept I will buy it on dvd but for right now I am happy with this system.

I also watch things on hula.com but I prefer unbox system mainly because I have the tivo and can watch it on my regular tv.
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post #10 of 16
6/9/08 at 8:09pm

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

Quote:
Originally Posted by peggy
..."The Office"... The 4th season isn't due out on dvd until after he goes back to college so I was thrilled to find it on amazon unbox right now.
I could be wrong but I think S4 is still up at nbc.com for free right now.
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post #11 of 16
6/10/08 at 11:18am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

That is true but I don't want to watch them on my computer screen and I don't see anyway to download those episodes to my tv screen like I can with unbox. I might just be missing it though.
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post #12 of 16
6/10/08 at 11:56am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

I haven't looked at the Amazon streaming video service. Is it pretty much the same idea as the Netflix Watch Instantly program?

For Netflix's streaming video, I hook up my laptop to my TV and receiver instead of just viewing it on my computer.
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post #13 of 16
6/10/08 at 1:16pm

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank Dearborn
So I asked my friend how you go about downloading it and burning it to DVD and he told me you can't burn it to a DVD. So, I don't understand, what's the point? What can you do with it? Buy it to have to sit in front of your computer screen to watch and then what, keep it there forever?

Or you could get a computer with a big honking hard drive and hook it directly into your TV.
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post #14 of 16
6/12/08 at 11:50am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank Dearborn
So, I don't understand, what's the point? What can you do with it? Buy it to have to sit in front of your computer screen to watch and then what, keep it there forever? Erase it and you payed for nothing? I really don't understand this at all nor do I understand why anyone would pay for this. Anyone?

I have a laptop. I plug it in to my 50" Plasma and am able to watch any of the available shows instantly on my TV. Pretty friggin GREAT if you ask me.

If you don't understand the benefit then surely you can't understand the benefit of a DVD rental store either. If I rent a movie, I have to drive there to pick it up, which is a bare minimum of $2 of gas. Then there is the possibility that I won't return it on time. Then I have to drive it back to the store.

Yes, it functions better as a "rental" service but what is not to understand?
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post #15 of 16
6/12/08 at 11:53am

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

Quote:
Originally Posted by seanOhara
Or you could get a computer with a big honking hard drive and hook it directly into your TV.


Exactly. And here is a great example for anyone who doesn't understand the greatness of internet downloads: Amazon.com: Sony VAIO VGX-TP20E/W TP Living Room PC (Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 Processor, 2 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive, Blu Ray Drive, Vista Premium) White: Electronics

A Blu-Ray player, 500GB hard drive, and DVR all in one small package.
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post #16 of 16
6/16/08 at 10:24pm

Re: Can Anyone Explain This Amazon TV Download Thing To Me?

How do the shows look on your 50 inch plasma? Do you know what the resolution of these shows is? Thanks -
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