Yep, I’ve publicly poo-pooed the idea of disposable DVDs… But it seems to me that Flexplay has found a compelling market for the products: Airline passengers. In this era of Netflix, digital downloads, and Redbox kiosks, I doubt their target audience is large enough to keep them going. In fact, I assume this space will eventually be served by iPod and iPhone video-loading stations. But (in the interim) for $6 I had a better in-flight movie experience than most of my fellow travelers. Normally I’d bring my own video (BYOV) and at a lower cost, but I didn’t plan ahead. (Of course, I’d have picked up a Flexplay DVD for scientific purposes anyhow.) As to the technical details, some sort of air-induced chemical reaction clouds the disc which begins to limit playback after 48 hours - though, Distburbia is still going strong after 60 hours. And, yes, I did verify Handbrake will rip something usable.

Of course we’ve they’ve been developing an iPhone and iPod Touch Slingbox client. In fact, it’s been brewing for several months and was one of the reasons I originally jailbroke my phone, although we ultimately decided not to install the software given the number of events and people I encounter.

What we’ve got here is a technology demo and a stake in the ground: SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone. As it is, the current application is an amazing technological achievement (given Slingbox’s Windows Media Video broadcast) and the team has done a great job with the initial UI. Going forward, Sling’s got an interesting decision to make (which may not entirely be up to them): Continue down the jailbreak path or get legit with the SDK and iTunes App Store (including hefty Apple kickbacks). But Jobs has said no to “bandwidth hogs,” so Sling may have to limit connectivity options (to WiFi - a non-issue with the current EDGE model) for a store blessing.

No word on timing, but if I were driving I’d put a time bomb on this alpha software and release it as part of a Sling Labs initiative (along with Blackberry, SlingPlayer 2.0, etc) to fire up the community and sell Slingboxes. Though, they’ve heard that suggestion before…

Let me start by saying every device should offer some sort of wireless connectivity, preferably built-in. Research indicates folks are going to connect a limited quantity of devices to their televisions, so it behooves companies to reduce barriers to entry. As to why wireless isn’t integrated into everything: Another chip raises the BOM. And more than the additional hardware cost is the price associated with supporting wireless configuration and performance. While I understand the rationale, I don’t buy it. If you want mainstream penetration, you need to offer WiFi.

Having said that, I’m actually (pleasantly) surprised to see Vudu provide a wireless option - especially since they stream at pretty high bitrates. I’d have assumed they’d play it safe with no remote networking option or, perhaps, Powerline. However, it seems to me that they’re mitigating support costs by selling a pair of wireless bridges to simplify configuration. In fact, at $79 I doubt they’re making any money on these.

Coincidentally, I happen to have a compact ASUS wireless bridge which looks remarkably similar to what Vudu is selling. Setup was extremely efficient and performance (Vudu, Slingbox SOLO) has been rock solid - much more so than the two Buffalo wireless bridges I recently ebayed. And what I find most clever is that it doesn’t require a power adapter (though one is provided) - it’s able to get enough juice off a USB connection, thereby reducing my clutter quotient. I wonder if there’s a way to decouple the Asus Vudu wireless bridge pair… If so, that $79 becomes an excellent value for adding WiFi to two devices (Vudu, Xbox, Slingbox, TiVo, etc).

On the way to dinner with TiVoShanan last night, I swung by my former office for a few minutes and received a sneak peak of the upcoming EchoStar/DISH Network DTVPal. It won’t be the first digital-to-analog converter, nor will it likely be the last when it launches mid-month. And as you can see from one of the pics below, DTVPal’s footprint has been substantially reduced since the product originally debuted as the ‘TR-40′ at CES. I’ve already met my weekly rant quota, so I’ll spare you my thoughts on the digital transition spectrum auction.

UPDATE - DISH sent me a unit, so I’ve shot some initial unboxing and setup videos:

• Unboxing
• Setup, Part 1
• Setup, Part 2
• Setup, Part 3
• Setup, Part 4

Jeremy Toeman received an extremely thought-provoking YouTube non-takedown notice regarding his January 2007 video upload containing a U2 soundtrack. Here’s the excerpt:

UMG has claimed some or all audio content in your video Pussycat Dolls @ Microsoft CES Party - basic Muvee w/U2. This claim was made as part of the YouTube Content Identification program. Your video is still live because UMG has authorized the use of this content on YouTube. As long as UMG has a claim on your video, they will receive public statistics about your video, such as number of views. Viewers may also see advertising on your video’s page.

I experienced the same reaction sequence as Jeremy: Outrage initially, followed by acceptance. All in all it seems like an entirely reasonable compromise - Universal Music Group has vetted the content and asserted their rights (to possibly make a few bucks) while leaving Jeremy’s creative content available. Our initial agitation could probably have been reduced if YouTube had presented the info somewhat differently… Perhaps prefacing the note by thanking Jeremy for his contributions the community and then giving him a choice of resubmitting or removing the video as alternatives to UMG’s eminent domain claim.

While we didn’t leave the Sprint/Samsung CTIA press event with an Instinct, attendees were treated to a complimentary Samsung SBH500 Stereo Bluetooth headset ($80). I’ve tried them with Mac for Skype calls and listening to iTunes, though they’ll also work with a variety of phones. The SBH500 is a whole heck of a lot better than the last pair I spent any real time with: Attractive, solid build quality, easy pairing, good sound, mostly static free. However, I do find the headphones somewhat uncomfortable - they’re a bit too tight. Check out the unboxing pics below and enter to win this unit.

The rules:

• Leave an intelligent comment on any May, 2008 post. It could be something you’ve already written or something you write now (archives are here).
• Leave a comment on this post linking the May post you chimed in on.
• In a couple days, a winner will be randomly selected.
• Entrants must be located in one of the lower 48 United States only, please.

Apple’s now offering movies via iTunes in the UK and in Canada. But that doesn’t interest me so much - it wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when. The real news here is that they’ve obviously worked a deal with the studios to permit a 48 hour viewing period. A current pain point for many (real or perceived) is the 24 hour limit to complete watching a rental. I’ve thought 36 hours should be sufficient to allow ‘film interrupted’ folks to resume viewing their flick on a consecutive evening. While Vudu has taken things into their own hands (and probably at their own cost) to offer 24 hours of extended viewing (48 total) for an additional $2, perhaps the tide is turning and we’ll hear something (other than iPhone 2.0) out of WWDC next week…

Interesting factoid: Online movie ticketing service Fandango was responsible for over 16% of Sex in the City opening weekend ticket sales. While it didn’t surprise me to learn Fandango moved 10% of Star Wars Episode III tickets (it’s a geek crowd), the percent of Sex in the City sales is notable (as is the fact that people still patronize the multiplex). Though they seem slightly surprised to learn women are capable of utilizing web technology… “Internet ticket sales for Sex and the City have been nothing short of extraordinary for a female-driven picture,” says Rick Butler, Chief Operating Officer for Fandango. Wonder how many (how few) bought these via TiVo?