"think it's obvious that musicians (especially independents and small labels) will find themselves with the short end of the stick if they are asked to pay a fee to have their music streamed as fast as larger bands or even corporations."
-well, the free market economy already allows this to be true, really. Content Delivery Networks like http://www.akamai.com/ provide a much higher quality of service over the public internet than just sticking it out there on a random webserver. Akamai actually powers iTunes and most big media content with big dollars behind it already. So I agree that the net itself should be free and open, but private enterprise has already created solutions to offer premium delivery for those that can afford it and have a real need.
The way Fox jerks around the schedules with its shows is one of the best reasons to own a Tivo. I saw all the Futuramas and Fireflys and didnt really realize how randomly they were being aired.
why isnt everyone getting on the PVR bandwagon already....
a cheap flying artifact critter. yup, thats what an ornithopter is. And its being reprinted [after years on the bench] in Mirrodin, the new set about to be released!
AOL's immense free cd campaign has already conditioned we Americans to blindly disregard an obvious immense numerical waste of computer discs. Most people wont think twice about dumping these divx-redux things...
Ive been backpacking around SE Asia the last 4 months with my iPod, and i used the sleep timer ALL the time, listening as I fell asleep with a small set of radioshack speakers. an alarm would have been extremely useful for me with my setup.
OnTheFly playlists were also a feature I sorely missed since i was away from my primary mac for so long. Alas, both the alarm and onthefly lists and all other 2.0 firmware seem to be only for new iPods, which seems insane. hoping Apple responds to the hordes of pioneers complaining right now and gives us these simple but essential features from the 2.0 software....
Most normal folks still aren't keen on this whole digital lifestyle thing. My dad is pining for a single device that lets him control music and video easily, and he won't even do that until its simple and elegant unlike the kludgy PC video capture stuff out there for free. Tivo has the best PVR sheduling features out there, and adding an easy way for joe consumer to get his music and pictures from his pc to his entertainment center (which is where he really wants to enjoy these things in the first place) may just be the extra value that people need to warm up to this whole set-top digital hub concept. outside of us geeks, few have so far.
But charging extra for these features can't last for long. Tivo has the best scheduling features and I love my DirecTivo, but the gap is closing, and many others are starting to offer devices that provide PC power that can be controlled from the couch with a remote control. Microsoft is pushing its Media Center, but the real device that may finally hit it big is the Moxi Media Center. This box does the tv recording and music and photo streaming from a pc as well, and apparently does it elegantly as it was widely considered the best of show at last year's CES. Most importantly, Charter Cable will soon be rolling out this box to tons of subscribers next year, normal folks who would NEVER seek out let alone pay extra for an all-in-one media box, but will likely fall in love with it after the cable guy installs it. This type of functionality is coming fast from many angles and I for one am quite excited about it. I love my Tivo, but if they try to charge too much for the features, the masses will eventually have all this stuff handed to them trojan-horse style. Pioneers often get arrows in their backs...
people are using the term "cable company" in a very ambiguous way. Comcast, TimeWarner and the like are "MSO"s, the companies that provide the pipes and stuff which are very different than cable networks, who sell the commercials and program the schedules and beg the MSOs for carriage and ask them to put them on their analog tier instead of digital tier etc. Discussions on this site have been referring to both types of cable companies interchangably and they are quite seperate. And while Its the networks that really rely on ad revenue, yet its an MSO [Comcast] hats speaking out against PVRs. hmm
I worked for a cable network, and I know for a fact that everyone was a big fan of Tivos around the office. I once went and fixed the CEO's Tivo at her house and she loved it. Im sure the bigwigs were wary of em in some degree when they were pondering what the future may hold, but since so few people have them so far, I dont think they really thought about em from a business standpoint as strategy yet. Carriage by MSOs was a MUCH MUCH bigger concern.
And Ive had a DirectTivo for 2 years, and Its never crashed on me. and nor do i notice its sound or heat. And no way Im paying per commercial I skip. sheesh.
I think Cowboy Bebop is awesome. varied plots, music, amazing transitions. Its a romance action psycho thriller. And its going to be shown several times a week and pick up a larger audience. This is NOT CartoonNetwork abandoning anime.
People say the big blow is for the casual fan that needs exposure; well I say now they are being exposed to something that may actually interest them. Gundam may have a cult following, but its very juvenile and nerdy for the masses. And personally, I dont get you otaku folks saying the dubs ruin it for you. I think Inuyasha sounds fine dubbed, and I wouldnt bother watching with japanese subtitles, and neither would most of America.
real world use anecdote: when my iPod is in my pocket, i can easily switch songs by pushing on the pocket as the buttons are big and easy to feel through the fabric. to adjust the volume i usually need to slip my hand into the pocket, but its very tactile and easy to do. Sure, this doesnt work if its in a backpack or something and I wouldnt mind having one, butI dont miss the remote much, IMHO.
I have an Archos jukebox. its smaller than any other (until now) HD based MP3 player and holds 6GB. I dig it since I can wander NYC and hear anything i want. But the UI is SO BAD that i basically only use random playlists and treat it liek a radio station. This is where the iPod has me VERY excited. No other mp3 device has gotten the UI even close to as functional as the iPod. And it weighs 6 oz. to the Arhos' 12! Those who diss it havent tried the alternatives or dont really care about carrying alot of music around. ME, I'm a digital music junky, and this looks like the device I've been wishing they'd make. Give it a year, and this thing will have greater capacity and a cheaper price. 2002 is starting to look liek the year that form factor and UI FINALLY kick in for digital devices...
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"think it's obvious that musicians (especially independents and small labels) will find themselves with the short end of the stick if they are asked to pay a fee to have their music streamed as fast as larger bands or even corporations." -well, the free market economy already allows this to be true, really. Content Delivery Networks like http://www.akamai.com/ provide a much higher quality of service over the public internet than just sticking it out there on a random webserver. Akamai actually powers iTunes and most big media content with big dollars behind it already. So I agree that the net itself should be free and open, but private enterprise has already created solutions to offer premium delivery for those that can afford it and have a real need.
The way Fox jerks around the schedules with its shows is one of the best reasons to own a Tivo. I saw all the Futuramas and Fireflys and didnt really realize how randomly they were being aired. why isnt everyone getting on the PVR bandwagon already....
while this IS /., not all geeks are Magic geeks:
Magic:The Gathering's Ornithopter
a cheap flying artifact critter. yup, thats what an ornithopter is. And its being reprinted [after years on the bench] in Mirrodin, the new set about to be released!
AOL's immense free cd campaign has already conditioned we Americans to blindly disregard an obvious immense numerical waste of computer discs. Most people wont think twice about dumping these divx-redux things...
hurrah! thanks for the tip. the jagged text was driving me nuts. I switched to the larger font pref in iTunes but didnt like that either. perfecto!
Ive been backpacking around SE Asia the last 4 months with my iPod, and i used the sleep timer ALL the time, listening as I fell asleep with a small set of radioshack speakers. an alarm would have been extremely useful for me with my setup. OnTheFly playlists were also a feature I sorely missed since i was away from my primary mac for so long. Alas, both the alarm and onthefly lists and all other 2.0 firmware seem to be only for new iPods, which seems insane. hoping Apple responds to the hordes of pioneers complaining right now and gives us these simple but essential features from the 2.0 software....
Most normal folks still aren't keen on this whole digital lifestyle thing. My dad is pining for a single device that lets him control music and video easily, and he won't even do that until its simple and elegant unlike the kludgy PC video capture stuff out there for free. Tivo has the best PVR sheduling features out there, and adding an easy way for joe consumer to get his music and pictures from his pc to his entertainment center (which is where he really wants to enjoy these things in the first place) may just be the extra value that people need to warm up to this whole set-top digital hub concept. outside of us geeks, few have so far.
But charging extra for these features can't last for long. Tivo has the best scheduling features and I love my DirecTivo, but the gap is closing, and many others are starting to offer devices that provide PC power that can be controlled from the couch with a remote control. Microsoft is pushing its Media Center, but the real device that may finally hit it big is the Moxi Media Center. This box does the tv recording and music and photo streaming from a pc as well, and apparently does it elegantly as it was widely considered the best of show at last year's CES. Most importantly, Charter Cable will soon be rolling out this box to tons of subscribers next year, normal folks who would NEVER seek out let alone pay extra for an all-in-one media box, but will likely fall in love with it after the cable guy installs it. This type of functionality is coming fast from many angles and I for one am quite excited about it. I love my Tivo, but if they try to charge too much for the features, the masses will eventually have all this stuff handed to them trojan-horse style. Pioneers often get arrows in their backs...
people are using the term "cable company" in a very ambiguous way. Comcast, TimeWarner and the like are "MSO"s, the companies that provide the pipes and stuff which are very different than cable networks, who sell the commercials and program the schedules and beg the MSOs for carriage and ask them to put them on their analog tier instead of digital tier etc. Discussions on this site have been referring to both types of cable companies interchangably and they are quite seperate. And while Its the networks that really rely on ad revenue, yet its an MSO [Comcast] hats speaking out against PVRs. hmm I worked for a cable network, and I know for a fact that everyone was a big fan of Tivos around the office. I once went and fixed the CEO's Tivo at her house and she loved it. Im sure the bigwigs were wary of em in some degree when they were pondering what the future may hold, but since so few people have them so far, I dont think they really thought about em from a business standpoint as strategy yet. Carriage by MSOs was a MUCH MUCH bigger concern. And Ive had a DirectTivo for 2 years, and Its never crashed on me. and nor do i notice its sound or heat. And no way Im paying per commercial I skip. sheesh.
I think Cowboy Bebop is awesome. varied plots, music, amazing transitions. Its a romance action psycho thriller. And its going to be shown several times a week and pick up a larger audience. This is NOT CartoonNetwork abandoning anime. People say the big blow is for the casual fan that needs exposure; well I say now they are being exposed to something that may actually interest them. Gundam may have a cult following, but its very juvenile and nerdy for the masses. And personally, I dont get you otaku folks saying the dubs ruin it for you. I think Inuyasha sounds fine dubbed, and I wouldnt bother watching with japanese subtitles, and neither would most of America.
real world use anecdote:
when my iPod is in my pocket, i can easily switch songs by pushing on the pocket as the buttons are big and easy to feel through the fabric. to adjust the volume i usually need to slip my hand into the pocket, but its very tactile and easy to do. Sure, this doesnt work if its in a backpack or something and I wouldnt mind having one, butI dont miss the remote much, IMHO.
i love my iPod. period.
I have an Archos jukebox. its smaller than any other (until now) HD based MP3 player and holds 6GB. I dig it since I can wander NYC and hear anything i want. But the UI is SO BAD that i basically only use random playlists and treat it liek a radio station. This is where the iPod has me VERY excited. No other mp3 device has gotten the UI even close to as functional as the iPod. And it weighs 6 oz. to the Arhos' 12! Those who diss it havent tried the alternatives or dont really care about carrying alot of music around. ME, I'm a digital music junky, and this looks like the device I've been wishing they'd make. Give it a year, and this thing will have greater capacity and a cheaper price. 2002 is starting to look liek the year that form factor and UI FINALLY kick in for digital devices...