On my way to work I drive by two video stores. I used to patronize one of those stores on a regular basis, but I don't think I've been inside either of them for several years now. It's amazing to me that places like Hollywood Video and Blockbuster are even open, considering how quickly the video rental business has changed.
Instead of running out to the neighborhood video store, you can now order and receive movies without ever getting out of your PJs. Netflix lets you choose films from their collection; then they are mailed to your home. You pay a monthly fee and there are no late charges. This is a great deal and very convenient. My family already uses this service. When I check my mailbox at 3 pm on Saturday, I enjoy receiving my movies and treating my neighbors to the vision of me in plaid flannel.
You can get another sweet deal by using movie sites such as Hulu or The Auteurs which provide free access to full length films. I looked for the movie version of my library's book club selection for March, The Thin Man, by Dashielle Hammitt. No luck finding it on Hulu or The Auteurs. (I couldn't figure out where to look for full length movies on IMDB.) I finally found The Thin Man on Google Videos. It's wonderful to think that so many movies are literally only a few clicks away; talk about immediate gratification. I still prefer watching movies on my TV though, as that allows me to lounge. The larger TV screen seems more condusive to watching a movie with family and friends too.
Often times I don't pay attention to trailers at the beginning of DVDs. With Hulu trailers, I can look at a trailer when I have the time, and I don't get slammed with a half dozen all at once. I also have more control over the types of trailers I view. There are certain movies I'm not remotely interested in seeing. Hulu's brief trailer description makes it easier for me to skip over the trailers for those movies altogether. Since I generally like films about dancers or dancing, I decided to watch a trailer for the documentary "Dancing Across Borders", about a talented Cambodian street dancer who comes to New York to train in classical ballet. This is the first I've heard of this movie, and now I really want to see it! It will be in theatres March 26, 2010. Look for me to be dancing to my mailbox in plaid flannel as soon as the dvd becomes available.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
#79 The Future of Media: Television online
Thanks to web sites such as hulu.com, tv.com, and the animation enthusiast's Joost, television has become accessable on PCs and laptops. Phone providers Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon have jumped on the demand-for-TV bandwagon by offering mobile TV services, and major network websites have some episodes of popular shows online. Isn't it wonderful that we have so many viewing options? There really is no excuse anymore for missing a single episode of Jerry Springer or WWE. We are so fortunate. Also, we can continue to shell out for the latest technology which allows us to tune in to our choice of mindless prattle, I mean distinctive entertainment, anywhere we are, anytime of day. A small monthly tithe to the wireless gods is all that stands between you and the opportunity to enrich your phone company. Goodness knows that life as we know it would end without being able to watch even more TV than we already do, and the quality of what one is able to watch on one's iPhone is worth any price. (If you have come to the conclusion that I do not own a cell phone and therefore won't be watching TV on my cell phone, you win.)
The Nielsen Company published results of research last year which showed that media consumption is increasing, and media multi-tasking is part of that trend. Jim O’Hara, President of Media Product Leadership for The Nielsen Company said, “The entire media universe is expanding so consumers are choosing to add elements to their media experience, rather than to replace them." One interesting development in our expanding media universe is that there are now more TVs per American household than people. You can read more of Nielsen's Three Screen Report here.
My acknowledged bias and I took a look around hulu. You can browse by TV and by movies. I don't really have a favorite TV show, but I noticed there is a 40th Anniversary Collection of Sesame Street clips you can watch. That sounded like fun.
The movie collection wasn't very appealing, but they did have some full length features I might enjoy, like "Inherit the Wind" with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott or "Like Water for Chocolate." (You apparently have to create a hulu account in order to view an R rated movie.) I like that they have a documentary search feature. I was interested in Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's 60th Birthday, but the buffering problem was terrible. There were other documentaries I would try, such as Les Paul: Chasing Sound, and Manufacturing Consent about Noam Chomsky.
Many people enjoy posting their own video productions on USTREAM. The Shiba Inu puppy streaming video is adorable. For about 3 minutes. Then I got bored. It's great seeing friends and family in the videos they post to YouTube or Facebook. Maybe some day I'll get around to making one. They say genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. Not that I expect to be another Speilberg; far from it. But it's probably better that I keep my first attempts, at least, well away from the public library.
The Nielsen Company published results of research last year which showed that media consumption is increasing, and media multi-tasking is part of that trend. Jim O’Hara, President of Media Product Leadership for The Nielsen Company said, “The entire media universe is expanding so consumers are choosing to add elements to their media experience, rather than to replace them." One interesting development in our expanding media universe is that there are now more TVs per American household than people. You can read more of Nielsen's Three Screen Report here.
My acknowledged bias and I took a look around hulu. You can browse by TV and by movies. I don't really have a favorite TV show, but I noticed there is a 40th Anniversary Collection of Sesame Street clips you can watch. That sounded like fun.
The movie collection wasn't very appealing, but they did have some full length features I might enjoy, like "Inherit the Wind" with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott or "Like Water for Chocolate." (You apparently have to create a hulu account in order to view an R rated movie.) I like that they have a documentary search feature. I was interested in Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's 60th Birthday, but the buffering problem was terrible. There were other documentaries I would try, such as Les Paul: Chasing Sound, and Manufacturing Consent about Noam Chomsky.
Many people enjoy posting their own video productions on USTREAM. The Shiba Inu puppy streaming video is adorable. For about 3 minutes. Then I got bored. It's great seeing friends and family in the videos they post to YouTube or Facebook. Maybe some day I'll get around to making one. They say genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. Not that I expect to be another Speilberg; far from it. But it's probably better that I keep my first attempts, at least, well away from the public library.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
#78: Video
The assignment: play around with video search engines such as Truveo and Blinkx. Be careful and try not to lose yourself in the online video vortex.
I happen to get lost easily (see post #31: Maps Are Not My Forte), so I'm not very opinionated about which video search engine I use. Since it's Groundhog's Day, I decided to look for the graduation-from-boot-camp scene in the movie "Stripes", starring Bill Murray. YouTube and Truveo worked equally well with my inquiry, finding the correct movie snippet right away. The first hit from Blinkx, though, was some sort of animation contest entry which I immediately regretted watching, followed by a number of interviews with Harold Ramis and a movie review posted in 2007 by Joe Ordinary. Also, most of the Blinkx hits on the first page of search results were YouTube videos, so I wondered why I should prefer Blinkx to YouTube. When a compelling reason occurs to me, I'll let you know.
In my opinion, the biggest frustration with online videos has nothing to do with which search engine is employed. It's the whole buffering problem. What does one do while waiting for that video to finish buffering? wikiHow suggests visiting their site and learning a new skill, such as how to become a bountyhunter or how to survive falling out of an airplane.
Harris County Public Library has a YouTube channel where there are lots of library videos. I was surprised by the variety of things to see. In addition to children's stories read by staff, branches have recorded presentations by guest speakers, special events, and more. It was interesting to browse the uploads and see everything from a Mariachi band to the Pileated Woodpecker who seems to have adopted Northwest Branch. Some of the videos are quite silly and entertaining, like The Henry Houndog Show, and How Not to Reserve a Computer.
I wonder if it would be useful to record a short video tour of our branch. Since it's rare that we have time for orientation before opening, staff from other HCPL branches might appreciate an opportunity to virtually familiarize themselves with the library, before working a Sunday shift. Or, they might prefer falling out of an airplane.
I happen to get lost easily (see post #31: Maps Are Not My Forte), so I'm not very opinionated about which video search engine I use. Since it's Groundhog's Day, I decided to look for the graduation-from-boot-camp scene in the movie "Stripes", starring Bill Murray. YouTube and Truveo worked equally well with my inquiry, finding the correct movie snippet right away. The first hit from Blinkx, though, was some sort of animation contest entry which I immediately regretted watching, followed by a number of interviews with Harold Ramis and a movie review posted in 2007 by Joe Ordinary. Also, most of the Blinkx hits on the first page of search results were YouTube videos, so I wondered why I should prefer Blinkx to YouTube. When a compelling reason occurs to me, I'll let you know.
In my opinion, the biggest frustration with online videos has nothing to do with which search engine is employed. It's the whole buffering problem. What does one do while waiting for that video to finish buffering? wikiHow suggests visiting their site and learning a new skill, such as how to become a bountyhunter or how to survive falling out of an airplane.
Harris County Public Library has a YouTube channel where there are lots of library videos. I was surprised by the variety of things to see. In addition to children's stories read by staff, branches have recorded presentations by guest speakers, special events, and more. It was interesting to browse the uploads and see everything from a Mariachi band to the Pileated Woodpecker who seems to have adopted Northwest Branch. Some of the videos are quite silly and entertaining, like The Henry Houndog Show, and How Not to Reserve a Computer.
I wonder if it would be useful to record a short video tour of our branch. Since it's rare that we have time for orientation before opening, staff from other HCPL branches might appreciate an opportunity to virtually familiarize themselves with the library, before working a Sunday shift. Or, they might prefer falling out of an airplane.
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