MovieBeam System MB2160
MovieBeam System MB2160
Tired of waiting for snail-mail deliveries of your DVD movies from Netflix and Blockbuster? The new MovieBeam System might be what you're looking for. The product is a DVR-like device that ships with 100 movies pre-installed on its 160GB hard disk. As many as 10 new movies are downloaded each week via a proprietary over-the-air distribution network. Once you buy the hardware ($200 after a $50 mail-in rebate, plus a one-time $30 activation fee), you pay only for the movies you watch, as you watch them: $3.99 for new titles, $1.99 for "library titles" (older movies). But what distinguishes MovieBeam from most of the existing cable and satellite pay-per-view and video-on-demand services is that some titles will be offered in high-definition. (HD movies will cost an extra $1 when viewed.)
Upside: In terms of hardware and content, MovieBeam looks to be on the right track. The box--officially known as the MovieBeam System MB2160--should be no harder to set up than a DVD player and includes its own small, flat indoor antenna that's about the size of a mousepad. It features all manner of outputs--composite, S-Video, component, and HDMI--and its pass-through composite input means you'll be able to run a VCR, a game system, or other device without taking up an extra input on your TV or A/V receiver. But the big draw--the movies--is where the service has the most potential. According to MovieBeam, high-def movies will be available in 720p resolution via the HDMI output, while all others will be 480p-DVD quality. In addition to Disney, which is an investor in the service along with Intel and Cisco, MovieBeam also has an unprecedented range of support from almost every major Hollywood studio--20th Century Fox, Lions Gate Entertainment, NBC/Universal, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, and Warner--which will enable select titles to be available the same day they're released on DVD. It's also worth noting that MovieBeam's system has the benefit of experience: an earlier version of the service ran through the spring of 2005.
Downside: While 100 movies may seem like a lot, when you consider how many studios are backing the product, there probably won't be much of a range of choice from each company. And while 10 new movies are promised per week, they're added at the expense of ones removed from the service without your input. And while the antenna-based setup on the MovieBeam System should make it free of networking setup headaches and broadband download speed limitations, it also limits the availability of the product to areas where MovieBeam-compatible transmitters are in place, which, at launch, is said to be about "half of all U.S. households." Also, while we haven't reviewed the picture quality yet, initial indications are not encouraging. A typical high-quality DVD movie file occupies about 8GB on a dual-layer disc, but according to MovieBeam its file sizes are 1-1.5GB for standard-def and 5GB for high-def movies. Even with MovieBeam's superior Windows Media 9 compression, that's pretty small for an HD movie, and isn't a good sign for videophiles seeking a satisfying high-def experience. Finally, while the lack of a subscription fee is always a plus, paying as much as $4 for a movie--or up to $5 if it's in high-def--seems steep when you're limited to a 24-hour window in which to watch the movie. Compare that to the seemingly endless parade of DVD sales ("two for $15!") that let you buy movies you can watch as often as you like. And unlike videos purchased from Apple's iTunes Music Store, you can't keep them forever or transfer them to be viewed on a portable device.
Outlook: For HDTV owners who are dreading the dead-end choice between HD DVD and Blu-ray, buying a MovieBeam box could be a great way to get access to several high-def movies a week, as long as the video quality is demonstrably superior to DVD. And the fact that the system uses its own over-the-air distribution service means customers won't be locked into their existing cable, satellite, or broadband Internet service for content--assuming, of course, that they're in the coverage area. We'll have a full review of the MovieBeam System just as soon as we receive the hardware. But our gut reaction is that the limited selection of movies may keep interest limited to those who frequent the New Releases shelf at Blockbuster. MovieBeam sounds like a great concept, but we'd like to see lower pricing--for the hardware and the movies--not to mention a wider selection.
Editors' note: Due to an issue with HDCP copy protection, the MovieBeam system is not currently capable of delivering HD-resolution movies to certain Mitsubishi televisions. The company has identified the problem, and should be initiating a fix via an automatic over-the-air update. We'll remove this note when it deploys.
Upside: In terms of hardware and content, MovieBeam looks to be on the right track. The box--officially known as the MovieBeam System MB2160--should be no harder to set up than a DVD player and includes its own small, flat indoor antenna that's about the size of a mousepad. It features all manner of outputs--composite, S-Video, component, and HDMI--and its pass-through composite input means you'll be able to run a VCR, a game system, or other device without taking up an extra input on your TV or A/V receiver. But the big draw--the movies--is where the service has the most potential. According to MovieBeam, high-def movies will be available in 720p resolution via the HDMI output, while all others will be 480p-DVD quality. In addition to Disney, which is an investor in the service along with Intel and Cisco, MovieBeam also has an unprecedented range of support from almost every major Hollywood studio--20th Century Fox, Lions Gate Entertainment, NBC/Universal, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, and Warner--which will enable select titles to be available the same day they're released on DVD. It's also worth noting that MovieBeam's system has the benefit of experience: an earlier version of the service ran through the spring of 2005.
Downside: While 100 movies may seem like a lot, when you consider how many studios are backing the product, there probably won't be much of a range of choice from each company. And while 10 new movies are promised per week, they're added at the expense of ones removed from the service without your input. And while the antenna-based setup on the MovieBeam System should make it free of networking setup headaches and broadband download speed limitations, it also limits the availability of the product to areas where MovieBeam-compatible transmitters are in place, which, at launch, is said to be about "half of all U.S. households." Also, while we haven't reviewed the picture quality yet, initial indications are not encouraging. A typical high-quality DVD movie file occupies about 8GB on a dual-layer disc, but according to MovieBeam its file sizes are 1-1.5GB for standard-def and 5GB for high-def movies. Even with MovieBeam's superior Windows Media 9 compression, that's pretty small for an HD movie, and isn't a good sign for videophiles seeking a satisfying high-def experience. Finally, while the lack of a subscription fee is always a plus, paying as much as $4 for a movie--or up to $5 if it's in high-def--seems steep when you're limited to a 24-hour window in which to watch the movie. Compare that to the seemingly endless parade of DVD sales ("two for $15!") that let you buy movies you can watch as often as you like. And unlike videos purchased from Apple's iTunes Music Store, you can't keep them forever or transfer them to be viewed on a portable device.
Outlook: For HDTV owners who are dreading the dead-end choice between HD DVD and Blu-ray, buying a MovieBeam box could be a great way to get access to several high-def movies a week, as long as the video quality is demonstrably superior to DVD. And the fact that the system uses its own over-the-air distribution service means customers won't be locked into their existing cable, satellite, or broadband Internet service for content--assuming, of course, that they're in the coverage area. We'll have a full review of the MovieBeam System just as soon as we receive the hardware. But our gut reaction is that the limited selection of movies may keep interest limited to those who frequent the New Releases shelf at Blockbuster. MovieBeam sounds like a great concept, but we'd like to see lower pricing--for the hardware and the movies--not to mention a wider selection.
Editors' note: Due to an issue with HDCP copy protection, the MovieBeam system is not currently capable of delivering HD-resolution movies to certain Mitsubishi televisions. The company has identified the problem, and should be initiating a fix via an automatic over-the-air update. We'll remove this note when it deploys.