Digital Home Thoughts: Amazon Unbox Review

"he Unbox service launches with a large library of feature films and TV shows from major studios and networks, and while usage rights, video catalogs, and price points are similar to other video sites', Amazon has the advantage of brand recognition and a proven e-commerce backbone. With the familiar one-click shopping, compatibility with many portable devices, and backing from major studios, Amazon Unbox should be a major player going forward. That's not to say the service isn't without faults, namely, no burning to DVD for viewing (as seen in CinemaNow and MovieLink), the required Amazon Unbox Video Player, no support for Mac OS and iPods (for the record, Amazon would love to support the iPod, but predictably can't penetrate Apple's FairPlay ecosystem), and of course, the fact that many DVDs cost less than the downloadable versions. Users should also be forewarned that they will must comply with a stiff license agreement when they sign up for the service and that the proprietary software that they need to view video regularly phones home. These last points are most likely driven by the MPAA rather than Amazon, but they will certainly put off many customers. But for the mainstream U.S.-based audience looking for a mainstream distributor of mainstream content, Amazon is a convenient option with excellent performance."



CNet goes a little lighter on Unbox than I would have. Many of the annoyances they found are downright deal breakers for me. On the plus side, Amazon is the Wal-mart of the web, so they have the ability to push digital video downloads to those who will probably never try out iTunes. I still want to see this as a value add to purchasing actual DVD's letting you watch now and get the DVD in the mail later.