Amazon's Lovefilm HD shuns Sony fanboys
PS3, Bravia support coming. More than a trickle of content too
Amazon's Lovefilm video-on-demand service will begin offering HD streams today, but what resolution viewers get will depend on what gadget they're in front of.
Mac and PC viewers, tuning in through Lovefilm's website will be treated to 1080p streams, the IPTV firm said. Watch on an iPad and Xbox 360 and you'll get 720p footage.
Ditto connected TVs, but only from Samsung and LG.
If your smart telly comes from Sony - or you're using a PS3 - you won't be able to view HD content at all.
We asked Lovefilm about this and were promised that HD support will come to the Sony devices, but the spokesman could not say when.
Then again, if you're broadband's not up to snuff you won't get the option anyway. Said Lovefilm: "For 720p streaming members will require a minimum internet connection of 4Mbps, while those with connections of 12Mbps or higher will enjoy full 1080p where possible." (our italics)
There's no extra charge for the HD content, but don't rush - there's not a lot to watch. We counted ten episodes of Lost series one, the BBC's Planet Earth mini-series and seven kids' movies. ®
COMMENTS
I'm sticking to sales
And optical media, you can get them pretty cheap, you can keep them or sell them on and the picture is better.
Hang fire. I wasn't with LoveFilm for long, but when I was, I'm pretty sure the PS3 streamer had a HD option. I remember having to switch down to a lower quality to watch Sky Blue, because their server kept lagging on HD. Did that just happen in my head, or were they "compressed" and "less compressed" as opposed to 480p vs 720p?
"And we don't currently have studio rights to stream HD on iPad®."
"And we don't currently have studio rights to stream HD on iPad®."
And the movie industry wonder why people pirate stuff... why the hell do you need a separate set of rights to stream on a different device? Is this just an excuse from LoveFilm or are the studios really that greedy?
Shhhhsh, let the Xbox fanboys have their moment in the sun.
Clearly this article is primt fanboy bait, as it misses out 2 critical points about PS3 support/
1/ Loveflim say the HD content for PS3 is coming "very soon" in their FAQ.
2/ PS3 already streams in higher definition than everything else anyway.
http://www.lovefilm.com/features/detail.html?editorial_id=46252&cid=lftwitter_hdlaunch
"5. Why are Sony TVs & Blu-ray players, and the PlayStation®3 and iPad® not on this list?
We’re working on bringing full HD to Sony and the PlayStation®3 very soon, sorry for the delay (remember, the PS3™ already plays titles in higher quality than standard definition). And we don't currently have studio rights to stream HD on iPad®."
Not much content?
"We counted ten episodes of Lost series one, the BBC's Planet Earth mini-series and seven kids' movies"
That sounds pretty much like Lovefilm's entire streaming offering, to be fair.
