The DivX video format has long been a popular option for folks encoding video to hard disk and DVD (since it gets good compression while maintaining decent video quality)—and, of course, DivX is a frequently-seen video format on torrents and fire sharing networks. While a growing number of consumer electronics devices have been intregrating support for DivX—including set-top boxes, HDTVs, disc players, and systems like the PlayStation 3—there has been a good source for movie fans to (legitimately) set hands on major movie releases in the Unuted States—until now. Film Fresh has recently relaunched its service, and has inked agreements to offer download-to-own versions of major movie titels from Paramount, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros. via its Web site. The movies will play on any DivX-capable device—including mobile phones and portable media players—and users are free to transfer their movies between devices—or stream them over a network.
Pricing for DivX downloads of Hollywood titles seems to range from $9.99 for catalog titles to $15.99 for recent releases. Currently, major studio films are being offered in standard defintion—which might be a dealbreaker for folks looking for content for high-end home theater setups, but may not deter folks looking to load up small screens or portable devices.
“Film Fresh is now a one-stop shop for film enthusiasts of all kinds, and we are quite excited about our expansion into premium Hollywood content,” said Film Fresh CEO Rick Bolton, in a statement. “We have always believed that DivX offers the best download choice for consumers, since it gives people the freedom to own and watch films on a wide variety of electronic devices from many different manufacturers. [..] Download-to-own is going to play a critical role in the future of film distribution, and Film Fresh will provide the films people want to see, in whatever form they want to see them.”
The number of Hollywood releases currently available from Film Fresh is relatively limited, but contains popular entries, including major award winners and installments of franchises like Spider-Man and Harry Potter. Film Fresh says it expects its catalog will grow rapidly as more releases from all four studios become available for digital distribution.
The question is whether Film Fresh can gather the market momentum to compete in the increasingly crowded online video marketplace—services like iTunes, Netflix, Amazon Video-on-Demand, and CinemaNow are already well-established. But if Film Fresh and DivX can make a case for DivX content being significantly easier to use than DRM-protected video from other sources—with quality and content every bit as good—Film Fresh might become a very real alternative in the marketplace.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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