Hot on the heals of the Neuros Link unveiling, Verismo announces their VuNow video-to-the-TV solution will be available December 15th. Initially dubbed “the PoD” when NewTeeVee introduced it in June, VuNow provides the sort of features we’re coming to expect in the current generation of media extenders… In additional to typical, local media streaming and playback, a variety of web video will be made available. Free content will be ferreted out through partnerships with YouTube and vTap, while premium content will be available for purchase through a partnership with CinemaNow (now owned by Sonic). Although the box was originally announced at $99, it’s yet to be seen if they’ll actually launch at that price point. At the very least, “premium media” playback capabilities (via PC software?) look to be an upsell.
I was excited about this back when it was announced, but reading the details now makes me wary — they couldn’t come up with a single SKU and now have SD and HD boxes (one has S-Video, other HDMI). The list of codec support is pretty poor and the “premium” category on some of those makes me believe they may follow Archos’ route and charge for additional functionality.
Anyway, I’m holding off until some reviews. Are you going to get a review unit Dave?
I need to get in touch with them and see what we can work out. If the box(es) come in as cheap as they originally indicated, I’ll spring for one if I have to. I am quite interested to see vTap implemented beyond the phone.
vTap is likely to get them into trouble with content companies. Imagine the surprise of content companies when they see the content they put on their web sites for PC consumption ends up on TV without their permission or knowledge, antagonizing their bread and butter revenue from video distributors such as cable companies. If taking video content put up on PC web sites can be diverted to TVs without any permission, then is it OK to make DVDs out of those PC web videos and sell them for free?
Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how that content is presented and if VuNow gets enough attention for it to be an issue. Deep video linking has been frowned upon, for sure… I think Veoh has somewhat changed their approach in working deals and Red Lasso, well they’re kinda dead.
Thanks Dave. Agree with you. I think VuNow might have been better served by associating with YouTube for UGC (which they have) and directly dealing with major content companies for non-UGC content instead of risking their wrath.
This approach of taking videos out of PC web sites without explicit permission from content web site owners is highly problematic and raises serious liability issues. Advertisers on PC web videos pay premium rates because the ads are interactive. Usually the video itself is sorrounded by clickable banners and the like, which are synchornized with the ads on the video itself. Unless VuNow has a way of presenting those contextual ads on the PC web page intact on the TV, and a way of clicking thru, the advertisers will be quite upset with content owners since their synchronized clickable ads wont be seen at all but they will be paying premium PC rates nevertheless. As a consumer, if I pay $100 or $200 or whatever to buy this box and then see content disappearing or dropping off day by day, I would be very upset and would want my money back.
VuNow’s June demo showed that they supported JumpTv, but they have already dropped that service now. I got a confirmation from the company VP.
They should name it as VuLater. The Dec 15 launch date has already been moved to Dec 22.