Video In

by Chris Raley
Summer/Fall 2002

Broadband Streams
So, you've got your broadband connection hooked up and now you're ready to check out quality streaming video on the Web. Don't worry about scouring your search engine of choice, just read on. We've provided you with a few sites that offer video for broadband users. There is bound to be something here that will pique your interest.

.: CinemaNow
[www.cinemanow.com]
CinemaNow offers feature-length and short films on broadband as well as 56KB connections. Mostly owned by Lion's Gate Entertainment, it offers about 1,000 feature films from Lion's Gate, Trimark, Allied Artists and more. The films feature such stars as Molly Ringwald, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Priestly.

.: BreakTV
[www.breaktv.com]
Tired of having to rely on nightly entertainment shows to get news about your favorite TV show? BreakTV, a self-described video streaming entertainment magazine, offers highlights from a variety of TV shows as well as behind-the-scenes interviews with cast members. Catch up on what's going on with Friends, The West Wing, or Will & Grace without having to channel-surf the TV entertainment shows. It's free and you don't have to register.

.: VirtueTV
[www.virtuetv.com/broadband]
VirtueTV, a site with a variety of channel offerings, has a section dedicated to broadband users. The site features a cross-section of interviews, music videos and old feature-length films for broadband users. It also highlights an interactive comedy called DinnerParty.tv, which presents a new episode every two weeks.

.: BMWFilms.com
[www.bmwfilms.com]
BMWFilms.com is a BMW-sponsored site that hosts short films from award-winning directors. You can watch a short about a photojournalist who has to make it out of South America alive or a film about an ambush on a dark highway. The content comes from such directors as Ang Lee and John Frankenheimer. You can watch films on your own broadband player or download the BMW player with DVD-like features. The site supports DSL, cable modem and T1 connections.

.: MeTV
[www.metv.com/news/index.htm]
MeTV is a Web site for lower bandwidths. It features connection speeds of 384 broadband or lower and 56KB modems. The site offers full-length, full-screen feature films from a variety of genres as well as movie and TV previews, sports shows and music videos. Membership is free and so are the previews. Some movies are free also, but others are offered on a pay-per-view basis.

.: LikeTelevision
[tesla.liketelevision.com]
LikeTelevision delivers broadband video with a large assortment of vintage TV programming including cartoons, classic TV shows, movies and toy commercials from the past. A basic membership ($50 a year) allows you access to any of the streaming videos and a premium membership ($100 per year) lets you download the movies to your computer.