Video In
After a day of the usual grind, it's good to relax and enjoy some great video, of your choice and on your schedule. Here are some entertaining sites that are sure to help you unwind. Grab a blanket and get comfortable.
Terry Tate: Office Linebacker
[http://terrytate.reebok.com]
We suppose that you could look at Reebok’s Terry Tate: Office Linebacker (an extension of Reebok’s hysterical commercial during Super Bowl XXXVII) as one of two things. It could be an incentive not to goof off at work. But it could also be a projection of some that actually would like to see a little intra-office tackling directed toward some of the people with whom they work. We’re not quite sure… Become a member of Terry’s Hit Squad to get screen savers and wallpaper, if you’re so inclined.
MP4.com
[www.mp4.com]
MP4.com is an almost-complete portal for the broadband-enabled crowd. See music videos from a wide selection of genres (featured recently: "Whip It" by Devo), short films and animated shorts. Some slideshows are available as well. You can also share your own content- plans start at 50MB for $10/month. Links to dating site Lavalife and event tickets from StubHub round out the offerings.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
[www.foxsearchlight.com]
A leading distributor of independent films, Fox Searchlight Pictures offers a wide selection of trailers and movie clips to watch. Previews of upcoming features are available as well. You can also read discussions of films with their directors. If you decide to brave the weather outside and see a film, just link to purchase tickets from Moviefone or Fandango ahead of time.
Instant Films
[www.instantfilms.tv]
A new concept in telling a story quickly, an instant film (technically, an instant video) involves drawing names of people, places and things out of a hat, then hastily writing scripts, choosing a script, shooting, editing and presenting the video for the first time. The resulting short videos are surprisingly good for being made in the stretch of 48 hours, and are presented in Windows Media format.
ABC Motion
[www.abc.com]
Not an on-demand streaming site as much as a software-facilitated "push" site, ABC Motion has you install a small program on your system (Windows currently supported, Mac OS X version available soon) that receives Windows Media-format broadband video content from ABC in bursts, in the background. Then, whenever you return to ABC's Web site, the video is available with no delay. The segments pertain to current ABC programs, and include some behind-the-scenes footage, promos and clips from upcoming episodes.
QuickTime-What's On
[www.apple.com/quicktime/whatson]
If your Mac or PC doesn't have QuickTime 6 yet, you're missing out on one of the best collections of movie and game trailers and music videos in captivity. Also, if you're a parent or an educator, be sure to check out Apple's Learning Interchange by clicking on the Education link. Fans of bottled water, black turtlenecks and blue jeans (you know who you are) can check out Steve Jobs' past keynotes under Apple Events.
Movielink
[www.movielink.com]
A download-and-play site for recent Hollywood movies. Download the movie of your choice to your hard drive for up to 30 days, and play it as much as you want for up to 24 hours. Most movies are available in both Real and Windows Media formats for $4.99. The site is exclusively for Windows users with broadband.
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