Video Store for Pocket PCs

Brad Isaac · #1 10-30-2002, 01:26 PM

Ok, you´ve made it through the pre-flight screening, you´ve waited the 2.5 hours before boarding, and now you are staring down the aisle of the Airplane thinking to yourself. "There is NO WAY Pocket Solitaire will not last me from DC to LA" As the cabin door closes, your heart sinks because you know it´s too late to go buy a Rubik´s cube.

We´ve been waiting for months for companies to emerge that produce movies for Pocket PCs so we can avoid situations like boring flights and commutes. One of the first on the scene is PocketPC Films who has built a moderate selection of some videos that would help pass the time. Although they don´t seem to have the latest releases like you´d find at blockbuster video, they have some Classics and award winning instructional videos like Earl Nightingale´s Classics Part 1 & 2.

I am hopeful that this venture is profitable for this and other companies, so it opens the doors for better and more current titles.

From PocketPC Films:"Use on these devices is possible through their innovative patent pending software, called the “Pocket Cinema Installer,” which transforms any handheld computer into a mobile theater or business training facility. The software was developed through an initial joint venture with IBM and Compaq Computer."

J · #2 10-30-2002, 03:26 PM

I´m not sure why people would pay so much money for movies when you can buy the dvd and rip it, let alone downloading many of them from the internet on software like Morpheus.

Anonymous · #3 10-30-2002, 07:36 PM

Actually, I am looking forward to purchasing movies. I just wish their site indicated how large the file will be. I don´t want to purchase one and then not have enough space to use it.

The site also needs to show in the Triple Pack if the three sitcoms can be separated and downloaded one by one or if it is one large file.

Storm of the Century still shows as "coming soon" and I would love to buy it as soon as it is available. But before I buy it I will have to know how large the file is, if it will play on Pocket TV Enterprise, etc. I sent an e-mail requesting this information but no one has responded. I have an iPAQ 3970.

Brad Isaac · #4 10-30-2002, 08:28 PM

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2002-10-30 13:26, J wrote:
I´m not sure why people would pay so much money for movies when you can buy the dvd and rip it, let alone downloading many of them from the internet on software like Morpheus.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

J,

Ripping DVDs and encoding them to a small enough format + make them a viewable quality is an advanced computer skill for most users wouldn´t you agree? I´d say this is especially true for the "Road warrior" who is on the road 3 weeks a month.

I´m not saying you are wrong. Ripping or downloading movies and encoding them is an option for technically savvy users but I don´t see it going mainstream any time soon. [img]images/forum/smilies/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I can visualize a day when travellers, possibly even home users who want to rent a movie go to a video store, grocery store, bus stop or airport kiosk, pop in a sd card and download a movie.

Brad

<font size=-1>[ Edited by Brad Isaac On Date 30/10/2002 ]</font>

J · #5 10-31-2002, 08:27 AM

I must admit that Brad is right. I was going to add a post to give anyone who is interested directions to some simple, free software they could use to accomplish a successful DVD rip. However, I have yet to find such a thing without it being overly complicated or using 3 or more apps to accomplish just that.