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Beyond Media Continued:
Also worth noting is the SnapStream “Spotlight” functionality. Spotlight is SnapStream’s gateway to internet content that they have created custom Beyond Media frontend screens to access this online content easily by remote control. You can pull down the latest highlight clips from ESPN motion, download/manage your Napster subscription, pull internet radio streams with Live365, or download feature length movies (legitimately) with CinemaNow or MovieLink.
I tried the MovieLink service out and really liked the experience; or rather, I really liked the concept of video content/movies on demand delivered over the internet. I just wish MovieLink was a little bit cheaper and had a bigger selection. They do have plenty of movies, including recent films you’ve heard of (Closer, Meet the Fockers, Incredibles, etc) but there’s gaps in the library. Although they get thumbs up for having Star Trek I - VI and Buckaroo Bonzai, and yes I'm a sci-fi geek. You might want to have your keyboard handy for username/password and credit card / billing details, and you may want to let MovieLink “remember” those settings to make it less painful next time (or if you’re paranoid, type it manual each time and stock up on tinfoil ).
One thing I’d like to see improved, specifically in the Beyond Media Spotlight MovieLink interface, is the ability to watch shows when they haven’t completely downloaded. You have this ability within the native MovieLink player that is external to the Beyond Media application (it’s really amazing how fast you can start watching a movie on broadband with only a few percent downloaded via MovieLink!), but for some reason you can’t play it back within Beyond Media until it’s downloaded in it’s entirety.
Just in case it hasn’t been thought of before, hopefully someone is writing a Spotlight plugin for the upcoming Google Video service as that could be an excellent new source for online video content.
Beyond Media has the ability to add other applications to the menu, which is handy if you wish to launch an external application like a classic video game emulator ( MAME ). There is also a rich developer and plugin community to add even more functionality like movie times, comic strips, or my favorite the “Beyond Drunk” bartender’s guide plugin.
My one complaint is how BeyondTV (the SnapStream PVR application) is integrated into the system. It just does not feel very connected or seamless. It’s more like launching an external application than being truly integrated into BeyondTV. Again, I took my beef to SnapStream and again they’ve taken to heart some of the user feedback and are actively working on a more integrated incorporation of BeyondTV within Beyond Media menus.
