Not bad when viewed at smaller screen size - a little jumpy compared to broadcast TV. I agree with Kevin though, I'll never watch a movie on my PC.
Also, the movies are limited to 10 minute clips (at least in the area I live), which conforms to ATHM's exclusivity agreement with their cable partners.
From ATHM's 10-K:
OUR CABLE PARTNERS MAY OFFER CERTAIN SERVICES DESPITE THEIR EXCLUSIVITY OBLIGATIONS
Most of our cable partners' exclusivity obligations are limited to high-speed residential Internet services and do not extend to various excluded services that they may offer without us. These excluded services include:
- telephony services
- services that are primarily work-related (such as Work services)
- residential Internet services that do not use the cable partners' cable television infrastructures, regardless of data transmission speed
- local Internet services that do not require use of an Internet backbone outside a single metropolitan area
- services that are utilized primarily to connect students to schools, colleges or universities
- Internet telephony, Internet video telephony or Internet video conferencing
- limited Internet services primarily intended for display on a television such as some types of Internet-based digital set-top services
- certain Internet services that are primarily downstream services where the user cannot send upstream commands in real-time
- streaming video services that include video segments longer than 10 minutes in duration
In addition, our cable partners can engage in limited testing, trials and similar activities with respect to businesses subject to their exclusivity obligations. By engaging in the excluded services, most cable partners can
compete, directly or indirectly, with our activities, including our @Work services.
WE ARE PROHIBITED FROM OFFERING THE EXCLUDED SERVICES
Until the later of June 4, 2002 or such time as a principal cable partner is no longer in compliance with its exclusivity obligations, we may not offer the excluded services described above using a principal cable partner's cable plant, or to residences in the geographic areas served by its cable systems, without its consent. These restrictions apply even if we have integrated an excluded service with the @Home service in another geographic area. In the case of streaming video transmissions that include video segments longer than 10 minutes in duration, we face increased obligations to our principal cable partners that remain in compliance with their exclusivity obligations.
Specifically, we have agreed not to allow these video transmissions using their cable infrastructure or in the geographic areas served by their cable systems, without their consent. Therefore, we may never have access to the cable infrastructures of our principal cable partners for excluded services, and we must negotiate a separate agreement, including a new revenue split, if applicable, with each of the principal cable partners for each excluded service that we seek to provide over their cable infrastructures. |
