Why would you download them vs simply provide a link and the only get the ones you want to see? They should start to stream in a couple of seconds right?
I just can't help but stir the pot.... Nothing personal.
How cool is Internet Explorer? It allows me to browse HD movie trailers without downloading them first!
http://www.windowsmedia.com/mediaguide/WMGHD
PLUS there is the added benifit of not using anything apple related...
......I'm done.
My point here is the same as Rupp's. Why download before selecting? Seems like an awful waste of bandwidth.
Nothing personal taken, I would expect nothing less than a stirring of the pot. After all, if I cannot present my case strongly, it ain't that cool after all. So allow me to stir back
In the end, your posts are demonstrating how diverse the HA community is, and how each of us are constructing our setups in a way to please our target audiences. If I understand what packages you two are using, you're ok with using HomeSeer/etc for your HA&HT as you're primarily using a PC and flashy screens aren't that interesting to you. For my target audiences (mainly wife, me to a smaller degree), a consistent UI and avoiding using a PC-looking screen for as much HA/HT stuff as possible is paramount.
Three reasons why downloading at least the descriptor info is value add (to me):
1) No need to sit at a PC to watch trailers, My wife or I can do this in my HomeTheater. After all, they are HD trailers - they should be viewed on the plasma. Some of them looked and sounded pretty darn good last night on the big screen while sitting on the couch.
2) Complexity of UI, and amount of irrelevant junk on the screen which will only serve to confuse users. Have you actually looked at that URL? How complex is that UI? I have a very simple UI shown above, with only those bits that matter to me,
3) Internet Explorer isn't appropriate for a Home Theater. Have you tried reading that screen sitting on a couch 12' away? I guarantee you that there's zero chance you'd be able to. I can render a screen with an image size and text size that's readable in my environment.
And a 4th addressing bandwidth.
4) "Waste of Bandwidth" is actually a reason TO download them during non-peak usage times - can you imagine wanting to watch these and not being able to because:
A) If you have a cable modem, you're competing with all your neighbors for internet access
During "peak times", apple's servers may be near capacity, hence resulting in either stutters or a delay in starting the playback.
In the end, you're paying for your internet access 24x7, you should use your sleeping times to download the content you might want to watch later, so there's no concerns about watching what you want when you want.
