The naughty site
We discovered on CinemaNow that a link in the page where users access their account details takes you to alladult channel - a site with a whole lot of pay-per-minute streaming hard-core porn!
Better - or worse, depending on your viewpoint - our trial gave us 360 minutes free porn watching!
alladult channel front page -
linked to from CinemaNow
Drilling down, brings you the
selection - and there's plenty of it
We've blacked out the naughty
bits but a zoom view of any still is just
a click away on the site - and so, too, are the actual hardcore porn videos
a click away on the site - and so, too, are the actual hardcore porn videos
In essence, it seems to us, CinemaNow is little more than a front for the alladult channel hardcore porn site and that's something you wouldn't guess from reading Microsoft's description on Online Spotlight,
CinemaNow is one of the
premier destinations for authorised downloads and streams of films. The
CinemaNow Media Center Edition site is specifically designed for
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. The interface enables you to
browse, buy and watch any of CinemaNow's 1,200-plus films - all
available on demand using your remote control and television set, or PC
display.
You may be surprised to learn that we did manage to drag ourselves away from alladult channel long enought to spend some time with TVTonic - a rather different animal.
The content on TVTonic is a whole lot more wholesome and the files that come over are saved on your PC for repeat playing. Seemingly, it's also permanently free.
TVTonic's front-end integrates with the media-browsing interface in Windows Media Center Edition 2005 and can be controlled there using a remote handset.
[advert]
But those who run non-MCE versions of Windows XP can still enjoy what's on offer. However, as with CinemaNow and alladult channel, Internet Explorer (V6 or later) is required.
Rather cleverly, when you use a non-MCE version of XP, what you see in TVTonic still looks very much like MCE 2005's media-browing interface.
TVTonic's selection of 14
download channels seen in IE7
TVTonic's mainstay looks to be ad-supported technology podcasts. That seems a bit odd for a site that Microsoft recommends but most of the downloads are in WMV format and, although only of 640x480, looked acceptable here even full screen on a 1280x1024 LCD monitor.
There is also quite a bit of 640x480 cartoon content in Windows Media format. This looks great in the player window and only marginally worse full screen. Available goodies include eight Looney Tunes cartoons and 11 "classic favorites" from CartoonCow.
Also worth noting are the 70 iPod-playable cartoons from Channel Frederator that are downloaded in m4v format. These are also at 640x480 and can be played from within Internet Explorer or from QuickTime player or iTunes. It seems possible to shrink them to play on older video-capable iPods but the process is taking rather a long time from within QuickTime Pro so we don't yet know if shrunken files will turn out to be playable.
TVTonic's crafty MCE-style player
window.
It wasn't possible for us to do a grab showing what's playing but cartoons
look especially good, even if you choose to view them full screen
It wasn't possible for us to do a grab showing what's playing but cartoons
look especially good, even if you choose to view them full screen
We'll report back about that and let you know our thoughts on Coolroom once it goes live and we've had a chance to nose around.
For now though, check out Intel's press release on page three and share your initial thoughts about Coolroom with us in this thread in the HEXUS.lifestyle.news forum.
And don't forget - as if you would - to let us know what you think generally about legal video downloads - whether porn, kids' stuff or anything else.
HEXUS.links
HEXUS.community :: discussion thread about this articleExternal.links
Coolroom - home pageTVTonic - home page
Microsoft UK - OnLine Spotlight home page
alladult channel - home page
