Comments for Martyn Drake's Blog http://www.drake.org.uk Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Netflix UK is here: needs more work (and titles) by Linhttp://www.drake.org.uk/2012/01/netflix-uk-is-here-needs-more-work/#comment-990 Lin Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:53 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=4024#comment-990 Hey, just want to point out you don't actually need a Facebook account for the free trail, there is a link at the bottom allows you to sign up by email. And you are right, the collection is pretty poor compare with Lovefilm, however the streaming quality seems to be faster/better than Lovefilm tho. But I have to say I only tried out free content on Lovefilm site which doesn't require an account... may be the 'non-free' content got better quality... Hey, just want to point out you don’t actually need a Facebook account for the free trail, there is a link at the bottom allows you to sign up by email. And you are right, the collection is pretty poor compare with Lovefilm, however the streaming quality seems to be faster/better than Lovefilm tho. But I have to say I only tried out free content on Lovefilm site which doesn’t require an account… may be the ‘non-free’ content got better quality…

]]> Comment on Netflix UK is here: needs more work (and titles) by Martynhttp://www.drake.org.uk/2012/01/netflix-uk-is-here-needs-more-work/#comment-977 Martyn Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:59:18 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=4024#comment-977 This doesn't feel like a grand launch, more of a rushed-to-market blunder. No proper internal ticketing system linked to one's account or email address? Support via (albeit) free phone line and public Twitter account? No recent releases and limited catalogue? No, this isn't a launch, it's a badly organised fumble. This doesn’t feel like a grand launch, more of a rushed-to-market blunder. No proper internal ticketing system linked to one’s account or email address? Support via (albeit) free phone line and public Twitter account? No recent releases and limited catalogue?

No, this isn’t a launch, it’s a badly organised fumble.

]]> Comment on Netflix UK is here: needs more work (and titles) by Ianmchttp://www.drake.org.uk/2012/01/netflix-uk-is-here-needs-more-work/#comment-975 Ianmc Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:26:41 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=4024#comment-975 Very poor title choice and on ps3 the ability to browse titles is poor. Very poor service. Would have thought they would have wanted to blow us away with their trial not frustrate and underwhelm us with the paucity of titles, the poor quality of titles and poorness of their online tools( there are none beyond basic search). Lovefilm Has little to worry. Netflix may have shot iyself in the foot. Very poor title choice and on ps3 the ability to browse titles is poor. Very poor service. Would have thought they would have wanted to blow us away with their trial not frustrate and underwhelm us with the paucity of titles, the poor quality of titles and poorness of their online tools( there are none beyond basic search). Lovefilm
Has little to worry. Netflix may have shot iyself in the foot.

]]> Comment on Netflix UK is here: needs more work (and titles) by Martynhttp://www.drake.org.uk/2012/01/netflix-uk-is-here-needs-more-work/#comment-968 Martyn Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:36:41 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=4024#comment-968 Ah, thanks for the Tech Blog link - now subscribed. I don't think AWS has been much of a concern up until now (since Netflix hasn't operated outside a territory in which they've been in competition with Amazon) but now .. now may well be a different story. Interesting to see what happens :) Ah, thanks for the Tech Blog link – now subscribed. I don’t think AWS has been much of a concern up until now (since Netflix hasn’t operated outside a territory in which they’ve been in competition with Amazon) but now .. now may well be a different story. Interesting to see what happens :)

]]> Comment on Netflix UK is here: needs more work (and titles) by Richy C.http://www.drake.org.uk/2012/01/netflix-uk-is-here-needs-more-work/#comment-967 Richy C. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:15:14 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=4024#comment-967 If you have a flick through Netflix's tech blog at http://techblog.netflix.com/ , you'll see they are quite heavily invested in Amazon's AWS . I suspect they'll be one of Amazon's larger customers and as long as Amazon keep LoveFilm and AWS as separate business entities, there shouldn't be too much of an issue (but if it becomes "Amazon Streaming", then there might be concern). I /believe/ Netflix use the Internap CDN solution for actual video streaming (they provide, like Akamai, a "route optimised" service - so it can make sense to not actually cache anything on the CDN, but just use them as a routing system) in the around 20Pb per month scale (according to an Internap sales person nearly 6 months ago). If you have a flick through Netflix’s tech blog at http://techblog.netflix.com/ , you’ll see they are quite heavily invested in Amazon’s AWS .

I suspect they’ll be one of Amazon’s larger customers and as long as Amazon keep LoveFilm and AWS as separate business entities, there shouldn’t be too much of an issue (but if it becomes “Amazon Streaming”, then there might be concern).

I /believe/ Netflix use the Internap CDN solution for actual video streaming (they provide, like Akamai, a “route optimised” service – so it can make sense to not actually cache anything on the CDN, but just use them as a routing system) in the around 20Pb per month scale (according to an Internap sales person nearly 6 months ago).

]]> Comment on Forget the BBC, why not just rename it the RRC: Repeats & Remakes Corporation by Abigail Wattshttp://www.drake.org.uk/2011/12/forget-the-bbc-why-not-just-rename-it-the-rrc-repeats-and-remakes-corporation/#comment-917 Abigail Watts Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:01:23 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=3945#comment-917 I think they should repeat them again so that we can really understand them also because they are really good actors. I think they should repeat them again so that we can really understand them also because they are really good actors.

]]> Comment on Backblaze versus Crashplan for OS X [post redux .. with updates] by Martynhttp://www.drake.org.uk/2011/12/backblaze-versus-crashplan-for-os-x-post-redux-with-updates/#comment-814 Martyn Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:23:53 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=3676#comment-814 SquirrelSave doesn't work on Macs yet. Or rather, it can, but is command line only. SquirrelSave doesn’t work on Macs yet. Or rather, it can, but is command line only.

]]> Comment on Backblaze versus Crashplan for OS X [post redux .. with updates] by Chrishttp://www.drake.org.uk/2011/12/backblaze-versus-crashplan-for-os-x-post-redux-with-updates/#comment-813 Chris Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:29:24 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=3676#comment-813 Hi Martyn - I often read your blog for your unique take on techy news and find it very interesting. I've seen you post about online back-up before (I came across your blog when I was researching it for myself). You'd often mentioned SquirrelSave before - has it now fallen out of favour? Or do the others have more advanced features that SquirrelSave doesn't support? Interesting. Hi Martyn – I often read your blog for your unique take on techy news and find it very interesting. I’ve seen you post about online back-up before (I came across your blog when I was researching it for myself). You’d often mentioned SquirrelSave before – has it now fallen out of favour? Or do the others have more advanced features that SquirrelSave doesn’t support? Interesting.

]]> Comment on Speaking of the Muppets.. Empire Magazine covers them this month by redactedhttp://www.drake.org.uk/2011/12/speaking-of-the-muppets-empire-magazine-covers-them-this-month/#comment-806 redacted Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:05:51 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=3835#comment-806 Sad agreement on the defiling of the Muppets [okay... perhaps you didn't state the case QUITE that strongly... ;) ]. The moment I heard Kermit I thought 'No... That is NOT Frank Oz.... That is NOT Kermit'. Alas for the Disnification of one of the great independents. I would hate to be tasked with making the case for the Muppet's retirement, but... If it's not Henson, it's not really the Muppets, is it? Bugs wasn't Bugs without Freeling, Jones, and Blanc; the Muppets aren't the Muppets without Henson and Oz. Much as I loved them, their souls (Henson) and voices (Oz, though he's still living) are gone. Sad agreement on the defiling of the Muppets [okay... perhaps you didn't state the case QUITE that strongly... ;) ].

The moment I heard Kermit I thought ‘No… That is NOT Frank Oz…. That is NOT Kermit’.

Alas for the Disnification of one of the great independents.

I would hate to be tasked with making the case for the Muppet’s retirement, but… If it’s not Henson, it’s not really the Muppets, is it? Bugs wasn’t Bugs without Freeling, Jones, and Blanc; the Muppets aren’t the Muppets without Henson and Oz.

Much as I loved them, their souls (Henson) and voices (Oz, though he’s still living) are gone.

]]> Comment on The Borrowers, the remake and the budget.. [post redux] by Jimothyhttp://www.drake.org.uk/2011/12/the-borrowers-the-remake-and-the-budget-post-redux/#comment-802 Jimothy Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:30:14 +0000 http://www.drake.org.uk/?p=3666#comment-802 "I’ll post that information here as soon as I hear back from the Beeb." Please do. I heard someone say something about getting their inspiration for the Borrower city from South African shanty towns, but I don't see why that required them to actually film it in South Africa, especially considering that most of the movie looked like it was filmed in front of a green screen. “I’ll post that information here as soon as I hear back from the Beeb.”

Please do. I heard someone say something about getting their inspiration for the Borrower city from South African shanty towns, but I don’t see why that required them to actually film it in South Africa, especially considering that most of the movie looked like it was filmed in front of a green screen.

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