Amazon has just released their film download service and it has, quite obviously, been followed by some strong negative comments. One article has been emailed through to me and it carries quite a few negative comments. Now, I am right there standing with everyone else against the restrictions of download services, but this is perhaps the closest we've come to being allowed freedom with our downloads.

Hap pointed me to an article over at Uninnovate.com where they list their issues with the service, and I'll attempt to address them all through the article.

You can't play Unbox movies on your DVD player
You can't let your friends borrow your Unbox movies
You must give Amazon an absurd amount of control over your computer

Those are the main headlines they hit us with, and the last one has a number of sub points:

You must install any software patch Amazon releases
You must agree to let Unbox report what movies you watch
If you try to uninstall Amazon’s Unbox player for any reason, Amazon has the right to automatically delete all of your movies
You have to agree to let Amazon spam your computer with “promotional downloads” that appear unsolicted in your Unbox player
Amazon can discontinue the Unbox service at any time without liability
Amazon can change the terms of the agreement at any time

So it looks pretty damning on the face of it, althought straight away the comments are quick to point out that these issues are more to do with the enforcements from the MPAA than Amazon themselves. Okay, but whoever they are from, let's look at these and see if they really are an issue...

You can't play Unbox movies on your DVD player
This, I fear, is the biggest issue and they are perfectly right in highlighting this. If I want to download a DVD to watch, then I want to watch it on my Home Cinema system, and that means through my DVD player. Even if I download a movie I want to do the same. Until computers have a simple and cheap (even free) system that will allow streaming to your Home Cinema system with fill DVD quality, the DVD player remains the best option, so I want to download my movie, cut it to the DVD and play it there, full screen, full quality and full audio.

You can't let your friends borrow your Unbox movies
Well, technically you can't really let anyone borrow your movies. You can have friends round to watch it, as long as you don't charge them, but by the letter of the law I shouldn't be lending out my DVD's to anyone. Anyway, that's not really a killer is it? Just because you can't lend the movie out to your friends would you not take the service? I hardly ever lend out films, I tend to have people round to watch them, it's much more fun!

You must give Amazon an absurd amount of control over your computer
Okay, so I'm going to look at each of these points made and we'll see if it really is absurd.

You must install any software patch Amazon releases
Microsoft anyone? Okay, you don't have to install them, but you're more or less forced to as programs require the latest patches. Anyway I wouldn't not install them, why would you want to be running an older version of the software? I'd want bugs and security holes fixed. This is really so that if someone hacks through the service Amazon can insure their fix will be distributed to all. However, let's read Amazon's Terms of Use:

The Software automatically checks for upgrades, but the Software will not automatically upgrade without your consent...

However (again), there is a blanket warning that if you do not consent to the upgrade the digital content may no longer be viewed. Isn't that likely if the upgrade is to the licensing, video codec or some similar thing? They also say that they may automatically upgrade the software if they are required to do comply with law, enforce the agreement (because you broke it or could break it) or to protect the rights and content you've downloaded. Again this is incase someone has cracked the software and they need to stop people copying the content.

Is that too much to expect? Isn't it a similar thing with iTunes for example? I can't keep using previous versions of iTunes to download content can I? Same with Windows software such as Media Player, and in fact with a lot of software, what about Flash? If you don't upgrade it doesn't work with new content.

You must agree to let Unbox report what movies you watch
This is nothing new again, Microsoft, iTunes, Sony Connect, etc.

Amazon respects your privacy, and the Software will not access computer files or other information on your computer that are not used by or otherwise related to the Service.

There are lot's of may statements in there as well, e.g.

the Software may provide Amazon with information about the Digital Content from the Service on your Authorized Device, whether it has been deleted and whether it has been viewed.

So the software may pass back to Amazon when you've downloaded or viewed the film and when you've transferred it to your authorised devices. Nothing surprising there, it needs to ensure you only transfer it to certain devices. You're told that up front. Why is this an issue? Just like with Windows Media Player, you could block the traffic using a firewall if you were particularly paranoid.

If you try to uninstall Amazon’s Unbox player for any reason, Amazon has the right to automatically delete all of your movies
This one is quite amusing, and I'm surprised anyone would argue against this.

Removal of Software. If you uninstall or otherwise remove the Software, your ability to view all Digital Content you have downloaded to the Authorized Device will immediately and automatically terminate and we reserve the right to delete all Digital Content from that Authorized Device without notice to you.

Yes, if you delete the player, that is the only player that can play the content in the first place, of course you won't be able to view the films. Then they are saying that they reserve the right to delete the films from your computer. Actually they won't be able to do this since you've uninstalled the software, but they are reserving that right, after all without the player you can't watch them.

An important thing to remember here is that if your local device copy is deleted you still have them stored in your account on the Amazon Unbox service and can download them from there after authorisation.

Purchased Digital Content will generally continue to be available in your Media Library for download to a second of your Authorized Devices (or re-download to the first Authorized Device you designate for the content)

They follow this with a blanket statement covering them if the licensing changes on content or if the item is no longer available.

You have to agree to let Amazon spam your computer with “promotional downloads” that appear unsolicted in your Unbox player
Now I've never seen anywhere on the Internet where I've been forced to watch adverts on a service. Nowhere. (This, for those of you who don't know, is called sarcasm. Actually the opposite is true and everywhere you go on the Internet you are forced to watch trailers, adverts, etc.)

From time to time, Amazon will automatically deliver promotional video content (e.g., movie trailers, celebrity interviews, reviews, etc.) to your Authorized Device. Amazon may automatically delete such promotional video content from your Authorized Device without notice to you.

Yeah, well I don't like adverts and promotional trailers, etc. Except I have to watch them on 99% of Internet sites, on the TV, at the cinema, even now on DVD. I'm not saying that's right, but that's the way it is everywhere else, I don't see why this is so wrong.

Amazon can discontinue the Unbox service at any time without liability
If you've ever signed up to any service before, in real life or on the Internet, you'll find this clause in agreements and contracts. The company that supplies the gas to my house or my credit card company can decide to terminate the agreement for no reason at their whim. That clause is everywhere you look.

Amazon can change the terms of the agreement at any time
As above. This is on my phone agreement, my broadband, bank account, credit cards, etc, etc.

Okay, so looking through the agreement I have to say this is perhaps the most consumer focused service I've seen to date. Sure you're tied to their software, take a look at iTunes, sure they are reserving their rights as per any other agreement, and yes they are keeping track of your usage, surprise but did you know your ISP is keeping records on everything you do? As are credit cards, loyalty cards, bank accounts, etc.

Within the confines of this service I don't see any of this as such a big deal. The only thing I have a problem with is that I can't yet have a service where I download a movie, cut it to DVD, and watch it on my home cinema system. Now that's something to shout about and force change in these services, not these other little issues.

Now you've made it this far, what do you think? Is this service such a bad thing? Are there points that you still object to? What are your issues with download services? Why would you or would you not download films, and what are the reasons for you doing so?