The issue right now with Netflix, as with all the other downloads systems, is that it's a proprietary closed system tied to a specific distributor. So this doesn't really make this player "next generation", though it does help shape what constitutes "next generation" by helping one possible model get field tested.
I'm very curious to find out what Download/DL will end up being. If it's just the kiosk system it was originally explained as (idiots at Engadget claiming it's upscaling aside...) then it's not terribly interesting. If, on the other hand, it constitutes the first component of an open downloads system based primarily on DVD Forum standards, with the first implementation being "Download and burn directly from your DVD player", then it could conceivably be the real kick forward downloads need.
For downloads to work, there has to be open access: players need to standardize on a single set of open access standards. Issues that also need to be addressed are substandard Internet connections (it should be possible to download before watching, buffering the entire movie so it can be watched without interruption), quality (it needs to be at least DVD quality, and HD really should be available too), and the fact people do not want to "rent" everything they watch also needs to be addressed. Netflix has addressed the last point, but it's early days with most of the other issues, and a service operated by Netflix is by definition not open-access.
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The issue right now with Netflix, as with all the other downloads systems, is that it's a proprietary closed system tied to a specific distributor. So this doesn't really make this player "next generation", though it does help shape what constitutes "next generation" by helping one possible model get field tested.
I'm very curious to find out what Download/DL will end up being. If it's just the kiosk system it was originally explained as (idiots at Engadget claiming it's upscaling aside...) then it's not terribly interesting. If, on the other hand, it constitutes the first component of an open downloads system based primarily on DVD Forum standards, with the first implementation being "Download and burn directly from your DVD player", then it could conceivably be the real kick forward downloads need.
For downloads to work, there has to be open access: players need to standardize on a single set of open access standards. Issues that also need to be addressed are substandard Internet connections (it should be possible to download before watching, buffering the entire movie so it can be watched without interruption), quality (it needs to be at least DVD quality, and HD really should be available too), and the fact people do not want to "rent" everything they watch also needs to be addressed. Netflix has addressed the last point, but it's early days with most of the other issues, and a service operated by Netflix is by definition not open-access.