Can ClearPlay Survive?

== UPDATE May 2016 ==
This is a very old post, but people occasionally stumble upon it, so I'll mention that I've moved on to VidAngel and haven't looked back. It's the service that ClearPlay should have become, at a much more affordable price point. https://www.vidangel.com?vip=tddmk9fr71
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I'm afraid that my favorite movie filtering technology is going to go out of business in the next few years. I hope I'm wrong.

The Filtering Controversy

I know that there are plenty of people who think that filtering content from media is silly, unnecessary, or outright wrong (for violating the artist's control over his art and other such nonsense). This post will hold no interest for such individuals. This is not an apologetic for filtering, and it is not intended to spark a debate on the topic. I've been amused--but mostly baffled--by those who find posts like these and use the comments to rant about filtering and those who use it.

What ClearPlay Is

My first experience with television/movie filtering technology was with TVGuardian. It's a neat technology that "reads" the closed captioning signal and mutes the audio signal when it detects a foul word. Years ago, TVGuardian offered a simple box that could be attached inline with any device that could send closed captioning plus audio (pretty much any VCR, cable line, or DVD player years ago). The company has since stopped production of that box in favor of embedding its technology into a few devices, from which it can be activated for a one-time fee.

TVGuardian's technology has an inherent flaw: it is 100% dependent upon the presence and accuracy of the closed captioning signal. This means that at best, filtering success is good but unpredictable; at worst, it is completely absent (such as when a studio foregos the closed captioning signal on its DVDs in favor of subtitles). I wanted something better.

Along came ClearPlay, a technologically superior solution that could not only mute inappropriate audio with great accuracy, but could also instantly skip scenes that a family may want to avoid (violence, sex, disturbing, etc.). The solution requires a ClearPlay-enabled DVD player, which accepts loading of per-movie filters. These filters are created by humans who actually watch the movies, and categorize each frame for both content and severity. Accuracy and flexibility are superb. Want to watch The Dark Knight with all the violence but zero cursing? You can. Want to watch it with just moderate filtering of the violence? No problem. (Actually, The Dark Knight's bloodiest violence is off-screen, and its language is fairly mild.) Or how about cutting out that "why would they put that in there" sex scene in a movie you want to watch with some friends? ClearPlay can do that too, with ease.

In spite of the $80+/year subscription fee that the labor-intensive nature of their solution necessitates, ClearPlay won my business because it appeared to be the best option in a very small class of filtering products. And it managed to survive even when its few competitors started biting the dust. While competitors' business model of selling edited copies of DVDs got squashed by studios, ClearPlay's method gained legal protection under the Family Movie Act 0f 2005.

Signs of Trouble

With legal protection and a dwindling field of competitors, one might expect ClearPlay to have charged forward and established a robust business. But as of early 2010, they appear to be heading toward extinction. And the core concept itself isn't the problem. Here are the top reasons I think ClearPlay's demise is near, and each one represents an opportunity for the company to turn things around, if there's still time.

1. Slow technology adoption. In late 2009, after up-converting DVD players had settled into a low $50-70 range and the Blu-Ray format finally began making serious headway in the retail market, ClearPlay announced their own up-converting DVD player at $120. Here's my bid for understatement of the year: in the world of technology, it's generally bad to be late to the market and charge double what retailers are charging for a similar (and probably technically superior) product. ClearPlay needs a Blu-Ray option yesterday, and at a reasonable price. Even those willing to spend $80/year for a filter subscription may not be willing to pay a premium for the hardware too.Then there's the matter of getting filters onto the DVD player. A few years ago, it was via CD. A subscriber downloaded the ever-changing set of filters over the Internet and burned them to a CD, which was then inserted into the DVD player for loading the filters into internal memory. To make it even less convenient, the filters were broken down into 4 "volumes"--one per CD. Today, filters are downloaded onto a flash drive, which is much more convenient. But even that seems antiquated today. ClearPlay has control over the hardware and software on their players. Why then can't the player have an ethernet port or wi-fi card for automatic loading of filters over my home network? The short-lived modem-based player offered some hope for those who still used landlines, but was again just another example of ClearPlay being behind the times.
   
   Additionally, ClearPlay has been silent (on Twitter, Facebook, and their possibly abandoned news page) on how they plan to remain viable in the future of the movie industry, which appears to be coming in the form of downloadable and streaming movies. There's some speculation that even Blu-Ray itself may not have the luxury of a long lifespan like VHS and DVD had, due to the speed with which Internet delivery of movies is becoming viable and accepted. I believe ClearPlay should have sought funding (via angel investors or perhaps lifetime subscriptions) to aggressively find a solution to remain viable with these technologies emerging; but given ClearPlay's history, I'm not sure anyone would have been willing to gamble on them.


2. Hardware quality issues. My fourth ClearPlay DVD player is being shipped to me as I write this. My first was a CD-based one, which was too inconvenient. I don't recall how reliable it was. My second was a 007-USB model. That one was (and still is) flaky; it has trouble reading DVDs quite a bit of the time, and has an abnormally low tolerance for scratched DVDs. So when the 427-USB model became available on clearance at a local Christian bookstore, I bought it, hoping for a better experience. Sadly, this model appears to have had the same manufacturer as the 007-USB, and it completely quit after 9 months. It simply will not power on at all. When I called ClearPlay to obtain a replacement, I was pushed toward upgrading to the new 747-HD; the support rep even said that although they could send me a refurbished version of the 427-USB, I might be calling them again in a few months. (Some brief research on the web quickly reveals that I'm not the only one having issues with ClearPlay players.) I'm hoping that the new 747-HD represents a substantial improvement, but I've already seen a couple of negative comments in spite of the rep's claim that a different manufacturer is handling these.


3. Mediocre support policy. I've had to contact ClearPlay support a few times over the years, and while the reps are generally cordial, service hasn't been stellar. When I called about my broken 427-USB, I was told to push the power button rapidly 20 times (?). When that didn't work, I was strongly urged to upgrade to the 747-HD player at a reduced price of $70 instead of getting a refurbished replacement unit. They were going to charge me shipping if I didn't buy during the last day of their free shipping promotion, and I'm being forced to pay for return shipping of the defective player. This is not the way to handle a long-time customer's problem with a defective player. If there were any competition in this market, the competition would have gotten my business after that.


4. Limited brand awareness. ClearPlay had DVD players in Target, WalMart, and Best Buy for a short time. That was an important move. But about a year after the RCA-branded player that WalMart was carrying became discontinued during a patent dispute, ClearPlay could no longer be found in those major retail stores. Being on Twitter and Facebook to facilitate viral marketing is a good idea, but it may not be enough, particularly given their other issues.

I believe ClearPlay needs to immediately pursue a partnership with a major retail chain again (I realize there's a chicken-and-egg thing going on here; a retail chain may not be interested until ClearPlay becomes popular, and ClearPlay may not become popular until a retail chain picks them up). As a result, they may be able to drive up the number of subscribers, thereby generating enough revenue to address hardware issues, develop a plan for getting and staying current with technology, and drive down prices to grab even more subscribers. In this age of social networking, a large, satisfied subscriber base is one of the best marketing tools a business can have.

In spite of my complaints, I'm grateful for what ClearPlay brings to the table, and I truly hope the company can survive and succeed. If they can address the issues mentioned above, and consistently bring consumers a reliable and affordable option for content filtering, I'll be a happy customer for a long time to come.

A Solution for Countertop Stains

This isn't exactly original, but I was very glad to have been given this tip, so I'm passing it along...

If you have a run-of-the-mill countertop and have had problems with staining, try baking soda and vinegar to clean the stains. Coffee stains in particular are a challenge to get rid of with standard cleaners. Just shake some baking soda onto the stain, then add some vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for a minute or two, then use a paper towel to scrub. This solution worked when others failed, and I no longer think I need to replace my countertop anytime soon.

Use discretion, of course. Certain countertops should probably not be cleaned with this mildly abrasive solution, and certain finishes may be dulled when using this method. I recommend using it only if a slightly dulled surface would look better than the stained surface that you currently have.

ClearPlay More Accessible Than Ever

In an earlier post, I wrote about a content-filtering solution for DVD movies, called ClearPlay. Target stores now carry the latest ClearPlay-capable DVD player, and the cost is reportedly $49.99. The catch? It sounds like it's this week only. Here's an email I received today from ClearPlay:

"This week you can get ClearPlay's new USB DVD Players at Target Stores for only $49.99! That's a lot cheaper even than ClearPlay's website. And even better, the Target deal comes with a FREE trial membership, FREE USB FilterStik, FREE 2200 Filters and a special price on a one-year ClearPlay membership. Plus, you get ClearPlay's legendary satisfaction guarantee and outstanding customer service.

And this is not just a run-of-the mill DVD Player. It's got Progressive Scan, multi-format playback, PAL and NTSC conversion, Component/Composite Video, S-Video, and both Optical and Digital Audio Outputs. This is the real deal."

This is a great deal. If you've considered buying ClearPlay before, it looks like now is the time to buy. And if you want to learn more about ClearPlay, watch this video which does a mediocre job of explaining how ClearPlay works.

Suck It Up

Whether you're clumsy, a pet lover, a parent, or a clumsy parent who loves pets, you'll have an occasional need to lean the carpet in your home. You have 4 options:

• Spray/foam carpet cleaners found with the other cleaners in your local store. Spray the cleaner on the carpet, wait a few minutes, then blot the spill.
• Bissel SpotBot. I haven't used one, but it looks like you fill the thing with cleaner and water, set it on the stain, and let the SpotBot do the work.
• Upright carpet cleaner. Similar in size and shape to a vacuum, but like the SpotBot, requires cleaner and water.
• Professional carpet cleaner. Hire somebody to come with heavy-duty equipment to clean your carpet, or rent the heavy-duty equipment.

You might think that the choice you make will depend on your need; are you cleaning a small spill, or cleaning an entire room? But I'm recommending that one solution - the personal vacuum-size carpet cleaner - is the safest and most economical solution for virtually any need.

I've tried the spray carpet cleaners. At best, they're moderately effective. At worst, they can bleach your carpet, leaving a permanent spot that cannot be easily or inexpensively repaired. Been there, done that. You might think you're saving money by buying a $3 cleaner instead of a machine, but how much will it cost to repair that bleached spot on your carpet?

The SpotBot is a good idea, but it delivers very little flexibility for the price. You can't use it to clean an entire room.

The upright, vacuum-size carpet cleaner doesn't bleach your carpet, is much more effective than the spray carpet cleaners, and is not limited to only cleaning small spots. The reason it's dramatically more effective than the spray cleaners is simple: the brushing and sucking of the machine is a much more effective method than pressing down on wet carpet (which is essentially what you're doing when blotting the spill after the spray cleaner has done its thing).

I've heard good things about professional carpet cleaners and rental equipment, but those both incur per-use costs. At $155 (the price I paid for the Hoover F5914-900 SteamVac), a personal carpet cleaner remains the best value long-term. Admittedly it's a pain to haul out the SteamVac for small spills, but it's worth it considering the alternatives.

It's About Time

If you're fastidious about your timepieces being in sync, this post is for you. If you're normal, it's not.

I love the concept of atomic clocks, atomic watches, and any other timekeeping device that keeps time accurate to the fraction of a second (such as my GPS receiver). At my workplace, we use a technique for keeping our servers and PCs in line with the official U.S. time, and I was delighted to find that I could do the same at home. I'm running Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2; I'm not sure which Windows version started supporting this feature using the method described below.

• Double-click the clock in your system tray (or open Date and Time in your Control Panel).
• Click the "Internet Time" tab.
• Check the "Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server" checkbox.
• In the Server box, type time-a.nist.gov (time.nist.gov should work too, but as of tonight, it wasn't working; maybe one of NIST's servers is down).

Your computer will now synchronize with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a government agency that keeps the official U.S. time.

Freeware Feature: GridMove

Purpose: Quickly and optimally arranging windows on your screen
Web site: http://jgpaiva.donationcoders.com/gridmove.html
Skill level required: Beginner to Intermediate

Although the efficiency benefits of using multiple monitors are becoming well-known, and although multiple-monitor configurations are more tenable than ever, you might be stuck with a single monitor for one reason or another. I've only recently been able to convince my employer that multiple monitors is a solid investment for power users in particular, but I know it will be years or decades before they let me purchase dual monitors for the majority of the staff.

So if you're stuck with a single monitor, how can you work efficiently? For that matter, perhaps you have dual monitors but still want to make the most of the space you have (after all, even two monitors isn't enough, right power users?). Well, you could resize your windows and arrange them perfectly to maximize the utilization of your screen space. That's time-consuming though, which kinda defeats the purpose of your efficiency attempts.

The solution is a simple program called GridMove. This program is difficult to explain, but this visual helps. GridMove "splits" your monitor into multiple rectangles. Drop a window onto one of these rectangles, and GridMove takes care of the resizing for you. Basically, GridMove lets you predefine a workspace layout, and then it takes away the work of the window resizing. You get the benefits of fastidious window management, without the time-consuming labor that is typically required. I now use this program daily at work, and it became particularly useful once a friend pointed out the keyboard shortcuts.

Here's a bonus for you: whether or not GridMove floats your boat, you may want to try GroupBar from Microsoft. GroupBar is in the same basic category as GridMove; it helps you manage your open windows so you can be more efficient.

Flashlight Insight

Flashlights are one of the hobbies of nearly all men, just like guns, trucks, and tools. Our fascination with these items is difficult to explain, as is my desire to test my flashlights to see how each of them performs.

Note that this test does not take into account the high-end flashlights used by hunters, police officers, etc. So if you're the kind of person who wants or needs the $60-400 flashlights made by SureFire or similar brands, this post may not be for you. This is simply a brief evaluation of the kinds of everyday flashlights you can purchase at your local store.

Tip: Not all LEDs are the same. LEDs come in different color temperatures and wattages. Two basic types of LEDs were tested here.

Test details:

• All flashlights had new Rayovac batteries, except for the Bushnell 1-watt Luxeon LED, which takes a lithium ion battery. That flashlight's battery was barely used prior to this test.
• A Canon SD400 was mounted to a tripod and used to take pictures of the same location under different lighting conditions. The picture on the right was taken during the day under a mixture of natural and artificial light. Compare it with the results table below.
• The descriptions of the flashlights are as follows:

1: Traditional flashlight with traditional bulb. Takes 4 AA batteries. Bulb was old. Approximate value: $10.

2: Mini Maglight with traditional (pre-LED) bulb. Takes 2 AA batteries. Bulb was old. During test, beam was focused as narrowly as possible. Approximate value: $10.

3: LED flashlight with 1-watt Luxeon LED. Takes 3 AAA batteries. Approximate value: $25.

4: Bushnell LED flashlight with 1-watt Luxeon LED. Takes CR123A, 3-volt battery. Approximate value: $40.

5: Low-end 9-LED flashlight. Takes 3 AAA batteries. Approximate value: $7.

Images:
Click on a thumbnail to see a larger version of the image.

#	Flashlight	Straight on view	Room test
1
2
3
4
5

Observations:

1. The traditional flashlight is best for long-distance use. It has a dominant hotspot as well as a decent amount of surrounding light. The color of the light is very warm, as with most incandescents.
2. The Mini Maglight was disappointing. I don't see much use for it.
3. The Luxeon 1-watt LEDs performed well. They have a much whiter light than the incandescents, and they do not suffer from the same degree of blue tint that the low-end LED light does. This type of flashlight is an excellent compromise, and would be great for a variety of applications.
4. Overall, the Bushnell lithium-powered flashlight was my favorite in this test, producing an adequately strong hotspot with plenty of surrounding light. Its performance is impressive given its size. However, if I had to take just one flashlight with me when going on a trip, a walk in the woods, etc, it would be the other Luxeon LED flashlight. The reason? 3 AAA batteries are cheaper and easier to find than a lithium battery.
5. The small 9-LED flashlight produced no discernible hotspot, and had an unmistakable bluish tint. It would be ideal for reading (book, map, etc.), given its small size, lack of a hotspot, and low power consumption.