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.
- 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. - 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
40 comments:
I am a late comer to ClearPlay and am more than frustrated that it appears that everyone is trying to kill it, seemingly even ClearPlay themselves.
I wandered my way through all of the initial promise, stories of legal battles, vindication, further legal copyright battles, further vindication, and now am wondering if they have been left so cash poor that the fight has been knocked out of them and they are just hanging on by a thread.
I do hope they stick around, but like you am concerned that they may not and for now I am waiting to see before buying into their hardware and fee based filters.
I spent 60 mins on the phone today (25 just waiting for someone to pick up, because their callback thing won't work) trying to get my player fixed. I have NO idea how many players I've had over the years. I have actually purchased maybe 3, but because they all tore up, I've had countless replacement ones. And it's not because we over- or mis- used them. I LOVE Clearplay and never want to be without an editing player. BUT this paying even a "discount" $69 plus $69 for an upgrade every two years is ludicrous. Why can't they make a product that isn't shabbily made?
Anonymous 1 & 2: I empathize with both of you, and your comments are representative of the problem: ClearPlay is scaring away would-be customers, and frustrating existing customers. Thankfully both groups want to see ClearPlay succeed; the problem is that ClearPlay can't survive on good will alone. They need to wrap their neat concept/technology in reliable hardware and solid support so that people are confident that their money will be well-spent.
They do now have a twitter and facebook account...maybe they saw your site :D Thanks for the blog! I want one so badly, but it's unfortunate that it can break so easily.
The only movies we need to filter come from the library, RedBox, or Netflix. And that inevitably means scratches. And our two ClearPlay players have no tolerance for scratches.
The filter-via-USB-drive doesn't bother me much, and it's been the most reliable part of the whole experience. I wonder if something like the AirStash would allow you to just leave it in the player and update filters over the air.
I love the ClearPlay concept. I've done my part by buying a 3-year subscription. I wish it had bought a higher-quality players. I really really wish they'd figure out how to filter streaming from Netflix.
I am in complete agreement with the article and all comments. I was a VERY early ClearPlay adopter, buying one of the original RCA DRC-232N players. When it later developed an oddity (loading certain filters will cause the entire filter memory to be erased, which is a minor inconvenience), I found another RCA (232NS) and will keep looking for every one of these I can find. I never want to use an xx7 player again - I tried several and they are pure junk.
ClearPlay *used* to have a GREAT customer support department. They were helpful, listened, even introduced fixes to several bugs I discovered and diagnosed for them. You could track your support cases online, and they seemed genuinely sorry if their product caused a user any grief.
Then, a couple (??) of years ago, there was a reorganization/shakeup of management, and everything became so penny-pinchingly $$-focused that they lost track of who kept them in business - customers.
I would jump at the chance to join up with an investor group and buy the company to fix it, but there is one BIG problem. The nature of the business requires that the employees pore through all the film garbage day after day - who would want to do that to their employees (or anyone, for that matter). Does anybody have an idea how to fix that?
I am leaving this comment anonymously for obvious reason. I will advise you on some things that does not seem to be common knowledge.
Bluray is far from an industry leading technology. Despite what you may percieve as a monolith that drives the industry, it holds a mere 12% of the market, leaving 88% for dvd. Bluray has grown since it's inception, but nowhere near the growth dvd had when it debuted, and it is not projected to top dvd sales or market penetration for 8 more years AT THE LEAST. This is from folks who's entire existence in the market is to trend analysis for the market as a whole.
DVD is not going anywhere for awhile.
Almost every issue I have read in the posts is either software corruption caused by bad data in, or software corruption not being addressed quickly enough thus causing hardware to operate outside of the normal parameters. No the hardware is not perfect, but it has improved. the newest model, the HD Upconvert player, has the lowest rate of failure versus industry standard of any player ever made by the company. People who love their player do not post with the same frequency of those who are having issues and upset. The squeaky wheel seeking that grease.
There also seems to be the perception that just because something is manufactured, it should last forever. In every industry, without exception, there is a failure rate. It is pretty standardized. This is true even in food preparation as anyone who has received a sub par meal can attest. in electronics that failure rate industry wide is between 2 and 4 percent.
The new player is far below that.
Bluray, as well as streaming video, will be addressed when market penetration reaches a point whereby it is no longer considered a niche. If you have a product that you make that is 88% of the market, and a new one you can make that is 12% of the market, but the cost for making that small percentage product is twice the cost of the standard, you don't waste money on it. Clearplay is not Samsung or Sony. They are small, thus to get players made in smaller amounts is necessarily going to cost more. When you can buy a million, you get a price break. when you buy a thousand, your cost is higher. Simple math means that they cost more because they cost the company more.
Clearplay used to be in Big Box Stores, and now they aren't, because BBS charge so much and try to control the situation so very much, that the company loses money. If the company is losing money, why would it continue to be where it is being hurt? Would you go to work if your boss said you will have to compensate us to work here, AND you have to take less in return for your production because we want the price lower for our customers.
If your product, say bubblegum, costs you $1 to make, you are told you must sell it for 99 cents, AND you have to cover any incurred costs by the store selling it if there are any, why sell in that store?
Having said all of that, I will address the customer service issues. Clearplay has replaced virtually every facet of customer service and technical support within 1 years time now. The economy has not been kind to most large companies, and less so to small companies. They do everything they can, within the confines of the company's policies, to care for and support the members. I have seen them replace players damaged in house fires, by lightning strikes, and floods. No warranty covers those, and yet Clearplay has been a great neighbor and done so.
No one is perfect, and I am not suggesting Clearplay is, but to deny them their due is criminal.
Lastly, Clearplay is not going anywhere. They are in their 11th year and have given every sign that they will not only survive the economy, but will thrive when it rebounds.
Those "angel investors" have been after them without pause. That means something.
Keep up the good fight.
Neville, the point you make in the last paragraph is a great one. Most of us who are concerned about the content in movies really appreciate the work being done by ClearPlay and Screenit.com, but we certainly wouldn't want their jobs!
Anonymous,
I understand your points. And with limited funds, I'd rather have ClearPlay focus on stability issues and coming up with a way to remain viable with the rise of video-on-demand, than on getting a Blu-Ray player to market.
Blu-Ray may be a little more important than you're suggesting though; highdefdigest.com claims that sales of recent hit movies like The Dark Knight and Avatar show Blu-Ray accounting for over 40% of video sales. Granted, some of that is probably due to DVD/Blu-Ray bundles. But a couple of Google searches to verify your market share numbers suggest that Blu-Ray is seeing surges in sales, in terms of both discs and players. I suspect that the proliferation of large-screen high-def televisions, coupled with lower prices on Blu-Ray players and discs, will see Blu-Ray pick up steam.
What I'm not so sure about is whether video on demand will dramatically overshadow Blu-Ray. In 7-10 years, I think we're all going to laugh about the fact that we used to leave our homes to rent and return DVDs--the same way we now laugh about having to rewind VHS tapes before returning them.
Regarding your claims that the hardware and customer service are much-improved, I'm glad that both have been working well for you. My up-convert player has not failed in the 10 months I've had it, for which I'm grateful. I've also not had to use customer service since January 2010, so I can't comment on recent improvements. But of course, the post was written earlier this year, at which time I was commenting on the status of the hardware and customer service at the time.
I still have my gripes. For instance, the up-convert player takes forever to load a disc. But I am still a faithful user of the service, and as mentioned in the original post, I hope they find a way to survive. If they indeed are turning the corner in terms of hardware reliability and customer service, they're on the right track. But again, if they do not extend their service beyond the disc format (whichever one), their days are numbered.
I've owned every USB player they've released and two of the first one, the CP-107. One of them finally died and I have kept the other one going with replacement DVD drives from the Koss brand equivalent (that uses the same drive but is just a regular DVD player). I had to replace my CP-007 within 90 days but thankfully I kept my Target receipt and the one I have now works OK, but locks up every so often and has to be unplugged from the wall to reset itself. My CP-427 switches to S-Video output every time I go to use it, so I have to hook up the S-Video cable and go into the menu to switch to Component output. In short, I've had to find workarounds for every player to keep them working, so obviously I'm a fan of the service to keep doing so. I've been a fan of the company ever since I took my Don Juan DeMarco DVD down to their SLC office (in the back corner of EVCO House of Hose) to have them add my DVD version to their existing filter, which I thought was pretty cool that they would take the time to do.
Having personally edited many DVDs myself, I know it is painstaking to get all of the editing right and I usually miss a few things on the first go-through, so they have to be reviewed multiple times to get them perfect. Blu-ray is always going to a niche format, only justified for certain types of movies (visual-heavy ones, like the aforementioned Dark Knight & Avatar) and only really necessary if you want to watch them on a >42" TV. I wouldn't ever consider buying a drama, most older movies, old TV shows, etc. on Blu-ray, whether or not I had it on DVD. What is the point?! I haven't purchased an upscaling player, but at $150, I must say I am hesitant considering the history with my other players. In the early days, ClearPlay had, essentially, a media PC that used software but they were ~$600 and I doubt they had very many buyers. I have Home Theater PCs at every TV and I wish they would provide software that integrated into Windows Media Center, then I wouldn't ever have to worry about specific-use hardware again. I'm sure there still isn't enough of a market for HTPC users, but even some sort of Wii/PS3/XBox integration would be nice.
Downloadable content seems to be in the future, but it is still not widely available through the most well-known provider Netflix. Approximately 10% of the movies I put in my Netflix queue have the "Watch instantly" option, so we have a ways to go there.
I'll keep paying the yearly fee in support of them because I like that I can let my teens watch Clearplayed PG-13 movies without having to personally screen them first. It is sad that it is so necessary with PG-13 movies, but most border R ratings in content.
In response to the original author: I am the anonymous poster who recently posted the up to date Clearplay experience. I dealt with the manager who is over customer service directly, and he resolved my issues very quickly. Every agent there I have dealt with lately for a variety of issues has been excellent. I would say they have certainly improved dramatically.
The new player has been error free for me, I own two, and I was even able to teach my 5 year old to use hers in under 5 minutes. Her television is an old 27 inch and does not benefit from the hd upconverting on that player, but the ease of use made it the choice for her room.
The manager I dealt with is John, and he gave me his number to hand out if I felt it would help. His direct number is 801-803-6164. Contact him. He was very helpful with my non-tech savvy self, and he gave me some great unpublished price options.
I am on my third model of Clearplay device. Despite what feels like a high annual subscription cost -- so much the higher because of the short life span of the hardware -- we continue to use clearplay. (Our Sony and Toshiba players lasted 5+ years each.)
I must agree with the original poster on every count.
There's been an empty promise of a blu-ray player for too long -- over a year. Failing that, why not port forward the windows PC version? Or include it as a WMP plugin or codec (perhaps even cross-platform?). This would be a tremendous win.
every player we've had has had problems within the first year. The upconvert model was DOA and took 3 months to get replaced -- and we had to pay shipping. Every other model has had real performance issues. 3 usb drives have broken .
The quality of the website, lack of news, continuing poor software and hardware build quality, empty promises, lack of real roadmap and new technology (BD, Streaming, WMP, Google TV) support really gives the same impression to me that the company is languishing. Economics aside, that's how it looks, and it made it much harder to buy the player this time around.
Speaking of, if Clearplay were built into the Logitech Revue (for Netflix streaming), that would have made me buy it.
I believe in the principle behind the product so much that I'd move to Utah just to work for them if they needed an experienced server guy. But the problems make it otherwise hard to support the product.
Weather blu ray is the top seller now or not what the bt thing would be to do is just make a blu ray player and sell it as the one player. That way everyone is taken care of. They have said they were working on this for over a year now.
I have been waiting to get a clear play but i cant till they have a blu ray option. I currently have an lg blu ray that has access to cinema now, vudu and netflix plus pandora radio. It's really great to have so many options for streaming. The issue i have is that when i want to watch a pg13 or r movie i get tired of nudity and looking away or language or extreme violence. Smetimes a movie is great but yet your like gosh tone down the language.
But i don't want to go back to just DVD after having blu ray. So i miss some movies.
I really hope they stick around but i know most people don't know them or have heard of them.
Id really like to see them more advertised.
Googletv is dead on arrival and wont survive. And of course we are not going to see it inside the appletv. But i have to say streaming is the future. That and red box. Just look at how red box is taking off while blockbuster is struggling. When yu have the option for the same price as blockbuster to just stream from vudu or other streaming service and in HD with no late fees and no running to the store. Or red box that is in every mcdonalds which are everywhere and then many grocery stores and gas stations it makes it really easy to work with. $1 rental or $1.50 blu ray vs $5 at blockbuster and i think more and more people are going towards renting especially in an economy that is down. And even if not like someone said even streaming a movie at $3 or $4 how many times can you watch that movie before you even get to the price of a new disc?
But I love what clear play does i just would really like to see a blu ray with some other options. I mean any blu ray on the market is internet connected has options for different streaming some have amazon some netflix some vudu. But if clear play is going to compete they need to make their blu ray kick. Ultimate option would be to have the clear play service work even on streaming. So if im watching a netflix movie or streaming from some other streaming service through the player or a bow ray all would have the option of using a filter from clear play.
If hardware is such an issue couldn't they just use the software on a flash drive for any blu ray or dvd player that has a USB plug.
Weather blu ray is the top seller now or not what the bt thing would be to do is just make a blu ray player and sell it as the one player. That way everyone is taken care of. They have said they were working on this for over a year now.
I have been waiting to get a clear play but i cant till they have a blu ray option. I currently have an lg blu ray that has access to cinema now, vudu and netflix plus pandora radio. It's really great to have so many options for streaming. The issue i have is that when i want to watch a pg13 or r movie i get tired of nudity and looking away or language or extreme violence. Smetimes a movie is great but yet your like gosh tone down the language.
But i don't want to go back to just DVD after having blu ray. So i miss some movies.
I really hope they stick around but i know most people don't know them or have heard of them.
Id really like to see them more advertised.
Googletv is dead on arrival and wont survive. And of course we are not going to see it inside the appletv. But i have to say streaming is the future. That and red box. Just look at how red box is taking off while blockbuster is struggling. When yu have the option for the same price as blockbuster to just stream from vudu or other streaming service and in HD with no late fees and no running to the store. Or red box that is in every mcdonalds which are everywhere and then many grocery stores and gas stations it makes it really easy to work with. $1 rental or $1.50 blu ray vs $5 at blockbuster and i think more and more people are going towards renting especially in an economy that is down. And even if not like someone said even streaming a movie at $3 or $4 how many times can you watch that movie before you even get to the price of a new disc?
But I love what clear play does i just would really like to see a blu ray with some other options. I mean any blu ray on the market is internet connected has options for different streaming some have amazon some netflix some vudu. But if clear play is going to compete they need to make their blu ray kick. Ultimate option would be to have the clear play service work even on streaming. So if im watching a netflix movie or streaming from some other streaming service through the player or a bow ray all would have the option of using a filter from clear play.
If hardware is such an issue couldn't they just use the software on a flash drive for any blu ray or dvd player that has a USB plug.
Weather blu ray is the top seller now or not what the bt thing would be to do is just make a blu ray player and sell it as the one player. That way everyone is taken care of. They have said they were working on this for over a year now.
I have been waiting to get a clear play but i cant till they have a blu ray option. I currently have an lg blu ray that has access to cinema now, vudu and netflix plus pandora radio. It's really great to have so many options for streaming. The issue i have is that when i want to watch a pg13 or r movie i get tired of nudity and looking away or language or extreme violence. Smetimes a movie is great but yet your like gosh tone down the language.
But i don't want to go back to just DVD after having blu ray. So i miss some movies.
I really hope they stick around but i know most people don't know them or have heard of them.
Id really like to see them more advertised.
Googletv is dead on arrival and wont survive. And of course we are not going to see it inside the appletv. But i have to say streaming is the future. That and red box. Just look at how red box is taking off while blockbuster is struggling. When yu have the option for the same price as blockbuster to just stream from vudu or other streaming service and in HD with no late fees and no running to the store. Or red box that is in every mcdonalds which are everywhere and then many grocery stores and gas stations it makes it really easy to work with. $1 rental or $1.50 blu ray vs $5 at blockbuster and i think more and more people are going towards renting especially in an economy that is down. And even if not like someone said even streaming a movie at $3 or $4 how many times can you watch that movie before you even get to the price of a new disc?
But I love what clear play does i just would really like to see a blu ray with some other options. I mean any blu ray on the market is internet connected has options for different streaming some have amazon some netflix some vudu. But if clear play is going to compete they need to make their blu ray kick. Ultimate option would be to have the clear play service work even on streaming. So if im watching a netflix movie or streaming from some other streaming service through the player or a bow ray all would have the option of using a filter from clear play.
If hardware is such an issue couldn't they just use the software on a flash drive for any blu ray or dvd player that has a USB plug.
I am also waiting for a blu ray player before joining the ClearPlay club. Most of my movies are blu ray.
In regards to the rise of Netflix streaming, CinemaNow, and similar programs--they are popular, but will not overtake the DVD and blu ray market. Their quality is sub par to a hard disc. I love Netflix streaming for TV shows and casual viewing experiences, but for grand movies and a true viewing experience, you need a disc. So far Vudu has the best streaming in their HDX signal, but you still have no hard disc for mobility and special features.
I would love to see clearplay on a bluray player, however, this makes it more expensive for Clearplay... as they have to buy the blu ray disks and spend time reviewing them just like the DVD versions.I love clearplay, but do not use it much anymore since I got my blu ray players.
Netflix streaming has complicated the issue but maybe I have a solution...
Have Netflix also send a control signal that works with clearplay set top boxes and clearplay software on pcs to filter based on the control signal and the user settings. Clearplay would have a lot of work to do to get this to happen, but this is where the future of clearplay needs to be.
I recently got clearplay, and although I'm technically not supposed to do this, I canceled the membership and am still using the filters. Why? because I don't have $100 to spend on "licensing"
I think that if they wanted to make more money, they should let people keep and use the filters without having to constantly pay a monthly fee. If you think I'm the only one, I'm not. there's at least one other person who felt ripped off because he would have to pay a monthly fee. because of that, he sent them an email saying that he would no longer reccomend their product, which is sad.
Now, despite what I've said above, I still love the concept of clearplay. but the people who now operate the company are just running it straight into the ground.
Please Clearplay, come out with a bluray player. You told me back in 2007 you were working on one. You still don't have one. I bought the RCA player a long time ago but I got tired of burning new cd's every time I wanted to rent a new movie. I bought the first player that used a thumb drive but unfortunately it didn't work with my projector so I gave it to my in-laws. Now I've moved on. I have a bluray player and I don't want to spend more money on a another DVD player just because it has an hdmi out. So, clearplay, sell a bluray player and you'll have me back. And from the look of this blog, you'll have a bunch of other people too.
Why is Clearplay even making DVD players? Did DTS make their own players? No! They offered their technology to every company out there and then started encoding disks with their audio. Why doesn't Clearplay do the exact same thing? They should offer their source code to all manufacturers for free. I should be able to walk into Best Buy and see Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, JVC, LG all sporting a Clearplay logo. Then whoever wants the serves just signs up. Clearplay would make bank off of subscriptions because their player would be in everyone's home. Then they could lower their subscription cost to a more manageable amount and everyone with kids would pay the 10 bucks a year for the service. Clearplay would be rich, not going out of business.
Regarding the comment from Anonymous about ClearPlay's subscription model, I agree that the price is too high. They actually do (or at least did) offer a pay-per-filter option. However, both their subscription option and pay-per-filter option are priced far too high. I believe the price of a single filter was around $3. That wasn't palatable when movie rentals cost $4, and it's less palatable now that my typical movie rental price is $1.
I agree with Mike that Clearplay needs to work toward a high-volume model with much lower subscription fees. At $10/year, I suspect they'd easily increase their number of subscribers 10-fold. They'd also be able to get more partners after seeing the up-tick in consumer interest. Since their core product has a nearly fixed cost (extra distribution costs should be virtually nil; I'm not sure about support costs), this would theoretically increase their net profit.
Of course, I'm an outsider that's never run a business, so this is all wishful speculation.
I'll add my vote for a ClearPlay Blu-ray player. I keep thinking about getting a ClearPlay subscription but I can't switch back to DVD after seeing the awesomeness that is HD.
We used to get edited movies at Clean Flicks but after all the legal battles killed them off we just gave up and became very picky about which movies we rented. I'm hoping ClearPlay will step up and offer a Blu-ray option to that rapidly growing market segment.
little update: I am the same guy who complained about clearplay's stupid subscribtion model.
Anyway, I have taken further measures to ensure that Clearplay can never get rid of my filters in any way, shape, or form. I have unplugged my clearplay dvd player when I'm not using it, and unplugged any connections it had to my TV. I also took the batteries out of the remote, and am not using the usb stick that I have the filters on for anything else.
I will tell all of you in about 7 months whether or not I am still able to use it! If it does work, please spread the word around.
One other measure that I am taking to ensure that I can still use the filters is that I am not going to update my filterstick/usb stick.
I love it that clearplay works, it's just that they're plain dishonest about their policies
I sincerely hope, Anonymous, you didn't neglect wearing tin foil on your head...
Only one person (that I saw) has identified the real reason Clearplay won't survive. No support for streaming services like Netflix. The answer, in my opinion, is for a group to come up with a streaming player that reads a filter file (that already exists and is the basis for Boxee) and then have the community contribute to the filter database for streaming service movies.
BTW, I still am using the original RCA player that uses CDs.
Gary, I agree. Discs are on their way out. Streaming makes so much more sense, and ClearPlay desperately needs to adapt their technology to streaming services.
ClearPlay developed a BlueRay player and sold it for at least six months in 2010, I believe. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that here, as I saw it for sale on their website more than once.
They are working on developing a streaming option; they mentioned that they are trying to work out a deal with Netflix, etc. for streaming ClearPlay.
My customer service experiences have been stellar, but the reliability of the ClearPlay DVD players have not.
When I called them this last time (3 months ago), I told them that the 90-day warranty wasn't acceptable and that I would not buy a player again unless they would give me at least one year of warranty service. They complied, so now that the audio on our ClearPlay isn't working as of tonight, I will give them a call on Monday.
I agree with everyone; their company probably almost folded in 2009/early 2010 due to the economy and all of their technical issues they have.
Would love to see this be a part of any DVD player a person can find in the stores...but I doubt that will ever happen.
Julieanne
http://www.JoyInOurJourney.com
I am the anonymous person from a few posts ago. I tested clearplay today, and the filters still work without an active account! and this is more than 6 months after I canceled my membership. here is how i used it without paying for an active membership:
I have unplugged my clearplay dvd player when I'm not using it, and unplugged any connections it had to my TV. I also took the batteries out of the remote, and am not using the usb stick that I have the filters on for anything else.
and these things worked! yahoooooooooooo! spread this around! The only downside is that I have not tried to update my usb stick for it mainly because clearplay will undoubtedly erase my filters. suck it, clearplay.
Besides, the only reason that I got clearplay in the first place was for only one movie that had a lot of bad content. I see no reason that I should pay $8 every month to use it. So long, clearplay!
I would love to hear when streaming clearplay editing is available.
What about editing a digital copy of movies?
I have made a number of "remixes" (similar to Clearplay filters) available for free for watching DVDs on PowerDVD on your PC. You can go here for more details and to download the remixes: https://www.facebook.com/ClearplayFilterForum
One exciting thing is that from what I've read, PowerDVD remixes can now be made for Blu-rays too! Woo-hoo! PowerDVD remixes also offer more editing options than Clearplay such as partial-screen blackout and replacement audio. I'd like to start a free community of editors and viewers to supply remixes to the public, with the potential for editors to capitalize on their efforts later on.
I think LearPlay does not need to survive!!I testes this, but Now I am using an amazing technology called enJoy Movies Your Way . This technology has several advantages compared with ClearPlay. Let's see how "enJoy Movies Your Way" is better than ClearPlay( as I am user of both technologies )~~~~
1) cheaper than ClearPlay and 2) fully
customizable so that parents can skip ANY scene that they want to. With ClearPlay, you can only skip what they mark, so they are in control of what you see, but with enJoy Movies Your Way, you are in total control because you can create your own filter marks if you want to. So, these are some of the advantages that I think make enJoy Movies Your Way a better choice than ClearPlay, although ClearPlay is good too. If you could emphasize some of enJoy Movies Your Way's strengths, I would appreciate it. Thank you!
I forgot to mention this.
It REALLY bugs me that CP decided to drop download support for the RCA players without letting the RCA owners know. For all I know, there are only a handful of us left, but the fact remains that I still have many months left on a long-term subscription, CP knows that I have an RCA player (the info comes up on the screen whenever I log in to my CP account), and yet they summarily decided to CANCEL my access to new filters for the duration of my subscription.
CP, if you are reading here, you need to understand that this is EXACTLY the kind of poor customer relations and support that has given you such a bad reputation. If you had kept around your real customer-service department and tools from the early days, instead of trying to save money by not supporting customers well and not training the reps, then you would have a much more loyal following.
If your streaming product does not take off in a big way, very soon, your new competition is going to be poised to take over.
HEY GUYS!
I just found this blog. ClearPlay released a Blu-Ray player and streaming (via GooglePlay) nearly 18 months ago! The Blu-Ray player doesn't have streaming built into it, but you can toss that filter stick, because the new player has built-in WiFi for downloading movie filters!
They are having a sale right now, and when I called their sale line the agent told me that they (the sales agents) have cheaper prices than the website!
If you're thinking about buying a player, get one soon, I think their sale is ending in a week or two.
I love my player and streaming filtered movies!!!
Cody (and others): I've moved on to VidAngel, and I haven't looked back. It's what ClearPlay should have become, and it's much, much more affordable. https://www.vidangel.com?vip=tddmk9fr71
VidAngel...
Strike #1 Sued for piracy.
Strike #2 Injunction ruling to take movies off of VidAngel.com.
Strike #3 Defied a Stay of Injunction... TWICE. (This has probably doomed their chances of the Judge ruling in their favor.)
Strike #4 Charged with Contempt of Court for disobeying the Injunction. (This has probably put the nail in their coffin. Their chances of having anything ruled in their favor are pretty much zero.)
These guys can't get a break. Probably because THEY BROKE THE LAW, but what do I know.
Despite VidAngel's fear mongering with #SaveFiltering, #FilteringIsSafe because people still have ClearPlay–they've been filtering for 17 years. And now ClearPlay can filter movies from AMAZON!!!
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865681542/ClearPlay-tool-allows-Amazon-customers-to-filter-sex-language-violence-from-select-movies.html
Let's try this again, linking to the actual article this time...
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865681542/ClearPlay-tool-allows-Amazon-customers-to-filter-sex-language-violence-from-select-movies.html
Never got on board with the movie pirate company, as they were pirates before Netflix/Amazon, but they also illegally copy the shows from those two streaming providers. Nothing has changed for The Pirates of Provo.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/hollywood-studios-are-suspicious-vidangels-new-filtering-app-1015521
"[I]t appears from Mr. Quinto’s declaration that VidAngel itself is streaming from its own 'master' copies of works that VidAngel has created on its own servers rather than layering its filters over an authorized stream from the licensed streaming services," writes Glenn Pomerantz, attorney for the studios. "In other words, VidAngel indisputably itself is publicly performing works to its users."
So, anyone that is using Vid Angel is still supporting piracy, plain and simple.
If you want to know that your money is being spent on ethical practices, choose ClearPlay! They've been sued, but have overcome that hurdle, because they were found to be filtering the legal way! When Vid Angel finally goes to trial it will be their end.
You can filter Amazon movies now with ClearPlay!!! Amazon.ClearPlay.com (Google Chrome on desktop and laptop computers only--no smart TVs)
Additionally you can now get iTunes, Vudu and Google Play movies synced into Amazon when you sign up for a free account from MoviesAnywhere.com.
Currently, only movies from the following studios will sync between iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, and Amazon:
20th Century Fox, Sony, Universal, Disney, and Warner Bros.
MoviesAnywhere.com is in no way affiliated with ClearPlay.
If you have any problems with MoviesAnywhere, please contact MoviesAnywhere support: 833-466-8438
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