Azureus unveils 'Vuze'

posted by soulxtc in bittorrent // 607 days 6 hours 28 minutes ago

Formerly code-named "Zudeo" in the BETA phase, Azureus's BitTorrent video download store goes live under the new name "Vuze".

Billed as the "next evolution of quality broadband entertainment," Azureus unveiled its new Vuze service today stocked with what it claims is the "largest library of Hi-def videos."

Now I still don't understand why Azureus has taken such a niche approach to content but, considering that it has to find a viable way to compete with the BitTorrent Entertainment Network, this just may be the way to go. I don't know that Hi-def content is popular enough to make the service highly lucrative in the onset but, over the long term as the price of Hi-def equipment lowers in price, it will certainly find itself in a better position.

Formerly code-named Zudeo, the site claims to attract more than two million visitors a month. What they do when they're there isn't specified by the company, though I'd be willing to bet that a good number if not majority is there to simply download the BitTorrent client server rather than to purchase video content.

Vuze now offers dramatically enhanced features and premium content from around the world, including the hit BBC television series Sorted. Azureus also announced that it has entered into an agreement with Showtime Networks for distribution of its original programming, which includes shows like Weeds, Dexter and The L Word (I recommend checking out Dexter if you haven't already).

Vuze breaks new ground by offering a powerful tool set of enhanced features and functions that enable content providers to easily publish, showcase, and distribute high resolution, long form content in High Definition or DVD quality over the Internet. The big push, in addition to the industry produced HD content, is for high quality self-published content by the community at large.

“Vuze recognizes that the next generation online video experience lies within the integration of licensed and self-published content showcased in a theater-like viewing environment,” said Gilles BianRosa, CEO of Azureus. “The millions who make up the Vuze community--publishers, editors and viewers--can share long-form video and download licensed content, and experience it in High Definition on their own computer or plasma screen.”

Additional enhancements to the Vuze open entertainment platform include a completely revamped navigation system and search engine, designed to accommodate the massive influx of content from publishers, large and small, and help viewers quickly find what they want.

It also provides more options for publishers to syndicate and monetize their content through rental and purchase models. The entire experience, from search and discovery to payment, download and play, has been tightly integrated into the application. Publishers can also distribute their work directly from the application. Vuze also serves as an alternative, low-cost distribution and marketing platform for content providers to distribute content to a global audience.

Azureus also notes that Vuze will make premium content "...available at a very low cost, and offer several popular TV show episodes for free." The details of which are unstated.

Its current content partners include BBC Worldwide, Showtime Networks, A&E Networks (including A&E, History Channel, and Biography), Bennett Media Worldwide, G4 TV, National Geographic, and Starz Media so they do have some decent content to work with.

Obvious DRM and pricing concerns aside, when it comes down to it, it's all about content, content content first and foremost. Nobody's even going to stop and take a look if all a service has to offer is second-rate shows from second-rate channels. Vuze seems to have a decent collection of content at the moment but, whether it's enough to lure sufficient customers is unclear. I don't think "self-published" content will ever have the impact that they hope it will and so I think that it's important that they focus on continuing to build a network of content providers.