New AtomFilms “High Def”

AtomFilms has a new high-definition viewing service that downloads near DVD-quality videos to your desktop and allows you to play them back at full-screen resolution. To pull this off, they use a service similar to the Microsoft Windows Update, where the file is pulled down in the background and you’re alerted to its presence once its available on your local hard drive. AtomFilms, part of Shockwave.com, is using content delivery technology from Maven Networks, which takes advantage of your idle bandwidth to push three short-films down to your machine each week. I’ve only checked a small snippet of video thus far (I am at work after all!) and the quality is much better than anything you’ll get with general Internet streaming. Hi-Def requires at least a broadband connection, Windows 98SE or greater, IE 6, Windows Media Player 7.1 or better, DirectX 7 or greater and Flash 6.