Akimbo AP1200 Video on Demand Player
Too little, too late...
The Akimbo media player allows you to watch on your TV content that you choose and download from their servers over your broadband connection, for $10/month (or a $200 lifetime subscription). Interesting idea, but obviously what makes it or breaks it is the availability of interesting or exclusive content. Unfortunately, as many reviewers have pointed out, Akimbo is not delivering in this area.    In the FAQ section of their web site, Akimbo answers the question \\"why should i get Akimbo when I can download and watch videos on my computer for free\\" by saying they offer a better viewing experience. If that's all they offer, they should be worried: many products available today allow you to stream video (MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, DiVX, WMV) from your computer to the TV in your living room. None of them requires a monthly charge, and they are almost all cheaper than the Akimbo player despite offering better features. Happauge MVP, Roku HD1000 (high definition network player), IOData LinkPlayer (DVD player with hi-def DiVX streaming player), even the lowly XBox can easily be hacked and turned into a streaming video player.    In my opinion, Akimbo has missed its window of opportunity. Interesting concept, nice implementation, but too expensive and not enough interesting or unique content to justify the fees.    [Edit - May 2008, 3 years later]  Akimbo finally calls it quits. I guess my initial review was right...