Akimbo Rolls Out Internet-To-TV Service

Akimbo has officially rolled out there Internet-to-TV video-on-demand (VOD) service today. You can purchase their player through Amazon.com.

The Akimbo Service provides access to thousands of programs, allowing consumers to choose content and view it on-demand. Consumers select programs that are downloaded to the Akimbo Player through abroadband-Internet connection, and view them on their televisions using an easy “Queue and View” format. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find anddiscover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.

Akimbo has agreed to make Amazon.com its exclusive retailer for the 2004 holiday season. Beginning today, the Akimbo Player is available in the Amazon.com Electronics store at www.amazon.com/electronics for $229.99. Consumers can sign up for the Akimbo Service by visiting www.akimbo.com. For a limited time, customers ordering an Akimbo Player from Amazon.com will receive three months of free Akimbo Service (normally $9.99) or $30 off a lifetime subscription.

“With millions of customers who are interested in finding the latest in new entertainment options, Amazon.com provides a unique opportunity for Akimbo to get in front of many people who might not be satisfied with what they’ve been able to find on TV to date,” said Steve Shannon, founder and executive vice president of Akimbo. “Now those people can experience the feeling of being in control of what they see with Akimbo’s ‘queue and view’ TV experience — watching only what they choose, whenever they want it.”

The service offers consumers 50 categories of content, including mainstream, classic and independent films, foreign language, news, health and fitness, sports, children’s programs, education and more. At no additional charge, anglophiles can download to the Akimbo Player award-winning series such as “The Jewel In the Crown” and “Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious Universe” from one of United Kingdom’s largest television distribution companies Granada International. Independent film buffs can check out comprehensive catalogues from Undergroundfilm, GreenCine, Amaze Films, and IFILM. Consumers interested in more mainstream entertainment can program their Akimbo Player to receive news specials and features from CNN, award-winning classic movies from the Turner Classic Movies’ (TCM) library and favorite cartoon episodes from the Cartoon Network.

Premium services are also available from Akimbo. For example, people interested in Chinese language programming can view hundreds of titles of exclusive Asian entertainment, including TV serials, movies, musicals and variety shows on the AsiaMovieChannel. Sports fans have their own channels on Akimbo, including difficult to find programs like Sail.TV’s coverage of great regattas and race series; and surf, skate and snowboarding videos from UNION* The Board Riding Channel — Quiksilver Entertainment’s new outdoor action sports programming division.

The selection of video on the Akimbo Service is constantly growing, with new categories and programs added on a regular basis. It is Akimbo’s goal to provide the most comprehensive selection of video-on-demand programming available on TV.