Comments on: ESPN Motion for Mac Launched

By: Jeff Croft

Jeff Croft — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

1. It’s about time. :)

2. You guys rock. I loved the Windows version, and the Mac version will be even more useful to me. Keep it up!

By: David Schontzler

David Schontzler — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

So how is the video for the Mac not buffered if there is no background downloader?

And if you can encapsulate everything in Flash + DHTML couldn’t you potentially have this work on any platform/browser that passes a few Flash and DHTML capability tests?

Of course, I’m probably way oversimplifying the problem, but one can dream.

By: Brian Behrend

Brian Behrend — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Literally the only reason I use IE anymore (instead of Firefox) is because of ESPN Motion. Any timeframe on PC non-IE compatability? Also, it still says Windows and IE for PC required when you go to the download page. Is that just because I'm on a PC right now?I'll try out Mac Motion when I get home, I'm sure it's awesome.

By: Brad Daily

Brad Daily — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Awesome! I have really missed this feature since retiring my last PC, great to see it on the Mac!

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

David:

Mac Motion is actually progressively downloaded, unlike PC/IE Motion, so you don’t get quite as good video quality. But it doesn’t require an installer and it doesn’t autoplay either, so that’s good. So you sort of have to take the good with the bad. Overall though, I like this version better.

As for PC non-IE Motion (viz. Firefox), I can’t comment on this yet, and it’s also not my decision to make, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

By: AkaXakA Watson

AkaXakA Watson — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

But PC non-IE Motion _is_ technically possible right?
And what about Firefox on Linux? (It’s up to date on flash) Or is that too much to ask?

If it’s purely dhtml+flash it should be pretty platform independant…I wonder…

By: Ryan Berg

Ryan Berg — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ahh, you’ve just made my day.

Well, maybe not – but it’s still great news. I noticed it on ESPN.com a few minutes ago and popped over here to see what you had to say. The lack of an installer is a pleasant surprise.

Way to keep pushing the envelope with ESPN.com, and for letting Mac users join the party.

I’d also just like to mention that I like ESPN.com so much better now without that MSN waste of space on top (I know it’s been gone for a while, but still felt I’d share my feelings).

By: Jeff Croft

Jeff Croft — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mike-

I finally got home from work to my trusty PowerBook and gave MacMotion a try — I really like it. It’s true, the video quality isn’t as good, but it’ still plenty good enough. I just prefer the non-invasiveness of this version of the Windows version. I like to go and “pull” the video I want, rather than having it “pushed” to me.

I don’t see any reason this version wouldn’t work under Firefox on Windows. Go ahead and tell the decision-makers at ESPN that I said it was okay for them release it for all platforms. If they don’t, I’ll just fire them.

By: David Schontzler

David Schontzler — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I actually kinda like it being IE-only since it autoplays. I just use IE for ESPN Motion and Windows Update and Firefox for everyhing else. Although, if ESPN Motion was available autoplay-free for Firefox, then I’d have one less reason to use IE.

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

ESPN Motion on my machine decided it wanted to download about 300 megs worth of video. Not sure it would have kept going if I didn’t run out of HD space on the C partition.

By: Sean

Sean — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

ESPN Motion is a great feature and the only reason I still bother to open up IE, as some one else also stated.

The sooner a non-browser restricted version can come out the better. I love the way ESPN is showing how css and standards can be used on a major site. I just hope ESPN motion can be ultilized by non-IE browsers in the near future.

By: Johnathan Grant

Johnathan Grant — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Can you comment on why ESPN went with Flash instead of a WMP9 based service on the Mac?
I saw a screenshot of an ESPN Motion icon in an OS X Dock once, and had assumed that was an implementation of the “download / prebuffer WMP9 video” version of Motion on the Mac.
Was Windows Media’s Mac performance simply not up to par? Or is the eventual plan to dump the ActiveX control in favor of the Flash plugin?

FWIW, the Flash version is nice, and appears to be at least as full featured as the existing version, if not moreso. I look forward to seeing it on other Disney sites (ABC.com, for one).

By: Brade

Brade — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve never understood the point of Motion, given that you can watch all the day’s highlights on Sportscenter anyway. I think most people download it just because they’re mesmerized by technology, without really considering how useful it is or isn’t. I used to have it on a previous windows install, but I don’t appreciate things that run in the background and are that resource-intensive, so I quickly got rid of it and don’t use it to this day. Not saying the technology isn’t cool in its own way, but I just question the point of it.

By: Mr K

Mr K — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I don’t see how if it can work on a Mac it doesn’t work in Firefox or others. It seems crazy to me that you would go to ALL that effort creating a Flash based version that is targeted to run on Macs and you would LIMIT it to just macs … why not just go Flash for the WHOLE thing? This would save ESPN a huge amount of money .. no longer having to encode for ActiveX AND Flash, and alowing visitors to use their choice of Browser.

I would also have thought that using Flash would open up NEW oportunities for ESPN to use technology such as CENTRAL to stream video directly to the users computer – again regardless of PC or MAC, or Browser.

Oh well .. nice to see them using Flash, sadly this is NOT enough to get me back to using IE … so untill the Firefox version comes out ….

By: Brian Behrend

Brian Behrend — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Motion works in Firefox!!

I just went to ESPN.com and I noticed the right side acting a little funny. I couldn’t remember if the Motion playlist had always been there in Firefox or not so I clicked on one of the items. Imagine my surprise when the status bar loads up and video starts playing.

Seems like our voices have been heard! Thanks a million Mike for giving me one less reason to ever touch IE.