The Criterion channel is here (and it's great)!

We look forward to the day of the movie community: Criterion has finally launched its continuous replacement for FilmStruck, better known as The Criterion Channel.

He officially launched this morning with applications on AppleTV, Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS and Android. You can also view it via a web browser.

The good news is that the launch seems to have gone almost flawlessly. I've checked the Roku download shortly after midnight. Finding it not yet available, I imagined that it was more likely to launch early in the morning on the east coast, where Criterion's offices are located. So I went to bed and I checked again when I woke up here in California. [Read on here…]

Actually, the Roku app was ready. So, a quick download later, I have tried it. Getting started was easy: you only have to start the application and run the login function. I am already subscribed to the Charter. The application asked me to view an activation page (via a web browser) and enter a 4-digit code. This activated the application on my Roku device and added it to my account. And that was it. Painless.

Better yet, the launch library at The Criterion Channel is fantastic. This application seems to be stacked with content. Criterion claims to have more than 1,000 titles from the Janus Films and Criterion Collection libraries, as well as special features and regularly organized content. And I believe them.

The first thing that caught my attention when I started browsing the app, is a newly assembled collection, dedicated to the recently deceased French filmmaker Agnès Varda, which also includes 14 of her films and interviews.

Then, I spotted Al Reinert's big documentary on space flights, For all mankind. So I looked at it in its entirety. The HD video quality was excellent. I have experienced fast response times and not a problem. Note that content is available in a combination of HD and SD (for some older extras), but most are in HD.

When that was done, I looked for "Akira Kurosawa" and I was delighted to see 45 entries! This included most of his films and extras. I was delighted to see Dersu Uzala and had to watch a few minutes of that.

Then I looked for "Godzilla" and found 23 entries. A search on "Godard" shows 51 entries. "Zatoichi" finds 30 entries. "Fellini" displays 29 entries. "New Wave" shows 45 entries. "Black" 44 entries.

No matter how you cut it, this content library is great. And that will only get better with time. Color impressed me.

I already said that Criterion told me that you could have four feeds on your account at the same time. can share your membership with your family members.

Over time, Criterion also hopes to go international, but it will be more complicated given the problems of licensing. And I'm told that they plan to add selected 4K content in the future.

Conclusion: if you are a film buff, the Criterion canal is worth it each penny. Do not hesitate to subscribe. And if you're on the fence, try it for free for 30 days and see if you like it.

Stay tuned …

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