The San Francisco start-up developed a video distribution platform with over 1,000 independent and international films as well as individual film makers through a self-service upload option. According to CEO Gaurav Dhillon, less than 1% of international films are distributed in the US. Jaman claims that its movies are better than DVD quality, protected by a proprietary DRM layer and played through Jaman's own video player (PC and Mac). Built in the "composite" player is a space that allows you to post comments about the movie you are currently watching as well as a complete internet browser. Films are available for rent ($1.99 for 7 days, unlimited viewing) and for sale ($4.99) which are cheaper than alternative services like Apple's iTunes Store, Amazon's Unbox, America Online's AOL Video, CinemaNow, Google Video, Movielink Starz's Vongo service, or Microsoft's Xbox Live Video Marketplace.

If you decide to keep the video, you just have to pay the extra $3 to upgrade. Inspite of Jaman not yet working with iTunes/iPods, users are allowed to move films between their computers. However, do not expect Hollywood blockbusters anytime soon. Another important aspect of Jaman is its online communities and groups formed around movies, genres, etc... for Jaman, it's like a film festival that never ends. The service begins in 6 to 8 weeks... go to their web site to sign-up for the "private" beta. My take is that Google Video/YouTube could be the primary competitor for Jaman and not the studios' traditional distributors like CinemaNow, Netflix...