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Frequently Asked Questions
1. General questions
1.1 What is Caachi?
1.2 So, what is Caachi trying to do?
1.3 How does Caachi work?
1.4 What does it cost to use Caachi?
1.5 How can I contact Caachi?
1.6 What are the system requirements to use Caachi?
1.7 How does Caachi distribute high-resolution film quickly?
1.8 In what format is the downloaded film encoded?
1.9 Does Caachi look or access other parts of my computer?
1.10 What does registering with Caachi do for me?
1.11 Can Caachi promise that it has not installed any spyware, adware or viruses on its site?
1.12 I have a support question; how can I contact Caachi?
2. Users
2.1 How can I support my favorite filmmakers on Caachi?
2.2 How can I send a message to a filmmaker?
2.3 Are there films that I can watch for free or do I have to pay for all the films I want to watch?
2.4 How do I pay for a film so I can download it?
2.5 Can I pay more for a film than the suggested price?
2.6 I paid the download fee. How do I download the film?
2.7 Can I download multiple files?
2.8 How do I get a refund after paying a download fee?
2.9 After I’ve paid for a film, can I download a film more than once?
2.10 Is there a place where I can access all the films that I’ve paid for?
2.11 Can I use another video player to download and watch films?
2.12 How long does the film stay on my computer?
2.13 I want to burn my downloaded films. Where does Miro put my downloaded films?
2.14 So, I’m free to watch downloaded films on other devices besides by computer?
2.14.1 Can I watch my downloaded films on another media on my computer?
2.15 I want to encode the downloaded file to another format – how do I do that?
3. Filmmakers
3.1 Why should I put my film on Caachi?
3.2 Do I need to register?
3.3 How do I register?
3.4 Can I change my password?
3.5 How much does it cost to show my film on Caachi?
3.6 How can I show my film on Caachi?
3.7 How should my film be formatted before sending it to Caachi?
3.8 Can I control how my film is described on Caachi to users?
3.9 Can I edit the description of my film on the film's webpage?
3.10 Will the quality of my film deteriorate when shown online?
3.11 Can I send a trailer of the film as well?
3.12 How do I promote my film?
3.13 Can my film be viewed only the computer or on other devices?
3.14 Do I still own the rights to my film?
3.15 Can I take my film down from the site at any time?
3.16 Can I show my film on other Internet sites and distribute my film through non-Internet distribution channels (e.g., TV, theater, DVDs, etc).
3.17 Should I offer my film for free or for a fee?
3.18 Who sets the download price?
3.19 How do users pay for my film?
3.20 How much can I charge for the download fee?
3.21 Is there a minimum price at which I can set the downloading fee for my film?
3.22 How much do I get from the download fees paid by users?
3.23 When does Caachi pay me for download fees that my film has earned?
3.24 How do I know whether the download fees that Caachi gives to me are correct?
3.25 How to use keywords so viewers can search for my film easily?
1. General questions
1.1 What is Caachi?
Caachi allows independent filmmakers to sell and showcase their films directly to users. Users download high-resolution, DVD-quality films by purchasing films or picking our free films. Filmmakers earn money by selling their films online while retaining control over their film and its distribution. Caachi members can see award-winning films that otherwise can only be seen at film festivals.
1.2 So, what is Caachi trying to do?
Caachi is striving to connect its users and supporters of independent film to the talented pool of filmmakers from around the world. Caachi is a forum for filmmakers to show their works and where viewers can find such filmmakers, download their films and watch them where and when they want to.
1.3 How does Caachi work?
Users must:
- Register with Caachi
- Download Miro, an open-source media player
- Go to the Caachi Films tab to view all of the films. After you’ve chosen a film to watch, click on the Download Film link
- After downloading is complete, watch the film on your computer or burn it and watch it on your TV or external video player (e.g., video iPod)
- To see the full instructions, go to the homepage
1.4 What does it cost to use Caachi?
Caachi is free to use for filmmakers. Users can download some films for free while others require a fee (but any fees you pay to download a film will go mostly to the filmmaker).
1.5 How can I contact Caachi?
You can contact us by using our Contact form. If you have suggestions or want to see Caachi offer new functionality, don’t hesitate to shout out to us.
1.6 What are the system requirements to use Caachi?
First, you’ll need a broadband connection.
Second, to be able to run Miro, you will need:
Windows: Windows XP, at least 128MB of RAM (but recommended to have at least 1GB of RAM).
Mac: Mac OS X 10.3 or higher and QuickTime version 7 (which you should be able to get through your computer’s Software Update).
1.7 How does Caachi distribute DVD-resolution film quickly?
Caachi leverages BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer software program, that works this way: the more Caachi users there are who keep their computers connected to the Internet and have the media player, Miro, running, the faster the downloads will be for everyone using Caachi.
1.8 In what format is the downloaded film encoded?
Caachi encodes films with the MPEG4 codec (for viewing on your computer, and compatible DivX/Xvid DVD player) and H.264 codec (for viewing on video iPods & iPhones). In the future, we may offer other formats such as 3GP (for viewing on cell phones).
1.9 Does Caachi look or access other parts of my computer?
No, we’re not interested in doing that and there's no need to do it.
1.10 What does registering with Caachi do for me?
If you register, you can then download films and write comments to the films. Also, we’ll notify you when we post new films on Caachi.
1.11 Can Caachi promise that it has not installed any spyware, adware or viruses on its site?
Absolutely. Enough said.
1.12 How do I contact Caachi when I have a support question
Email support@caachi.com. We’ll try to reply to your email as quickly as possible and generally within 24 hours during business hours.
2. Users
2.1 How can I support my favorite filmmakers on Caachi?
1st, start downloading films. By paying the download fee, if there is one, filmmakers get financial support that enables them to work the next film project. Filmmakers get most of the sales revenue without having to pay any expenses (Caachi bears all distribution costs on the filmmaker's behalf).
2nd, share films you like by using the Send To Friends link on a film's webpage to let your friends know about your favorite films. Your recommendation to your friends and family is probably the best way to help spread the word about the filmmaker’s film.
2.2 How can I send a message to a filmmaker?
We can not provide you with a filmmaker’s contact information due to privacy concerns. However, if you want to correspond with a filmmaker, you can leave a message on the film's webpage with the Add A Comment button. Though its up to the filmmaker as to whether to respond, we encourage our filmmakers to keep a dialogue with their supporters.
2.3 Are there films that I can watch for free or do I have to pay for all the films I want to watch?
You can download and watch some films for free. Others will require you to pay the specified price to download a film. If you see the TV and iPod icons under the "Download film ticket under any format" banner, then it’s a free film. If you see the "Buy" button, then you need to first pay the download fee before you can download the film ticket from the TV and iPod icons.
2.4 How do I pay for a film so I can download it?
Click the "Buy" button. If you want to add other films to your shopping cart, use your BACK button to go back to Caachi and choose other films you want to buy. Then click the Checkout button to purchase your films. You will have the option to purchase the films on your credit card or through your Paypal account.
2.5 Can I make a donation to a filmmaker?
Click the "Buy" button and choose the donation you'd like to make in addition to the purchase price. This feature is added because we've seen that our users develop a strong relationship with the filmmakers and some want to ensure that those filmmakers continue to make great films.
2.6 I paid the download fee. How do I download the film?
Go to your My Films tab. Each film you purchase will be available in this folder. You will see the film's poster and a TV and iPod icon. Click either or both icons to get the film ticket. Once you download this film ticket (i.e., the torrent file), open it and Miro will start downloading your film. If Miro doesn’t start automatically, then open Miro and open the ticket through Miro (e.g., on Macs, go to FIle -> Open) and the film file should begin to download.
2.7 Can I download multiple files?
Yes, you can download as many files as your Internet connection allows. Miro may put your download orders in a queue and download several films at the same time in the first batch. Once one or more of the films in the first batch have finished downloading, Miro will start downloading the next batch of films in the queue.
2.8 How do I get a refund after paying a download fee?
Generally, Caachi will only provide a refund after you’ve paid the download fee if there was an error attributable to Caachi. We will however assist you in every possible manner when you have a refund issue. Please contact us at support@caachi.com, describe the issue, and provide us your IP address if known.
2.9 After I’ve paid for a film, can I download that film more than once?
Yes, you can download that film as many times as you want. Your purchased films are in your "My Films" tab. Please note though that we are extending a great amount of trust to you to support your filmmakers. If you allow others to copy your downloaded film, you are hurting the filmmaker’s ability to make his or her next film (and ultimately supporting the Hollywood studios who insist upon using digital rights management (DRM) software to constrain user freedoms).
2.10 Is there a place where I can access all the films that I’ve paid for?
Yes, go to your "My Films" tab. This folder contains the films you’ve paid for. Alternatively, you can go to the film’s webpage for which you've purchased a film and download a film ticket by clicking on the TV and iPod icons.
2.11 Can I use another video player to download and watch films?
Yes. You don't have to use Miro. You will have to download a BitTorrent client that downloads the film and a video player to watch them on your computer.
Mac users can use TRANSMISSION to download a film. Download Transmission here. To view the film, open the downloaded film with VLC. Download VLC.
2.12 How long does the film stay on my computer?
Downloaded films will remain on your computer for 6 days at the default setting. You can adjust this setting. Go to the Miro’s Preferences under the Miro tab for Mac users and going to Options under the File tab for PC users. You can adjust it so that your films never expire or expire after a certain period of time. If you are running out of space on your hard drive, Caachi recommends that you burn your downloaded films onto an external hard drive, external video player (e.g., video iPod), CDs or DVDs.
2.13 I want to burn my downloaded films. Where does Miro put my downloaded films?
On Macs, Miro by default puts downloaded films into the Movies -> Miro folder.
On PCs, downloaded films by default go into the My Computer -> My Videos -> Miro folder.
2.14 So, can I watch downloaded films on other devices besides by computer?
Absolutely. We make our films available in both the Xvid-AVI and video iPod/iPhone compatible H.264 formats, with no DRM. So burn the Xvid-AVI file onto a DVD or CD and watch it on a DivX/Xvid compatible DVD player and any other personal media players that can play those files.
2.14.1 Can I watch my downloaded films on another media player on my computer?
Yes. We suggest using the free VLC media player, which you can download.
2.15 I want to encode the downloaded file to another format – how do I do that?
Unless we offer the specific format for a particular film, you will have to encode the downloaded file to the desired format on your own. You will first have to locate where the downloaded film is located on your computer (see 2.13 Where does Miro put my downloaded films?). There are multiple programs available like the PC & Mac-compatible MPEG STREAMCLIP. If you want to see our films offered in another format besides Xvid-AVI and H.264, let us know.
3. Filmmakers
3.1 Why should I put my film on Caachi?
Multiple reasons, inlcuding:
1st, by showing your film on Caachi, you’ll be helping to build a community where both filmmakers and viewers will be able to visit and watch great independent films. As more filmmakers use Caachi, the number of users will increase as they are attracted to a increasingly growing library of films.
2nd, as this community grows, you’ll be able to market your films to the Caachi user-base which is literally a global audience. You can sell or make your film freely available. If you sell your film on Caachi, you avoid the hassles of keeping a DVD inventory and shipping them to your fans.
3rd, by using the Internet, Caachi gives you the ability to market your film to to niche markets in the world. There may be only a few people interested in your film’s subject matter in a particular location but if you multiply that number across all the towns and cities around the world, your film then has potentially a very large audience, even if its deemed to be a niche film my most distributors.
4th, we at Caachi believe that if your film is good, people want to see it. Essentially, Caachi wants those stories that have been traditionally been neglected by distributors because distributors deemed your film as too niche and concluded it couldn’t draw enough people into theaters. The old distribution model calculated your film’s worth by determining whether it made financial sense to market your film to audiences for a theater showing. This distribution model just doesn’t make sense for many of the films that filmmakers make and simply doesn’t apply to the Internet or to your film on Caachi. Don’t be limited by the vestiges of an antiquated distribution model and instead empower yourself with the power of the Internet.
3.2 Do I need to register?
Yes.
3.3 How do I register?
Click the Join button on the left, upper side on Caachi. Remember to check the box to show your assent to the Filmmaker Agreement. We can’t distribute your film until you have agreed to the Filmmaker Agreement. After your registration, you’ll get a confirmation email which will prompt you to create your password.
3.4 Can I change my password?
Yes, go to Preferences on the left, upper side of Caachi and click on Change Password.
3.5 How much does it cost to show my film on Caachi?
It’s free for you to show your film on Caachi and its up to you whether you want to show your film for free or not.
3.6 How can I show my film on Caachi?
You need to first send us your film either by uploading it and a Quicktime trailer or by mailing a DVD and Quicktime trailer.
- Upload films using Pando.
a. Pando allows you to send large files up to 1GB. If you want to send multiple files, you can do that, so long as each file is smaller than 1 GB. Download Pando and after its installed, upload your film & trailer files with Pando by sending it to films@caachi.com.
b. After receiving your film, we'll review it and let you know whether we want to show your film on Caachi.
- Mail us a DVD of your film and trailer.
a. Send the film to: Caachi, Inc., P.O. Box 590066, San Francisco, CA 94159.
b. After receiving your film, we'll review it and let you know whether we want to show your film on Caachi.
3.7 How should my film be formatted before sending it to Caachi?
Ideally, you should send us your film in DVD format. Alternatively, format your film as an avi, mp4 or ogg file. Send the trailer as a Quicktime file. Here is our address. If you have questions about this, send us an email to films@caachi.com.
3.8 Can I control how my film is described on Caachi to users?
Yes. Caachi allows filmmakers to control what information is shared with users about a film. We’ll help you set up the webpage where your film will be located. After we set up the webpage, you can edit what’s written on the webpage. Alternatively, you can create that webpage yourself by taking the following steps:
1st - Log in to Caachi
2nd – go to My Folder;
3rd – click on Add Item; and
4th – click on the Film tab.
You simply need to fill-in various fields describing your film. Its important that you fill-in all of the fields that are applicable and provide good descriptions for them. Note, you must input information for the fields that have a red square (e.g., you need to provide a poster thumbnail of your film).
3.9 Can I edit the description of my film on the film's webpage?
Yes, by taking the following steps:
1st – Log in to Caachi
2nd – go to My Folder;
3rd – pick the film to which you want to change the description;
4th – click on the Edit button and edit the description as desired; and
5th – save your changes.
3.10 Will the quality of my film deteriorate when shown online?
There should be very little deterioration in your film's resolution as shown on Caachi compared to DVD resolution. The benefit for both filmmakers and viewers is that Caachi, unlike streaming Internet sites, shows its films in DVD-resolution.
3.11 Can I send a trailer of the film as well?
Yes, in fact we strongly encourage you to send us a trailer of your film so that viewers can watch the streamed trailer before deciding whether to download the film. From our experience, having a trailer increases the likelihood that viewers will download the film.
3.12 How do I promote my film?
We recommend that the filmmaker take the initiative in marketing his or her film. The filmmaker can do this, for example, by:
-Use one of Caachi's logos (see here) and place it as a link on your webpage. The link should send the users from your site to go directly to your film on Caachi. Just remember to put the Caachi logo/link in a prominent place so your fans on your website can easily jump to your film on Caachi.
-Let your fans know that your film is available on Caachi. Send it out to your fans, friends & family, and anyone who had a connection to your film. Encourage them to pass it on.
-Using the Send to Friends link that’s on each Caachi webpage for a film. You can email your friends the page to the film you want to promote. Your friends can then see the film on Caachi and download the film.
-Use the html code for your trailer (if you have one) on your film's webpage and embed that in other places on the Internet to help promote your film. The streamed trailer will be coming from Caachi's servers so its free for you to use this service. The html code is located on the upper right-hand side of your film's webpage, underneath the Send to Friends link.
-Working with us to engage your fan base. If you have any desire to explore other ways of connecting with your supporters, please contact us.
3.13 Can users watch my film only on a computer or also on other devices?
Users can watch your film on your computer, DivX/Xvid-compatible DVD player, and any personal video player that plays DivX/Xvid files (most new video players can play DivX/Xvid files).
3.14 Do I still own the rights to my film?
Yes. You still retain all ownership rights to the film. You provide a non-exclusive license to Caachi to show the film on Caachi's site and let Caachi’s users download the film. Users only have a personal use license for the downloaded film. If you would like more information, please see the Filmmaker Agreement and Terms of Use. Please note that you can remove your film at any time, for any reason. See below
3.15 Can I take my film down from the site at any time?
Absolutely. You have the option to take it down temporarily or permanently. Once you remove it, it occurs instantaneously. You can also put it back up at any time. Because there's no time-commitment required, you have the flexibility to walk away from our contract at any time, for any reason. We don’t try to lock you in to a contract period because we want to provide filmmakers as much flexibility as possible. For more information, please see our Filmmaker Agreement.
3.16 Can I show my film on other Internet sites and distribute my film through non-Internet distribution channels (e.g., TV, theater, DVDs, etc).
Yes, your contract with us is non-exclusive, meaning that Caachi doesn’t try to force the filmmaker to work only with Caachi. We encourage filmmakers to take advantage of every means of distributing your film. Its very early in the Internet distribution lifespan so filmmakers should leverage all the distribution points available. Internet distribution, though becoming increasingly important, is just only one of those points.
3.17 Should I offer my film for free or for a fee?
This is an important decision for the filmmaker and it depends on various factors such as the length of the film, the quality level of the film, how well-established the filmmaker is and whether the filmmaker’s goal is to have as wide an audience to see the film or make some money from the distribution.
As a general rule, the shorter the film is in length, the more likely it should be distributed for free. Even if it is distributed for a fee, the download fee you set should be lower compared to longer length films. The more established you are, the easier it will be to charge for your films since you probably have some foundation of supporters. If your goal is to help establish yourself in the filmmaking community, it may be wiser to offer your film for free.
3.18 Who sets the download price?
The filmmaker sets the price of the download fee. Caachi does this to provide you with more control over your film. We can help you determine what the price should be based on our experience with distributing films like yours but we won’t dictate to you at what price the download fee should be set.
3.19 How do users pay for my film?
Assuming you’re requiring users to pay a fee before they can download the film, users will purchase your film by Buying your film and adding it to their shopping cart and then Checking-Out as they do on many sites with shopping cart or buying functionality. Users will have the option to pay via their credit card or their Paypal account during the checkout process.
3.20 How much can I charge for the download fee?
Caachi lets you decide how much users should pay for each download of your film. You can set the download fee but it must be at least $0.99. We’ll work with you to find the right download fee price and suggest a download fee range that is common for films like yours.
3.21 Is there a minimum price at which I can set the downloading fee for my film?
Yes, if you are offering your film for a fee, you must set the download fee at $0.99 or higher.
3.22 How much do I get from the download fees paid by users?
As we state on the site, you will get 75% of the gross fees that a user pays. Therefore, unlike other companies that deduct fees before paying you, Caachi will automatically credit you with 75% of the download fee paid by a user. Caachi, not you, will bear the costs of distribution (which are mainly bandwidth costs for streaming trailers and downloading the films). As an example, if you set the download fee at $10.00 for your film, you would get $7.50 of the $10.00 for every download of your film, and no expenses would be deducted.
3.23 When does Caachi pay me for download fees that my film has earned?
We’ll send you every first week of each month by electronic funds transfer to your bank account or by check your share of the download fees that you’ve accrued for the previous month. The Filmmaker Agreement states that Caachi is obligated to do this (see section 4 of that agreement).
3.24 How do I know whether the download fees that Caachi gives me are correct?
Caachi’s business wouldn’t survive if we were to abuse the trust we’ve established with our filmmakers. Therefore, we’ll keep electronic logs of our downloads and can provide those logs to you within a reasonable time after your request. Moreover, if you want to have an software consultant review our weblogs once a year, we’ll try to accommodate that consultant by allowing him or her to come to our offices to review our weblogs of your film’s downloads. Lastly, once Caachi begins accruing download fees of greater than $10,000 per month for 12 consecutive months, Caachi will hire an independent accounting firm each year to audit our weblogs and the download fees distributed to filmmakers and make those audit records with respect to your film available to you. We're essentially bending over backwards to gain and keep your trust but if you can think of other reasonable actions we can take, let us know.
3.25 How to use keywords so viewers can search for my film easily?
"Keywords" on Caachi are somewhat like "tags" on other sites. You can assign any number of keywords to your film. This will enable viewers to use the search function to find a certain kind of film. For example, if you used the keyword "comedy" and a viewer does a search for comedy, your film will appear in the search results. To create keywords for your film, take the following steps:
- Go to your film's webpage
- Click on "Properties"
- On the left hand side of the Properties page, you will see a list of keywords used on Caachi. Your film's keywords will be highlighted in blue. To add additional keywords from this list, press the command key on your keyboard while clicking other words in the list to become a keyword for your film.
- You can also add new keywords that are not in the keyword list by going to the "New Keywords" window and adding new keywords. Note that your old keywords should be highlighted in blue when you're adding new keywords (otherwise, when you save the your changes, only the new keywords you've created will be saved as keywords).
