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'Drive' director debuts free streaming service for forgotten movies
Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Drive and Neon Demon director Nicholas Winding Refn has an astute eye for style in his movies. He's taking that and launching his own streaming service, dubbed "byNWR." It's different from Netflix in that its offerings will be tightly curated by Refn and others. Oh, and it'll be free. The service describes itself as "an unadulterated expressway for the arts," and beta sign-ups are live right now.
Hulu will add about 50 Disney movies this year
For a lot of cord-cutters, Hulu is one of the best ways to stay on top of new TV episodes from major networks right after they air. But the service also has a fair share of movies, and that side of the business will keep growing thanks to a just-announced partnership. Hulu now has the rights to some films from Disney, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mulan, Pocahontas, Hercules and Sister Act, all of which are available to stream now.
Samsung 2012 Smart TVs get Amazon Instant Video streaming app, synchronicity with your Kindle Fire
Samsung just sweetened the streaming video pot for current and would-be owners of its modern Smart TVs. Viewers who've been craving Amazon Instant Video can download an app today to watch movies and TV shows through their 2012 set's internet link, in the event options for Blockbuster, Hulu Plus, Netflix and Vudu weren't already enough. It's not necessarily a cut-and-dried port, either -- Samsung is flaunting a redesigned interface tuned for big-screen distances and quick access to queuing, recommendations and captioning. Amazon junkies who wanted a larger canvas than their Kindle Fire HD now can't get much larger.
Netflix streaming launches in Sweden, lets you get your Bron on
Sweden is home to some of the world's better known movie makers and some very high speed data connections, but it has only had so much love from movie streaming services that you'd think would be a natural match. Netflix is making that union a reality today through the launch of its Watch Instantly service in the country. Pay 79 kronor ($12) a month and you'll get access to a mix of both international and domestic movies and TV shows on any device that can take Netflix in the country, which includes at least computers as well as Android and iOS devices. Other Nordic territories are still promised as coming soon; although that won't be much help to Danes, Finns or Norwegians, we're sure Swedes won't mind having one more excuse to flaunt their cheap fiber internet access.
Netflix Just for Kids comes to iPad, keeps Dora exploring beyond the TV (video)
Netflix's Just for Kids portal may already be a parent's ticket to saving money on endless Dora the Explorer DVDs without keeping a constant watch on the screen, but it has so far been left to consoles and the web. That's not much help to movie-loving grownups who'd sometimes like to free the PC or TV for their own streaming sessions -- so it's likely a relief to many that the Just for Kids interface is now available on iPads. Like on bigger screens, the mobile app provides a safe zone for the under-12 set that organizes videos into sections that junior viewers will more likely appreciate, such as sing-alongs and talking animals. For now, Android tablet owners and those holding on to first-generation iPads will be left out. It still shouldn't be too long before more adults can be sure their mobile-savvy kids are watching Curious George instead of Chasing Amy.
Fox kicks off its Digital HD initiative by joining Google Play and YouTube, offering movies early
Fox embraced a radical thought when it outlined its Digital HD initiative earlier this month: customers are more likely to buy digital movies if the content isn't artificially delayed and priced to match the releases on conventional discs. The studio is about to see if that gamble on common sense pays off. As of today, you'll find 600-plus Fox movies ready to buy or rent in HD across every major digital video store in the US, with many downloads cleared to arrive ahead of their physical counterparts at lower prices that reflect a disc-free reality. The media giant has also decided to play nicely with Google after a longstanding absence, putting its movies and TV shows on Google Play Movies and YouTube. Its tentpole movie release Prometheus is unsurprisingly being used as the prime incentive to try Digital HD; the title is available online three weeks before the Blu-ray launch at a more reasonable $15 price. The sci-fi thriller is even Fox's first movie destined for UltraViolet cloud lockers. Only Americans will have expanded access to movies and TV at first, but it shouldn't be too long before many countries can be creeped out by Michael Fassbender's android -- including on their Android devices.
Redbox Instant enters alpha testing with help from Verizon (updated)
It's been a long, long road but Redbox's streaming movie service is finally crawling towards reality. In February the DVD vending company announced a partnership with Verizon that would finally usher the Walmart staple into the 21st century. According to Fast Company, Redbox Instant will enter an internal alpha today, beginning the process of ironing out the bugs and fine tuning the offering. Heading up the joint venture will be newly appointed CEO Shawn Strickland, who served as a VP in Verizon's FiOS division. Both physical discs and streaming media will be available as a single package, but execs have been quiet on pricing and structure of those subscription plans. Supposedly we'll be getting more details later today, but in the meantime you can simply go visit the fist-pumping landing page at the more coverage link and sign up for more info. Update: The official PR has hit and you'll find a link to the PDF at the source. There's not much more information sadly, but the portfolio of products is expected to launch later this year.
iTunes in the Cloud movies find their way to Australia, Canada, the UK and 32 more countries
The advent of movie support in iTunes for the Cloud was a boon to Apple TV owners as well as any iTunes user with a tendency to hop between devices -- within the US, that is. Apple today swung the doors open and let Australia, Canada, the UK as well as 32 other countries and regions around the world get access to their movies whenever they're signed in through iTunes or an iOS device. Not every studio is on the same page, as many American viewers will know all too well: it's more likely that you'll get re-download rights for a major studio title such as Lockout than an indie production, for example. Even with that limit in mind, there's no doubt more than a few movie mavens glad to avoid shuffling and re-syncing that copy of Scott Pilgrim to watch it through to the end.
Lovefilm signs up Disney movies for subscription, VOD streaming in the UK
In the UK, Lovefilm has cut a deal with Walt Disney to distribute its movies online, both under its all you can eat subscription service and newer flicks on VOD. It's a nonexclusive deal so if / when Netflix launches an offering across the pond it could potentially secure similar terms. Stateside, Netflix has access to some Disney content through its deal with ABC, and other movies by way of its deal with Starz. Another interesting element would be if Lovefilm owner Amazon worked out a deal for direct access to Disney flicks for its Prime Instant Video service over here, but for now we can only recommend our UK readers check out the press release after the break.
Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles
After dipping a toe in the waters with The Dark Knight, starting tonight Warner is offering five more movies for streaming on Facebook including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Inception, Life as We Know It and Yogi Bear. The deal remains the same, with United States viewers able to pay for a 48-hour viewing window instantly in Facebook credits then enjoy the flick with full functionality on the page, and pause/resume tied to their login on the site. Even with an increasing number of movie titles including recent ones like Yogi Bear that just debuted last week, it's hard to see any VOD service seriously challenging the current video rental incumbents like iTunes and Netflix, especially one that offers only SD rentals viewable on the PC. What it does offer however is a quick way for Warner to monetize the significant Facebook communities around popular movies, which may be enough to keep this program growing for the foreseeable future. Either way, the pages should be live starting at 1 a.m., check the press release after the break if you need more details.
Zediva mashes up Netflix and Redbox for $1.99, four hour-window DVD streaming rentals
Netflix and Redbox have been the new hotness in rentals for the last few years but both have significant drawbacks. With Redbox, it's the box and the morons who are constantly standing in front of it paging through every single movie in the thing and for Netflix's Watch Instantly it's a lack of new releases available for instant viewing. Now there's a new startup, Zediva, that takes on both of those issues by sticking with DVDs, but instead of shipping them to customers or placing them in kiosks, just streams them on demand from one player, to one viewer (unlike Netflix, sometimes movies are "rented out" if there are no copies available at the moment -- renting a flick gives you control of the DVD player, with fast forward and reverse, for four hours) for $1.99 a rental or 10 for $10. Apparently it's been in beta for a year but is now available to all and is currently offering new release DVDs the same day they go on sale by simply purchasing them at retail. There's no HD content yet but it claims Blu-ray titles will be offered soon. The Associated Press talked to a copyright lawyer who points out the case of a hotel that implemented a similar system but was sued into oblivion before calling Zediva "cute, but illegal" so if you decide to check it out, we'd recommend getting through that 10-pack of rentals with haste. Update: We did recommend haste, didn't we? Zediva's registration is now listed as "temporarily full" and prospective users are being asked to join a waiting list. Thanks, Ialo!
Redbox announces plans to enter streaming business next year
It may not be quite the same obvious transition that Netflix made, but it looks like DVD kiosk company Redbox will soon be making a push of its own into the streaming business. That word comes straight from the CEO of parent company Coinstar, Paul Davis, who told listeners to the company's recent earnings call that it is in "detailed negotiations with a number of highly interested parties" to launch a "Redbox-branded" streaming service sometime next year. That would seem to suggest that Redbox will be relying on a partner already established in the field rather than rolling its own service, but Davis was otherwise light on details, adding only that streaming represents a "significant opportunity" for the company. That doesn't mean Redbox will be getting out of the kiosk business anytime soon, though -- according to Davis, there's still a "long, profitable life ahead" there.
FeedFliks adds HD only filtering to its Watch Instantly search, bringing joy to lazy videophiles everywhere
For those who haven't heard of it, FeedFliks is a web-based tool that accesses Netflix's API to help obsessive subscribers get their "money's worth" from the movie service. Using the tool, visitors can view info related to their rental habits through easy to read charts and share their reviews with anyone on the web -- even if they aren't a Netflix subscriber -- for free. For an additional $8.99 per year, the site adds the ability for users to sync and manage multiple Netflix queues as well as set reminders to put those pesky envelopes back in the mail. Now the company has upgraded their search filtering system -- which is still technically in beta -- so videophiles can select that only HD Watch Instantly titles appear in their search results or easily view HD titles mixed in with other results via small blue HD icons. Best of all, using this refreshed search functionality doesn't cost a dime, so feel free to host all of the late night HD Netflix library search parties you want so long as we get invited. After all, with all the time we'll save looking for high-quality movies, what else are we going to do?
