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Spotify launches a cartoon to teach you about music
Spotify is more than a music streaming app. Podcasts, video distribution -- the company has tried everything to broaden its appeal and stop subscribers from defecting to Apple Music, Tidal and Google Play Music. Its latest effort is "Deconstructing," a new animated series by short-form video specialist ATTN:. The first episode, which premieres today, explains the history of EDM with some colorful characters and a documentary-style voiceover. It's a short, but informative overview of the genre, designed for mobile users who want a quick break from their favorite playlists.
Redbox is getting back into streaming and downloads
Redbox's ill-fated attempt to take on Netflix and Hulu shut down in 2014, but Variety reports that it's ready to try again. From the ashes of Redbox Instant rises Redbox Digital, which ditches the subscription element entirely in favor of all-video on-demand all the time. It's focused on the rental and purchase experience, although for now only invited users can try it out.
Vimeo makes it easy to find purchased videos on your phone
As great as Vimeo's On Demand video service is on platforms like Roku, the mobile experience needed some work. With that in mind, Vimeo has released an updated version of its iOS and Android apps, giving users easy access to videos they've subscribed to, bought or rented. The new "Purchases" library also lets you download content to view offline, for those times when you're not connected to WiFi.
Amazon announces a simple way to put your videos on its platform
Amazon has spent the past few years emulating Netflix with its many streaming video offerings. Now with Amazon Video Direct (AVD), it's taking a cue from Vimeo and YouTube by making it easier than ever to get your videos streaming, and most importantly, get you paid. You'll be able to upload your own videos and choose exactly how you want people to access them with AVD. You could, for example, make them available to all Amazon Prime viewers, or just go the typical video on demand rental and purchase route. Alternatively, you can also make it open to all Amazon members with ad support, or create a whole channel available via subscription through Amazon's Streaming Partners Program.
Twitch is finally archiving chat with video broadcasts
The bedrock of Twitch is its community and a good deal of watching a live broadcast's fun comes from interacting with the regulars who show up in chat. And while you can always check out an archived video if you miss when your favorite streamer goes live, you're missing out on a chunk of the experience because chat wasn't saved along with the clip. Until now. As part of the live-broadcasting service's bigger push toward video-on-demand, Twitch is including the chat log with each previously aired video.
Next month Comcast will turn off the Xbox 360 app Netflix hated
When it launched in 2012, Comcast's Xfinity Xbox 360 app became a lightning rod for controversy. That's because to some (like Netflix CEO Reed Hastings) it was a symbol of the cable giant's abuse of network neutrality by streaming video that didn't count against its own bandwidth caps. Since then, the app hasn't quite turned the video market on its head, Comcast failed to acquire Time Warner Cable, Netflix grew by a few (tens of millions of) customers and now users report the ISP has sent emails out indicating the Xfinity app will disappear September 1st. Windows Central contacted Comcast via Twitter and heard back that "We are removing this to make way for new updates and improvements to our online experience for customers."
South Park is staying on the air and on Hulu through 2019
Looks like the kids from everybody's favorite quiet mountain town will be continuing their shenanigans for at least another three years -- huzzah! Comedy Central announced that South Park creators Matt Smith and Trey Parker have reached a deal to extend the cultural touchstone series by another three years and 30 episodes (that's in addition to the two remaining years on the shows current contract). Additionally, South Park Digital Studios (Parker and Smith's joint venture with Viacom) announced a separate deal with Hulu that will see the series remain on the streaming service until 2020.
Paramount tries bringing movies home faster than ever
Despite attempts by Mark Cuban, Comcast, Netflix and others over the years, movie studios and big theater chains have combined to keep the "release window" in place -- until now. That window is the period of time between when a movie premieres in the theaters until you can actually buy or rent it to watch at home, and since the dawn of VHS it's usually remained at about 90 days or so. Now the Wall Street Journal says Paramount is testing out a plan with AMC and Cineplex to release a couple of movies in theaters just six weeks after they premiere instead of three months.
Cox is bringing VOD to select TiVo boxes in July
Cox and TiVo have been making noise about joining forces and making the cable provider's extensive Video-On-Demand catalog available on retail TiVo set-tops for nearly five years now. Following a recent post by ZatzNotFunny, however, Cox confirmed earlier today that the integration will finally be taking place in "early July." But don't get excited just yet -- the initial rollout will only be available to specific IP-connected customers in Orange County, California.
TiVo said to be launching Cox video on demand
You're forgiven if you forgot that TiVo and Cox were once best buddies. They formed a partnership years ago, but that alliance quietly fell by the wayside. However, there are signs that it could come roaring back. Tipsters tell Zatz Not Funny (which has a good record with such leaks) that TiVo is close to launching Cox On Demand services. It's not clear whether this will simply rehash the DVR maker's Comcast technology or try something new. If the rumor is true, though, this could be heartening news -- you could spring for one of TiVo's nicer video recorders without having to sacrifice all the on-demand content that comes with your Cox TV package.
Comic-Con is going to last all year ... through video-on-demand
Can't make it down to San Diego for the annual geek Mecca that is Comic-Con? Well, you'll soon be able to get a taste of it on your couch. Comic-Con International announced this morning that it's teaming up with Lionsgate, the studio behind the blockbuster Hunger Games franchise, to launch a subscription-based video-on-demand service later this year. As you'd expect, it'll include plenty of archival footage from the convention, "exclusive" short content and movies and shows from Lionsgate. Given that Comic-Con lasts a scant four days (only three of which have major events), it's difficult to imagine how a standalone VOD channel could host enough content to last a year. And it's also unclear what the exclusive content will be for subscribers.
Time Warner Cable's TV app comes to Xbox One
Good news: the TWC TV app is available for the cable company's customers (at least until/unless Comcast swallows it up) to watch TV on their Xbox One. Bad news: For now at least, it's limited to video on-demand only and not live TV -- weird, since it's there for the Xbox 360 version -- so it's not quite ready for you to ditch the cable box entirely. There is of course, always the option of using the HDMI passthrough, but it'd be nice to see full features, and according to Multichannel News Time Warner Cable is working on that. It does support stuff like Kinect voice controls and Snap multitasking, and promises both free and paid options among its content, so if you have the cable company's service plus one of Microsoft's current gen consoles, you should try it out.
You could stream Jennifer Lawrence's new movie before it's in theaters
But you probably won't -- we'll explain. Can't wait for the day when you have a real choice on when and where to watch new movies (legally)? A new movie featuring some of Hollywood's hottest stars is actually giving you a taste of that, as Serena is available on iTunes, Xbox Video, Google Play, Vudu and other VOD services right now, before it hits theaters in the US on March 27th. It features Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, so why the unusual treatment? As its 27 percent Rotten Tomatoes score indicates, this period drama apparently isn't very good and has been on the shelf since it was shot in 2012. It debuted overseas late last year and is only now getting released in the US at all. It's backwards release schedule is at least an effort by the studio, as we recall Miley Cyrus' LOL being unceremoniously dumped into a few theaters back in 2012. There's a trailer embedded after the break if you'd like to judge for yourself, but at $10 a pop for a rental, we're guessing it's a Netflix/Amazon/Hulu night instead.
Target's internet video service you didn't use is shutting down
Following in the tracks of other retailers like Walmart (Vudu) and Best Buy (CinemaNow), Target launched its own video on-demand service in late 2013, but now it's the first of those three to shut things down. Like Redbox Instant and Samsung's Video Hub, Target Ticket didn't quite catch on, as compatibility with Ultraviolet digital copies (that can be viewed using different services, no matter where they were originally purchased) and links to its customer loyalty program weren't enough to hook users. As for movies or TV shows not covered by Ultraviolet, Target says that it's linked up with CinemaNow. When the lights go out on March 7th, customers can either transfer their purchases there, or if the content isn't available, get a credit from the service as detailed here. Of course, that's all theoretical since you probably never bought movies there anyway. [Thanks, Dave Zatz]
'The Interview' spreads to cable VOD, DirecTV, Vudu and more theaters
In the space of a few days, Sony Pictures' The Interview has gone from unreleased to impossible to avoid. Cable video on-demand operator inDemand has added the movie to its roster, so for $5.99, pretty much anyone with pay-TV service can rent it right now instead of needing one of Google's video services, Xbox or iTunes. It's also popped up on WalMart's video service Vudu in the past day, is available via DirecTV, and according to Variety, as of Friday the number of theaters where its playing will grow to 580, compared to 331 on Christmas Day. If you're still on the fence about viewing you can use our opinion or that of others, but the movie that couldn't be stopped by North Korea (and/or company insiders) has already reportedly brought Sony $15 million through its unconventional release.
The Interview: 2014's most infamous film isn't great, but it's important
Let's face it, The Interview would have had to be nothing short of a masterpiece to justify all of the drama around its release. Well, it's not -- but it's not a terrible movie either. The comedy about the assassination of Kim Jong-un prompted terrorist attack threats from hackers (and North Korea itself, according to the FBI), which led to a sudden cancellation by Sony Pictures and a response from President Obama. But in the end, it's just another slacker bro-fest entry from Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg (Rogen's writing and directing partner), and James Franco. You'll probably laugh a bit, as I did, if you're a fan of their schtick. But if you can't stand anything by these guys, this movie won't change your mind. At the same time, it's clear that the story around The Interview will continue to be one of the most fascinating media tales well into 2015.
Twitch's revamped Xbox One app makes it easier to find better broadcasts
When Twitch announced that some changes were coming down the pike, it cited video-on-demand as one of the key reasons for the controversial tweaks to its game-broadcasting service. Well, with the additions to the outfit's Xbox One app it looks like the dream of accessing your favorite channel's past streams and highlights -- instead of just live broadcasts -- are a reality. Twitch says that the archived 'casts will become a part of a given user's channel page "gradually," and that it's going to be a rollout that spans throughout 2015 as your favorite channels come online with "the new system." What's more, no estimate was given regarding a timeframe for the feature to hit other platforms. VOD is just scratching the surface, though.
Lionsgate and Tribeca are launching a video-streaming service
There's no doubt that video on demand is about to go through its own gold rush era. From giant TV networks like CBS to wireless providers such as Rogers, it looks as if everyone wants to join the fun before it's too late. Taking note of this, film studio Lionsgate and Tribeca Enterprises, the media company behind the Tribeca Film Festival, announced today they are teaming up on a new, subscription-based video-streaming platform. The service will be known as Tribeca Short List and is slated to launch sometime during the first half of 2015. You can expect a "prestigious selection" of movie content from Lionsgate, which will be curated by Tribeca with help from "leading voices in contemporary culture."
Dish Anywhere app now looks much better on tablets
Since the very beginning, Dish has been doing a really good job with its Anywhere mobile app. Aside from letting Hopper with Sling owners use it to view their DVR recordings, the application also offers access to a robust library of on-demand content. To that end, Dish Anywhere has now been further improved on iPad, Android and Kindle Fire tablets, with a redesigned UI and fresh discovery features that let users easily find new stuff to watch. But there's more beyond the pretty, image-heavy pages like the one pictured above. Dish made the app better in other ways, thanks to new features including a Watchlist, the ability to turn your device into a Dish remote, and more. If you haven't grabbed the update, you can do so via the App Store, Google Play or Amazon Appstore, depending on what tablet you're rocking these days.
Twitch CEO apologizes for how new policies rolled out, says improvements are coming
When game-broadcasting service Twitch announced yesterday that it was making some major changes to how it operates, well, it wasn't pretty. To do some damage control CEO Emmett Shear took to Reddit in the form of an AMA today in an effort to bring a bit of transparency to the whole situation. First and foremost, the perhaps most controversial new aspect (audio muting with unlicensed music) will not affect live broadcasts. It won't have any bearing on games with original compositions, either. However, that archived stream of you driving from one end of Grand Theft Auto V's San Andreas to the other, top down, Rebel Radio blaring, is almost assuredly going to be muted. As one Reddit commenter pointed out, this will have dire consequences on something like expert-difficulty play-through videos from the Rock Band series, which are incredibly dependent on copyrighted music, for instance.
