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Redbox Instant targets launch by year-end, blends subscription streaming and DVD rentals with VOD
The last concrete details we'd heard about Redbox Instant was that it was entering internal alpha testing, but now Verizon exec Eric Bruno has revealed more background information. Previous info indicated the service would focus more heavily on movies than the back catalog of TV shows that is a part of Netflix Watch Instantly and Amazon Prime Instant Video, and Bloomberg reports Redbox will break with their models by paying its content providers per subscriber cable TV-style, instead of a flat rate decided up front. What customers will get is a monthly subscription and allotment of disc rentals from Redbox's kiosks, as well as access to VOD movie rentals and downloadable purchases through the service. The alpha test is currently in the hands of about 500 Verizon employees, with plans for a short public test before launching in a late November / mid-December time frame. The main unanswered question however is how much it will all cost, but knowing what we do now -- how much are you willing to pay?
Hulu Plus, HBO Go and Max Go apps for Android updated with support for closed captions
Sound familiar? Just days after the mobile apps for HBO, Cinemax and Hulu added closed captions support on iOS, a similar slew of upgrades have come to their apps on Android. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any change in the number of supported devices for any of them at this time. Hulu's upgrade also adds on the option to share videos via Twitter, Facebook and other services, although the 10 second rewind button added on iOS does not appear to have made the cut. As usual you should see the new versions rolling around in the app store, hit the source links for more info.
Roku Streaming Stick launches in October for $99, Vudu comes to the Roku platform today
We've been waiting for Roku to release its miniaturized dongle since CES, and now we finally know the flash drive-sized Streaming Stick will be available next month for $99. Priced the same as as the Roku 2 XS set-top box, it brings the same feature set but in a smaller package designed to work directly with your HDTV, thanks to power, remote control and data signals fed through an MHL-compatible HDMI port. While it will work with other MHL-ready host devices, manufacturers with Roku Ready stamped and certified HDTVs on shelves this fall will include Apex, Insignia and Hitachi -- Onkyo plans to ship receivers early next year. If you pick up an otherwise dumb flat-panel with the stick bundled along with it the price is set by that manufacturer, but the standalone plan means buyers savings are focused on the two cables they won't be needing, and simplified remote capability since their TV remote can talk to the Stick directly. Like the Roku 2 XS, the Streaming Stick also includes the motion control capable game remote. A separate move will benefit many existing Roku owners, as it is also announcing that Walmart-owned Vudu is launching on the platform today. You will need a Roku HD (2500), LT or Roku 2 box (or the Streaming Stick, once it launches) to take advantage of the Vudu app and its streams that bring quality of up to 1080p and 7.1 surround sound. That also means access to Vudu-compatible UltraViolet movie titles on yet another set-top box, if that's a consideration, and users score a $5.99 credit with Vudu just for linking the account to their boxes. All the details are in the press release after the break, and on the Roku blog.
YouTube releases standalone app for iOS, tablet-tailored version in the works
There was much (some?) tearing of clothes and gnashing of teeth when Apple pulled its YouTube app from iOS 6. That pain was lessened by Google's promise of a standalone app to replace it, and now Big G's version has arrived, ready to be installed on the legions of new iPhones to come. YouTube's touting the app's fresh channel guide -- that lets users swipe from left to right to reveal a screen with easy access to their channel subscriptions -- and better search features as the main attractions of the new software. Oh, and for folks with ten-inch Apple screens, YouTube has assured us that its engineers are back in the lab cooking up an iPad-specific version set to show up "in the coming months." Until then, the phone version will have to suffice, and you can grab it at the iTunes source link below.
Hulu's PlayStation 3 app upgraded, is the first for the living room to deliver the 'new experience'
The folks over at Hulu have been focused on cleaning up content discovery and playback for a while, and now they've turned their collective eye to the PlayStation 3 Hulu Plus app. An update rolling out this evening brings a number of tweaks we saw hit its redesigned website in August, including the "tray-style" layout of shows, larger artwork, improved search with results that appear in the dropdown and simplified player controls. Take a peek in the gallery for a few screenshots of the new UI or after the break for an intro trailer. Although other platforms weren't mentioned specifically Hulu said the PS3 is the first living room device to show off its new experience, which leads us to believe other devices should get a similar look eventually. Subscribers can take a look on the PlayStation Network to see if they find any improvements, non-subscribers can, as usual, jump in on a free seven day trial.%Gallery-164901%
Revamped Flixster.com gives one-stop digital movie access for both UltraViolet and non-UV stores
Since its purchase by Warner Bros. the Flixster brand has been used to push Ultraviolet via apps on mobile and connected TV devices, and now it's bringing its website into the mix. The refreshed site is available as an open beta starting today that focuses on making it the center of your digital movie watching. Still using Rotten Tomatoes' Tomato Meter as a method for ranking the quality of movies, the new site gives streaming and downloadable access to flicks in your UltraViolet locker as well as direct access to copies from iTunes, Vudu, Amazon or Netflix for purchase, rental or subscription viewing. Of course, while the studio proclaims it to be retailer and studio agnostic, there are plenty of opportunities to start or expand your UltraViolet library through promotions that do things like give away free digital copies of movies for sharing a link to friends, navigating the UltraViolet signup process or downloading one of the apps, which should be getting their own redesign soon. It's not the only site in the business of making navigating the multiple online stores easier -- Clicker immediately comes to mind -- but the backend of the Flixster database of movies in theaters and at home, plus any registered digital copies is a specific advantage. Hit the source link to give the beta a shot and see for yourself.
Hulu marks its first year in Japan by opening up access on Apple TV
It's been a year since Hulu launched its streaming video service in Japan, and to celebrate it's released its app on Apple TVs there. It hasn't all been roses for the last twelve months, with a price drop in April -- and we're not seeing any celebration of subscriber figures in the blog post -- despite including things like HBO that it seems unlikely we'll see on Hulu domestically. Just like the Apple TV app that popped up over here, Japanese users should simply find it on their devices, while prospective subscribers are being enticed with one month free subscriptions if they sign up via their hockey puck.
HBO Nordic to offer internet streaming subscriptions, no cable or satellite service required
While in the US, requests for an HBO Go subscription option that brings the channel's programming without being tethered to a cable or satellite-TV package go unheeded, HBO revealed today that its Scandinavian offering will do just that. While the HBO Nordic joint venture between HBO and Parsifal International will be available over "local distribution partners," it is also available strictly as an over-the-top service for VOD and subscription access to premium content for less than €10 when it launches in October. It brings all the HBO current and catalog content you'd expect (subtitled for the local markets in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark) and it's also tossing in content from other providers, like the popular Canadian show Continuum. CEO Hervé Payan says it will be available on "any" internet connected device, and says the decision to go over the top is because its target group of viewer have changed their consumption to multiple screens. Netflix revealed its own plans to expand to the region this fall on the same day HBO Nordic was originally announced, and CEO Reed Hastings welcomed the competition with a message on Facebook asking when HBO would bring the service to the USA, and joking that it expected the first match-up to be in Albania. In case you forgot, that last dig was a reference to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes 2010 statement comparing Netflix to the possibility of the Albanian army taking over the world. The battle is on this fall, we'll see if it's just a dry run for other regions soon.
Xbox 360 YouTube app update rolls out with 5x speed improvement, access to 'official' music videos
The PlayStation 3 snagged a new native YouTube app recently and now the Xbox 360 version has been updated, although with a different set of features. The team behind it says the new version rolling out on Xbox Live is as much as five times faster than the old one, and also has access to channels with official music videos. It should update automatically the next time (Xbox Live Gold) users log in and want to watch Gangnam Style on the big screen, or they can find the new version in the Xbox Live Marketplace -- check below for a couple of more screenshots from the new app.
TV Guide Mobile relaunches for iOS with a new look, links to streaming video and social networks
We've already seen many companion apps on mobile, but now TV Guide is diving in wholeheartedly with the next generation of its app for iOS devices. While the previous versions of TV Guide Mobile on iOS and Android let users create watchlists and get reminders, version 3.0 for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch is completely redesigned to make TV watching simpler with filtering for HD-only and favorite channels, links to streaming videos from sources like Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Crackle and iTunes -- Netflix and Amazon are not on the list, although additional video sources are promised in the coming weeks. Like any good companion app in 2012 it also brings social networking features with check-ins and Twitter / Facebook integration and a trending social hot list based on what other users search for. The downside compared to many of the apps from cable providers like Comcast or Time Warner, hardware manufacturers like TiVo or even other third parties like Dijit is the inability to use it to directly change the channel, but perhaps that's in the next version. There's more details in the press release after the break, and screens in the gallery below, if you're willing to give another contender a shot at assisting your TV watching habits, the free app is available in iTunes at the source link.%Gallery-163207%
YouTube heralds arrival of in-stream ads, built-in annoyance for mobile devices
If you've made it a habit of viewing YouTube videos on your mobile device in an effort to flout the site's pre-roll ads, your days of bliss are quickly drawing to a close. Today, the site implemented TrueView in-stream ads for the mobile platform, and like you've become accustomed to on the desktop, you'll begin to notice these commercials on your smartphone and tablet. Now, we get the need for content producers to make some coin, but the move certainly represents the end of an era. Fortunately, just like on the desktop, you'll have the ability to skip these ads after five seconds. Maybe now, you can take pride in making an independent producer rich beyond imagination -- or, at least helping them buy some lunch.
Hulu launches redesigned site with bigger artwork, 'tray-style format' of suggested shows
Hulu has been pushing tweaks to its UI on mobile devices and the web for several months, and now it's unleashed a complete redesign of its website. Designed with a focus on making it easier to find preferred content, it features bigger artwork that highlights new programming and a "tray-style" UI that lets you flip through queues of similar content curated by its team of editors. Navigation has been tweaked with a browse function to jump from category to category including what's popular, what's new, or any other filter and an upgraded search bar that lets you immediately play matching content. Finally, the show pages themselves have been refreshed, making it easier to jump directly into the most recently watched episode of a series. There's a few screen grabs of the new experience in the gallery below, plus a video preview embedded after the break, but it's probably easiest to hit the source link and check out the new site for yourself.
YouTube's new app for the PlayStation 3 rolling out, allows remote control from smartphones
While YouTube has always enjoyed support on Sony's PlayStation 3 thanks to the console's Flash-enabled browser and even offered a YouTube XL layout for connected devices, now it's rolling out a new app to make the video experience even better (and, no doubt, compete with the experience unveiled late last year on the Xbox 360). The app has an improved search with suggestions and instant results while users type, the ability to pull in a user's subscribed channels and it allows for remote control from the YouTube app on your smartphone after a simple pairing process (shown in a screenshot after the break.) According to the official blog it should be arriving in North America now, check under the My Channels section in the PS3 store to download the free app and give it a shot. Update: The new app should be available in the PlayStation store now (if you're in the US.) There's no word on when it will arrive in other regions, however Canadians can enjoy the Crackle app that popped up today and everyone can give Madden 2013 a shot.
Netflix testing 'Max' assistant on some PS3 users to improve movie recommendations
It's not available to all, but if you're running the latest version (2.08) of the Netflix app on your PlayStation 3 you may see a prompt for a new item called Netflix Max, spotted by one of our readers. Described by a PR rep we contacted as a "new user experience" the company is testing, the assistant talks to users directly and asks them to rate a few movies on the spot before providing new suggestions. The Noisecast was among the first to try out the new experience and even has a few tips on how to get it for yourself, although it didn't work on our PS3, even after uninstalling and reinstalling the app to get the latest version. The blog mentioned it does more than simply rating movies also, as it sometimes asked users to select movies based on specific criteria, like the starring actors. It can be brought up by pressing the square button on your PS3 controller, although how much you enjoy the gameified experience may vary. Pulling gems out of a catalog filled with older and lower profile movies is a complaint of many Netflix subscribers though, so any attempt to help is welcome, but we're not immediately sure this is the way. According to Netflix, it's waiting to see if the tool leads to "increased interaction" (read: more viewing hours / less likely to cancel, on average) before deciding whether or not to roll the tool out widely, so if you have it and like it, vote with your remotes. [Thanks, Sean aka Prophet Beal]
Amazon Instant Video iPad app now available, iPhone and iPod Touch still left wanting
A day after upgrading its cloud music player, Amazon has delivered a native Amazon Instant Video app for iPad (not iPhone or iPod Touch, yet) to the App Store. It has access to streaming Prime Instant Video for subscribers, as well as downloaded or streamed video on-demand. Other key features include access to the Watchlist / queue, and automatic access to any shows subscribed to with a Season Pass the day after they air on TV. The free app is available in the iTunes store right now, however like the sudden appearance of Hulu Plus on Apple TV yesterday we don't have any official PR to share just yet. We've had a chance to play around with it and we must say, Amazon is really coming after Netflix with this one. The app runs smoothly, and while the video player itself gets just the bare bones iOS treatment, every other part of the app seems polished, including the Watchlist. Add in the fact that you can watch things via subscription and seamlessly jump to fresher / premium content available for purchase or individual rental (with the notable caveat that you can't actually browse the VOD content, or purchase or buy it from within the app itself) and there's a serious competition going on.
Roku picks up financing from BSkyB, News Corp and more, keeps eye on the premium streaming crown
The little media streamer company that could, Roku, has gained some powerful friends in its latest round of financing, with $45 million in funds coming from the likes of BSkyB, News Corp and another partner who would prefer to remain nameless at this time, as well as previous investors Menlo Ventures and Globespan Capital Partners. While we leave you to ponder which company might be that unidentified source, Roku is simply continuing on, earmarking the money for use in building brand awareness, expanding internationally and much, much more. Also, that MHL-connected Roku Streaming Stick introduced at CES? It hasn't gone away and is still on track for launch later this year, with an eye towards providing a "Roku Inside" bundled experience for otherwise dumb flat-panel HDTVs. Roku's alignment with BSkyB (which reported a $10m stake in its earnings this morning, as well as the option to distribute its own branded Roku hardware) makes sense after the pay-TV giant launched Now TV recently with the hockey puck as one of its supported platforms, while CEO Anthony Wood tells us the fruitful partnership with News Corp had its root in the Fox News, Wall Street Journal Live and X-Factor channels it launched last year. Wood cites plans to make Roku "the TV distribution platform of the future", and this fifth round of financing -- larger than all previous rounds combined -- may help push it in this direction, check out a few more details in the press release after the break.
Netflix Q2 2012 earnings: 530,000 more US subscribers and a return to profitability
Netflix recently let it drop that its users clocked in more than one billion hours of content-viewing in the month of June alone, although the big question for CEO Reed Hastings is how that relates to the company's subscriber base. The results are in from its Q2 2012 earnings report, and it's claiming 27.56 million streaming subscribers worldwide, up from 26 million last quarter. In the US alone that includes 23.94 million customers, after it reported 23.4 million in Q1, while DVD customers dropped by 850k to 9.24 million. While the number of new subscribers wasn't as high as some had hoped, the good news is the company is finally back in the black, with $889 million in revenue providing $6 million in net income. On the flip side, a plan to launch service in an "additional attractive European market" in Q4 is expected to result in temporary losses, but we'll find out more about those plans later in Q3. One other issue that has been resolved is the search for a new Chief Marketing Officer resulting in the hiring of Kelly Bennett, formerly a marketing executive with Warner Bros. This morning Verizon and Redbox began to carefully pull back the cover on their competing offering, and Amazon has also been making significant waves in the space. However in response, Netflix says Amazon and Hulu Plus have yet to gain meaningful traction in relation to its viewing hours, and it expects Redbox Instant to face a "big challenge" to break into the existing top 3. Its current content deal with Epix will lose online exclusivity "shortly" although it will still offer those titles, we'll see if any of the competition joins in. Their biggest competition however, is expected to come from efforts like Comcast's new X1 and Sky's Now TV, while for HBO, the possibility of cooperation is actually raised (again). We'll see if that happens or if there are any more juicy details revealed on the investor call in a few minutes.
Hulu rolls out a simplified player UI for the web, takes a few cues from mobile
The web player for Hulu added some more acreage just a few months ago, and now the company has updated it with a new "chromeless" look that's stripped down for less complexity than the old one seen here. Similar to the changes Netflix recently made to its web player UI (and looking particularly reminiscent of the iOS video player), Hulu has concentrated all the transport controls into a single bar including options like a 10-second rewind and bringing up the time left in a video when it's paused. As seen in the screenshot above, closed captions, face match, quality and buffering options have their own submenu now, while the toggles, pop-out and lower lights have been moved into a box below the player. Once the show is over, there's a new screen before the player either automatically picks another video, lets you replay what you just watched or browse through other recommended selections. You should be able to see it on the site now, give it a quick spin and let us know if the changes are for the better.
Amazon, Warner deal brings Fringe, The West Wing to Prime Instant Video exclusively
The battle between Amazon's Prime Instant Video and Netflix Watch Instantly continues to heat up, with Amazon following up a slew of rollouts on new devices like the Xbox 360 and the addition of a queue by locking up some exclusive TV content from Warner Bros. According to the press release (included after the break) Amazon's agreement means episodes of Fringe and The West Wing will be "On Prime Instant Video First" and not on other streaming services for the summer. Stats show and Netflix has repeatedly indicated that subscribers view more TV content than movies on these types of services so content exclusives may become even more important differentiators. Other shows specifically named include Dark Blue, Alcatraz and The Whole Truth, hit up the Prime site to see any other less prominent names that may have escaped mention.
Now TV launches in the UK, brings pay-as-you-go streaming to Mac, PC and Android
Sky is going online and ditching the contracts... sort of. The UK TV provider is launching a new service called Now TV that will take on more established properties like Lovefilm and Netflix. The streaming video service will initially be available on OS X, Windows and Android with iOS to follow shortly. By the end of the year it will also be available on Xbox, PS3, Roku and Youview. Initially Sky Movies will form the backbone of the service, with titles costing anywhere from £0.99 to £3.49 for playback, or you can purchase unlimited monthly access for £15. Eventually Now TV will expand to include Sky Sports, Sky 1 and plenty of other BSkyB owned properties. For more, check out the PR after the break.
