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Star Wars 'The Mandalorian' image, list of directors revealed
A day after we learned the name of the first live-action Star Wars TV show destined for Disney's unnamed subscription streaming service, the official website has posted this image of The Mandalorian. It's written and executive produced by Jon Favreau, and is expected to premiere next year. We still don't have any details on this Boba Fett-like "lone gunfighter" other than their time period (between the fall of the Empire and before the rise of The First Order) and location on the outer reaches of the galaxy. What has been revealed is an interesting list of directors. While Dave Filoni (Clone Wars) will helm the premiere, others including Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, What We Do In The Shadows), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates) and Deborah Chow (The High Cost of Living, Better Call Saul, Man in the High Castle) are also in the queue. That level of talent aligns with what we'd heard about the show's $100 million+ budget, but until the service launches next year we're probably looking at a continual slow-drip of information.
Jon Favreau's streaming 'Star Wars' series is 'The Mandalorian'
We still don't know the name of Disney's subscription streaming service, but we do have some details for a live-action Star Wars show that will appear on it. Jon Favreau announced on Instagram that The Mandalorian is set "after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order," with a "lone gunfighter" emerging in the tradition of Jango and Boba Fett on the outer reaches of the galaxy. Reports have indicated that the series could cost as much as $100 million to make, so the expectations are high. Other live-action shows that we could see when it launches next year are ones focusing on Marvel Cinematic Universe characters like Loki or Scarlet Witch (presumably Favreau is too busy to star in an Iron Man spin-off). We're also expecting new episodes of Star Wars: Clone Wars, so even if some of the older films aren't available right away, fans should have a few reasons to be interested when it arrives.
Sports Illustrated TV will start streaming on more platforms
Sports Illustrated launched its $5-per-month streaming service last fall exclusively through Amazon Channels, and now it's preparing to open up for a wider release. Soon, users will be able to subscribe directly and watch on Roku, iOS, Android and web browsers. The modestly-priced service won't livestream games to compete with the Disney-backed ESPN+, which just went live, or the upcoming Bleacher Report Live. Instead, Sports Illustrated TV offers its studio shows, sports films and the brand's lauded documentaries.
NYT: President Obama could be Netflix's next big signing
Given Netflix's recent list of talent deals, it's hard to imagine who they could reach an arrangement with next. According to a report by the New York Times, the streaming service is in "advanced negotiations" with former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. The exclusive content they'd produce for Netflix could include documentaries or fictional series that "align with their beliefs and values," or something where Barack would moderate discussions on hot-button topics, or Michelle could focus on something like nutrition. There's no word on how much the deal would be worth if finalized, but with $8 billion to spend this year there could be plenty of room.
Hulu locks out users with login problems two nights in a row
On Tuesday night many Hulu users were unable to stream video or live TV because they couldn't log in, which was bad enough. Unfortunately, Hulu suffered another outage tonight, going down again for a few hours during prime time ET viewing. Within the last hour, its support Twitter account reported that a "fix is in place" to address the login problem, but it may come a little late for users heading to bed. We've contacted the service to find out what's happening and will update this post if there's more information.
Amazon's Echo Show loses its access to YouTube
In an unexpected turn, Amazon's Echo Show has suddenly lost its ability to stream videos from YouTube. The Verge points out that the ability disappeared this afternoon, quoting Amazon and Google blaming each other for the issue. While YouTube claims that the Echo Show feature "violates our terms of service, creating a broken user experience," Amazon says "there is no technical reason for that decision." This isn't the first time we've seen Google regulate access to its video site -- Windows Phone and Roku were two notable skirmishes -- but it seems awkward that the Echo Show launched with access and now suddenly loses it. Previous fights centered around a lack of ads (remember, that's Google's actual business), and it's possible that is the problem once again, either with displaying them or tracking data. Whatever's missing in the arrangement, the Echo Show is suddenly less useful as a quick distraction for the kids or recipe helper, hopefully, things go back to normal soon.
‘Star Trek: Discovery’ deserves better than CBS’s streaming service
I've been a Star Trek fan my entire life. It goes without saying, then, that I was eagerly anticipating the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery. Even through the myriad production delays and the departure of key behind-the-scenes staff, I remained optimistic. The casting was good. The promo images were good. The trailer was good. Now the first two episodes have arrived, and the question remains: Just how good is Star Trek: Discovery? This show is solid. It could even be great, given the chance. In fact, it seems just as good as anything CBS has on the air. So the question is: Why the requirement of a subscription just for US viewers? After all, it's airing on Netflix in the rest of the world, except Canada, where it can be seen on the Space channel.
YouTube meets cable on Comcast's X1 boxes
Last year Comcast plugged Netflix streaming into the X1 setup and starting today it's rolling out YouTube access nationwide. Just as the company announced earlier this year, the service's videos will be available via the YouTube app, or in Comcast's video on-demand section. According to YouTube exec Robert Kyncl, "The living room is YouTube's fastest growing platform. We are excited to supercharge our distribution there and bring Xfinity X1 users a seamless way to consume all of the content they love. Voice is a key enabler to discovery and we are looking forward to bringing it to Xfinity X1 users."
Now Amazon Prime Video's Android app is available in the Play Store
Amazon's video app has always had odd gaps in its platform support, or weird hurdles to work around like requiring sideloading on Android. In the last few months, those have started to close, with the news that it will be available on Apple TV, and its inclusion on Vizio's SmartCast platform. Now, 9to5Google points out that the Amazon Video app is finally available as a standard app in the Google Play Store -- no more sideloading required.
Nintendo's first Switch streaming app launches Thursday in Japan
Other than its still-in-development online gaming setup, the Nintendo Switch launched without the suite of video streaming apps we're used to seeing on new consoles. Now there's an announcement of one video app for the Switch that's scheduled to launch July 13th, but unfortunately, it's only for Japanese users. Niconico is a YouTube-like video sharing site where users comments float in over videos while the play. From the preview video, it all seems quite straightforward, but we still have no information on when apps like Netflix or Hulu will be available for gamers in other countries.
Verizon lays off 155 Go90 employees
Verizon launched its vertical video-focused Go90 service in October 2015, and now many of the people behind it have been laid off. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter note 155 people, mostly from the San Jose office where much of the team was based, were cut late last week. In a statement, Verizon said the moves were a result of "some duplicative resources," but that they did not indicate a change in strategy. It does, however, bring an end to the Intel OnCue project that eventually formed a basis for Go90. When Verizon acquired the Vessel video startup late last year and shut it down, it seemed well positioned to work on Go90. Now that is apparently coming true, as it confirmed to Variety that former Hulu CTO and Vessel co-founder Richard Tom will lead Go90, taking the title of CTO of Verizon Digital Entertainment.
Netflix says it is finally adding offline playback
Netflix has long said that it had no intention of ever offering an offline playback mode for when you're stuck on an airplane or anywhere else with no internet connection. But it seems like the company is changing course: An enigmatic tweet from the Netflix account says that "your favorite stories are now available for download any time." It's accompanied by a cute video with scenes from a bunch of Netflix original shows, but it seems as if the feature won't be limited to only the company's original content. Regardless of any catches, the message is clear: Netflix will finally let us save shows to watch when we don't have an internet connection.
Vudu offers ad-supported movies 'on us'
For years, Walmart-owned Vudu has had a reputation for its high picture quality and ties to Ultraviolet digital copies. Now, the video on-demand store is trying something new: free movies. There is a catch, however, as the free flicks will contain advertising breaks. Otherwise, viewers will be able to log in from computers, phones and TVs to watch movies like True Grit, Mad Max and more without paying a dime. It's an interesting scheme, and if anything, may get more people to try out the Vudu app installed on their TV, game console or Chromecast.
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.
Amazon needs to simplify Prime Video to compete with Netflix
You can now buy a monthly subscription to Amazon Prime Video, a move that puts the service in direct competition with Netflix. In a lot of ways, Amazon comes out looking like a strong option. For starters, it's cheaper: $8.99 per month gets you an arguably better movie catalog than you'll find on Netflix these days, not to mention Amazon's own slate of original programming and access to most of HBO's back catalog.
Verizon will reportedly launch its next-gen TV service this year
Massive multimedia conglomerate Verizon is reportedly looking to overhaul one of its key consumer offerings. According to Variety, the company is preparing a next-generation "IP TV service," with a planned launch in one of its existing FiOS markets later this year. Details are sketchy on how exactly this new service will work, but it sounds like it'll be centered around a new set-top box. Earlier this week, Verizon filed FCC documents for a new box that would include the OnCue internet video technology that the company picked up from Intel over two years ago.
Netflix reportedly pays $90 million for Will Smith and 'Bright'
A couple of weeks ago rumors surfaced that Netflix was in the lead to sign its biggest movie deal yet, and now Deadline says it is the winner of a bidding battle (over Warner Bros./MGM and PalmStar) for Bright. Pitched as an R-rated thriller with fantasy elements, it carries a reported price tag of about $90 million -- $30 million or so more than it paid for War Machine with Brad Pitt. In it, Smith is apparently playing cop partnered with an orc (Joel Edgerton) Alien Nation-style. That includes $45 million to shoot it, with another $45 million used to pay the talent and buy out back end residual fees that they won't get because of its anticipated limited theater release.
Netflix is cracking down on proxy users
The practice of using VPNs to spoof one's location to the Netflix servers has long allowed those outside the US to watch American content that was not available locally. But in the wake of the launch of Netflix Everywhere, the company's new global service initiative, that practice is kaput. Netflix announced on Thursday that it is cracking down on users that use VPNs to get around the company's geographic content restrictions.
Netflix's new video approach looks better, uses less data
The last time we noted Netflix extensively discussing how it stores video for the best streaming performance, its HD quality maxed out at 720p, surround sound was still a pipe dream and tablets weren't a thing yet. A Variety report explains that after extensive testing it's going through and re-encoding the entire library with a process that applies compression in a smarter way to maximize quality and save a ton of bandwidth. Soon, when you press play Netflix's servers will do a better job of recognizing what kind of device you're watching on and, depending on the connection speed available, pick a stream that fits its capabilities.
Vudu starts streaming 4K movies to the Roku 4
Vudu's 1080p HDX streams were once considered high quality for streaming movies over the internet, (now they're even watchable on phones) but in the last year Amazon and Netflix surpassed them with 4K resolution and even HDR. Now Vudu is stepping up its game with some 4K flicks, currently available only through the new Roku 4. For the moment it has 12 movies viewable in 4K (check the list after the break), with prices of $10 for a rental and $25 - $30 to purchase. According to Vudu, you'll need an 11Mbps connection to stream the high-res versions that it's marked Vudu UHD. The option will be coming to other platforms including Vizio's 4K TVs soon, and for the ones that can handle it, there's support for HDR and Atmos surround sound too.
