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Boxee, RoxioNow integration means premium movie options on the way
We'll probably be able to add some new content partners to the Boxee list shortly, now that the media streaming company is teaming with Sonic Solutions. Best known as the company behind the online movie stores for Best Buy and Blockbuster, that predictably means Boxee users should be able to easily purchase and/or rent movies from Sonic's partners in the future. So far the blog post only promises RoxioNow integration by the time the Boxee Box launches, lucky there's a little more time for that to happen, huh?
CinemaNow to offer flicks via a Yahoo! Widget this fall
Just in case you were wondering how Blockbuster was so easily sliding onto Samsung televisions, Sonic Solutions officially announced its plan to launch a Yahoo! Widget this fall, so we should expect to see the many CinemaNow powered online movie houses like Blockbuster, Lionsgate and Warner Bros. and upcoming efforts from Best Buy and Zip.ca popping up in menus for internet connected TVs and set-top boxes all over.
Blockbuster OnDemand en route to Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and home theater systems
Questionable longevity or no, Blockbuster's taking some strides to get itself firmly into the video on demand business, and this latest announcement will go a long way with that. The company announced that it's integrating its OnDemand service into Samsung HDTVs, home theater systems, and Blu-ray players starting Fall 2009. Better still, those with LED HDTVs series 7000 or above, LCD / Plasmas series 650 or above, and select 2009 Blu-ray players / theater systems can get the service later via firmware update. It's still got a ways to go if it wants to catch up to Netflix, but every little bit helps, right?
Best Buy prepping an entry into the digital distribution game
Apparently Blu-ray sales aren't increasing fast enough for everyone, in its ongoing plan to not pull a Circuit City, Best Buy is reportedly in talks with CinemaNow and other, unnamed, movie services about launching a digital delivery arm as early as this summer. CinemaNow is well prepared to set up online video stores for others, with Blockbuster (bad example) and Dell already on board. Variety suggests Best Buy could market and sell Internet-connected TVs and set-top boxes that include CinemaNow access, with a shared revenue stream between the two, but nothing is final. Netflix has a hit on its hands with Watch Instantly so think it over, would you give an Insignia Blu-ray player or HDTV a second look if it could download movies?
LG BD370 network Blu-ray player hands on
After popping up across the Pacific, our European brothers have gotten a peek at LG's next generation Netcast-enabled Blu-ray player, the BD370. Confirmed for April, they got a look at the YouTube frontend, but we're still waiting for more eyes-on time Stateside to check out the Netflix and CinemaNow capabilities for this followup to the well-received BD300. Additional pics are after the read link.
Netgear unveils Internet TV Player, Digital Entertainer Elite with CinemaNow
We've now got a content provider giving support to Netgear's Digital Entertainer Elite, and that honor goes to CinemaNow. At today's overly-enthusiastic press conference -- seriously, they threw apples, footballs, and a beer can at certain points -- the company showed off the pay-per-view service on both the aforementioned media streamer as well as the new, much smaller Internet TV Player that's coming this summer for $199. It's very lightweight and has an HDMI output alongside two USB 2.0 ports. It's got YouTube support as well as North American, Europe, and Asia internet TV. The upscaled video looked good, although nothing that's gonna replace your HDTV anytime soon. One very nice feature is support for torrents that you can trigger remotely for download to the player (presumably on an attached disk drive here, as there's no internal storage from what we can tell). No word on codec support, but if they're touting torrents, we're hoping for at least some DivX / XviD and MKV love. The much larger and heavier granddaddy Elite, whos specs we've already heard care of the FCC, is coming February for $399. A fun little feature touted in the presser allows you to pause a video on one TV and watch it on another -- provided you've got a separate Elite unit connected to each. The bad news? Neither device supports Hulu or Netflix, although a rep told us that they're kinda sorta looking into adding the latter sometime in the future. %Gallery-40862%%Gallery-40863%
CinemaNow to distribute movies in DivX format
Forget about needing WMV and DivX compatibility, CinemaNow just announced plans to distribute movies using DivX technology - no surprise considering the slew of hardware on shelves and coming soon that includes support for the format. Good news for Expect to catch flicks on the PC, cellphone, gaming system and disc players, and even though they didn't mention which content providers would be first on the block, we've got to figure Sony Pictures is ready to go. Sounds like perfect timing, what with a totally unbiased survey finding in-store renting is soon to join Cross Colours, British Knights and SUVs as bygone fads.
DVD Copy Control Association to lighten DVD restrictions
It only took them, what, 10 years? The DVD Copy Control Association is finally setting about loosening some of the restrictions they've had on DVD copying -- at least to an extent. It doesn't sound like they have any plans to expand usage rights for consumers (perish the thought!), so we're guessing burning copies of a disc for backup purposes is still going to be less than legit. What they are planning to do is license their Content Scramble System (CSS) to Online distributors and makers of in-store kiosks, to allow for the burning of full-fledged DVDs from legal downloads. They're also in talks with media manufacturers to produce CSS-compatible blank DVDs for use with the services. We're guessing this new tact will bring some improved compatibility for services like CinemaNow, who already offers DVD burning with their download service, and hopes are high for a DVD burning feature from Apple for that eternally-rumored movie download store.[Via DVD Newsroom, thanks Ann]
